Actor George Clooney, who played a pivotal role in former President Joe Biden’s decision to abandon his re-election bid, recently appeared on television and delivered an unexpected message of support to President Donald Trump. This marked a significant shift in tone from one of Hollywood’s most prominent Democratic supporters.
During his Tuesday, February 18, 2025, guest appearance on CBS’s “Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” where he was promoting his Broadway play “Good Night, and Good Luck,” Clooney, 63, addressed Trump without naming him directly, stating, “Good for you. I hope you do well because our country needs it, and we will meet you in 3.5 years and see where we go next.”
The conciliatory message came less than a year after Clooney penned an influential New York Times op-ed titled “I Love Joe Biden, But We Need a New Nominee,” which many credit as instrumental in Biden’s decision to step down. In his July 2024 piece, Clooney expressed deep admiration for Joe Biden across his various political roles – senator, vice president, and president. Clooney noted his friendship with Biden and affirmed his faith in Biden’s character and moral compass. He also highlighted Biden’s track record of success, pointing out that Biden had emerged victorious in many of his challenges during the previous four years.
His op-ed argued that Biden’s age and declining performance made him unelectable. Clooney observed that the Biden he had recently encountered was not the same as the “big (expletive) deal” Biden from 2010 and wasn’t even the same as the Joe Biden from 2020. The piece appeared weeks after Clooney hosted a $30 million fundraiser for Biden’s presidential campaign.
The popular actor’s op-ed continued, asserting that his perspective was not unique but reflected a consensus among Democratic leaders. He stated that every senator, member of Congress, and governor he had spoken with privately shared this view, regardless of their public statements. Clooney maintained that replacing Biden as the nominee would energize the Democratic party and re-engage voters who had become disinterested even before the June presidential debate.
The Biden campaign initially resisted Clooney’s characterization, noting that the former president had stayed at the fundraiser for over three hours after returning from the G7 summit. Conversely, Clooney had only briefly appeared at the fundraiser to be in photos. Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, also weighed in simultaneously, saying it was up to the president to decide if he would run and that time was running short.
Nevertheless, Biden announced his withdrawal from the race on July 21, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his preferred successor. Clooney quickly threw his support behind Harris, narrating campaign advertisements that urged male voters to consider how a Trump presidency would affect the women in their lives.
Despite these efforts, Harris and running mate Tim Walz ultimately lost to Trump and JD Vance in the Electoral College, 312 to 226. The popular vote was considerably closer, with Trump-Vance receiving 77.3 million votes (49.8%) compared to Harris-Walz’s 75.01 million (48.3%).
During Clooney’s appearance with Colbert, he discussed his long-standing involvement in Democratic politics. He mentioned growing up in a Democratic household in Kentucky and casting his first vote for Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election. He reflected on past political outcomes, acknowledging both victories with Democratic presidents like Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and losses to Republican leaders such as the Bush family, emphasizing that these shifts are part of the democratic process.
When discussing the recent election results, Clooney took a jab at the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, sarcastically wondering what he was supposed to do—storm the (expletive) Capitol in protest? The remark instantly drew applause from the studio audience, highlighting the absurdity of refusing to accept a democratic outcome.
He then shifted to a more personal note, sharing a story about his seven-year-old son Alexander’s chess tournaments. Using it as a metaphor for handling political losses, he explained that when his son gets frustrated after a match, he reminds him to shake his opponent’s hand, say “good game,” and focus on trying again next time. Clooney emphasized that this kind of sportsmanship isn’t just for chess—it’s a lesson in approaching life, including politics.
This led host Stephen Colbert to knock on his wooden desk, catching Clooney’s attention and prompting him to ask the host what he was doing. Colbert responded by implying he was hoping there would still be another election in the future, a pointed reference to Trump’s controversial remark from his July 2024 campaign speech to Christian conservatives, where he suggested that if they voted for him now, future elections might not even be necessary.
Clooney then highlighted the importance of maintaining civility in politics, stating, “It’s part of democracy. There are people who agree and disagree, and most of us still like each other, we’re all gonna get through it.”
