Actor George Clooney ‘Furious’ With Obama For Using Him In Harris Plot: Report
George Clooney is reportedly "furious" with former President Barack Obama, accusing him of using Clooney as a "patsy" in a political maneuver aimed at sidelining President Joe Biden earlier this year, according to RadarOnline.
Sources close to Clooney allege that Obama leveraged Clooney’s influence in Hollywood to sway public opinion against Biden, only to leave the actor to face backlash when the strategy backfired.
“George is furious with Obama for disappearing after the election disaster and leaving him holding the bag for pushing the plan with his Hollywood pals,” said one insider.
Clooney's involvement in Biden’s re-election campaign escalated following a fundraiser he hosted, which coincided with Biden’s poorly received debate performance against Donald Trump in June.
Shortly after, Clooney penned an op-ed calling for Biden to step aside as the Democratic nominee, titled “I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee.”
In the op-ed, Clooney expressed his admiration for Biden’s presidency but voiced concerns about the president’s capacity to endure another term. “The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign,” Clooney wrote.
Reports suggest that Obama “approved” Clooney’s op-ed, believing that criticism from high-profile Hollywood figures could pressure Biden into reconsidering his re-election bid.
Obama, reportedly working with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, aimed to open the Democratic primary process and support a new nominee, with rumors indicating he favored Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
However, Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris instead of stepping aside reportedly angered Obama and Pelosi. A source cited by the New York Post claimed that Biden’s decision was seen as a “f**k you” to Obama and Pelosi for attempting to force him out.
Harris’ subsequent electoral loss has left Clooney feeling scapegoated. “George feels he stepped up and took a bullet for the team, and now everyone’s complaining about the bloodbath,” another source told RadarOnline. Clooney, the insider said, became the “face of Hollywood liberals” during the chaotic primary process and believes Obama should publicly acknowledge his role in the strategy.
“George thinks Obama should come forward and say that George did the right thing and it isn’t his fault that it didn’t work out,” the source said. However, Clooney reportedly has little expectation that Obama will speak out, leaving the actor disillusioned and determined to avoid future political entanglements.