Clooney calls on Biden to exit presidential race
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George Clooney has become embroiled in politics ahead of his onscreen reunion with Brad Pitt later this year.
On Wednesday, Clooney penned an op-ed for the New York Times, in which he called on President Biden to step down in the wake of his performance at the presidential debate against Donald Trump last month.
"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," Clooney wrote.
"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."
George Clooney has become embroiled in politics after his New York Times opinion piece that called for President Biden to step down as the Democrat candidate. (AP/Getty)
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Clooney continued, "We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate. This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and Congress member and governor who I’ve spoken with in private. Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly."
Last month, Clooney held a star-studded Los Angeles fundraiser for Biden that included Julia Roberts, Barbra Streisand, Jack Black, Jason Bateman, Kathryn Hahn and Mindy Kaling, per Vanity Fair.
The event raised a record-breaking $30 million dollars, according to the Biden campaign.
A week before the fundraiser, Clooney reportedly called the White House about Biden’s critique of the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a case that his wife, lawyer Amal Clooney, worked on.
Clooney reportedly spoke with the White House about Biden's critique of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a case that his wife, lawyer Amal Clooney, worked on. (Dave Benett/Getty Images)
The Washington Post first reported that the "Ocean’s Eleven" star called Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, to push back on Biden’s dismissal of arrest warrants sought by the ICC targeting Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Clooney criticized Trump in his op-ed as well, saying, "We all think Republicans should abandon their nominee now that he’s been convicted of 34 felonies" and called his campaign a "revenge tour."
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Trump fired back Thursday on Truth Social, mocking Clooney’s film career.
"So now fake movie actor George Clooney, who never came close to making a great movie, is getting into the act," Trump wrote on his social media platform. "He’s turned on Crooked Joe like the rats they both are. What does Clooney know about anything?"
Former President Trump blasted George Clooney on Truth Social, calling him a "fake movie actor … who never came close to making a great movie." (Getty Images)
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"Clooney should get out of politics and go back to television," he added. "Movies never really worked for him!!!"
Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Clooney, but they did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Clooney’s foray into politics is far from his first, but it happens to come before his big onscreen reunion with his "Ocean’s Eleven" co-star Brad Pitt.
The film, "Wolfs," features the duo playing fixers who are hired to cover up crimes, reluctantly brought together when they end up on the same job. It will be the first time in 16 years they’ve appeared on-screen together since 2008’s "Burn After Reading."
Clooney and Brad Pitt outside filming the movie "Wolfs," their first onscreen collaboration in 16 years. (James Devaney/GC Images)
It’s also Clooney’s first major acting gig since 2022’s "Ticket to Paradise," a rom-com co-starring his other "Ocean’s Eleven" collaborator, Julia Roberts. (He made a cameo in "The Flash" last year and provided a voice in "IF" this year.)
"Ticket to Paradise" earned $168.6 million at the box office before it moved to streaming on Peacock.
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Clooney also directed and produced 2023’s "The Boys in the Boat," based on the true story of the University of Washington rowing team attempting to compete in the 1936 Olympics.
The 63-year-old got his start on television, appearing on series like "The Facts of Life" and "Roseanne" before landing his breakout role on "ER" in 1994.
Clooney became a household name with his role on "ER." (Sven Arnstein/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
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During his time on "ER," he starred in his first major film role in the horror/comedy/action film "From Dusk Til Dawn," followed by the romantic film "One Fine Day" with Michelle Pfeiffer.
He continued to build his film roles with "Batman & Robin," "Out of Sight" and "Three Kings."
In 2001, he starred in "Ocean’s Eleven" with Pitt, Roberts, Matt Damon and a star-studded cast, cementing his status as a leading man.
He made his directorial debut in 2002 with "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind."
George Clooney and "Ocean’s Eleven" co-stars Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia attend the London premiere of the film. (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
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In 2005, Clooney wrote, directed and starred in "Good Night, and Good Luck," about journalist Edward R. Murrow challenging Sen. Joseph McCarthy on his fearmongering and ethically dubious communism witch hunt.
It was one of his first more overtly political stances in Hollywood. At a screening of the film at the 43rd New York Film Festival, Clooney said, "I thought it was a good time to raise the idea of using fear to stifle political debate."
In 2006, he earned three Oscar nominations, for best director and best original screenplay for "Good Night and Good Luck," and one in the best supporting actor category for his role in "Syriana," based on a former CIA agent’s memoir of serving in the Middle East.
Clooney won for "Syriana" and spoke out about Hollywood being considered "out of touch" at the time.
During his acceptance speech for best supporting actor in 2006, Clooney addressed criticisms at the time that Hollywood was "out of touch." (Michael Caulfield Archive/WireImage)
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"I would say we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while. It’s probably a good thing," he told the audience. "We’re the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn’t really popular, we bring up subjects, we’re the ones … this Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when Blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. I’m proud to be a part of this Academy, proud to be part of this community, proud to be out of touch. Thank you so much for this."
Clooney earned the best actor Oscar nominations for "Michael Clayton," "Up in the Air" and "The Descendants."
He also continued working behind the camera, writing, directing, producing and starring in films like "Leatherheads," "The Ides of March" and "The Monuments Men."
Clooney also picked up a best picture Oscar for "Argo," having worked as a producer alongside Ben Affleck, who also directed and starred.
Clooney, with Ben Affleck and fellow "Argo" producer Grant Heslov, picked up a best picture Oscar for the film in 2013. (Jennifer Graylock/FilmMagic)
During his Hollywood career, Clooney endorsed Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential runs and Hillary Clinton during her 2016 campaign.
For his 2017 film, "Suburbicon," Clooney revealed he had been inspired by an "angry" America after Trump’s presidential campaign and win.
"A lot of us are angry, angry at ourselves, angry at the way that the country is going, angry at the way the world is going," he told reporters during the Venice Film Festival.
"It's probably the angriest I have ever seen the country, and I lived through the Watergate period of time," Clooney added. "There is a dark cloud hanging over our country right now."
At the Venice Film Festival, Clooney said his film, "Suburbicon," was inspired by an "angry" America after Trump’s presidential campaign and win. (Stefania D'Alessandro/WireImage)
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The film starred Damon and Julianne Moore, a couple living in a stereotypical, all-White 1950s suburban neighborhood that erupts in anger when a Black family moves in.
"The genesis of the screenplay [came when] I was watching a lot of [Trump] speeches on the campaign trail about building fences and scapegoating minorities, and I started looking around at other times in our history when we’ve unfortunately fallen back into these things, and I found this story that happened in Levittown, Pennsylvania," Clooney said.
Clooney took a Hollywood break after "Suburbicon," after welcoming his twins with Amal, Ella and Alexander in 2017.
In 2020, Clooney directed, produced, and starred in the film "The Midnight Sky," and followed that up with directing and producing the 2021 Ben Affleck film "The Tender Bar."
Amal and George Clooney married in 2014 and welcomed twins Ella and Alexander in 2017. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
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The following year, he spoke about his involvement in politics in an interview with the BBC's Andre Marr after endorsing Biden in 2020.
When asked if he’d ever be interested in pursuing a run for office, Clooney said, "No, because I would actually like to have a nice life."
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"I turned 60 this year and I had a conversation with my wife, and we were working a lot, as we both do, and I said we have to think of these as the halcyon years," he said. "In 20 years, I will be 80, and that’s a real number, doesn’t matter how much you work out, what you eat, you’re 80, and so I said we have to make sure we enjoy and live these years in the best possible way."
In 2021, Clooney said he wasn't interested in pursuing public office, saying, "No, because I would actually like to have a nice life." (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Next year, Clooney has several projects lined up, including a project with director Noah Baumbach.
He’ll also be making his Broadway debut in a stage adaptation of "Good Night, and Good Luck," set to begin in spring 2025, per The Hollywood Reporter.
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