Twitter is the go-to platform for communication for millions of people, including actors and politicians. And that’s made for some interesting sparring matches when politically-aware celebrities interact with politicians currently serving the American people. A good example of this is Ted Cruz letting his fandom of The Princess Bride put him in the crosshairs of some very personal attacks from those involved in the cult classic after he expressed criticism of a reunion in the form of a Democratic fundraiser in Wisconsin.
Another is what happened over the weekend when Supergirl actor Jon Cryer tweeted a lengthy thread criticizing Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, a fervent supporter of Donald Trump. Cryer was apparently upset about reported comments Trump made about dead American soldiers, and choose the weekend to send out a series of tweets critical of Gaetz and his connections to a white supremacist, a Holocaust denier and other questionable statements he’s made over the years. The tweet also amplified a campaign for someone running against Gaetz in his Florida district.
— Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) September 6, 2020
— Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) September 6, 2020
Eventually, Gaetz got wind of the thread and fired back with a much more subjective retort: that Charlie Sheen, not Cryer, was the star of Two And A Half Men.
Charlie Sheen totally carried two and a half men. https://t.co/bNxQ9EegY7
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) September 6, 2020
That sparked an exchange between the two about the merits of Cryer’s work on the show, perhaps changing the narrative about the fight a bit but certainly giving it more attention as the exchange went viral.
What’s an Emmy?
An award Hollywood gives itself?
I win elections. https://t.co/7ZUyIw2UUL
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) September 6, 2020
Let’s see if you’re dumb enough to do it again. https://t.co/wAVK0CR0nt
— Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) September 7, 2020
It’s clear that Cryer choose facts over subjective burns in this exchange, but it certainly was not what most people were expecting to see on Twitter over Labor Day.