• Facebook
• Twitter
• Threads
• Flipboard
• Comments
• Print
• Email
• Add Fox News on Google

George Clooney calls running Kamala Harris without a primary a mistake

Actor George Clooney said that he would publish The New York Times essay urging President Joe Biden to drop out of the election again despite the results.

Actor and outspoken liberal George Clooney slammed ABC and CBS for settling lawsuits with President Donald Trump, suggesting the networks should have instead said, "Go f--- yourself." 

CBS and ABC have shelled at least $16 million apiece to settle lawsuits brought by Trump. But Clooney, who has been living in France after uprooting his family to get away from the culture of Hollywood, is bothered the networks didn’t fight back. 

"If CBS and ABC had challenged those lawsuits and said, ‘Go f--- yourself,’ we wouldn’t be where we are in the country," Clooney told Variety.

GEORGE CLOONEY DITCHES HOLLYWOOD CULTURE FOR FRANCE, GAINS CITIZENSHIP WITH WIFE AND TWINS

George Clooney feels ABC and CBS should not have settled lawsuits with President Donald Trump.  (Getty Images)

"It’s a very trying time," Clooney continued. "It can depress you or make you very angry. But you have to find the most positive way through it. You have to put your head down and keep moving forward because quitting isn’t an option."

Paramount Global and CBS agreed in July to pay a $16 million upfront sum to settle the president’s lawsuit against the network over how "60 Minutes" edited and released an interview with then-Democratic rival Kamala Harris in 2024. Trump’s team, which initially sought $10 billion, claimed the network’s use of edited clips from a single response about Israel constituted "election interference." Trump's legal team championed the settlement as a win for media accountability and the American people.

The same month as the settlement, the Trump administration's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved an $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, putting David Ellison in charge of the newly formed company. 

Ellison then handpicked Bari Weiss to takeover CBS News, but Clooney isn’t a fan. 

"Bari Weiss is dismantling CBS News as we speak," Clooney told Variety. "I’m worried about how we inform ourselves and how we’re going to discern reality without a functioning press."

PARAMOUNT, CBS FORCED TO PAY EIGHT FIGURES, CHANGE EDITORIAL POLICY IN SETTLEMENT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP

Actor and outspoken liberal George Clooney famously penned a New York Times essay calling for former President Joe Biden to step down as the Democratic candidate in the 2024 presidential election following his disastrous debate performance. (Anadolu/Getty)

Trump’s win over CBS came on the heels of ABC's apology and $16 million settlement with Trump last December after he sued for defamation over "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos' claims on the air that the president had been held "liable for rape." The jury in the E. Jean Carroll case to which he was referring had actually ruled he was liable for "sexual abuse." 

ABC and CBS did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. 

During the lengthy Variety interview, Clooney also explained that he once had a friendly relationship with Trump. 

"I knew him very well," Clooney said.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS AND ABC APOLOGIZE TO TRUMP, ARE FORCED TO PAY $15 MILLION TO SETTLE DEFAMATION SUIT

George Clooney, along with his wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney, were recently granted French citizenship.  (Jenny Anderson)

"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 continued. "He’s a big goofball. Well, he was. That all changed."

Clooney has long been outspoken when it comes to politics and famously penned a New York Times essay calling for former President Joe Biden to step down as the Democratic candidate in the 2024 presidential election following his disastrous debate performance against Trump. 

Clooney, along with his wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney, were recently granted French citizenship. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital’s David Rutz and Louis Casiano contributed to this report. 

• ·细品门派阵法 《盖世豪侠》战斗必读宝典
• ·开心麻花演艺赋能文旅：澳门国际演出季为大湾区文化交流注入新动能
• ·三角洲行动m4a1无后座改枪方案推荐 m4a1改无后座方案攻略
• ·我国已实施质量强链项目1856个
• ·绿联在2026年CES上推出由AI NAS领衔的新智能生态系统
• ·巅峰对决荣耀收官！中国巡回赛锦标赛广州南沙启幕 巡回赛
• ·2017F1车手积分TOP榜 法拉利维特尔141分居首位
• ·《怪物猎人：荒野》新挑战上线 历战王冻峰龙参战
• ·Lễ tổng kết và trao giải cuộc thi viết 'Thanh Niên và tôi': Nhắc nhớ hành trình 40 năm
• ·剑与远征启程2024最新英雄强度榜一览 剑与远征启程英雄强度排行榜
• ·ราคาทองคำครั้งที่ 6 ลง 50 บาท รูปพรรณขายออก 66,950 บาท
• ·英超夺冠赔率:阿森纳优势再缩小 曼城步步紧逼
• ·大乐透头奖3注1000万无追加 奖池余额8.50亿元
• ·《TheJokersGame》PC版下载 Steam正版分流下载
• ·修杰楷发长文为逃兵役道歉 将全力配合调查
• ·小米17 Ultra发布：搭载第五代骁龙8至尊版，售价6999元起