Trump Criticizes Clooney Over Biden Remarks
Former President Donald Trump has launched a scathing critique of actor George Clooney following the celebrity’s remarks regarding President Joe Biden and the 2020 election. Clooney, in a recent interview, defended his prior suggestion that Democrats should consider replacing Biden on the ticket.
Clooney’s ’60 Minutes’ Interview
During a segment on CBS’s 60 Minutes broadcast on Sunday, March 23rd, Clooney, a vocal Democrat, reiterated concerns about Biden’s fitness and voiced criticism of the Trump administration, stating the U.S. was in “trouble.” The 63-year-old Clooney reaffirmed his “surprise” at Biden’s “mental state.”
Trump’s Truth Social Response
In response to Clooney’s 60 Minutes appearance, Trump swiftly took to his Truth Social platform to lambast both the actor and CBS. Trump, who is currently engaged in a legal dispute with CBS, having filed a $23 million lawsuit alleging election interference, accused 60 Minutes of producing a “puff piece” on Clooney, whom he derided as a “second-rate movie ‘star’ and failed political pundit.”
Further Criticism and Election Claims
The former president further elaborated on his critique, asserting that Clooney had initially supported Biden’s candidacy but subsequently withdrew his support after a debate, and then shifted allegiance to Kamala Harris. Trump also repeated previous claims that 60 Minutes “fraudulently inserted fake answers” in an interview with Harris, calling it a “dishonest event in broadcast history.” CBS has dismissed Trump’s lawsuit and is seeking its dismissal in court.
Clooney Defends Journalistic Integrity
Clooney’s political commentary came during an interview promoting his Broadway debut. He expressed concern about the current state of American political discourse, stating, “We now are at a place where we have found it is harder to discern the truth. Facts are now negotiated.”
The Role of Journalism
He emphasized the critical role of journalism in this environment: “Journalism and telling truth to power has to be waged like war is waged. It doesn’t just happen accidentally. It takes the people saying, ‘We are going to do these stories, and you are going to have to come after us – and that is the way it is.'”
Concerns over Government Influence
Clooney also warned about government pressure on the press, stating, “We are seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations to make journalists smaller. Governments don’t like the freedom of the press. They never have. There is a reason why we built freedom of speech into the First Amendment. It is that important to us. It matters to us. Infringing on that is a very slippery slope.”
Clooney’s Prior Call for Biden to Step Aside
Clooney defended his prior call for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, made months before the election. He recalled writing an essay in The New York Times suggesting Biden step aside. When questioned about whether he stood by that decision, Clooney affirmed, “Yeah, I’ll make it kind of easy. I was raised to tell the truth. I had seen the president up close at this fundraiser, and I was surprised. I feel as if there were a lot of profiles and cowardice in my party through all of that. And I was not proud of that and also believed I had to tell the truth.”
Continued Respect for Biden
Despite his past concerns, Clooney added, “I’ve always liked Joe Biden, and I like him still.”