George Clooney Singles Out Wes Moore As Top Democratic Prospect, Says That Op-Ed Urging Joe Biden To Exit Race Was His 'Civic Duty'
'He is the guy that has handled this tragedy in Baltimore beautifully,' Clooney told CNN's Jake Tapper. 'He had two tours of duty in Afghanistan, active duty. He speaks sort of beautifully. He's smart. He ran a hedge fund. He ran the Robin Hood Foundation. He's a proper leader.'
More from Deadline
George Clooney Defends His Op-Ed Against Biden: "It Was A Civic Duty"
Gavin Newsom Blasts Trump's "Crony Capitalism" And "Toxic Uncertainty" As California Governor Unveils Lawsuit Challenging Tariffs - Update
Netflix Set To Kick Off Earnings Season Well Positioned As Wall Street Weighs Recession Risk
In an interview tied to his Broadway play 'Good Night, And Good Luck,' based on his 2005 film, Clooney also had praise for Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI).
Tapper also asked Clooney about his New York Times op ed in July, when he called for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. Clooney cited Biden's age and deterioration when he joined him for a Los Angeles fundraiser the previous month.
'It was a civic duty… I'm a Democrat, Democrat in Kentucky so I get it, [but] when i saw people on my side of the street not telling the truth, I thought that was time to,' Clooney said.
He said that people are still angry at him for the op ed.
'You can't demand freedom of speech and then say, 'But don't say bad things about me, right? … If you believe it, take a stand, stand for it, and then deal with the consequences.'
Clooney also said that he thought it would have been better had there been a 'mini-primary' after Biden ultimately dropped out. He said that Kamala Harris was weighed down by the unpopularity of the Biden administration.
'I think we have some really good governors, and I would have liked to have seen a … quick primary. I think we would have sustained it. [Harris} may have come out on top, I don't know.'
Clooney said that Democrats 'have to find somebody rather soon' as a key leadership voice, citing the way that Republicans are 'running through government.'
'So it's our job now to put together a proper team to stand up because we are right now polling very poorly,' he said.
Best of Deadline
Everything We Know About 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 So Far
2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery
2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
28 minutes ago
- The Hill
Schumer: Trump attack on mail-in voting ‘not based in fact or reality'
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Monday criticized President Trump's broadside against mail-in voting, saying that right-wing claims of widespread voter fraud are inaccurate and 'not based in fact or reality.' Trump earlier in the day announced that he plans to 'lead a movement' to end the use of mail-in ballots in elections. The ballots were used more widely in the 2020 presidential contest due to COVID-19. Trump lost that race to former President Biden, which he has repeatedly and unfoundedly claimed was the result of a rigged election. Schumer said his party will do everything possible to stand in the way of blocking mail-in voting in the coming years. 'Two facts: Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and vote by mail is safe, secure, and reliable,' Schumer said in a statement. 'Let's be clear — this is not based in fact or reality, but it is yet another way for Trump to silence Americans from using their voice in the democratic process and implement Jim Crow laws across America.' 'Senate Democrats will make sure that any and every measure that would make it even more difficult for Americans to vote will be dead on arrival in the Senate and will continue to fight to protect our democracy,' the Democratic leader added. Trump made his remarks in a lengthy Monday morning TruthSocial post, which kept up his drumbeat against mail-in ballots. 'I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we're at it, Highly 'Inaccurate,' Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election,' Trump wrote in his post. 'WE WILL BEGIN THIS EFFORT, WHICH WILL BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE THEY CHEAT AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE, by signing an EXECUTIVE ORDER to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections.' 'THE MAIL-IN BALLOT HOAX, USING VOTING MACHINES THAT ARE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER, MUST END, NOW!!!' he added later on. Trump, however, does not have the power to unilaterally change voting laws. Those must be changed at the state level.
The Hill
28 minutes ago
- The Hill
Kat Cammack announces birth of baby girl
Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) on Monday announced the birth of a baby girl, becoming the 15th congresswoman to give birth while serving in office. Cammack said her daughter, Augusta Dair, was born Aug. 14 'after a very long & tough labor.' 'Baby is doing great and already showing us her sweet and sassy personality while Mom is speedily recovering,' Cammack wrote in a post on X that included a photo of her daughter. She thanked her husband and medical team for their help through what she described as a difficult time. 'We would like to thank the most incredible team of doctors and nurses that saw us through a very tough and emotional six days. Never could we have asked for a better team to take care of our family,' she said. Cammack is the 15th congresswoman to give birth in office and the fourth in the past two years: Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) had her son in January 2025; Del. Jenniffer González-Colón (R), the former nonvoting member from Puerto Rico, had twins in February 2024; and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) had her son in August 2023. A bipartisan push to allow new parents to vote by proxy in the House gained momentum earlier this year, when Luna teamed up with Pettersen to force a vote on the Democrat's proxy voting resolution. Luna successfully executed a discharge petition on the resolution but never forced a vote on it, ultimately striking a deal with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to formalize 'vote pairing.' The procedure allows an absent lawmaker — in this case, a new mother — to coordinate with another member voting opposite their stance who is willing to abstain from the vote. That way the new mother's absence is canceled out. The present member would state for the Congressional Record how both lawmakers would have voted.
Newsweek
29 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Sherrod Brown's Chances of Flipping GOP Seat in Ohio as He Enters Race
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown launched a comeback campaign on Monday as polls suggest Republican Ohio Senator Jon Husted has an early lead. Tyson Shepard, Husted's communications director, wrote in a statement that Husted offers "Ohio's values and solutions to fix a broken Washington." Newsweek reached out to Brown's campaign for comment via email. Why It Matters Brown lost last year's Senate race to Republican Bernie Moreno, but Democrats are hopeful a more favorable national environment could make the race competitive. Historically, the party in the White House loses seats in the midterms, but Ohio has become increasingly conservative over the past decade and backed President Donald Trump by double digits last November. Democrats will need to win double-digit Trump seats to win control of the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. Democrats view Maine, which voted for Vice President Kamala Harris by about 7 points, and North Carolina, which voted for Trump by about 3 points, as flip opportunities. But no other GOP-held seats in Harris-won or single-digit Trump states are up for grabs, meaning Democrats have to target more conservative states like Alaska, Iowa, Ohio and Texas. Former Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown speaks during a press conference in Washington on April 18, 2023. Former Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown speaks during a press conference in Washington on April 18, To Know Brown, who served in the Senate from 2007 to 2025, made official his run on Monday, saying in a video released by his campaign that he didn't plan to run for office again after his defeat last November. "But when I see what's going on, I know I can do something about it for Ohio," he said. The latest poll from Bowling Green State University showed Husted with a narrow lead over Brown but still pointed to a competitive race. It found that 49 percent of respondents preferred Husted, while 46 percent said they would vote for Brown in 2026. Five percent leaned toward other candidates. It surveyed 800 registered voters from April 18-24 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.08 percentage points. It found that 43 percent of respondents viewed Brown favorably, while 41 percent viewed him unfavorably. Meanwhile, 25 percent viewed Husted favorably and 28 percent viewed him unfavorably, the poll found. The poll from February found Husted with a larger lead—47 percent to 41 percent, with 12 percent undecided. It surveyed 800 registered voters from February 14-21 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. No other polls of the race have been made public. Early betting odds also favor Husted. Kalshi's market for the Ohio Senate race gave Republicans a 74 percent chance of victory and Democrats only a 26 percent chance. Brown lost by about 3.6 points to Moreno last November, while Trump won by about 11.2 points over Harris in the state. What People Are Saying Tyson Shepard, Husted's communications director, in a statement: "Sherrod Brown's recent announcement means Ohioans will face a clear choice in 2026. For 30 years, he has imposed Washington's problems on Ohio, pushing radical liberal policies that have left a lasting burden on the next generation. Jon Husted offers the opposite approach, applying Ohio's values and solutions to fix a broken Washington. The challenges our nation faces are the same ones Husted has helped our state confront and overcome, championing the values he learned growing up in northwest Ohio: hard work, personal responsibility, family, faith, freedom and patriotism." Former Senator Sherrod Brown, on X: "Every day, I hear from Ohioans who know the system's rigged. Washington's raising prices and cutting health care to benefit wealthy donors and corporate special interest while workers foot the bill. I can't just stay on the sidelines if I can do something about it for Ohio." What Happens Next The general election is set for November 3, 2026. The Cook Political Report shifted the race to Lean Republican from Likely Republican following Brown's announcement. Sabato's Crystal Ball also classifies the race as Leans Republican.
