Share and Follow
Mark Ruffalo, known for his roles in various Disney-Marvel films, has thrown his support behind billionaire Tom Steyer in the California governor’s race. This move comes despite Ruffalo’s frequent criticisms of billionaires in general.
Ruffalo made his endorsement public through a post on Instagram this Thursday.
In his post, Ruffalo praised Steyer’s commitment, stating, “Tom has dedicated the past two decades to combating climate change. In contrast, Becerra is heavily backed by Big Oil and other corporations that have poured nearly $50 million into getting him elected,” he asserted.
While Ruffalo openly expressed his reservations about billionaires, admitting he finds it unnecessary for individuals to possess such substantial wealth, he attempted to draw a line between Steyer and typical oligarchs. This distinction seemed to overlook the fact that Steyer, like many oligarchs, is leveraging his wealth to gain political sway.
“I’m not fond of billionaires and believe there’s no justification for such wealth, yet I differentiate between an oligarch and a billionaire,” Ruffalo explained. “Oligarchs use their wealth to gather more power out of sheer greed, often exploiting land, resources, or people. Despite Tom being a billionaire, I don’t classify him as an oligarch, unlike figures such as Musk, Thiel, Trump, or Bezos.”
“Tom is a progressive who will work for the people of California, not to enrich himself or corporations. If elected, he will appoint an administration of people who are progressive and solution-oriented,” he continued. “He will be a bulwark against Trump. Tom is calling for ICE to be abolished and will hold ICE accountable for crimes in California. He is against the corporate merger of Paramount and Warner Bros, and he will work to make Hollywood a thriving industry based in California again. Tom supports taxing the rich (including himself) whereas Becerra has not supported calls to tax billionaires.”
Ruffalo’s hardcore progressive fans expressed disappointment, with many feeling that Steyer’s very status as a billionaire disqualifies him from office.
“This is so disappointing to read from you. Steyer could help millions of people without ever holding office. With his money TODAY. But instead he’s spent $300 million on his presidential run and this governor run. Billionaires should not exist,” said one user.
“Dear Mark, Tom is the perfect example of ‘if he wanted to, he would.’ Steyer doesn’t need the title of governor to do any of the things he claims to want to do, he’s a billionaire!!!” said another user.
“Making promises about ICE doesn’t mean he will actually do anything, or that he actually can. The problem Billionaires Promises, is getting Billionaire results when their Billionaire Friends turn their backs on them,” said another.