In a rare and pointed rebuke from one of Hollywood’s most prominent Democratic loyalists, George Clooney is doubling down on his decision to publicly call for President Joe Biden to step aside during the 2024 race. In a new interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Clooney clarified that his shift wasn’t political maneuvering—it was a matter of principle.
“It was a civic duty,” Clooney said, emphasizing that he couldn’t remain silent after what he described as dishonesty from political allies. “When I saw people on my side of the street not telling the truth, I thought that was time.”
The full interview, airing later Wednesday, follows the shockwave Clooney sent through the Democratic Party weeks ago when he penned a New York Times guest essay praising Biden’s record—but urging him to step aside due to age-related decline.
Clooney’s shift stunned insiders because just weeks earlier, he had co-hosted a $30 million fundraiser for the Biden campaign. But what he saw behind the scenes changed his mind—and compelled him to speak out.
“The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago… wasn’t the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020,” Clooney wrote in his essay. “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”
That debate—widely viewed as a disaster for the president—ignited panic within Democratic ranks, especially as Biden’s age and mental acuity became increasingly difficult to deflect. Less than a month after Clooney’s editorial, Biden exited the race, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Clooney has since faced backlash from some within the party, but he’s not walking it back. Tapper praised his candor as “brave,” and Clooney acknowledged that the fallout hasn’t been easy. Still, he stood firm on principle:
“You can’t demand freedom of speech and then say, ‘But don’t say bad things about me.’ … Take a stance, stand for it, and then deal with the consequences. That’s the rules.”
Clooney went on to endorse Harris, calling Biden’s decision to step aside “saving democracy once again.” The remark echoed the reverence many Democrats still feel toward Biden’s legacy—despite concerns over his ability to finish a second term.
The drama behind the scenes is further detailed in the newly released book Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History by journalist Chris Whipple. According to the book, Biden’s inner circle grew increasingly insular, limiting his exposure even to longtime friends and donors in an effort to conceal his decline.
One flashpoint? An MSNBC segment that speculated Clooney had been influenced by Barack Obama before writing his op-ed. According to Whipple, Clooney “went absolutely ballistic” over the implication, fuming that his decision was his and his alone, not coordinated or manipulated.
