George Clooney has responded to Donald Trump’s request that he stay out of politics, saying, “I will if he does.” Clooney made the remarks during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, where he discussed his part in persuading President Biden to stand down. The actor wrote an op-ed after Biden’s poor debate performance against Donald Trump, urging the President to step aside for the country’s benefit. Kimmel suggested Clooney had potentially “changed the world,” to which the actor replied, “I don’t know that that’s true.” Instead, he credited the President with making a selfless decision to withdraw from the Presidential race.
Following Clooney’s op-ed in July, Donald Trump posted a furious retort on his Truth Social media account. He called the Oscar winner a “fake actor” who should “get out of politics and go back to television” because movies hadn’t worked out for him.
The Hollywood star has a long record of criticizing Donald Trump, and he first spoke out against him in 2016. Clooney described Trump’s elevation to Republican Presidential nominee as “crazy” and labeled him a “xenophobic fascist.” He was not alone in his view, and celebrities lined up to condemn Mr. Trump.
In 2016, Oscar winner Meryl Streep called Donald Trump a “bully,” while Madonna said his Presidency was a “bad dream.” Actor Don Cheadle said Trump was a “racist, abusive coward who could permanently damage the fabric of our society.”
Trump’s latest bid for the White House has attracted similar comments from some of America’s biggest stars, including music superstar Taylor Swift, who endorsed Kamala Harris immediately after the September Presidential debate in Philadelphia. Swift urged her fans to register to vote and to research both candidates’ positions and policies. The singer confirmed that she would cast her vote for Harris because the Vice President is committed to fighting for the rights of women and LGBT individuals.
In response, Donald Trump was terse. He wrote “I hate Taylor Swift” on his Truth Social account, but the star did not reply. Days later, while receiving an MTV award, Ms. Swift once again encouraged young people to register and exercise their right to vote.
