Editing Clint Eastwood (section)

== Politics ==
{{Main|Political life of Clint Eastwood}}
[[File:Ronald Reagan and Clint Eastwood.jpg|thumb|270px|With President Ronald Reagan in 1987]]
Eastwood is a former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] who has sometimes supported Democrats, and has long shown an interest in [[California politics]]; he is currently a registered [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/jun/06/1 |title=Clint Eastwood talks to Jeff Dawson |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702044542/http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/jun/06/1 |archive-date=July 2, 2010|url-status=live |location=London}}</ref>

He won election as the nonpartisan mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, in April 1986. He earned $200 per month in that position<ref name="mentalfloss.com">{{Cite web|title=When Clint Eastwood Was Elected Mayor of Carmel, California|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78257/30-years-ago-clint-eastwood-was-elected-mayor-carmel-california|date=April 7, 2016|website=www.mentalfloss.com|access-date=June 2, 2020|archive-date=June 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604232550/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/78257/30-years-ago-clint-eastwood-was-elected-mayor-carmel-california|url-status=live}}</ref> which he donated to the Carmel Youth Center. While in office, he helped to make ice cream legal to consume on city streets,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ice Cream Is In Again Under Eastwood Rule|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-10-01-mn-3786-story.html|date=October 1, 1986|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=June 2, 2020|archive-date=July 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702002347/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-10-01-mn-3786-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> added public restrooms to the public beach, and a city library annex building was built.<ref name="mentalfloss.com"/> He served for two years and declined to run for a second term. In 2001, Governor [[Gray Davis]] appointed him to the California State Park and Recreation Commission, where he led opposition to an extension of the toll six-lane {{convert|16|mi|km|adj=on}} extension of the [[California State Route 241]] toll road through [[San Onofre State Beach]].<ref name="CRPS-SPRC">[http://www.cprs.org/whatsnew/StatePRCommission.htm "Governor Schwarzenegger Appointments to the State Park and Recreation Commission"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104183112/http://www.cprs.org/whatsnew/StatePRCommission.htm |date=January 4, 2009 }}&nbsp;– California State Park and Recreation Commission. Retrieved: May 28, 2008.</ref>

Eastwood endorsed [[Mitt Romney]] in the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=2012-08-04 |title=Clint Eastwood endorses Mitt Romney in presidential race |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/04/clint-eastwood-endorses-mitt-romney |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231123021051/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/04/clint-eastwood-endorses-mitt-romney |archive-date=November 23, 2023 |access-date=2024-02-23 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> He delivered a primetime address at the [[2012 Republican National Convention]], where he drew attention for [[Clint Eastwood at the 2012 Republican National Convention|a speech]] he delivered to an empty chair representing President [[Barack Obama]], which he later regretted.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Andrews |first1=Travis M. |title=Clint Eastwood explains – and regrets – his speech to an empty chair |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/04/clint-eastwood-explains-and-regrets-his-speech-to-an-empty-chair/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=May 14, 2019 |date=August 4, 2016 |archive-date=May 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514135336/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/08/04/clint-eastwood-explains-and-regrets-his-speech-to-an-empty-chair/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On February 22, 2020, Eastwood announced that he would be endorsing Democrat [[Michael Bloomberg]] in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]]. Eastwood stated that he wishes that Trump would act "in a more genteel way, without tweeting and calling people names. I would personally like for him to not bring himself to that level."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Moreau |first1=Jordan. |title=Clint Eastwood Ditches Donald Trump for Mike Bloomberg in 2020 Election |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/clint-eastwood-mike-bloomberg-2020-election-1203511657/ |newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date=February 22, 2020 |date=February 22, 2020 |archive-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222180736/https://variety.com/2020/film/news/clint-eastwood-mike-bloomberg-2020-election-1203511657/ |url-status=live }}</ref>