George Clooney is back among those praising President Biden again, calling him the "most selfless" American president since George Washington. While in Venice promoting his latest film, Clooney spoke for the first time about his much-discussed op-ed in the New York Times on July 10 urging Biden to withdraw as a candidate, reports Variety. When a reporter brought up the op-ed, some in the room clapped, notes the Times, but Clooney dismissed that:
- "The person who should be applauded is the president who did the most selfless thing that anyone's done since George Washington," said Clooney, referring to Biden's decision to bow out, per the Washington Post.
- "All the machinations that got us there, none of that's going to be remembered and it shouldn't be," Clooney added. "What should be remembered is the selfless act of someone who—you know, it's very hard to let go of power. 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."
Clooney's op-ed was seen at the time as perhaps the biggest example of a prominent, well-connected supporter asking the president to withdraw. The actor has since endorsed Kamala Harris, and he alluded to the state of the current race: "I'm very proud of where we are in the state of the world right now, which I think many people are surprised by," he said. "And we're all very excited for the future." The 63-year-old Clooney was in Venice to plug Wolfs, his new film with Brad Pitt. (More George Clooney stories.)
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