Donald Trump has destroyed George Clooney in a humiliating attack over the actor's ousting of Joe Biden in last year's US election. The president took aim at the Ocean's Eleven star, who, in a TV interview, defended his decision to ask fellow Democrats to have the then-US leader replaced before the November ballot. In a chat with America's 60 Minutes, on Sunday night (March 23) Clooney, who has opened up on fatherhood, criticised Trump's administration and described America as being in "trouble."
The lifelong Democrat voter, 63, doubled down on being "surprised" by Biden's mental state. Within minutes, Trump took to his social media about liberal Clooney's comments, also attacking broadcaster CBS. The president is currently locked in a legal battle with the network, launching a $23 million lawsuit accusing channel bosses of interfering with last year's election. CBS has refuted the allegation and filed for the legal matter to end. Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform: "Why would the now highly-discredited 60 Minutes be doing a total 'puff piece' on George Clooney, a second-rate movie 'star' and failed political pundit?"
The US President continued his scathing attack, writing: "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. 60 Minutes even fraudulently inserted fake answers into her disastrous interview, and just before Election Day, in one of the most embarrassing and dishonest events in broadcast history."
Clooney spoke on politics during a promotional interview for his Broadway debut, stating that the US is in "trouble" under Trump. "We now are at a place where we have found it is harder to discern the truth," he said. "Facts are now negotiated. It is a fight for the ages. It will continue. Journalism and telling truth to power has to be waged like war is waged. It doesn't just happen accidentally. It takes the people saying, 'We are going to do these stories, and you are going to have to come after us - and that is the way it is.'"
He added: "We are seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations to make journalists smaller. Governments don't like the freedom of the press. They never have. There is a reason why we built freedom of speech into the First Amendment. It is that important to us. It matters to us. Infringing on that is a very slippery slope."
Clooney stood by his decision to publicly call for Biden to step away from last year's presidential run just a few months before voting. His essay in the New York Times prompted Democrats to push out Biden for Kamala Harris. When asked if he was happy he did it, he responded: "Yeah, I'll make it kind of easy. I was raised to tell the truth. I had seen the president up close at this fundraiser, and I was surprised. I feel as if there were a lot of profiles and cowardice in my party through all of that. And I was not proud of that and also believed I had to tell the truth." He added, "I've always liked Joe Biden, and I like him still."
