
Hunter Biden accuses George Clooney of undermining his father in 2024 presidential election
In a rare online interview, Hunter Biden used a string of expletives to describe Clooney when discussing the actor with Andrew Gallagher of Channel 5.
Clooney supported Democrat Joe Biden's bid for a second term and even headlined a record-setting fundraiser for the then-president. But the actor changed his stance after Biden turned in a disastrous debate performance against Republican Donald Trump in June 2024 and added his voice to mounting calls for the then-81-year-old president to leave the race.
Clooney made his feelings known in an opinion piece in The New York Times. Biden ended up leaving the race a few weeks later and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris. She lost to Trump.
In the lengthy and wide-ranging interview, Hunter Biden questioned why anyone should listen to Clooney and said the 'Ocean's Eleven' actor had no right to 'undermine' his father.
'What right do you have to step on a man who's given 52 years of his f——— life to the services of this country and decide that you, George Clooney, are going to take out basically a full page ad in the f——— New York Times to undermine the president,' Hunter Biden said before he trailed off to talk about how Republicans are more unified than Democrats.
Joe Biden served 36 years in the U.S. Senate and eight years as Barack Obama's vice president before he was elected president in 2020.
Los Angeles-based representatives for Clooney did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Tuesday.
___
Follow the AP's coverage of Hunter Biden at https://apnews.com/hub/hunter-biden.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Global News
20 minutes ago
- Global News
‘Fake news': White House reacts after WSJ says Trump's name in Epstein files
A report by the Wall Street Journal claiming that the U.S. Justice Department informed President Donald Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in the Epstein files is 'fake news,' the White House says. A spokesperson for the president pushed back on the WSJ report, which cited 'senior administration officials,' on Wednesday by calling the reports into the administration's handling of the Epstein files 'fake news.' 'This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media,' White House director of communications Steven Cheung said in an emailed statement to Reuters. On Thursday, he posted on X, 'The democrats are so moronic and crackbrained they never learn from their mistakes.' Story continues below advertisement 'Instead of actually working for the American people, they are so consumed and obsessed with destroying this country because they suffer from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted their pea-seized brains,' he wrote. According to the report, which the WSJ called an exclusive, Trump was informed by Justice Department officials, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, during a routine briefing in May that his name appeared in the files alongside hundreds of others. Being mentioned in the files is not indicative of any wrongdoing. (Global News nor any other news outlet has independently verified the reporting, as of this writing.) View image in full screen U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House on July 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images The WSJ reported that the briefing was routine and that the Epstein files were not the focus of the meeting. Story continues below advertisement Officials reportedly informed the president that documents containing his name also included 'unverified hearsay about many people' associated with Epstein. One department official told the WSJ that the documents contained hundreds of other names. Trump was also reportedly informed that the Justice Department had no plans to release more documents related to the convicted sex offender's case because they contained child pornography and personal information of victims. The president agreed with the department's decision to keep the material from view, the report says, marking a shift in a narrative that hinged on a promise to deliver the Epstein files in full to the public. In February, Bondi said Epstein's client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In a statement to the WSJ on Friday, Bondi and the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, told the outlet that 'as part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings.' Story continues below advertisement Trump told reporters last week that Bondi hadn't told him that his name was in the files. His administration announced its decision not to release the files on July 7 through a memo on its website, which stated that an exhaustive review of the documents 'revealed no incriminating client list,' and that it found no more evidence that warranted public exposure or necessitated criminal charges against more individuals. 'We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,' the note said. It also stated that only a fraction of the material it reviewed would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial, as the seal 'served only to protect victims.' On Tuesday, following a wave of criticism from Trump's allies — including Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who were pushing for the release of the files — Blanche announced that the Trump administration was reaching out to Epstein's former accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her involvement in Epstein's underage sex trafficking ring. 'Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know?' he wrote. Story continues below advertisement Justice demands courage. For the first time, the Department of Justice is reaching out to Ghislaine Maxwell to ask: what do you know? At @AGPamBondi's direction, I've contacted her counsel. I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits. — Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) July 22, 2025 Earlier that day, Bondi shared a statement written along similar lines. Statement from @DAGToddBlanche: This Department of Justice does not shy away from uncomfortable truths, nor from the responsibility to pursue justice wherever the facts may lead. The joint statement by the DOJ and FBI of July 6 remains as accurate today as it was when it was… — Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) July 22, 2025 Story continues below advertisement 'This Department of Justice does not shy away from uncomfortable truths, nor from the responsibility to pursue justice wherever the facts may lead,' it said, adding that Trump had granted her department permission to release 'all credible evidence' in the Epstein case. Last week, Trump sued the WSJ for US$10 billion after it published new details about a sexually suggestive letter the president allegedly wrote to Epstein for his 50th birthday. 2:09 Trump sues Wall Street Journal for $10B over article tying him to Jeffrey Epstein The outlet said the note bore Trump's signature and contained 'several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker.' 'A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts,' it says, with the president's alleged signature written in a 'squiggly' font below her waist and a final line that reads: 'Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.' Story continues below advertisement Trump denied the note was of his creation and, according to the WSJ, said the letter was 'a fake thing.' 'I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women,' he added. 'It's not my language. It's not my words.' Trump and Epstein have been photographed together at events throughout the '90s and early 2000s, including at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The two men reportedly fell out over an alleged business dispute in 2004 — according to the WSJ — and before Epstein pleaded guilty to a 2008 charge for procuring prostitution. This week, the Trump administration has been accused of attempting to distract from the fallout created by its handling of the Epstein files when it released hundreds of thousands of documents detailing intelligence on former Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. View image in full screen In this March 17, 1963, file photo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, sit with three of their four children in their Atlanta home. From left are: Martin Luther King III, 5, Dexter Scott, 2, and Yolanda Denise, 7. AP Photo/File Included in the files are leads pursued by the FBI following King's assassination, as well as details of the CIA's investigation into King's focus on international anti-war and anti-poverty movements in the years before he was killed. Story continues below advertisement In a statement released on Monday, King's two living children, Martin III, 67, and Bernice, 62, said their father's death had been a 'captivating public curiosity for decades,' but reiterated that the files were deeply personal and urged people to read them 'within their full historical context.' Meanwhile, civil rights leader Al Sharpton says the release of the King files is 'not about transparency or justice,' but is merely a 'distraction' from 'the firestorm engulfing Trump over the Epstein files and the public unraveling of his credibility.' Despite King's children's disapproval of the unsealing of their father's file, other family members have expressed support for the Trump administration's actions. Alveda King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece, said she was 'grateful to President Trump' for his 'transparency.' On Wednesday, Trump ordered the Department of Justice to investigate former president Barack Obama, after he claimed to have 'irrefutable' evidence that Obama's administration had acted treasonously by falsely accusing Trump's campaign of having ties to Russia in an attempt to undermine his 2016 election bid. View image in full screen President Barack Obama and president-elect Donald Trump, arrive for the 58th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. PhotoScott Applewhite / Getty Images Before the criminal investigation was announced, Obama responded to the allegations in a rare public comment, saying, 'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response.' Story continues below advertisement 'But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.' 1:37 Obama slams Trump's 'weak attempt at distraction' from Epstein files in response to election-rigging allegation A day later, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard introduced intelligence she says details how 'President Obama and his national security team directed the creation of an intelligence community assessment that they knew was false.' As of this writing, Obama has not responded to the Trump-ordered DOJ investigation or its subsequent claims of criminal misconduct.


Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says he won't seek third term in battleground Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's Democratic governor, Tony Evers, announced Thursday that he will not seek a third term in 2026, creating the first open race for governor in the battleground state in 16 years. It will be Wisconsin's highest profile race next year, as Democrats also angle to take control of the Legislature thanks to redrawn election maps that are friendlier to the party. They are also targeting two congressional districts as Democrats nationwide try to retake the House. The Legislature has been under Republican control since 2011, and some Democrats had hoped that Evers, 73, would run for a third term to give him a chance to potentially work with a Democratic-controlled one. In a video announcing his decision, Evers said he was 'damn proud' of working 50 years in public service. But he said it was time to focus on his family. 'For five decades, my family has sacrificed to give me the gift of service,' Evers said. 'They're my world and I owe it to them to focus on doing all the things we enjoy and love doing together.' Evers often clashes with Republicans Evers has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump's administration, and his tenure has been marked by his often contentious relationship with the Legislature. Before Evers even took office, Republicans convened a lame-duck session to pass a package of laws to weaken his power. Evers angered Republicans during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when he ordered schools and nonessential businesses to close, issued a statewide mask mandate and tried, unsuccessfully, to delay the state's April presidential primary. Republicans broke with tradition to reject 21 Evers appointees. They also blocked many of his proposals, including expanding Medicare, legalizing marijuana and spending more on child care, K-12 schools and higher education. Evers used his broad veto powers to stop Republicans from enacting a wide range of conservative priorities, including making voting requirements more strict, expanding gun rights, growing the private school voucher program and making abortions more difficult to obtain. But Evers did work with Republicans to pass the most recent state budget, which included $1.5 billion in tax cuts prioritized by the GOP and more funding for both K-12 special education and the University of Wisconsin. Evers also worked with Republicans to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee and funnel more money to local governments. Evers pushed for the redrawing of Wisconsin's legislative boundary lines, which the state Supreme Court ordered after liberal justices gained a majority in 2023. The maps drawn by Republicans, which had been in place for more than a decade, were widely regarded as among the most gerrymandered in the country. The new maps drawn by Evers are more favorable to Democrats and helped them pick up seats in last November's election. Democrats are optimistic that they can win control of at least one legislative chamber next year. Evers waited until after he signed the state budget before making his retirement announcement. Possible candidates The open race is sure to attract several Democratic and Republican candidates. Democrats mentioned as potential candidates include Attorney General Josh Kaul, Lt. Gov. Sarah Rodriguez, state Sen. Kelda Roys, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and suburban Milwaukee businessman Bill Berrien are running as Republicans. Others, including U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and state Senate President Mary Felzkowski, are considering it. The last open race for governor was in 2010, when Democratic incumbent Jim Doyle, similar to Evers, opted not to seek a third term. Republican Scott Walker won that year and served two terms before Evers defeated him in 2018. The only Wisconsin governor to be elected to a third four-year term was Republican Tommy Thompson, who served from 1986 to 2001. He resigned midway through his fourth term. Evers won his first race by just over 1 percentage point in 2018. He won reelection by just over 3 points in 2022. Before being elected governor, Evers worked for 10 years as state superintendent of education after a career as a teacher and school administrator. The folksy governor Evers positioned himself as a folksy governor who would sprinkle the occasional mild swear word into his comments and other Midwestern colloquialisms such as 'holy mackerel' and 'folks.' His mild-mannered demeanor stood in stark contrast to Trump and other political firebrands. 'I think he is the most quintessential Wisconsin politician I've ever seen,' said Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, who has been in elected office since 1991. After winning reelection in 2022, Evers noted that he is frequently described as boring, but said: 'As it turns out, boring wins.'


Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Thailand launches airstrikes on Cambodia as border clash leaves at least 12 dead
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai and Cambodian soldiers clashed in several areas along their border Thursday in a major escalation of their conflict that left at least 12 people dead, mostly civilians. The two sides fired small arms, artillery and rockets, and Thailand also launched airstrikes. Fighting took place in at least six areas along the border, Thai Defense Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri said. The trigger for the clashes was a mine explosion along the border Wednesday that wounded five Thai soldiers and led Bangkok to withdraw its ambassador to Cambodia and expel Cambodia's.