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Stallone and Mel Gibson, along with Angelina Jolie’s father, will be the president-elect’s “eyes and ears”. What are these “special civil servants” that Trump will have at his side?
The President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, named the actors on Thursday Mel Gibson, Jon Voight e Sylvester Stallone as “special ambassadors” for Hollywood, considering that the film industry has “lost a lot” in the last four years.
According to the Republican, who returns to the White House on Monday, the three actors will help him so that “Hollywood, which in the last four years has lost a lot of business abroad, becomes bigger, better and stronger than ever”, he wrote in his social network, Truth Social.
Trump lamented all the alleged problems he believes exist in Hollywood and created this position with the aim of improving the situation from a business perspective.
“These three talented men will be my eyes and ears. I will do whatever they suggest,” he added.
Jon Voight
Jon VoightAngelina Jolie’s father, made news in 2020 when actor Frank Whaley accused him of slapping her.
In a film industry that is overwhelmingly pro-Democrat, the “cowboy” American is known for his longtime support of Trump.
His rise to stardom came with the film “Midnight Cowboy” (1969), where he played Joe Buck, a young Texan who tries his luck in New York. Other notable roles include “Deliverance” (1972), “Runaway Train” (1985), for which he was again nominated for an Oscar, and “Heat” (1995).
Mel Gibson
American actor, director and producer, Mel Gibson became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in the 1980s with “tough guy” roles in “Mad Max” and “Lethal Weapon”.
Despite his success, his career suffered some setbacks due to accusations of anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia, alcoholism and domestic violence.
More recently, last October, Gibson attacked the Democratic candidate for the US presidential election, Kamala Harris, accusing her of having an Intelligence Quotient “of a fence”.
Sylvester Stallone
Finally, the American actor, screenwriter, director and producer Sylvester Stallone, for whom Trump is the “second George Washington”, is also an iconic and beloved figure in action cinema, known worldwide for his roles in the “Rocky” sagas. ” and “Rambo.”
Its great rise came with “Rocky” (1976), a film he wrote and starred in. The story of boxer Rocky Balboa became a worldwide success, receiving three Oscars, including Best Film.
He is also not without controversy: he was accused of sexual assault in the late 1980s, allegations he denied and which did not give rise to any legal proceedings.
US film and television production has been hampered in recent years, with setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Hollywood union strikes in 2023 and, last week, ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
“Special” employees?
Trump also called the trio special envoys. Ambassadors and special envoys are generally chosen to respond to trouble spots like the Middle East, not California.
Trump’s ally, Elon Muskyou can also become a “special civil servant”, in your case, as co-leader of the DOGE department.
New details have emerged about the creation of this East Government Efficiency Department, a body that will be led by Tesla CEO and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
Elon Musk may assume the status of “special government employee”, a title given to people who, despite being external to the public administration, offer their experience to the government on a temporary basis, which may be paid or voluntary.
As a rule, these employees cannot exceed 130 days of service in a consecutive 365-day period.
The designation is relevant because it entails less stringent ethics rules than those applied to regular federal employees. However, such easing raises concerns, especially considering Musk’s position at the head of companies like SpaceX, Tesla and X.
Since the announcement of his appointment, critics and political observers have questioned how Musk can fulfill this role without compromising the impartiality required, given the financial impact that government decisions can have on his companies.
Senator Elizabeth Warren highlighted these concerns in a letter addressed to the Trump transition team.
“Putting Musk in a position to influence billions of dollars of government contracts and regulatory enforcement without a strict conflict of interest agreement it is an invitation to corruption on a scale never seen before in our times,” Warren wrote at the time, quoted by .
“Currently, the American public has no way of knowing whether the advice he is secretly whispering to you is good for the country — or just good for your own bottom line,” the senator added.
