McConaughey: ‘I don’t know if the federal government is doing all it can’

Actor Matthew McConaughey said during an interview with Fox News that he isn’t sure the federal government “is doing all it can” to combat the coronavirus pandemic, urging Americans to take their own precautions in these “uncharted waters.”

Speaking with Bret Baier’s “Special Report,” McConaughey promoted his public service announcement urging Americans to wear masks amid the crisis after the U.S. death toll eclipsed 80,000 earlier this week. 

“I don’t know if the federal government is doing all it can. I know they’re doing a lot,” McConaughey told Baier in a remote interview. 

“Look, I think the word is not ‘solution.’ I don’t see a solution right now. We are waiting for science to catch up with us in this predicament,” the “Dallas Buyers Club” star continued. “So what can each of us do independently, individually, in our families, in our households, in our communities, in our neighborhoods, in our cities?”

“So act locally. I don’t think these are solutions. I think they’re Band-Aids to hold off until science catches up,” the 50-year-old advised. “This is uncharted waters. There’s not a playbook. I understand that.”  

McConaughey has been outspoken about the importance of masks, saying they should be worn as “a badge of honor” in helping stop the spread of COVID-19, which currently has no vaccine. 

“If you are going to re-engage right now, please wear a mask. I haven’t heard any science that says that is not a good idea,” he told Baier.

“I think wearing a mask is not propaganda. I don’t think it’s partisanship or politics. I think a mask is all about our purpose right now,” the actor said.

In early April, President Trump announced that his administration would recommend Americans wear homemade masks or face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 — but he repeatedly emphasized that the guidance is “voluntary.”

“It’s going to be, really, a voluntary thing,” Trump told reporters.

“You can do it. You don’t have to do it. I’m choosing not to do it, but some people may want to do it, and that’s OK,” he added.