Elizabeth Banks Criticizes ‘53%’ of White Women Who Backed Trump

Elizabeth Banks is drawing attention for comments she made in April 2026 about voting patterns among white women in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, where Donald Trump won a second term.

In several recent interviews, including with Variety, Banks said she was confused and frustrated by the level of support Trump received from white female voters. She referenced the widely cited statistic that about 53% of white women voted for Trump, a figure that has been discussed in multiple election cycles since 2016.

Banks questioned the reasoning behind that support, particularly in light of ongoing debates over reproductive rights and other issues affecting women. She said she “honestly doesn’t understand” why a majority within that demographic would back Trump over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

During her remarks, Banks also drew a comparison to The Hunger Games, the film series in which she played Effie Trinket. She described Effie’s character arc—from someone who accepts the authority of a powerful regime to someone who ultimately rejects it—as a model for political awareness. Banks suggested that more voters, particularly white women, should be willing to challenge systems they may have previously supported.

She characterized the current political environment in stark terms, urging people to move beyond personal comfort or party loyalty and take a more active stance against what she described as authoritarian or “fascist” tendencies.

Banks has previously used her role in The Hunger Games to make political points. At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, she compared Donald Trump’s public persona to elements of the fictional Capitol depicted in the series.

Her latest comments come as political tensions remain high following the 2024 election and ahead of the 2026 midterm primaries, where both parties are working to mobilize key voting blocs. The remarks have contributed to renewed discussion about voting behavior among white women, a group that continues to play a significant role in national elections.