George Clooney has fired back at President Trump after the president mocked the actor's recent acquisition of French citizenship on social media. Clooney repurposed Trump's 'Make America Great Again' slogan to express hope for Democratic gains in the upcoming midterm elections. The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between Hollywood and the White House.
On New Year's Eve, President Trump took to Truth Social to criticize George Clooney's decision to obtain French citizenship, calling it 'Good News!' Trump referenced Clooney's 2024 op-ed in which the actor urged then-President Biden to drop out of the presidential race following a debate. In his post, Trump wrote: 'Remember when Clooney, after the now infamous debate, dumped Joe during a fundraiser, only to go onto the side of another stellar candidate, Jamala(K!), who is now fighting it out with the worst governor in the Country, including Tim Waltz [sic], Gavin Newscum, for who is going to lead the Democrats to their future defeat. Clooney got more publicity for politics than he did for his very few, and totally mediocre, movies. He wasn’t a movie star at all, he was just an average guy who complained, constantly, about common sense in politics. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!'
Clooney, a longtime critic of Trump, responded by echoing the president's mantra. 'I totally agree with the current president,' he said. 'We have to make America great again. We’ll start in November.' This appears to allude to the midterm elections, where Clooney believes Democrats could regain control of the House and possibly the Senate.
The Clooney family, including his wife Amal Clooney and their two children, recently received French citizenship. Clooney has cited France's stricter privacy laws as a key reason, noting they offer better protection from paparazzi targeting his family. In a recent Variety cover story, Clooney reflected on his past friendship with Trump: 'I knew him very well. He used to call me a lot, and he tried to help me get into a hospital once to see a back surgeon. I’d see him out at clubs and at restaurants. He’s a big goofball. Well, he was. That all changed.'
Clooney also expressed frustration with media outlets like ABC and CBS for settling lawsuits filed by Trump. 'If CBS and ABC had challenged those lawsuits and said, “Go fuck yourself,” we wouldn’t be where we are in the country,' he said. 'That’s simply the truth.' This latest spat underscores the persistent divide between entertainment figures and the administration.
