George Clooney said during a recent sit-down on CBS’ “Sunday Morning” that he has no regrets about writing a New York Times op-ed urging former President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election. However, in retrospect, he feels it was a “mistake” for Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee instead of Biden.
When asked if he would write another NYT op-ed if he had the chance, Clooney replied, “Yes, I had the chance. As I wrote in the op-ed, I wish there had been a primary. Let’s hurry up and give it a field test and get back on track. I think Kamala’s mistake was that she had to run against her record. If the purpose of running is to say, ‘I’m not that kind of person,’ that’s a very difficult thing to do.” She was given a very difficult task because it is difficult. To be honest, I think it was a mistake. But we are where we are now. They say we will lose more House seats. So I don’t know. Not doing so is the same as not telling the truth. ”
After Biden’s disastrous performance in his first presidential debate with Donald Trump, many in Hollywood called on him to step back and choose a more qualified candidate. Clooney became the de facto face of the movement after his July 2024 essay. “With this president, we’re not going to win in November. And we’re not going to win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate. This is not just my opinion. It’s the opinion of every senator, congressman, and governor that I’ve talked to privately, regardless of what they’re saying publicly,” he said of Biden.
After facing backlash for the piece, Clooney told CNN’s Jake Tapper that he felt it was his “civic duty” to draw attention to what he believed was an urgent issue.
“That’s the deal. If you believe in it, you have to take a stand,” he said. “The rule is to stand up, defend it, and deal with the consequences. So when people criticize me — 20 years ago, when I was criticized for my stance on war, and people picketed my movie and put me on Trump — I have to accept that, and that’s fair. I’m fine with that, and I’m fine with criticism of my position. I defend their right to criticize me, just as I defend my right to criticize them.”
