Ted Turner, the former owner and founder of CNN and one of America’s billionaires, has always been openly candid about his political affiliations, and he’s not someone who shies away from a conversation involving politics. So is Turner a Democrat or a Republican?
Turner’s political affiliations align him with being a Liberal, although he defines himself as a “socialist at heart.” This billionaire is generous with his money, supporting many children’s and environmental charities, alongside donations of a sizable $1 billion to the United Nations Foundation.
Read on to discover more about Turner’s intriguing political affiliations, including details on life in the political Turner household.
Turner’s Political Views
Political beliefs in America have changed since 1949 when just 14% of Americans said socialist governments would be the most prominent government in the world compared with 29% now. Interestingly, a poll revealed that four in 10 Americans embrace some form of socialism while over half say socialism would be a bad thing for the country.
A study has revealed that more Americans identify as Republican over Democrat, but has Turner always held the same political beliefs?
Over the years, it has become immediately apparent that Turner’s views are well aligned with the far left of the political spectrum – he refuses to apologize for his political views, frequently labeling himself as either a socialist or a “progressive,” but never a liberal.
In the media, Turner is very clear on his political views, and he’ll always offer his opinion on politics whenever he’s given the opportunity.
His Wife’s Influence: From a Conservative to a Socialist
Turner’s son Teddy discussed that his upbringing was in a very “conservative household with capitalism and all of that kind of stuff.” Still, Turner’s marriage to Jane Fonda prompted his left turn. So it turns out that Turner went from one end of the political spectrum all the way to the other because of his lover.
Political Madness at CNN
After selling CNN in 1996, Turner regretted his decision describing it as the “worst day” of his life. At the time, he said he’d like to see “hard news and international news and a little less fluff.”
Two decades have gone by since Turner sold the network, and since then, the network has become increasingly political – the opposite of what Turner expected to see. He has spoken out about this saying, “I think they’re sticking with politics a little too much, […] they’d do better to have a more balanced agenda.”
Turner, The Environmental Activist
Turner, now 81, has taken a step back from the media in the past two decades to shift his focus on the environment and the whopping 2 million acres of land he owns (if you didn’t know, he’s the second-largest private landowner in the US).
For a long time, Turner has had a commitment to saving the environment; he built his fortune in a pretty eco-friendly way using his social media to promote his environmental and humanitarian causes.
Todd Wilkinson has even written a book about Turner’s environmental activism titled Ted Turner’s Quest To Save a Troubled Planet. When asked why he chose to profile Turner, he said, “No one else out there has a more impressive arc of involvement that extends from the soil level on his own lands to trying to address and solve world problems.”
Wilkinson later went on to say, “He didn’t amass his fortune by plundering natural resources. He built his media empire in ways that were […] environmentally benign.”
Concluding Notes
Turner’s amongst one of the world’s billionaires, associating with a far-left ideology with a history of philanthropic endeavors and generous donations to charities he supports, and to top it all off, he’s passionate about the environment. It’s safe to say that his beliefs have led him down a pretty good road.