Self-proclaimed “lifelong Democrat” George Clooney remained rather unapologetic while penning the opinion piece titled “George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee” for the New York Times in July 2024. His op-ed came hot on the heels of the former US president of the June fundraiser the Hollywood hunk and other stars hosted as a sign of their endorsement of Biden’s re-election.
Digging up the same conversation from back then, Clooney opened up in a new interview when and why he finally decided to drop his support for the Democratic leader. While promoting his Broadway debut on “Good Night, and Good Luck,” he again defended his decision to write the NYT article.
George Clooney opens up about what made him lose his faith in Joe Biden
George Clooney, who is the son of a journalist and even playing one himself in his Broadway debut, stayed true to his upbringing. “I was raised to tell the truth,” he proclaimed during the “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday. He went on to allude to the Los Angeles fundraiser that helped accumulate $30 million in donations. “I had seen the president up close for his fundraiser, and I was surprised, and so I feel as if there were a lot of profiles in cowardice in my party through all of that. And I was not proud of that, and I also believed I had to tell the truth.”
Clooney’s recent comments on Joe Biden echoed his previously penned claims. “I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced,” The Oceans movie star began by softening the blow in his New York Times opinion piece.
“But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe “big F-ing deal” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,” he continued in the July write-up.
Just weeks after George Clooney unloaded his thoughts, Joe Biden called off his US re-election bid amid mounting pressure. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris stepped up as the new Democratic nominee, but ultimately lost to Donald Trump.
More of George Clooney’s thoughts on press freedom
Digging deeper into the importance of journalism and press freedom, George Clooney alluded to the defamation suit Donald Trump filed against ABC. “ABC has just settled a lawsuit with the Trump administration. And CBS News is in the process … We’re seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations — to make journalists smaller,” he said during CBS News’ 60 Minutes. “Governments don’t like the freedom of the press. They never have. And that goes for whether you are a conservative or a liberal or whatever side you’re on. They don’t like the press.”
Similarly in February, Clooney came out to promote his new play on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Since he plays renowned CBS News anchor Edward R Murrow in his Broadway debut, the actor rooted for “courage” of those journalists for “being on the right side of history. “You’re never at your best when it’s easy,” he said last month. Consequently, Colbert chimed in, “That’s why it’s called courage.”
The Up in the Air actor even hit it out against Trump without saying his name as he sent a message to the new president, “Good for you. I hope you do well because our country needs it, and we will meet you in 3.5 years and see where we go next.”
Donald Trump criticises George Clooney after he weighs in on freedom of press
Trump, on the other hand, instantly took aim at the Hollywood star by dismissing it as a “total puff piece.” He blasted The 63-year-old Oscar-winning actor for being “a second-rate movie ‘star’ and failed political pundit” on his TruthSocial platform.
“He fought hard for Sleepy Joe’s election, and then, right after the Debate, dumped him like a dog. Later, I assume under orders from the Obama camp, pushed all out for ‘Kamala,’ only to soon realise that this was not going to work out too well,” he added. Staying on beat with his hatred for 60 Minutes, Trump fumed, “60 Minutes even fraudulently inserted Fake answers into her disastrous interview, aired just before Election Day, in one of the most embarrassing and dishonest events in broadcast history … And now George Clooney again? His press agent should be making a fortune!!!”
Passing snide remarks, Trump called the Gravity star a “fake movie actor” who “never came close to making a great movie.” He added, “What does Clooney know about anything? Clooney should get out of politics and go back to television. Movies never really worked for him!!!”