Clint Eastwood has backed Donald Trump in the race for the White House, praising him for “saying what’s on his mind” and lambasting America’s politically correct “pussy generation”.

The Dirty Harry star, 86, said Mr Trump was “onto something” as people were getting tired of “kissing up” — American slang for being weak and sycophantic.

“What Trump is onto is he’s just saying what’s on his mind,” the actor argued. “Sometimes it’s not so good. And sometimes it’s, I mean, I can understand where he’s coming from, but I don’t always agree with it.”

He claimed the rise of the billionaire coincided with growing unease over constraints on free speech: “We’re really in a pussy generation. Everybody’s walking on eggshells.

“We see people accusing people of being racist and all kinds of stuff. When I grew up, those things weren’t called racist. Secretly everybody’s getting tired of pol-itical correctness, kissing up. All these people that say, ‘Oh, you can’t do that, and you can’t do this, and you can’t say that.’ I guess it’s just the times.”

In the interview with Esquire magazine, the Oscar-winner said he preferred the Republican candidate over his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton: “I’d have to go for Trump, you know, ’cause she’s declared that she’s gonna follow in Obama’s footsteps.

“There’s been just too much funny business on both sides of the aisle. She’s made a lot of dough out of being a politician. I gave up dough to be a politician. I’m sure Ronald Reagan gave up dough to be a politician.”

Eastwood conceded Mr Trump was wrong when he attacked federal judge Gonzalo Curiel — who is presiding in a lawsuit against the tycoon linked to his Trump Univeristy — by calling him a “Mexican”.

But the actor claimed people were too sensitive in “the kiss-ass generation we’re in right now ... he’s a racist now because he’s talked about this judge. And yeah, it’s a dumb thing to say ... to predicate your opinion on the fact the guy was born to Mexican parents or something.

“But everybody’s going, ‘Oh, well, that’s racist,’ and they’re making a big hoodoo out of it. Just f****** get over it. It’s a sad time in history.”

Eastwood, a lifelong Republican, is the former mayor of his hometown of Carmel in California, At the 2012 Republican National Convention he made a bizarre speech in which addressed an empty chair on stage, acting out an interview with an invisible Barack Obama.

Speaking about politicians in general during the interview, he advised them: “I’d say get to work ... instead of calling everybody names, start being more understanding. But get in there and get it done. Kick ass and take names.”

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