George Clooney possesses the wisdom to steer clear of letting President Donald Trump's barbs pierce his armor. When probed about the politician branding him a "second-rate movie 'star'" and a "failed political pundit" on Truth Social last month, the Oscar-honored actor, with a shrug of indifference, told CBS Mornings' host Gayle King, "I couldn't care less."
"I've crossed paths with Donald Trump numerous times," he continued, his voice tinged with experience. "My duty isn't to curry favor with the President of the United States. My mission is to strive and speak truth to power whenever I can and wherever the opportunity arises."
Clooney acknowledged the storm of criticism that rains upon him whenever he ventures into political discourse, recalling a prior spat with billionaire tech tycoon Elon Musk over a decade ago when he voiced his displeasure with a faulty Tesla.
Earlier in March, Trump unleashed his fury upon Clooney for lambasting the President's assault on the press during a "60 Minutes" interview that promoted Clooney's Broadway play, "Good Night, and Good Luck." Drawing parallels between the play's narrative of journalist Edward R. Murrow's battle against Senator Joseph McCarthy, a Cold War adversary, and the sitting President's contempt for the media, Clooney had stirred a hornet's nest.
"Why would the now disgraced '60 Minutes' produce a full-fledged 'fluff piece' on George Clooney, a second-rate movie 'star' and a failed political commentator?" Trump demanded in a Truth Social post, recycling grievances stemming from Clooney's July 2024 op-ed urging President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race.
"He vigorously campaigned for Sleepy Joe's election and then, post-debate, abandoned him like an unwanted pet," Trump fumed in his Truth Social missive last month.
Recalling the furor that erupted when Clooney's controversial appeal to Biden was published last summer, Trump derided him as a "phony movie actor" who "never came close to crafting a masterpiece" and had no right meddling in politics.
Yet, Clooney had a chilly, calculated response to Trump's demand that he "stay out of politics and return to television." With a wink and a nudge, he quipped during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", "You know, I'll do just that if he does the same."
