James Woods made a shocking announcement on Thursday, revealing he is leaving the Republican Party.
The 78-year-old actor, known for his conservative views, has embraced MAGA politics and called Trump ‘the greatest president of my lifetime,’ making him one of Hollywood’s most outspoken supporters.
Over the years, Woods has used social media to launch scathing attacks on prominent Democrats, including Gavin Newsom and Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez.
He has also claimed that his politics have come at a cost, alleging professional backlash in Hollywood – from his agent dropping him to fewer acting roles – which he attributed to being ‘blacklisted’ for his outspoken views.
Now, Woods says he’s fed up with the Republican Party itself. Taking to X, he criticized congressional Republicans for blocking an effort to investigate Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, arguing that some GOP lawmakers aren’t doing enough to hold the opposition accountable.
‘I am done with the Republican Party,’ Woods wrote. ‘Between this and Thune’s refusal to pass the SAVE Act, I’m done with these uniparty traitors.’
James Woods made a shocking announcement on Thursday, revealing he is leaving the Republican Party.
Taking to X, he criticized congressional Republicans for blocking an effort to investigate Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar , arguing that some GOP lawmakers aren’t doing enough to hold the opposition accountable
He added, ‘I’m changing my party affiliation to Independent. No wonder President Trump is fighting an uphill battle every day.’
Woods also highlighted a video of South Carolina Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, who publicly slammed her own party after a motion to obtain records related to Ilhan Omar stalled in the House.
The clip, shared from the X account @WallStreetApes, suggested that GOP lawmakers were protecting Omar and called the episode proof of a ‘uniparty’ undermining accountability.
Mace said Republicans should be willing to pursue investigations they often campaign on, pointing to long-running immigration-related allegations about Omar that have circulated in conservative media.
Omar has denied the claims, and past inquiries have turned up no definitive evidence to support them.
Meanwhile, Woods continued to show his support for President Trump, sharing a photo of him with his Cabinet in the Oval Office last week and praising the group on X as ‘the greatest President and greatest Cabinet, certainly in my lifetime.’
Yet the actor has not shied away from criticism either.
Just weeks ago, he slammed Trump over what he called the president’s ‘distasteful’ comments about Rob Reiner.
‘I am done with the Republican Party,’ Woods wrote, adding, ‘Between this and Thune’s refusal to pass the SAVE Act, I’m done with these uniparty traitors’
Just weeks ago, Woods slammed Trump over what he called the president’s ‘distasteful’ comments about Rob Reiner
Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were tragically found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home on December 14th, and their 32-year-old son Nick has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Woods praised the late filmmaker – a staunch liberal – for saving his career and described him as a ‘Godsend in my life’ during a December appearance on Fox News’s Jesse Watters Primetime.
He also criticized those speaking poorly of Reiner, emphasising that political differences should not erase personal respect.
‘I judge people by how they treat me, and Rob Reiner was a Godsend in my life. We got along great, we loved each other… He was always on my side,’ Woods said.
‘When people would say to me, “What do you think of his politics?” I would say, “I think Rob Reiner is a great patriot.” Do I agree on many of his ideas on how that patriotism should be enacted, to celebrate the America that we both love? No. He doesn’t agree with me either, but he also respects my patriotism.
‘We had a different path to the same destination, which was a country we both love.’
Woods went on to describe how Reiner gave him a career-saving role in the 1996 film Ghosts of Mississippi, which turned his trajectory around from being ‘basically out of a job’ to landing an Academy Award nomination.
‘Rob literally saved my career and really put me back on track,’ Woods said. ‘He really fought for me when the studio didn’t want me in a movie. He was somebody I love, respect, and cherish.’
He added that Reiner, unlike many others, refrained from criticising figures like Charlie Kirk after his assassination, demonstrating the respect and integrity that Woods admired.
‘I knew Charlie Kirk, I supported him… people said some such horrible things, and Rob did not,’ Woods said.
Throughout, Woods emphasised that political differences did not diminish his personal admiration for Reiner: ‘I am just absolutely devastated. I loved him as a friend, as an artist, as an icon of Hollywood, and as a patriot.’
