‘Fortunately, I won’t be around’: Dick Van Dyke feels death is preferable to experiencing a second Trump term, and it’s a mood

Dick Van Dyke recently offered up a scathing response to Donald Trump’s win in the 2024 election, and it’s pretty relatable. The legendary Mary Poppins star has long been an ardent critic of Trump. After coming out in support of Kamala Harris a week before the election, Van Dyke is feeling the loss as deeply as the rest of us.

The Daily Mail caught up with the actor, who turns 99 next month, in a parking garage. “Does the future look bright for America?” the reporter asked Van Dyke. “I hope you’re right,” the actor chuckled incredulously. He was pressed again, as the reporter asked, “Do you think Donald Trump is capable of making America great again?” This time, the actor didn’t hold back. “Fortunately I won’t be around to experience the four years,” Van Dyke replied, finding a rare silver lining in Trump’s victory. Tell us how you really feel, Dick!

Shuffling off the mortal coil before experiencing the extent of a second Trump term is certainly one way to see an upside to death. Van Dyke’s comment seems only partly serious, after all, the 98 year old is still kicking, who knows how many more years he has left. Still, it’s an understandable feeling, especially for someone who has been so passionate about building a better world. A few days before the election, Van Dyke posted a video to his YouTube channel to encourage people to vote and reminding them what’s at stake. The actor recited part of a speech, written by Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, which he had read previously in 1964 alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at a Religious Witness for Human Dignity event.

“Hatred is not the norm. Prejudice is not the norm,” Van Dyke recited. “Suspicion, dislike, jealousy, scapegoating…They’re diseases. They are the infectious and contagious viruses that have been breeding humanity for years.” Van Dyke has been speaking out against Trump for years—all the way back to 2016, when Trump first ran for president. Though he threw his support behind Bernie Sanders during the primaries, he didn’t hesitate to confirm he would vote for Hilary Clinton if she received the nomination, because “the alternative is a nightmare.” The actor claimed, “The last thing that scared me as much as Trump was the Cuban Missile Crisis.” “[Trump] has been a magnet to all the hidden racist and xenophobes in the country,” the actor said in a CNN interview. “He scares me.” Same, Mr. Van Dyke, SAME. 

Van Dyke’s frustration is something a lot of us can relate to, especially those of us who lived through the first Trump administration. It’s sometimes hard to shake the feelings of futility when society keeps rejecting progress and basic human rights. For Van Dyke, death is a relief compared to watching the country embrace its worst impulses. A Reddit thread discussing Van Dyke’s latest comments reflects the way the actor’s sentiment resonates with people right now. “Fu–in’, yikes. But I can see where he’s coming from,” one user admitted. 

Many felt bad that Van Dyke’s final years will be spent in this environment. The actor has had an astounding career filled with delightful and iconic roles, and based on his passion for equality, he seems like a genuinely good human being. ”Jesus Christ, we made Dick Van Dyke go ‘welp time to die,’” a Redditor lamented. Welp indeed.