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Norris was a Republican and an outspoken conservative.[181][182][183] He wrote a regular column for the far-right website WorldNetDaily.[184][185][186] Following the release of Missing in Action in 1984, he described himself as “a conservative, a real flag waver, a big Ronald Reagan fan”, adding that he supported leaders who spoke their minds and projected strength.[187]
During the filming of The Delta Force in 1985, Norris commented on the hijacking of TWA Flight 847, arguing that the United States was becoming a “paper tiger” in the Middle East and warning that terrorism abroad would eventually reach North America. He cited statements by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as evidence of the threat.[188]
In 2007, Norris traveled to Iraq to visit U.S. troops.[189][190] He supported Mike Huckabee’s campaign in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries, and drew attention for suggesting that eventual nominee John McCain was too old to handle the demands of the presidency.[191][192] He later supported McCain in the 2008 presidential election, emphasizing his enthusiasm for McCain’s partner on the Republican ticket, Sarah Palin.[193]
On November 18, 2008, Norris became one of the first members of show business to express support for the California Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage, and he criticized activists for not accepting the democratic process and the apparent double standard he perceived in criticizing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints without criticizing African Americans, most of whom had voted for the measure.[194]
In 2009, Norris had expressed support for the Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories. In his letter, released at WorldNetDaily, Norris deemed President Obama’s refusal to disclose his birth certificate suspicious and implored him to put an end to the conspiracy theories.[195][196] On April 11, 2011, Norris had written a five-part investigation regarding the “infiltration of Sharia law into United States culture” for WorldNetDaily.[197][198] On June 26, 2012, Norris published an article on Ammoland.com, in which he accused the Obama administration of paying Jim Turley, one of the national board members of the Boy Scouts of America at the time, to reverse the organization’s policy that excluded gay youths from joining.[199]
During the 2012 United States presidential election, Norris first recommended Ron Paul, and then later formally endorsed Newt Gingrich as the Republican presidential candidate.[200] After Gingrich suspended his campaign in May 2012, Norris endorsed Mitt Romney, the Republican presumptive nominee, despite Norris having previously accused Romney of flip-flopping and of trying to buy the nomination for the Republican Party candidacy for 2012.[201] On the eve of the election, he and his wife Gena made a video warning that if evangelicals did not show up at the polls and vote out President Obama, “our country as we know it may be lost forever”.[202][203]
Norris visited Israel multiple times, and he voiced support for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the 2013 and 2015 Israeli legislative elections.[204][205] Norris endorsed Huckabee again in the 2016 Republican primaries before he dropped out.[206] In March 2016, it was reported that Norris endorsed Republican Ted Cruz, the Senator in Texas, and that he would be attending a Cruz rally,[207][208] but two days later, Norris stated he would only endorse the GOP nominee once that nominee has been nominated by the party.[209] Later, Norris endorsed former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in the 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama.[210]
In 2019, Norris signed an endorsement deal with light weapons manufacturer Glock. The deal was met with criticism from some members of the public and some of his fans, who felt it was in bad timing due to the increase in school shootings in the United States.[211] In 2021, Norris announced his support of the 2021 gubernatorial election to recall incumbent Governor Gavin Newsom and endorsed conservative political commentator and talk radio host Larry Elder to replace him.[212]
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