A resurfaced ABC News clip shows country music legend Dolly Parton firmly shutting down an attempt to drag her into an attack on President Donald Trump. Parton repeatedly warned the interviewer that she would not discuss politics, even after he brought up controversial remarks Trump made before entering the White House. She drew a clear line between her role as an entertainer and the political opinions she preferred to keep private.
The exchange came during a 2018 interview with ABC News correspondent David Wright, who was speaking with Parton during Trump’s first term. The conversation eventually turned toward politics and remarks captured on the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape during the 2016 presidential campaign. Parton appeared to recognize where Wright was taking the interview and tried to stop the political questioning before it started.
“I just don’t get into that,” Parton told Wright. She then issued a blunt warning about any more serious political questions he might be preparing to ask. “And so if you are deciding you may want to ask me something more serious, don’t, because I’m not going to answer,” she said.
Wright proceeded with the subject anyway. As Trending Politics News reported, the ABC correspondent raised Trump’s recorded conversation from the bus and told Parton, “You have a president of the United States who said those things on that bus.” The remark gave Parton an open opportunity to criticize Trump, but she immediately refused to take it.
“I’m not addressing that. I do not get into that,” Parton responded. She made clear that her silence did not mean she lacked opinions about Trump or anyone else in public life. Parton had instead decided that sharing those opinions was neither necessary nor helpful to the career she had built entertaining Americans across the political spectrum.
“Of course, I have my opinion about everybody and everything, but I learned a long time ago: keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business,” Parton said. She then stated her position in even simpler terms: “I’m not in politics. I’m an entertainer.” Her straightforward answer left Wright with little room press her further about the issue.
Watch Parton shut down Wright’s questioning here:
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This is what happened in 2018 when ABC tried to goad Dolly Parton into attacking Trump
Every celebrity should take note: pic.twitter.com/YaEZw39PPh
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 26, 2026
The clip resurfaced on August 26th, when a popular X account shared it and urged other celebrities to follow Parton’s example. Parton’s refusal to join the political pile-on set her apart during a period when television programs, award shows, actors, and musicians regularly made Trump the target of increasingly partisan attacks. Dolly kept the focus on entertaining her fans instead of demanding those fans adopt her personal politics.
Parton maintained that approach throughout her celebrated career, allowing her to retain an unusually broad fan base in an increasingly divided entertainment industry. The footage drew renewed attention following her death on August 25th at the age of 80 after what her representatives described as a brief battle with cancer. Her refusal to turn every interview into an ideological soapbox remained one of the qualities that separated her from many other major celebrities.
Wright made one final effort by suggesting that Parton’s status as a role model gave her a reason to speak about Trump. “And yet you’re also a role model,” he told her. Parton accepted his description while rejecting his premise entirely, responding, “Yes, I am. That’s why I don’t talk about people.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.