Debra Messing, Eric McCormack address 'misinterpreted' comments about Trump donor list
Debra Messing and Eric McCormack are clarifying their comments about Trump’s donor list.
In a statement posted by McCormack and shared by his Will & Grace co-star, it said, “I want to be clear about my social media post from last week, which has been misinterpreted in a very upsetting way. I absolutely do not support blacklists or discrimination of any kind, as anyone who knows me would attest.”
It continued, “I’d simply like to understand where Trump’s major donations are coming from, which is a matter of record. I am holding myself responsible for making educated and informed decisions that I can morally and ethically stand by and to do that, transparency is essential.
Messing said that the McCormack’s post “perfectly explain[ed]” their motivation in asking for a list. “Honestly, I couldn’t have said it better.”
My friend eric_mccormack posted this today. It perfectly explains the intent behind each of our posts concerning the fundraiser. I am posting it here because, honestly, I couldn’t have said it better. https://t.co/Jqe4l6ZeJj
— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) September 3, 2019
Last week, Messing and McCormack demanded the guest list for the Trump’s Hollywood fundraiser — with McCormack saying he wanted it, so “the rest of us can be clear about who we don’t wanna work with.” Critics said it was becoming like a Joseph McCarthy-like blacklist, leading to Whoopi Goldberg calling out Messing and McCormack on Tuesday's The View.
"Last time people did this, people ended up killing themselves,” Goldberg said. “This is not a good idea, OK? Your idea of who you don’t want to work with is your personal business. Do not encourage people to print out lists because the next list that comes out, your name will be on, and then people will be coming after you!"
Goldberg went on to say, “In this country — people can vote for who they want to. That is one of the great rights of this country. You don’t have to like it, but we don’t go after people because we don’t like who they voted for. We don’t go after them that way. We can talk about issues and stuff, but we don’t print out lists. And I’m sure you guys misspoke when you said that because it sounded like a good idea. Think about it. Read about it. Remember what the blacklist actually meant to people and don’t encourage anyone, anyone, to do it."
McCormack’s clarification about not supporting blacklists or discrimination of any kind was issued soon after — and reshared by Messing shortly after that.
Over the weekend, Trump also called out Messing on Twitter over it but seemed more fixated that she had become one of his critics after, according to him, once thanking him for helping boost the ratings on NBC with The Apprentice. Messing replied to the president by shaming him for not attending to more important matters.
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