Hollywood actor and Democratic donor George Clooney has doubled down on his controversial call for former President Joe Biden to end his 2024 reelection bid, while expressing doubts about former Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in as his replacement.
In a recent interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, Clooney reflected on the op-ed he wrote for The New York Times last July, urging Biden to step aside due to his age, declining stamina, and slim chances of winning another term. When asked if he would write the piece again, Clooney responded affirmatively. “Yes. We had a chance. I wanted there to be, as I wrote in the op-ed, a primary. Let’s battle-test this quickly and get it up and going,” he said.
However, Clooney acknowledged that Harris was not the ideal candidate to replace Biden. “I think the mistake with it being Kamala is that she had to run against her own record. And it’s very hard to do, if the point of running is to say, ‘I’m not that person,’” he explained. “And so, she was given a very tough task. I think it was a mistake, quite honestly. But we are where we are.”
Clooney was one of the first high-profile Democrats to publicly urge Biden to drop out of the race. Within two weeks of the op-ed, Biden announced he would not seek reelection and endorsed Harris as his successor. Clooney thanked Biden for “saving democracy once again” and publicly supported Harris following the endorsement.
Despite his critique, Clooney suggested Harris’s candidacy was preferable to Biden remaining in the race. “We were going to lose more House seats, they say. So, you know, I don’t know. To not do it would be to say I’m not going to tell the truth,” he said.
Clooney also addressed criticism from Hunter Biden, who previously lashed out over the pressure campaign. Clooney said he saw Hunter’s remarks but declined to engage in a public feud. “I have many personal opinions about it, but I don’t find it to be helpful to have a public spat with him,” he said, adding that he hopes Hunter succeeds in his ongoing recovery.
Clooney’s remarks highlight the delicate balancing act Democrats face in navigating party unity, leadership transitions, and the realities of electoral politics as they look toward future elections.
