From jabs about “mediocre” movies to fascism accusations, George Clooney and Donald Trump have taken plenty of swipes at each other over the years – with their relationship taking another hit following the Hollywood star’s latest comments.
In the latest twist, the pair have clashed over the conflict in the Middle East, with Clooney accusing Trump of a “war crime” and the US leader wasting no time in hitting back, with an insult about the star’s acting skills, naturally.
But the Ocean’s 11 actor and property-developer-turned-reality-star (turned-president) previously moved in similar, if not politically aligned, Hollywood circles. And while it may be hard to believe now, they were once on good terms, with 64-year-old Clooney saying he “knew [Trump] very well” before he entered politics.
The actor explained to Variety last year: “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’s a big goofball.”
So what shifted? In Clooney’s words – Trump. “He was a goofball”, the actor clarified. “That all changed.”
In response, the 79-year-old US president used Truth Social to accuse Clooney of being a failed movie star and brought the Academy Award-winning actor’s wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, into things.
Referencing the Clooneys and their two children recently securing French citizenship, Trump wrote: “Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration.
“Clooney got more publicity for politics than he did for his very few, and totally mediocre, movies.”
It was far from the first time Trump had used his social media platform to take a swipe at Clooney and the pair have exchanged plenty of insults in recent years…
‘Fascism’ claim
While it’s hard to pin down exactly when Clooney and Trump’s relationship began to sour, there’s no doubting that they were not on each other’s Christmas card lists by the time the Republican’s first presidential term began in 2017.
In the run-up to what would be Trump’s first election win, Clooney slammed the former star of The Apprentice as “an opportunist” and a “xenophobic fascist”. He told The Guardian in 2016: “You can count on Americans to do the right thing after they’ve exhausted all the other possibilities.”
Just over a year later, Clooney didn’t hold back as he offered his thoughts on how Trump’s presidency was going, telling the Associated Press: “It becomes increasingly clear how in over his head and incapable this man is of being president of the United States.
“The good news is that our other institutions – meaning press, finally, and judges and senators – have proven that the country works. There is a check and balance.”
Clooney’s Biden plea sparks snarky comments
A lifelong Democrat, Clooney penned a letter calling for Joe Biden to remove himself from the presidential race in July 2024, just months before US citizens headed to the ballot box.
Clooney had long been a public supporter of President Biden and had hosted fundraisers for his campaign. The U-turn soon attracted attention from Trump, who would go on to triumph over Kamala Harris in the election.
He wrote on Truth Social: “So now fake movie actor George Clooney, who never came close to making a great movie, is getting into the act. He’s turned on Crooked Joe like the rats they both are. What does Clooney know about anything?
“Clooney should get out of politics and go back to television. Movies never really worked for him!!!!”
Trump didn’t have the last word, though. Asked about the comments during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s chat show, Clooney hit back: “I will if he does. That’s a trade-off I’d do.”
‘War crime’ accusation
The latest trading of barbs between the pair came this week, after Clooney accused Trump of threatening war crimes following his bombastic warning to Iran.
The US president said in a Truth Social post that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again” unless Tehran agreed to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The threat was heavily criticised by many – with Clooney among those who decried the president’s wording while speaking to students in Italy.
“Some say Donald Trump is fine. But if anyone says he wants to end a civilisation, that’s a war crime,” he said. “You can still support the conservative point of view, but there must be a line of decency, and we must not cross it.”
The actor’s comments sparked a response from the White House, with communications director Steven Cheung telling The Independent in a statement: “The only person committing war crimes is George Clooney for his awful movies and terrible acting ability.”
This particular spat didn’t end there, as Clooney then released a statement to Us Weekly, which read: “Families are losing their loved ones. Children have been incinerated. The world’s economy is on a knife’s edge.
“This is a time for vigorous debate at the highest levels. Not for infantile name calling.”
