Robert Duvall passed away on Sunday at age 95. Compared with many in show business, he didn’t speak much about politics, though he did on occasion. A lifelong conservative, Duvall rarely shared his views on Donald Trump — except for one eerie moment, which has now been revealed.
The legendary actor Robert Duvall is dead. The seven‑time Academy Award nominee passed away at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on Sunday, surrounded by his family.
His wife, Luciana Pedraza, shared the news of his passing in a heartbreaking statement.
“To the world, he was an Academy Award‑winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” she captioned a photo of them standing outdoors with a horse. “His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court.”
Luciana continued, “For each of his many roles, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented. In doing so, he leaves something lasting and unforgettable to us all.” She concluded, “Thank you for the years of support you showed Bob and for giving us this time and privacy to celebrate the memories he leaves behind.”
Robert Duvall’s political stance
Beyond his work, Robert Duvall had a deep love for horses. He owned a horse farm for many years and was an avid horseman.
He enjoyed cooking and dancing tango, but aside from these lighter interests, it’s unclear whether politics was something he cared much about. Duvall rarely used his platform to speak out on political issues or ideological positions. He was known as a lifelong conservative, and in 2014, he criticized the state of politics.
“Let me say it this way: my wife’s from Argentina, she’s been here for a while, and she’s very smart. She calls herself a ‘tree‑hugging Republican,’ but she might even vote Democrat next time because the Republican Party is a mess,” Robert Duvall told The Daily Beast in 2014. “I’ll probably vote Independent next time. I think it was Jack Kerouac who said something like, ‘Don’t run down my country. My people are immigrants, so I believe in this country with all its faults. To me, it’s a big country that’s made mistakes.’ Some of the bleeding‑heart, left‑wing, extreme left‑wing are actually different from liberals.”
“That movie The Butler? It’s very inaccurate. JFK had one of the worst Civil Rights voting records. And the Rockefellers were much more liberal with the blacks,” Duvall continued. “All the atrocities in the South were committed by the Democratic Party, but now everything’s been turned around in a strange way. Some of these very conservative Republicans… I don’t know, man. I believe in a woman’s choice. I believe in certain things.”
Robert Duvall ‘predicted’ Donald Trump’s 2016 Presidential Election win
In 2016, Donald Trump won his first presidential term. Beforehand, experts, political forecasts, and betting markets overwhelmingly favored Hillary Clinton — but things turned out differently. Perhaps Robert Duvall saw something others didn’t.
After his death, radio host, television broadcaster, and politician Dan Patrick shared a tribute to the late actor on Facebook. While praising Duvall’s career, Patrick — the Lieutenant Governor of Texas — revealed that Duvall had predicted Trump would become president.
“I met him on several occasions and had a chance to talk about movies and politics. He was down to earth, very approachable, and just a nice guy,” Patrick wrote.
“In this photo, from early 2016, he told me he guaranteed Donald Trump would be elected President. He was a staunch conservative. I remember the conversation like it was yesterday.”
Rest in peace, Robert Duvall. Please share your best memories of him in the comment section on Facebook.
