American actor George Clooney attends the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon MGM Studios’ “The Boys” at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California on December 11, 2023.
Frederic J. Brown | Frederic J. Brown AFP | Getty Images
Hollywood superstar George Clooney said Wednesday it is time for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race following his disastrous debate performance and a fundraiser co-hosted by actors and filmmakers for Biden in June.
“It’s frustrating to say, but the Joe Biden I attended a fundraiser with three weeks ago is not the Joe Biden of 2010,” Clooney wrote in a post. New York Times column.
“He’s not even the Joe Biden of 2020. He’s the same guy we saw in the debate.”
The June event was a star-studded fundraiser in Los Angeles, with guests including former President Barack Obama, actress Julia Roberts and comedian Jimmy Kimmel. The night reportedly raised more than $30 million for Biden and his larger political operation nbc news.
Biden’s poor performance in a debate with former President Donald Trump came on June 27, nearly two weeks after a Los Angeles fundraiser.
Cloney’s op-ed was published Wednesday, nearly two weeks after the disastrous debate, and on the same day as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Refuses to explicitly endorse Biden as nominee.
US President Joe Biden and former US President Barack Obama share a laugh during a star-studded campaign fundraiser at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA on June 15, 2024.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
“We will not win in November with this president,” Clooney wrote. “The bottom line is, we will not win the House and we will lose the Senate. This is not just my opinion; this is what speaks to me The views of every senator, congressman, and governor are shared privately by everyone, no matter what he or she says in public.
When contacted for comment, a spokesperson for the Biden campaign referred CNBC to the president’s insistence that he would remain in the race.
As Biden digs deeper, the delicate question of how to persuade him to abandon his campaign is troubling Democrats on Capitol Hill. Cloney implored Pelosi and other Democratic leaders to ask the president to step down.
“The top Democrats — Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi — as well as senators, representatives and other candidates facing defeat in November need to demand The president resigned voluntarily.
Clooney also wrote that the president’s post-debate performance in late June was not enough to quell concerns, including Biden’s recent interview with ABC.
“The George Stephanopoulos interview only reinforced what we saw a week ago,” Clooney wrote.
“As Democrats, we collectively hold our breath or lower our voices every time we see our esteemed president step off Air Force One or walk back to the microphone to answer an impromptu question,” Clooney wrote.
Clooney was also careful to praise the president, who has achieved a string of legislative achievements during his tenure. “Joe Biden is a hero; he saved democracy in 2020. We need him to do it again in 2024.”
But to the Biden campaign, Clooney is just the latest wealthy Democratic contributor to call for the president to step down.
Abigail Disney, Stuart Benham Jr. and Reed Hastings, all donors to the party, have publicly said the president should hand the baton to another candidate.
Disney and philanthropist and investor Gideon Stein both told CNBC they are no longer helping Democrats raise money unless Biden announces he will not run for re-election.
About The Author
