Clooney hails Biden's decision to exit 2024 race: 'His withdrawal a selfless act echoing George Washington'

George Clooney lauded President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, drawing a parallel to George Washington's historic resignation. Clooney's remarks follow his New York Times op-ed urging the 81-year-old president to step aside in favor of a new nominee.
“The person who should be applauded is the president, who did the most selfless thing that anybody’s done since George Washington,” Clooney said during an interview at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday.He emphasized that Biden's choice to exit the race, despite the controversy and behind-the-scenes efforts by party leaders, should be remembered as a noble sacrifice. “All the machinations that got us there, none of that’s gonna be remembered, and it shouldn’t be,” he added.
Clooney's op-ed, titled “I Love Joe Biden, But We Need a New Nominee,” expressed admiration for Biden while acknowledging the toll age had taken on him. Clooney highlighted Biden's performance in a debate against Donald Trump as a clear indication that the president was no longer the formidable figure he once was. “The one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe Biden of 2020,” Clooney wrote.
The call for Biden’s departure was part of a broader push by Democratic leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who were concerned about Biden’s impact on their own re-election prospects. Biden, in his first interview since exiting the race, revealed that party elites were a significant factor in his decision. “A number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races,” Biden told “CBS News Sunday Morning,” explaining that staying in the race would have been a distraction.
Clooney, reflecting on Biden’s choice, praised the president's willingness to make a difficult decision for the greater good. “What should be remembered is the selfless act of someone who … you know, it’s very hard to let go of power. We know that. We’ve seen it all around the world,” Clooney said. “And for someone to say, ‘I think there’s a better way forward,’ all the credit goes to him, and that’s really the truth.”