Opinion | George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee

On Wednesday, just weeks after he headlined a major fundraiser for his reelection campaign, the actor George Clooney, who had been one of President Joe Biden’s biggest Hollywood supporters and donors, urged Biden to withdraw from the race.

Clooney wrote in an opinion piece for the New York Times, “I love Joe Biden.” being a senator. as president as well as vice president. I trust him and consider him a friend.

Opinion | George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.: In any case, Clooney added, the Biden he saw during the June 15 pledge drive, which likewise included previous President Barack Obama, “was not the Joe “large F-ing bargain” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the 2020 Joe Biden.

Clooney continued, “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,” referring to Biden’s shaky and disastrous performance at the CNN presidential debate on June 27.

From someone who has had private conversations with the president, that statement was a stunning assessment of Biden’s current state. It said that the way the president presented himself during that debate, which the White House and the Biden campaign alternately blamed on a cold and a tiring travel schedule, was not an anomaly.

Clooney isn’t simply a celebrity and a conspicuous contributor: He is a person who has known Biden for some time and has always been a big fan. This dates all the way back to Clooney’s visit to the White House during Biden’s early years as vice president. Clooney stopped by Biden’s office, which was across the hall from the Oval Office in the West Wing, and they ended up spending a long time talking about how to help Darfur.

Opinion | George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.: Clooney is also friendly with Obama, but he and Biden have kept in touch over the years. Paul Mescal Battles Pedro Pascal & a Rhino in First ‘Gladiator II’ Trailer The strength of that relationship held up even when Biden criticized the International Criminal Court’s decision in May to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a result of his actions in Gaza. Clooney’s wife, Amal Clooney, had been a key part of crafting that decision. Clooney called a high-ranking White House adviser to voice his displeasure, but he did not withdraw his support or his participation in the June fundraiser at that time. Due to the implication that Israel and Hamas are equivalent, Biden harshly criticized the ICC’s efforts.

Given his engagement and activism, Clooney is also viewed as a sort of compass by many Hollywood Democratic supporters. Even among those who had never been big fans of Biden and were not enthusiastic about supporting him long before the debate, his relationship with Biden up until this point helped garner more donor and celebrity support.

When asked for comment on Wednesday, the Biden campaign referred to the letter that the president sent to members of Congress on Monday, in which he stated that he would remain in the race.

The most significant turn against Biden in Hollywood, where the party has long relied for prominent support and funding, is represented by Clooney’s opinion piece. Due to persistent concerns regarding his age and mental acuity, a few Democrats in Congress have also publicly demanded that Biden step down.

Opinion | George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.: The most that the Democratic Party has ever raised from a single event was $28 million for Biden’s reelection campaign at the Clooney-hosted fundraiser. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the fact that the fundraiser in Los Angeles took place on June 15—shortly after Vice President Biden traveled to the G7 summit in Italy—was partly due to the fact that Clooney had stated that this was the only date that would work for him. Biden has blamed his poor performance, in part, on his extensive travel prior to the debate last month.

Clooney urged key Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, to ask Biden to “voluntarily step aside” in the opinion piece.

“We won’t win in November with this president,” Clooney cautioned, adding that the legislators he has spoken with secretly shared this view.

He stated that the nation deserved to hear from other politicians, such as Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, who are regarded as potential Biden-replacing candidates.

Saying “the dam has broken,” Clooney stated “we can place our heads in the sand and petition God for a wonder in November, or we can talk reality.”

The past 24 hours have surprised many anxious Democrats who have been waiting to see what happens to Biden’s reelection campaign and holding their breath.

After this week’s NATO conference, which the United States is hosting just blocks away from the White House, one widely held opinion had been that everything was likely to come to a head. Instead, Biden has been juggling multiple engagements on the global stage, which has resulted in a flurry of devastating headlines.

“This is by all accounts moving surprisingly quickly,” one senior leftist said.

Opinion | George Clooney: I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.: George Stephanopoulos Says Biden Can’t Serve Another 4 Years  The opinion piece by Clooney comes during the most crucial week of Biden’s reelection campaign, as the Democratic support coalition for Biden continued to fall apart. Biden has been publicly requested to step down from the ticket by at least ten members of Congress from his own party.

A source familiar with the discussions told CNN on Wednesday that organizers of at least one Chicago fundraiser scheduled during the Democratic National Convention have decided not to proceed with the event in the middle of August. To allow the dust to settle, organizers put off discussing the fundraiser’s preparations until after the July 4 holiday. This week, the host board chose not to continue with the occasion, refering to a conflict over how to continue given the proceeded with disintegration of help for Biden’s bid.

The event, which was meant to be a lunch for a few wealthy Windy City residents, is just one of many planned in conjunction with the party’s convention. The campaign was hoping to get the enthusiasm and money of wealthy supporters for the final stretch of the race. A representative for the Biden lobby told CNN the occasion was not subsidiary with their authority raising money plan.

Biden has been urged to resign by a number of prominent Hollywood Democrats, including Clooney. Rob Reiner, a Biden surrogate who went to Harris’s fundraiser after the debate, also demanded that the president step down.

“My companion George Clooney has obviously communicated what a large number of us have been talking about. Joe Biden has our love and respect. We appreciate everything he has done for our nation. In any case, A majority rule government is confronting an existential danger. We need a younger person to fight back. In a post that he made on the social media platform X on Wednesday, Reiner said, “Joe Biden must step aside,” and he included a link to Clooney’s op-ed.

Reiner started urging Biden to resign earlier this week.

“It’s time to (expletive) stop being around. We will lose our democracy if the convicted felon prevails. With honor, decency, and dignity, Joe Biden has effectively served the United States. He wrote on Sunday, “It’s time for Joe Biden to step down.”

On Wednesday, actor Michael Douglas stated that Clooney made a “valid point.” Kawhi Leonard withdraws from Team USA, Derrick White will play in Paris Olympics In April, Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones, his wife, hosted a fundraiser for Biden in New York.

I mean, I’m extremely, extremely concerned. That is to say, particularly is troublesome in light of the fact that the leftists have a major seat. When asked about Clooney’s opinion piece on ABC’s “The View,” he said, “I mean, a lot of heavy hitters.”

On Wednesday, Biden will hold high-stakes meetings with NATO allies and hold his first solo news conference since the debate on Thursday.