Hollywood actor and longtime Democratic supporter George Clooney has spoken out about the backlash he faced after publicly calling for President Joe Biden to step aside from the 2024 presidential race, saying he felt it was his “civic duty” to tell the truth about the president’s health and electoral prospects.
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Clooney reflected on the op-ed he published in The New York Times last July, shortly after Biden’s widely criticized debate performance against Donald Trump. The piece, which divided Democrats and sparked a media storm, urged the then-81-year-old president to withdraw from the race in favor of a more viable candidate.
“It was a civic duty because I found that people on my side of the street — you know, I’m a Democrat in Kentucky so I get it — when I saw people on my side of the street not telling the truth I thought that it was time to,” Clooney said.
As reported by The Times UK, the actor’s intervention was particularly striking given that it came just weeks after he had co-hosted a star-studded fundraiser for Biden in Los Angeles that raised a record $28 million. Despite his support, Clooney was candid in his op-ed, writing, “The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big f***ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020.”
Clooney’s public plea contributed to mounting pressure on the Democratic leadership, and Biden officially withdrew from the race on July 21, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor. Clooney praised the decision at the time, calling Biden “the most selfless president since George Washington” and crediting him with “saving democracy once again.”
Despite the outcome, Clooney acknowledged that not everyone in the party welcomed his move. “Some people [are still angry with me], sure,” he said. “Take a stand, stand for it and then deal with the consequences. That’s the rules.”
The actor, known for his political engagement as well as his film career, has a long history of activism — from addressing the UN Security Council on the Darfur crisis in 2006 to campaigning for Democratic candidates including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Biden.
Now starring in a Broadway revival of Good Night, and Good Luck, Clooney continues to navigate both Hollywood and Washington with a blend of star power and outspoken political conscience. He is married to international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, with whom he shares seven-year-old twins.
