Horror Director John Carpenter Compares Trump to ‘They Live’ Alien Overlords

John Carpenter, the legendary 76 year old director behind films like Halloween and The Thing, recently shared his thoughts on former President Donald Trump, drawing a comparison between Trump and the alien creatures in his 1988 film They Live. During an appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s “It Happened in Hollywood” podcast, Carpenter agreed with host Seth Abramovitch’s claim that Trump “fits right into the They Live world,” where aliens control human minds through media. Carpenter responded, “Of course it does. It makes total sense.”

The filmmaker, now 76, expressed deep disappointment in what he views as the resurgence of racism and xenophobia under Trump’s influence. “There’s so much of what we’ve turned into as a country that just makes me heartsick,” Carpenter said, adding, “This return of racism and xenophobia — oh God, that’s awful.” Reflecting on his Southern upbringing during the Jim Crow era, Carpenter explained, “I knew that no matter what law you passed, in the hearts of many Southerners, those sentiments remain. But now it’s been brought back by Trump, I think. And it’s horrible.”

Carpenter was unable to cite any examples of racism and xenophobia, but presumably because Donald Trump is concerned about massive illegal immigration in the United States, that somehow equates to being a racist xenophobe. Carpenter also lamented the current state of the world, saying, “The world is just horrible,” and linked Trump’s presidency to what he sees as a broader decline in social values and tolerance.

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Despite the media’s critical stance on Trump, Carpenter’s comments reflect his radical beliefs that Trump has reshaped the political and cultural landscape in harmful ways. The filmmaker’s criticism of Trump comes as the former president continues to gain ground in every poll, including increasing support from minorities. It’s going to be a very scary October for Carpenter and other frightened lefties.

Full disclosure: I was an extra in John Carpenter’s “Starman” (1984) and voted for Trump twice.

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