George Clooney Urges President Biden to End Re-Election Campaign
New York [US], July 10: George Clooney, a famous Hollywood actor and a big supporter of the Democratic Party, has asked US President Joe Biden to stop his re-election campaign. Clooney thinks President Biden is too old to run again.
In a guest essay for the New York Times, Clooney wrote, “The one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. 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.”
Last month, Clooney co-hosted a big fund-raiser in Hollywood for Biden, raising USD 28 million, the largest ever for a Democratic candidate. Now, Clooney’s public plea makes him the most famous person in the party to ask President Biden to step down.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also said in a TV interview that “it’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run.” This has added to the discussions within the Democratic Party about Biden’s chances as a candidate.
Despite these concerns, President Biden and his team have said he will stay in the race. On Monday, Biden told top donors he would not talk about the debate controversy anymore, but he mentioned it again during a video call with Democratic mayors on Tuesday night.
Clooney’s essay reflects the feelings of many Democrats who worry that Biden’s continued candidacy could hurt not only his re-election but also the chances of other Democrats in the elections. 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. This isn’t only my opinion; this is the opinion of every senator and congress member and governor that I’ve spoken with in private. Every single one, irrespective of what he or she is saying publicly.”
Biden’s health at 81 years old has raised many concerns among voters as the November elections get closer. Several top House Democrats have asked President Biden to step aside from the 2024 campaign, worried about his impact on the Democratic Party’s chances in the upcoming elections.
Former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod also publicly called for President Biden to step aside from the 2024 race, citing concerns over Biden’s age and performance. Axelrod wrote in an op-ed for CNN that he believes Biden’s duty to the country should make him withdraw, suggesting that not doing so could hurt his legacy.
A representative for the Biden campaign referred back to the president’s letter to congressional Democrats on Monday, where he said he is committed to staying in the race.
