Dennis Quaid Calls President Trump 'Really Genuine' as He Opens Up About His 'Common-Sense Independent' Politics

Pastor Greg Laurie/YouTube; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Dennis Quaid shared his opinion about President Donald Trump during a Feb. 18 podcast appearance

• Quaid also discussed his own political stance as "a common-sense independent," and recalled spending a weekend with a former president

• "I think I lean more conservative in my head. But I'm just for common sense," said Quaid

Dennis Quaidis sharing his opinion of PresidentDonald Trump, along with his own political leanings.

The 71-year-old actor opened up about meeting both Trump, 79, and former PresidentBill Clintonwhile sitting down with Pastor Greg Laurie, a Southern California megachurch pastor and evangelist, for the Feb. 18 episode ofThe Greg Laurie Show.

When the topic of the president arose, Quaid — who does not shy away from discussing politics publicly — first agreed with host Laurie's own assessment that Trump is a "surprisingly approachable person."

"Very surprisingly approachable and very funny," he said of Trump, "and really genuine."

Quaid continued, "He wouldn't be president if he wasn't genuine because people, the people who voted for him, know that he has their best interest at heart, that he is a genuine person."

The Parent Trapactor also said he recalls Trump discussing some of what he has now done as president long before he first sat in the Oval Office.

"He's been talking about it for 40 years, ever since he's been on television," Quaid said of the businessman and TV personality turned politician. The actor then recalled watching Trump on TV in the '90s, and said "he was talking about the very same thing that he's actually implementing today."

"But enormous … I've never seen anybody with that kind of energy," he added of the president. "People say that about me, but he's got it. He's really got a lot of energy."

Daniele Venturelli/Getty

Quaid also recalled another presidential encounter that occurred after his then-wifeMeg Ryanwas invited to the White House during the Clinton administration.

"I spent the entire weekend with Bill Clinton. It was just me and him," he told Laurie, recalling how Clinton insisted that the actor stick around and "play golf." Quaid noted: "One thing I will say — that it kind of puts things in perspective — is that they served instant coffee in the morning with breakfast. Pretty bad coffee at the White House."

Advertisement

"That was one of the only times they're really saving money," he added with a laugh.

Quaid — who has previouslydescribed himself as an independent who has "voted both ways throughout my life"— also opened up about how he identifies politically today.

After Laurie said that "things have gone so extremely, so far left right now," Quaid agreed, and explained his own personal stance.

"I'm a common-sense independent myself," saidThe Substanceactor. "I think I lean more conservative in my head. But I'm just for common sense. It's really what I am."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty

Quaid previously praised Trump during his first term for how he was "handling" the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I think the president is handling it in a good way," he toldThe Daily Beastback in 2020. "We see him on television every day, he's involved, and the travel ban early on was a great idea."

"I'm an independent — I've voted both ways throughout my life, swinging like a pendulum toward what the country needed at the time — and I think this might be an opportunity for the country to come together again," added Quaid at the time. "World War II did that for that generation, and this might be our defining moment of a generation. It's going to be a different world, for sure, when all this is over, and hopefully we can all be a bit more unified."

The actor shared a similar message about "coming together" during his appearance onThe Greg Laurie Show, telling the evangelist host, "What I really feel is going on right now if we're going through a spiritual revolution. The whole world is."

"I'm not talking Republican and Democrat either," the actor clarified moments later. "I am talking about those two coming together."

Read the original article onPeople

byDonna Devi

in

February 23, 2026

Dennis Quaid Calls President Trump 'Really Genuine' as He Opens Up About His 'Common-Sense Independent' Politics

Pastor Greg Laurie/YouTube; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty NEED TO KNOW Dennis Quaid shared his opinion about Pres...

Read More

Savannah Guthrie's mom still missing, backpack not a 'viable lead'

Law enforcement asks anyone with information to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI ortips.fbi.gov, thePima County Sheriff's Department(520-351-4900) or88-CRIME.

Authorities in Arizona are still searching forSavannah Guthrie's missing mother, more than three weeks after she wasreported missing.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department said its investigation into the disappearance of 84-year-oldNancy Guthrieremains active, and there have been no changes in resources. The Feb. 21 statement came as investigators continue working to identify themasked man seen at Guthrie's front doorthe morning she disappeared insecurity camera footagethat the FBI released almost two weeks ago.

Authorities have said Guthrie, who was last seen on Jan. 31, was taken from her home against her will. She takes daily medication, and if she does not receive it, "that could, in itself, prove fatal," Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos warned earlier this month.

"Today" show host Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was seemingly abducted from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of Feb. 1, 2026. Authorities released photos and videos on Feb. 10, of a potential suspect who was caught tampering with a camera on her front door on the morning of her disappearance. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> New images from a Nest camera show an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door on the morning of her disappearance.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> U.S. journalist and television host Savannah Guthrie, accompanied by her siblings Annie and Camron, speaks in a video message, addressing that they are willing to pay for the release of their elderly mother, Nancy Guthrie, who went missing from her Arizona home several days ago, in this screen grab obtained from social media video taken at an unspecified location and released February 7, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of "Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie is missing, and Arizona officials say they are investigating her disappearance as a "crime."

"Today" show cohost Savannah Guthrie, accompanied by her siblings Annie and Camron Guthrie, speaks in a video message addressing a possible kidnapper who might be holding her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie in this screen grab obtained from social media video taken at an unspecified location and released Feb. 4, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> The Pima County Sheriff's Office in Arizona received a 911 call reporting Nancy Guthrie missing from her home outside Tucson around noon local time on Sunday, Feb. 1.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> She was reported missing from her home in a community just north of Tucson on Feb. 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Search for Nancy Guthrie and person suspected of taking her continues

"Today" show host Savannah Guthrie's 84-year-old mother,Nancy Guthrie, was seemingly abducted from her home outside Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of Feb. 1, 2026. Authorities released photos and videos on Feb. 10, of a potential suspect who was caught tampering with a camera on her front door on the morning of her disappearance.

No arrests have been made.DNA evidencehas been collected and submitted for analysis, though authorities have warned this process will take time. But investigators have been making progress as they seek to identify the clothing worn by the suspect in the security camera footage, according to Nanos.

For onlookers, the investigation has provided limited clues and false starts, most recently with therecovery of a backpack that proved fruitless. Earlier in the month, authorities also recovered gloves that seemed to match those worn by the suspect, but a DNA analysis did not turn up any matches in the FBI's national database. Two individuals have also been detained during the investigation, but both were but quickly released.

The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Guthrie's recovery and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.

Here's everything to know about the Guthrie case as of Monday, Feb. 23.

What happened to Savannah Guthrie's mom?

Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Sunday, Feb. 1. She was last seen on Saturday, Jan. 31, when sheattended a game night with family. Authorities have said Guthrie was dropped back at her home outside of Tucson, Arizona, at 9:48 p.m. local time.

According to atimeline previously releasedby investigators, the doorbell camera in front of Guthrie's home disconnected at 1:47 a.m. on Feb. 1, and software for the smart home detected a person on the camera at 2:12 a.m. She was reported missing around noon on Feb. 1.

In a video released Feb. 15, Savannah Guthrie said that she and her family "still have hope." She also addressed the person who "has" her mother by saying, "It's never too late."

Advertisement

What we know about the suspect in the Nancy Guthrie case

The FBI released images on Feb. 10 showing a masked man appearing to tamper with the camera at Nancy Guthrie's front door the morning she disappeared.

The person in the video footage has not been identified, but the FBI previouslyconfirmed the suspectis "a male, approximately 5'9"-5'10" tall, with an average build," who was "wearing a black, 25-liter 'Ozark Trail Hiker Pack' backpack."

New images released by authorities on Feb. 10, 2026, from a Nest camera outside Nancy Guthrie's home show an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at the front door on the morning of her disappearance on Feb. 1.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Search for Nancy Guthrie and person suspected of taking her continues

New imagesreleased by authorities on Feb. 10, 2026, from a Nest camera outside Nancy Guthrie's home show an armed individual appearing to have tampered with the camera at the front door on the morning of her disappearance on Feb. 1.

Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of more than one person being involved in Guthrie's disappearance. Law enforcement has, however, ruled out all members of the Guthrie family as suspects.

"The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case,"Nanos previously said."To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel."

What evidence are investigators looking at?

The Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed on Feb. 13 that DNA "other than Nancy Guthrie's and those in close contact to her has been collected from the property" and submitted for analysis. "We believe that we may have some DNA there that may be our suspect,"Nanos told NBC News. "But we won't know that until that DNA is separated, sorted out."

On Feb. 20, the sheriff's department said in an update that DNA analysis "is underway on biological evidence recovered during the investigation" but warned that "this process can be lengthy."

Nanostold NBC Newson Feb. 20 that investigators are "getting a little closer to identifying some of the other articles" of clothing worn by the suspect in the door camera video. Investigators have also been working with Walmart to identify the person who purchased the backpack seen in the video.

Guthrie's pacemaker was another investigation focus that law enforcement mentioned last week. "Investigators are attempting to locate the device and are working with the manufacturer and other experts in the field to assist in that effort," the sheriff's department said on Feb. 17. Guthrie's pacemaker app showed it was disconnected from her phone at 2:28 a.m. the morning of her disappearance, according toauthorities' previously released timeline.

Nancy Guthrie: Backpack found in search

Volunteers have been searching the area and on Feb. 22 recovered a backpack, which was handed over to a deputy. But the Pima County Sheriff's Department confirmed on Feb. 23 that "after reviewing the bag and its contents, it does not appear that this is a viable lead for the investigation."

The bag does not seem to be the same brand of backpack that was seen in the doorbell surveillance footage, and it also "appears to have been outside for much longer than three weeks" and contained the identification of a minor, according to the sheriff's department.

Contributing: Helen Rummel, Sarah Lapidus and Rey Covarrubias Jr;Arizona Republic;USA TODAY staff

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Savannah Guthrie mom updates, backpack isn't 'viable lead'

byDonna Devi

in

February 23, 2026

Savannah Guthrie's mom still missing, backpack not a 'viable lead'

Law enforcement asks anyone with information to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI ortips.fbi.gov, thePima County Sheriff's Depar...

Read More