Clint Eastwood: Politicians Today 'Don't Give a Damn'

Clint Eastwood’s “empty chair” speech at last summer’s Republican National Committee didn’t mark the actor’s final thoughts on the current political scene.

Eastwood, who returned to acting with last year’s baseball drama Trouble with the Curve, weighed in on the debt ceiling and government gridlock on CNBC this week.

“It’s almost like they don’t give a damn,” he said, in a “Squawk Box” interview that aired Friday. The Oscar-winning director who’s also known for his tough-guy roles asked rhetorically, “If they don’t give a damn, why did they expect anybody else to?” 

Eastwood heaped some of the blame for politics as usual on the public for not demanding more from their leaders.

“The election’s over. We should be moving ahead. The leaders aren’t stepping up,” and he said, “I think they have to hear from the public out there. And maybe the public is a little lackadaisical.”