“What the”: Andy Cohen stunned after Matthew McConaughey urges Americans to vote Independent in midterm

Matthew McConaughey has released a video on October 18, 2026, urging American voters to ditch the traditional two-party framework and embrace an Independent candidate ahead of the upcoming US midterm elections.

In a video posted on social media, titled Independent counts, the 56-year-old actor said:

“So, they’ve been telling us for years that an independent vote is a wasted vote.”

He then asked the viewers how that 'unwasted vote' had been working out for them. The Dallas Buyers Club star then told the viewers that “this is about the upcoming ballot,” and he is not endorsing any party or a candidate.

McConaughey’s video clip immediately sparked a wave of polarized social media commentary from both Republicans and Democrats. This included a reaction from Andy Cohen as well. He took to Threads and remarked:

“What the.”

Some welcomed the call for competition, and others voiced support for the independent plurality. A segment of users called it tone-deaf and speculated it was positioning for a future independent presidential run.

Continue to read for more details.

What did Matthew McConaughey say on U.S. midterm elections?

Matthew McConaughey recently posted a six-minute video titled Independent Counts, urging Americans to take independent candidates seriously in the upcoming midterms rather than treating an independent vote as wasted.

McConaughey said that he is speaking not in favor of any candidate or any party but is here to endorse "fairness and reality." He said that he believes in a 'fair fight', and it is not about two fighters throwing punches at each other. He argued that 'Fair fighters,' who ought to be represented in the fight, are actually in the fight.

Adding more to his social media clip, Matthew McConaughey said:

“Independents belong to the fight. Not as a protest, not as a spoiler, but as a real and potential winner on the ballot and seriously considered by us… Independent does not mean you’re middle of the road. Independent is the original road."

Matthew McConaughey has consistently presented himself as an independent who does not identify as a Republican or Democrat. He has never publicly declared allegiance to either major party. He formally aligns himself as a political independent and has vocally advocated for dismantling the traditional American two-party system.

In a 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, McConaughey has described himself as “aggressively centrist” and said that he has remained open to a future in politics. He has spent several years exploring the idea, though he has not committed to running for a specific office. McConaughey has shared that he has been on a “learning tour” for many years to study leadership roles and see if political office is a place where he could be genuinely useful.

McConaughey seriously considered a run for Governor of Texas in 2022 before deciding against it to focus on his family and private-sector projects. According to a report in Houston Public Media, he announced in a post on November 28, 2021, that he has removed himself from consideration as a political candidate. In the clip posted to his Twitter (currently X) account, he said:

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“It’s a humbling and inspiring path to ponder. It is also a path that I’m choosing not to take at this moment.”

Though McConaughey has left the door open to a potential political future, his involvement in politics continues to be a topic of discussion. In recent years, he has remained deliberately noncommittal about party affiliation, while repeatedly signalling that the door is still open once his kids are older.

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