Questioning Clooney
At a recent news conference in Venice, Clooney was asked to weigh in for the first time on the impact of his July 10 op-ed in the New York Times where he asked Biden to withdraw from the race.
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“I’ve never had to answer this question, so I might as well here,” said Clooney in response to the op-ed question.
Comparisons to George Washington
Clooney began his response to the question by making a lofty comparison to George Washington.
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“The person who should be applauded is the president who did the most selfless thing that anyone’s done since George Washington,” Clooney said.
What Should Be Remembered
In his response, Clooney emphasized that the details that led to Biden’s dropout will not be remembered and that Biden’s legacy will remain positive because of an act he framed as selfless.
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“What should be remembered is the selfless act of someone who — you know, it’s very hard to let go of power,” Clooney said. “We know that. We’ve seen it all around the world. And for someone to say, ‘I think there’s a better way forward.’ All the credit goes to him … And all the rest of it will be long gone and forgotten.”
Biden’s Dropout
Calls from within the Democrat party for Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential race intensified following a debate against former President Donald Trump that many deemed disastrous.
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Late Show Host Stephen Colbert alluded to it being the worst debate of all time during a show segment.
Resisting the Pressure
During the immediate aftermath of the debate, Biden attempted to dismiss his performance as a result of being sick and excessive travel weariness.
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It was the Biden campaign’s hope that the discontent among supporters would die down after multiple high-ranking Democrats came out to support Biden staying in the race.
Tipping Points
However, a turning point came in the following weeks when high-level Democrats privately or publicly urged Biden to withdraw from the race.
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Perhaps one of these tipping points came with Clooney’s July 10 op-ed in the New York Times titled, “I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.”
Fundraising Democrat
In his piece, Clooney lays out his credentials as a Democrat to give justification for him calling Biden to step aside.
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“I’m a lifelong Democrat; I make no apologies for that. I’m proud of what my party represents and what it stands for,” wrote Clooney. “I have led some of the biggest fund-raisers in my party’s history. Barack Obama in 2012. Hillary Clinton in 2016. Joe Biden in 2020. Last month I co-hosted the single largest fund-raiser supporting any Democratic candidate ever, for President Biden’s re-election.”
Loving Joe Biden
Clooney also expressed just how much he loved Joe Biden personally, emphasizing how critical a moment the Democrats have found themselves in.
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“I say all of this only to express how much I believe in this process and how profound I think this moment is,” Clooney wrote. “I love Joe Biden. As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.”
Fight Against Time
While Clooney praised the president, he also admitted that Biden was in a fight against time and that he had changed over the years.
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“But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the [Joe Biden] of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,” wrote Clooney.
Terrified of Trump
Clooney in the piece made an emotional appeal, feeling the stakes were too high to leave another Trump presidency up to fate.
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“Was he tired? Yes. A cold? Maybe. But our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw. We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign,” Clooney wrote. “This is about age. Nothing more. But also nothing that can be reversed. We are not going to win in November with this president.”
Impact of the Piece
According to the Washington Post, Clooney’s piece “was seen as a major influence on the president leaving the race.”
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This makes Clooney’s newest comments about the impact of the piece carry more weight after Biden did eventually drop out.