Donald Trump hits out at “second rate movie star” George Clooney
Following actor George Clooney‘s appearance on the CBS programme 60 Minutes, President Donald Trump has hit back at comments made during the broadcast and labelled Clooney a “second rate movie star”.
In the interview, which aired on March 23rd, Clooney discussed his upcoming project, a stage version of the movie Good Night and Good Luck, which sees him play journalist Edward R Murrow, who notably had a fiery televised debate with Senator Joseph McCarthy.
During the conversation, Clooney noted the similarities between Good Night, and Good Luck and the modern era amid the legal filings made against broadcasters by the Trump administration. The actor referenced both Trump’s $16 million defamation settlement with ABC News and his ongoing $20 billion legal battle with CBS over an interview with Kamala Harris which he alleges to be an attempt at “voter interference”.
Clooney said of the importance of journalism during 60 Minutes: “When the other three estates fail, when the judiciary and the executive and the legislative branches fail us, the fourth estate has to succeed.”
“ABC has just settled a lawsuit with the Trump administration. And CBS News is in the process … We’re seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations – to make journalists smaller,” Clooney continued.
The Hollywood star then alleged that “governments don’t like the freedom of the press” and “never have”. He added: “And that goes for whether you are a conservative or a liberal or whatever side you’re on. They don’t like the press.”
Trump furiously responded to these comments on Truth Social, writing, “Why would the now highly discredited ’60 Minutes’ be doing a total ‘puff piece’ on George Clooney, a second rate movie star and failed political pundit? He fought hard for Sleepy Joe’s election and then, right after the Debate, dumped him like a dog. Later, I assume under orders from the Obama camp, pushed all out for ‘Kamala,’ only to soon realize that was not going to work out too well.”
The Republican continued: “’60 Minutes’ even fraudulently inserted Fake answers into her disastrous interview, aired just before Election Day, in one of the most embarrassing and dishonest events in broadcast history…And now George Clooney again? His press agent should be making a fortune!!!”
In the same interview, Clooney also addressed the opinion piece he wrote for the New York Times last year encouraging Joe Biden to not run in the election due to his cognitive state. “I feel as if there was a lot of profiles in cowardice in my party through all of that. And I was not proud of that. And I also believed I had to tell the truth,” Clooney explained.
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