Hollywood icon George Clooney says he has no regrets about writing his controversial New York Times op-ed in July 2024, in which he publicly urged President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. Speaking on CBS Sunday Morning, the actor and longtime Democratic fundraiser reflected on his decision, saying he still stands by it — even though Donald Trump ultimately won re-election.
“I Wanted a Primary — That Was the Point”
In his interview with CBS News correspondent Seth Doane, Clooney was asked whether he would still have written the op-ed knowing the outcome of the 2024 election.
“I would,” Clooney said firmly. “We had a chance. I wanted there to be, as I wrote in the op-ed, a primary. Let’s battle-test this quickly and get it up and going.”
However, he admitted that choosing Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the Democratic ticket without a primary was, in his words, “a mistake.”
“I think the mistake with it being Kamala is she had to run against her own record,” Clooney explained. “It’s very hard to do if the point of running is to say, ‘I’m not that person.’ It’s hard to do, and so she was given a very tough task. I think it was a mistake, quite honestly.”
Standing by His Words
Clooney emphasized that his decision to speak out was rooted in honesty, not politics.
“To not do it would be to say, ‘I’m not gonna tell the truth,’” he said, adding that while Democrats may have lost additional House seats, he believed it was important to be candid about what he saw as the party’s challenges heading into the 2024 race.
Clooney’s July 2024 essay — published shortly after Biden’s poor debate performance against Trump — was a rare and direct public critique from one of the Democratic Party’s most influential supporters.
“It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big f***ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020,” Clooney wrote at the time. “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”
Biden announced his withdrawal from the race just weeks after Clooney’s op-ed was published.
Responding to Hunter Biden’s Remarks
During the CBS interview, Clooney also addressed Hunter Biden’s angry response to his op-ed. Hunter had accused the actor of “lying” about his father’s health and claimed Clooney was part of an effort “organized by the Obama team” to undermine Biden’s campaign.
Clooney dismissed the allegations.
“I could spend a lot of time debunking many of the things he said because many of them were just outright lies,” he said. “Obama didn’t put me up to it. It wasn’t someone else’s fundraiser — it was my fundraiser. All the things.”
However, Clooney added that he preferred not to prolong the feud. “I don’t think looking backwards like that is helpful to anyone, particularly to him. I just wish him well on his recovery,” he said. “I have many personal opinions about it, but I don’t find it helpful to have a public spat with him.”
“It Was My Civic Duty”
Clooney, who has long raised millions for Democratic candidates and causes, previously described his decision to break ranks with Biden as a matter of civic duty.
“I love Joe Biden,” Clooney wrote in July. “As proud as I am of what he’s accomplished, I believe he cannot win in November. This isn’t only my opinion; it’s the opinion of every senator, congress member, and governor I’ve spoken with privately.”
He reiterated on CBS Sunday Morning that the op-ed was not meant as a betrayal but as a call for accountability within his own party.
Final Words
While his comments have reignited debate within Democratic circles, Clooney’s stance remains clear — he believes honesty and transparency outweigh loyalty in moments of political crisis.
“I don’t regret it,” he said. “Sometimes telling the truth hurts, but it’s still the truth.”
