Yahoo Movies Alec Baldwin Says Donald Trump's Comments About Rust Shooting Were 'Surreal'
Alec Baldwin is publicly responding to former President Donald Trump's comments that the actor intentionally shot and killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of his film Rust earlier this fall.
Hutchins was killed in October when a prop gun Baldwin had been holding discharged a live bullet while he was rehearsing for a Rust scene, also injuring director Joel Souza.
During an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that aired Thursday, Baldwin, 63, said it was "surreal" to hear Trump weigh in on the tragedy.
"The former President of the United States said that I'm a wacko … and that I probably shot her and killed her on purpose," Baldwin said.
For more on Alec Baldwin's interview with George Stephanopoulos, listen below to our daily podcast on PEOPLE Every Day.
"He said I did it deliberately," he added. "And I thought to myself, just when you think that things can't get more surreal, here's the former president of the United States making a comment on this tragic situation."
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When Stephanopoulos asked if Baldwin thought he was targeted following the incident because of his political views, he replied, "Well, I don't think that anybody has said anything about — has used this as an opportunity — other than people you would fully expect to have done that."
RELATED: Alec Baldwin's First Sit-Down Interview Since Rust Shooting Is 'So Raw,' Says George Stephanopoulos
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Baldwin is an outspoken critic of Trump and impersonated the former president on Saturday Night Live for several years. Earlier in the interview, he told Stephanopoulos that it's been "tough" to be accused of murder by people like Trump.
"It makes me sick because I myself — I mean, I'm married. I've got six kids," Baldwin said. "I want to just live my life in peace and I've had all these people say, 'You're a murderer and you didn't do this. You didn't do that.' It's been very tough."
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Trump called Baldwin "a troubled guy," during a conversation on Chris Stigall's podcast in November.
"There's something wrong with him. I've watched him for years. He gets into fistfights with reporters," the former president said, before later adding, "He's a sick guy."
Said Trump, "And usually, when there's somebody like that, you know, in my opinion, he had something to do with it but if nothing else how do you take a gun ... point at somebody that's not even in the movie."
Later in the podcast, Trump suggested Baldwin could have placed live rounds in the prop gun, saying, "Even if [the gun] was loaded, and that's a weird thing, maybe he loaded it."
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Baldwin's conversation with Stephanopoulos marks his first sit-down interview since the Oct. 21 tragedy, which occurred at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The actor shared a statement one day after the shooting, writing, "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchins, a wife, mother and deeply admired colleague of ours."
"I'm fully cooperating with the police investigation to address how this tragedy occurred and I am in touch with her husband, offering my support to him and his family," he continued. "My heart is broken for her husband, their son, and all who knew and loved Halyna."
On Nov. 17, Baldwin and Rust producers were named in a lawsuit filed by script supervisor Mamie Mitchell, who was allegedly standing in the line of fire when the gun went off.
Next week, a two-hour 20/20 special will delve into the events ahead of the shooting on Rust and the investigations. The episode will air on Friday, Dec. 10 at 9:01 p.m. EST on ABC and be available to stream on Hulu the next day.
