US former President Donald Trump slammed 60 Minutes segment with George Clooney for his political views and called him “failed political pundit.”
In his post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Why would the now highly discredited 60 Minutes be doing a total ‘puff piece on George Clooney, a second-rate movie ‘star,’ and failed political pundit. He fought hard for Sleepy Joe’s election and then, right after the Debate, dumped him like a dog.”
“Later, I assume under orders from the Obama camp, pushed all out for ‘Kamala,’ only to soon realize that that was not going to work out to well. 60 Minutes even fraudulently inserted Fake answers into her disastrous interview, aired just before Election Day, in one of the most embarrassing and dishonest events in broadcast history…And now George Clooney again? His press agent should be making a fortune!!!” he added.
This response came after Clooney discussed his upcoming Broadway role portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night and Good Luck.
George Clooney defends press freedom
In his interview, the Academy Award recipient discussed the parallels between the play and current events, specifically mentioning Trump’s settlement with ABC News and ongoing legal dispute with CBS.
Clooney emphasised the importance of journalism when other governmental institutions falter. He expressed concern about attempts to intimidate journalists through governmental pressure on corporations.
The actor highlighted that governments, regardless of political orientation, have historically been resistant to press freedom.
Clooney also addressed his previous New York Times opinion piece where he urged President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election. He acknowledged the difficulty of this position but maintained his commitment to honesty, citing concerns about Biden’s age.
In his opinion piece, Clooney discussed Biden’s declining vigour, comparing recent appearances to his earlier public presence. Trump, who previously dismissed Clooney as a “fake actor”, promptly criticised these comments, suggesting Clooney should avoid political commentary.
When Trump called George Clooney fake movie star
After Clooney made a call for Biden to step aside and Kamala Harris to be made the presidential candidate, Donald Trump called him a fake movie actor. “So now fake movie actor George Clooney, who never came close to making a great movie, is getting into the act,” Trump wrote at that time. “He’s turned on Crooked Joe like the rats they both are. What does Clooney know about anything?… Clooney should get out of politics and go back to television. Movies never really worked for him!!!”
“I will if he does. That’s a trade-off I’d do,” Clooney said reacting to Trump’s criticism.
