By Hollywood actor and activist George Clooney is reportedly furious after allegedly being persuaded by former President Barack Obama to lobby for Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee to replace President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. According to multiple reports, sources close to Clooney say he feels abandoned by his long-time friend following Harris’s underwhelming campaign performance, which left the actor facing criticism for the unsuccessful strategy.
In a July opinion piece, the 63-year-old actor urged President Biden to step aside, citing concerns about his age and mental sharpness. “We are not going to win in November with this president,” Clooney wrote.
“I love Joe Biden—as a senator, as a vice president, and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. I believe in his character and his morals,” he continued. “But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time.”
Biden announced he would not seek reelection shortly after, paving the way for Harris to launch a historic presidential campaign.
Now, with Harris’s campaign turning into a disaster and feeling a backlash from Democrats, some of whom directed their frustration toward Clooney, writes Radar Online.
“We are not going to win in November with this president“, he declared. Biden, 82, heeded that advice 11 days later, ceding his campaign to Vice President Harris. And the minute Kamala’s historic bid for the White House came up short, Clooney started taking heat! “Since I’m in a deep depression and feel like lashing out at someone, what’s the plan now, George Clooney?” One of his many same-party critics writes on social media. “It’s all George Clooney’s fault!”
A political mole told RadarOnline.com it was Obama who urged Clooney to call for Biden – his vice president – to end his sputtering campaign, fearing the fallout if he did it himself.
“Obama and Clooney have been tight for years, and George became Barack’s surrogate in leading the charge for Joe to step away“, explained the source. “Barack knew he would look like a traitor if he publicly called for Joe to be cut loose. And now, he’s trying to walk away from it all.
“George feels duped and vows he’s not going to be anyone’s political water boy anymore.”
Clooney’s op-ed against Biden proved surprising because merely weeks before, the “Ocean’s Eleven” star hosted a highly publicized, star-studded fundraiser in Biden’s honor, raising tens of millions of dollars for the campaign.
It’s not surprising that the Hollywood star feels used. Obama reportedly devised a strategic plan to encourage President Joe Biden to step out of the 2024 race and made him a key element of this plan. The strategy took an unexpected turn when Biden swiftly announced his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as his preferred successor. According to reports, this move left Obama “shocked” and scrambling to recalibrate his approach.
According to reports, Obama had envisioned Arizona Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly as a potential frontrunner for the party’s nomination. With a distinguished career in public service and broad appeal, Kelly was seen as a unifying figure capable of energizing the party and drawing support from diverse voter blocs. The fallout from Biden’s unexpected endorsement of Harris may reshape those calculations, foisting an “incompetent” candidate on the party who’d eventually lose to Trump and the popular vote to him, as well.
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