George Clooney's bold move: A turning point in US election
George Clooney faced a wave of criticism after he demanded that Biden withdraw from the presidential race. On November 6, Donald Trump was announced as the presidential election winner in the USA.
In July 2024, the "Ocean's Eleven" actor published an op-ed in the "New York Times," calling for Biden to step down from the campaign. Shortly after, the 46th President of the USA announced his withdrawal, and Clooney endorsed Kamala Harris as the new Democratic candidate. After an intense campaign, Donald J. Trump became the 47th President-elect of the United States, securing 295 electoral votes and winning the popular vote.
Social media users expressed their opinions about Clooney's appeal. A group of political commentators from altNOAA wrote on the platform X (formerly Twitter): "Someone bring me George Clooney. We need to have a... talk". Journalist Joshua Hartley shared a screenshot of the actor's op-ed and added: "Thank you, George Clooney." Others suggested that Trump should thank Hollywood celebrities, especially Clooney.
Professor Laurence F. Maslon from New York University commented in "The Guardian" on the impact of celebrity endorsements: "There’s probably not a Republican candidate for any office in the last 20 years who didn’t append the word liberal before the word Hollywood when speaking about it." He added: "People like George Clooney and Robert De Niro, I mean, who cares, frankly?"
Clooney previously raised $30 million for Biden's campaign during a fundraiser. In his op-ed, he criticized Democratic Party leaders for ignoring "every warning sign" regarding the decline in Biden's physical and mental health, claiming that the president cannot win the battle against time. Before the election, the actor again endorsed Kamala Harris in the campaign.
