Clooney's criticism is especially notable because he was one of Biden's biggest and most high-profile supporters in Hollywood, a key base of support for the president that now appears to be faltering.
“I love Joe Biden — as a senator, as vice president and as president,” Clooney wrote in a New York Times op-ed. “I consider him a friend and I believe in him.”
“But the one battle he cannot win is the battle against time,” he continued. “As heartbreaking as it is to say, the Joe Biden I was with at a fundraiser three weeks ago was not the 'big' Joe Biden of 2010. He's not even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same person we all witnessed at the debates.”
Clooney's agent, Simon Halls, declined to comment.
Clooney added that Democrats were so focused on beating Trump in the next election that they “chose to ignore all the warning signs” about the president's age. He said Biden's debate performance and ABC interview with George Stephanopoulos had created fears that Democrats could lose the White House, the House and the Senate all together.
“This is an age thing, nothing more,” Clooney wrote, “but it's also irreversible. We cannot win the election in November with this president.”
Clooney did not name anyone specifically as a possible successor to Biden, but did mention Vice President Harris and several Democratic governors, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and California Governor Gavin Newsom, as possible candidates.
Clooney's criticism on Wednesday wasn't entirely out of the blue. In early June, Clooney called one of Biden's top advisers to complain about Biden's condemnation of the International Criminal Court's actions against Israeli leaders; Clooney's wife, Amal Clooney, was involved in the case. The call caused some in the Biden campaign to worry that Clooney might pull out of a fundraiser that featured former President Barack Obama, late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel and actress Julia Roberts. The event, where Kimmel interviewed Biden and Obama, reportedly raised more than $30 million, according to the Associated Press.
Biden has strongly denounced calls from Washington “elites” for him to step down since last month's presidential debate with Trump, but the outcry from celebrities who have been major backers of his fundraising efforts is increasing public and financial pressure that could snowball.
“I think that's a valid point,” actor Michael Douglas, who hosted a fundraiser for Biden in April, said of Clooney's op-ed on “The View” on Wednesday. “I'm very, very concerned” about it, but stopped short of calling on Biden to drop out of the race.
He added that Biden's “debate difficulties” could have been easily avoided. “First of all, they should have just told the president to 'stand up,' put on a little bit of makeup, and then tell him where to look,” he said. “And instead of dealing with all the facts, [Trump’s] That's a lie.”
Actor and director Rob Reiner also supported Clooney's argument in a post shared on X.
“My friend George Clooney articulated what many of us are saying: We love and respect Joe Biden,” Reiner wrote. “We acknowledge all he has done for our country. But our democracy faces an existential threat, and we need young people to fight back. Joe Biden must step aside.”
Among the Hollywood figures who have lost faith in Biden are CBS's “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, film director Michael Moore, actor John Cusack and author Stephen King.
“Joe Biden has been a great president, but for the sake of the America he clearly loves, the time has come to announce that he will not be running for reelection,” King wrote on X.
