George Clooney, the Oscar-winning actor who once dismissed Donald Trump’s chances at the presidency, now finds himself under fire from his own party’s supporters after Kamala Harris’ disappointing 2024 election defeat, as reported by Daily Fetched.
Clooney’s vocal support for alternatives to President Joe Biden, especially in a critical op-ed published in The New York Times, has stirred up a hornet’s nest among liberals, who are now pointing fingers his way for the recent loss.
At 63, Clooney has been a dedicated advocate for the Democratic Party, contributing both time and money. In fact, he helped raise a staggering $30 million for Biden’s re-election campaign, only to openly question Biden’s viability shortly after.
His call for new Democratic leadership just months before the election is now being widely blamed for sparking doubts within the party. An insider close to Clooney revealed, “George feels that the backlash he is getting for Kamala losing is not at all warranted. He thinks it’s completely unfair to try and make him a scapegoat for her loss.”
Clooney’s recent struggles with the party have left him contemplating a step back from political involvement. According to the same source, he’s feeling “very disheartened,” particularly after investing so heavily in the party’s goals and witnessing the swift backlash after the election.
Speculation around Clooney’s op-ed further heightened when rumors suggested that former President Barack Obama might have ghostwritten or heavily influenced his words.
While Politico noted that Obama didn’t explicitly encourage Clooney to speak out, he reportedly did nothing to stop it, creating an air of suspicion around their partnership. But whether or not Obama was involved, the larger story is clear: Hollywood’s political clout is rapidly fading.
This incident has forced a spotlight on the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements. Even paying high-profile figures like Oprah Winfrey millions to endorse candidates seems increasingly futile when core policy issues—such as gun rights, free speech, and economic concerns—hold much greater sway over voters.
As Clooney prepares to pull back from his once-enthusiastic political role, he faces the reality that Hollywood’s sway over politics may not be as powerful as it once was.
Despite the millions spent and the famous faces brought forward, the loss of Harris in the 2024 race seems to have spotlighted a deeper disconnect between the entertainment industry’s values and the everyday concerns of American voters.