Trump calls Clooney a ‘backstabber’ and ‘third-rate actor’ over op-ed urging Biden to drop out

Trump says Biden has been ‘nice to Clooney’ after actor writes ‘one battle’ president ‘cannot win is the fight against time’

Former President Donald Trump slammed George Clooney as a “backstabber” and a “third-rate movie actor” for his New York Times op-ed calling on President Joe Biden to drop out of his race for re-election.

Trump appeared on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show on Friday saying that regardless of what you think of Biden, “he’s been nice to Clooney.”

“I thought it was very disloyal, backstabber, third-rate movie actor,” Trump said on the program in reference to the op-ed.

Last month, two weeks before the fateful June 27 debate, Clooney co-hosted an LA fundraiser that brought in more than $30 million for Biden, who has since faced a flood of calls from Democratic lawmakers and celebrities to bow out of the 2024 election.

In an op-ed in The New York Times on Wednesday, Clooney wrote, “It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”

Former President Donald Trump speaks during his campaign rally at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on July 09, 2024 in Doral, Florida. On Friday, he slammed George Clooney for his New York Times op-ed calling on Joe Biden to step aside (Getty Images)

The Biden campaign has been in damage control mode ever since the debate after the president appeared confused and frail. With a raspy voice, Biden was often unable to finish his thoughts and made several gaffes.

Facing increasing pressure to step aside, Biden forecefully rejected those calls on Thursday night during a press conference at the end of the NATO summit in Washington.

“I think I’m the most qualified. I beat him once and I will beat him again,” he said of Trump. “I’m not in this for my legacy. I’m in it to finish the job I’ve started.”

On Friday, Trump — who’s campaign is reportedly eager to see Biden remain in the race since it could be more difficult for the former president to defeat a younger Democrat — said that Clooney “was a television actor and never made really a good movie. So he’s sort of third-rate.”

“Clark Gable he’s not. I thought it was a great act of disloyalty,” he added.

George Clooney called on Joe Biden to drop out of the race in an op-ed in The New York Times (AP)

Trump also blasted Clooney in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.

“So now fake movie actor George Clooney, who never came close to making a great movie, is getting into the act,” Trump said. “He’s turned on Crooked Joe like the rats they both are. What does Clooney know about anything?”

He added: “Clooney should get out of politics and go back to television. Movies never really worked for him!!!”

A Friday email from a Trump fundraising committee said, “George Clooney just said Biden should drop out. Does that mean he’s endorsing me?!

“Even though he’s a proud member of the Hate-America Hollywood Elite, I will gladly accept his endorsement IF he pledges to change his ways!”