Vince Vaughn: Unlikely Darling of the Right

“I’ve always been more conservative than not”, True Detective star Vince Vaughn told American radio show host Adam Carolla in 2013. Before that, the amiable-seeming actor was known as a backer and friend of two-time Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, and an endorser of Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential bid. But how did he get from there to his notorious GQ interview, in which he claimed that teachers should be allowed access to guns in schools?

2004: Vaughn the conference crasher

Vaughn’s Wedding Crashers co-star Owen Wilson said that he’d attended a conference for young members of the party at The Four Seasons hotel in Washington DC while the pair was filming Wedding Crashers. Vaughn was denied entry. “Vince actually is a Republican and they didn’t believe him,” Wilson claimed during a press tour for the film in 2005. “They saw me and said, ‘Come on in.’ But to Vince, they said, ‘We know you’re not a Republican.’” The Revolution: A Mani... Ron Paul Best Price: $1.99 Buy New $6.99 (as of 11:00 UTC - Details)

Whether Wilson was attending in earnest is unknown. However Wilson said that Vaughn’s attempts to get in were completely genuine, but because he hadn’t yet spoken about his political views, he couldn’t convince the party members that his attendance wasn’t a prank. How things have changed, Owen. How things have changed.

2009-present: the Vince Vaughn and Ron Paul bromance

Former Congressman Ron Paul has made two bids to become a Republican presidential candidate in the last seven years. Before that was the presidential nominee of the Libertarian Party, which is economically conservative but has fought for for liberal causes including the legalisation of drugs, same-sex marriage and abortion.

Paul and Vaughn have often been spotted around the barbeque together. “Vince is a great guy who loves liberty,” said Paul’s campaign chairman Jesse Benton. “Dr Paul is proud to have his friendship and support.”

Vaughn invited Paul and his wife to the premiere of his 2009 film Couples Retreat, and endorsed Paul’s 2009 book End the Fed. He officially came out as a Ron Paul campaigner in 2011.

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