Hillary Clinton calls McConaughey's independent vote plea 'unfortunate'
The former Secretary of State responded to the actor's social media video urging voters to consider third-party candidates.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Matthew McConaughey has been chastised by Hillary Clinton (Getty)
Photograph: The Independent (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Matthew McConaughey posted a video encouraging voters to consider independent candidates, questioning the idea that an independent vote is wasted.
- Hillary Clinton responded to McConaughey's video, calling his suggestion "unfortunate" and arguing it could harm Democrats' efforts to oppose Trump.
- McConaughey stated his message was about fairness and reality, not endorsing specific candidates, and that independents represent the largest political identity in the US.
- Clinton appeared on the podcast "High Stakes" with Kara Swisher, where McConaughey's video was played before her response.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 7 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
80/100
Craft
95/100
Hype
15/100
7 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 2 of the 7 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Actor Matthew McConaughey shared a video on social media urging voters to consider third-party candidates and to question the notion that an independent vote is wasted. He stated his message was about fairness and reality, not endorsing any specific candidate or party. McConaughey argued that independents constitute the largest political identity in the United States and should be part of the political fight as potential winners, not spoilers.
The video was played for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the podcast "High Stakes," hosted by journalist Kara Swisher. Clinton responded by calling McConaughey's encouragement "unfortunate," particularly given the timing before the midterm elections. She stated that suggesting independent candidates is a better choice is detrimental when Democrats are working to counter what she described as "Trump's corruption, impunity and extreme damage to the country."
Clinton asserted that Democrats represent a broad range of Americans and that not voting for them to defeat Republicans would allow Trump "two more unchecked years." Voting records from The Texas Tribune show McConaughey has been registered in Travis County, Texas, since 2012 and voted in the 2018 and 2020 elections, but has not voted in a party primary since 2012.
Disagreement on Clinton's reaction
The Independent and The Independent (US) reported that Hillary Clinton "chastised" and "made her disapproval clear" regarding McConaughey's video. In contrast, The Gateway Pundit stated Clinton "slammed" McConaughey, while Breitbart reported she "lectured" him. Washington Times described Clinton as "miffed," and capitalisminstitute.org said she "labeled" his push "unfortunate."
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention Matthew McConaughey's specific arguments for why independent candidates should be considered, such as his points about fairness, reality, or that independents represent the largest political identity in the US. The centre-rated outlets did not cover this story.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 4 times, most recently on 23 Oct 2026, 05:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
2 rated outlets
- Both The Independent and The Independent (US) published full reports that detailed McConaughey's video message and his arguments for supporting independent candidates. They included his full quotes about the "wasted vote" and the need for independents to be in the fight. Both outlets also prominently featured Hillary Clinton's response, quoting her statement that it was "unfortunate" for someone with McConaughey's reach to suggest independent candidates, especially with midterms approaching. They also included details about McConaughey's voting record and reactions from other social media users who criticised his stance.
Centre
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated centre has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Right
5 rated outlets
- The right-rated reports focused on Hillary Clinton's reaction to Matthew McConaughey's video. The Gateway Pundit reported Clinton "slammed" McConaughey over his calls for independent candidates. PJ Media stated Clinton "likes Independents, provided they help Democrats." Washington Times reported Clinton was "miffed" by McConaughey's push for independent candidates. Breitbart stated Clinton "lectured" McConaughey for his call to back independent candidates. Capitalisminstitute.org reported Clinton "labeled" McConaughey's push "unfortunate" and that it "undercuts Democrats trying to check President Trump."
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Hillary Clinton calls McConaughey's independent vote plea 'unfortunate'?
- Of the 7 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 29% are rated left, 0% are rated centre, 71% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Hillary Clinton calls McConaughey's independent vote plea 'unfortunate' left or right?
- Too few of the outlets on this story carry a published leaning rating to say. 7 of them do, and this site does not characterise a field under 12: at that size one newsroom filing moves the share by ten points. The percentages above are the count as it stands.
- Is the coverage of Hillary Clinton calls McConaughey's independent vote plea 'unfortunate' biased?
- Hillary Clinton calls McConaughey's independent vote plea 'unfortunate' is one event reported by 7 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Hillary Clinton calls McConaughey's independent vote plea 'unfortunate'?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Hillary Clinton calls McConaughey's independent vote plea 'unfortunate'?
- 7 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did Matthew McConaughey say in his video?
- Matthew McConaughey posted a video urging voters to consider independent candidates and to question the idea that an independent vote is wasted. He stated his message was about fairness and reality, not endorsing specific candidates, and argued that independents represent the largest political identity in the US.
- How did Hillary Clinton respond to McConaughey's video?
- Hillary Clinton described McConaughey's encouragement for voters to consider independent candidates as "unfortunate." She stated that such suggestions are detrimental when Democrats are working to counter "Trump's corruption, impunity and extreme damage to the country," and that not voting for Democrats could allow Trump "two more unchecked years."
- What is Matthew McConaughey's voting history?
- Voting records indicate Matthew McConaughey has been registered in Travis County, Texas, since 2012. He voted in the 2018 and 2020 elections but has not voted in a party primary since 2012.
Read it at the source
7 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
2- Matthew McConaughey chastised by Hillary Clinton over voting plea (opens The Independent (US) in a new tab)
The Independent (US) — is The Independent (US) biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Matthew McConaughey chastised by Hillary Clinton over voting plea (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Right
5- Hillary Clinton Slams Matthew McConaughey Over “Really Unfortunate” Calls to Support Independent Candidates * The Gateway Pundit * by Jordan Conradson (opens The Gateway Pundit in a new tab)
The Gateway Pundit — is The Gateway Pundit biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Hillary Clinton Likes Independents, Provided They Help Democrats (opens PJ Media in a new tab)
PJ Media — is PJ Media biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Hillary Clinton miffed with Matthew McConaughey for pushing voters toward independent candidates (opens Washington Times in a new tab)
Washington Times — is Washington Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Hillary Clinton Lectures Matthew McConaughey for His 'Unfortunate' Call for Voters to Back Independent Candidates (opens Breitbart in a new tab)
- Clinton Slams McConaughey's Independent Vote Push (opens capitalisminstitute.org in a new tab)
capitalisminstitute.org — is capitalisminstitute.org biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
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