Hollywood actor and activist George Clooney has said that replacing Joe Biden with Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024 was “a mistake.” He explained that Harris was put in a difficult position, having to run against her own record, and that the party should have organized a proper primary election.
Speaking during an interview on CBS’ Sunday Morning, Clooney reflected on the controversial opinion piece he wrote for The New York Times last year. In the op-ed, titled “I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee,” he had urged the Democratic Party to consider a new candidate after Biden’s weak debate performance against Donald Trump. Clooney said he would write the same piece again if given the chance, standing by his call for party reform.
Clooney, a longtime supporter and fundraiser for the Democrats, expressed regret that the party did not hold a transparent and competitive primary. Instead, Kamala Harris was nominated through a virtual vote of delegates. He said this process denied voters the opportunity to test candidates through public debate and policy discussions.
“I wanted there to be a primary,” Clooney said. “Let’s battle-test this quickly and get it going. The mistake with Kamala was that she had to run against her own record. It’s very hard to do when your campaign message is ‘I’m not that person.’ She was given a very tough task.”
Clooney also acknowledged that while he believed the decision was wrong, the party now had to face the outcome and move forward. “I think it was a mistake, quite honestly. But we are where we are,” he said, adding that not speaking up would have meant hiding the truth.
In his op-ed last year, Clooney warned that Biden’s declining approval and poor debate showing could cost Democrats not only the White House but also control of Congress. “We are not going to win in November with this president,” he wrote at the time. “We won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate.” He claimed that many senior Democrats shared this concern privately, even if they did not say so publicly.
However, the op-ed drew strong backlash from Hunter Biden, the president’s son. In a heated three-hour interview in July, Hunter lashed out at Clooney, saying he had no right to criticize his father. His profanity-filled comments included, “What do you have to do with anything? What right do you have to step on a man who’s given his life to this country?”
Asked by CBS about Hunter Biden’s comments, Clooney responded calmly. He said he had seen the interview and did not want to continue the feud. “I could spend a lot of time debunking many of the things he said,” Clooney remarked, “but I don’t think looking backwards is helpful to anyone. Particularly to him. I wish him well in his recovery.”
Clooney emphasized that he had no interest in personal disputes and that his concerns were about the direction of the Democratic Party, not individuals. He said open discussion within the party was necessary to ensure long-term success.
Meanwhile, Harris has since written about the internal challenges during Biden’s final months as president. In her book 107 Days, published in September, she explained that advising Biden not to run again would have seemed self-serving. “He would have seen it as naked ambition or disloyalty,” she wrote, adding that it placed her in an impossible position.
Clooney’s latest remarks highlight continuing divisions within the Democratic Party as it seeks to rebuild trust with voters. His call for transparency and competition echoes growing public sentiment that leadership decisions should involve open participation.
Despite the controversy, Clooney ended the interview on a hopeful note, saying that the future of the party depends on honest dialogue and accountability. “The only way forward,” he said, “is to listen, learn, and keep fighting for what’s right.”
