George Clooney Consulted Obama Before Urging Biden to Step Down

Hollywood icon and Democratic fundraiser George Clooney reportedly ran his searing New York Times op-ed calling for President Joe Biden to step down from the election race past former President Barack Obama before publishing.

According to Politico, Clooney reached out to Obama to give him a heads-up. While Obama did not actively encourage Clooney’s public criticism, he notably did not dissuade him either. Obama had previously defended Biden, his former vice president, after the presidential debate performance that ignited the political firestorm.

Notably, former senior Obama staffers, like Pod Save America hosts Jon Favreau, Tom Vietor and Jon Lovett, have been among the most persistent voices calling for Biden to drop out.

In his editorial Clooney argued that Biden’s continued candidacy could jeopardize not only the presidency but also the Democratic hold on Congress.

The actor, who attended a Los Angeles fundraiser with both Biden and Obama just weeks ago, described a diminished Biden, stating the leader he encountered was “the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”

Clooney wrote: “We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate.”

The actor urged Democrats to reassess their strategy and to option other candidates for the upcoming election.

Obama’s team did not respond to comment requests from Politico reporters.

Source: Politico.