President Donald Trump has criticised George Clooney following the actor’s appearance on 60 Minutes, branding him a “second-rate movie star.”
Clooney, 63, discussed his decision to withdraw support for former President Joe Biden before taking aim at the Trump administration.
“I had seen the president up close for this fundraiser, and I was surprised. And so I feel as if there was a lot of profiles in cowardice in my party through all of that,” Clooney said.
“And I was not proud of that. And I also believed I had to tell the truth,” added Clooney, who is a lifelong Democrat.
“I’ve always liked Joe Biden and I like him still,” he reaffirmed, but admitted he could no longer support Biden’s campaign in good faith.
However, the interview did not sit well with Trump, who took to Truth Social to share his thoughts on the Hollywood actor.
“He fought hard for Sleepy Joe’s election, and then, right after the Debate, dumped him like a dog. Later, I assume under orders from the Obama camp, pushed all out for ‘Kamala,’ only to soon realise that this was not going to work out too well.”
The president continued, “60 Minutes even fraudulently inserted Fake answers into her disastrous interview, aired just before Election Day, in one of the most embarrassing and dishonest events in broadcast history… And now George Clooney again? His press agent should be making a fortune!!!”
Clooney was also asked about his New York Times article, in which he called on Biden to step aside from the re-election race, stating he simply “cannot win.”
At the time, Trump responded to Clooney’s essay on social media, dismissing him as a “fake movie actor” who “never came close to making a great movie.”
“What does Clooney know about anything?” the president wrote. “Clooney should get out of politics and go back to television. Movies never really worked for him!!!”
The two-time Oscar winner appeared on the news programme to promote his Broadway debut, in which he portrays journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night and Good Luck.
During the interview, Clooney spoke about his role, which explores a journalist’s relentless pursuit of truth in a divided political landscape.
The actor drew parallels between the play and Trump’s $16 million (R290 million) settlement with ABC News, as well as his ongoing $20 billion (R365 billion) lawsuit with CBS.
“When the other three estates fail, when the judiciary and the executive and the legislative branches fail us, the fourth estate has to succeed,” Clooney said.
“ABC has just settled a lawsuit with the Trump administration. And CBS News is in the process … We’re seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations — to make journalists smaller.”
He added, “Governments don’t like the freedom of the press. They never have. And that goes for whether you are a conservative or a liberal or whatever side you’re on. They don’t like the press.”
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