George Clooney, the Hollywood actor and prominent Democratic fundraiser, has called on Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, arguing that the president cannot defeat Donald Trump. In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Clooney expressed deep admiration for Biden but said his performance at a recent Los Angeles fundraiser indicated the president's age is an insurmountable obstacle.
Clooney wrote that the Biden he saw three weeks ago at the event—the party's most successful ever, raising over $30 million—was not the same man from 2010 or even 2020. 'He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,' Clooney said, referring to Biden's stumbling performance in last month's Atlanta debate. 'We are not going to win with this president,' he added bluntly.
The actor dismissed White House explanations that Biden was tired or had a cold, stating that party leaders must stop pretending millions did not see the debate. He urged senior Democrats to stop waiting and speak the truth, saying 'the dam has broken.' Clooney concluded that Biden, a hero who saved democracy in 2020, must now do so again by stepping aside.
Clooney's intervention comes weeks after a disagreement with the White House over Biden's criticism of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Clooney's wife, Amal Alamuddin Clooney, worked on the case. Despite the tension, Clooney attended the LA fundraiser alongside Biden and Barack Obama.
