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Academy Award-winning actor Mel Gibson has described Donald Trump’s arrival in California on Friday, January 24, 2025, as a father coming home to beat his children with a belt. Gibson spoke about it on the Hannity show, where he was asked about his experience with the wildfires.
On Monday, January 20, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States outside the US Capitol Building by Chief Justice John Roberts. On Friday, he had a lengthy conversation with Southern California officials and blamed Democratic politicians for not doing enough to control the ravaging California wildfire. The entire discourse was aired live on television.
The same day, Mel Gibson, one of the unfortunate victims of the recent California wildfires whose home was burned to the ground, joined the show, Hannity. Host Sean Hannity asked for his take on reported casualties like fire hydrants without water, a cut in firefighting budgets, and empty water reservoirs that allegedly made the fire even more catastrophic.
“There are those that say, ‘They must’ve done it on purpose.’ I won’t go that far, but if they didn’t do it on purpose, I think they certainly facilitated it. And my heart goes out to all the other residents. You meet people all the time who’ve lost their homes. And you talk and commiserate and buck each other up, and everyone’s putting on a brave face. They’re a good bunch out here,” he said.
He continued to say that Donald Trump would fix the situation.
“I’m glad Trump’s here at the moment. It’s like daddy arrived and he’s taking his belt off, you know? So, I think he’ll get some results here quickly,” added the 69-year-old.
Many netizens on X were irked by Gibson’s comparison. User @planterspunch7 sarcastically described the incident as not weird at all in a post that said:
“That doesn’t sound weird in any way whatsoever.”
“Remember when we thought we’d gotten past, or were at least getting past, this type of patriarchal bullsh*t?” another user wrote.
“What’s up with grown men calling another man DADDY? It’s weird to me,” another user claimed.
“Mel Gibson: ‘Daddy’s here, taking his belt off.’ Mate, this sounds like the intro to a straight-to-DVD horror film no one asked for. Maybe it’s time to put the old dog to rest before he wanders into another PR disaster. Someone fetch the retirement slippers and a cup of warm milk,” a user chimed in.
Many users continued to criticize Gibson’s statement, while one user came up with an explanation:
“This kind of hyperbolic endorsement is often used in political rhetoric to emphasize loyalty or to rally supporters, but it also underscores the deep divisions in public opinion regarding political figures like Trump,” the user explained.
“Is it my imagination, or do all these men have daddy issues. Because calling an adult man that you’re not related to “daddy” and asking to be beaten with a belt is creeping me out,” another user commented.
“Great way to endorse violence against children, Mel. Thanks, but no thanks,” a user declared.
Some other reactions on X are as follows:
“Funny thing is that Mel Gibson’s dad died in 2020. His real daddy is probably looking down in heaven, saying “what the f*ck,”” a user quipped.
“Trump as a daddy that whips their kids is the most maga thing anyone has ever said,” a netizen claimed.
“It is a true statement. The leadership in California is like a bunch of lawless teenagers, and Trump is coming to bring order. So yes, Daddy is home, and the belt has come off,” another person argued.
Last week, Donald Trump felicitated Mel Gibson with the honor of “Special Ambassador” to Hollywood.
Donald Trump’s recent ban on birthright citizenship hailed “blatantly unconstitutional” by US District Judge
US District Judge John Coughenour recently imposed a temporary block on Donald Trump’s executive order banning birthright citizenship. It was one of Trump’s first orders after assuming office on January 20 and was meant to redefine the country’s preexisting immigration laws.
The order states that a child born in the United States will not be considered a citizen if neither parent is a citizen or a legal permanent resident. During the hearing, the Judge described it as “blatantly unconstitutional,” saying:
“I am having trouble understanding how a member of the bar could state unequivocally that this order is constitutional. It just boggles my mind.”
He added:
“I have been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.”
Democrat-led states like Oregon, Illinois, Arizona, and Washington also supported the Judge, citing that the order directly violates the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause of the Constitution. The 14th Amendment states that:
“I have been on the bench for over four decades. I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order.”
In addition to Trump, a group of 36 lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed legislation banning the citizenship of children whose parents are not legal citizens or legal permanent residents. The lawmakers claimed that birthright citizenship incentivizes illegal immigration and promotes ‘anchor baby’ policies.
‘Anchor baby’ policy refers to the practice of a family of illegal immigrants utilizing the benefits of US citizenship through a child born in the United States.
