Actor and filmmaker George Clooney has spoken out against US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks, in which he warned that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran did not open the Strait of Hormuz. Clooney called this statement a “crime,” emphasizing the gravity of such rhetoric.
“You can still support the conservative point of view, but there has to be a line of decency, and we shouldn’t cross it,” Clooney said during an event in Cuneo, Italy, where he addressed 2700 students. The actor, who has long been vocal about his political views, was speaking at an event organized by the Community Restorative Centre Foundation in collaboration with his own foundation.
Clooney, a six-time Academy Award winner, has consistently criticized Trump over the years. The two have had a history of public exchanges, including when Trump labeled Clooney a “second-rate movie ‘star’” during a previous verbal clash. Clooney has also expressed concern over the current state of American politics, calling it “not a great moment in American history.”
He further questioned whether he had inadvertently contributed to Trump’s return to power after writing an op-ed in The New York Times urging then-President Joe Biden to step down from the electoral race.
“Do I feel responsible for what happened next? We had our backs against the wall. I said we should have had primaries, but they didn’t let us. It was a shame,” Clooney reflected. He also raised concerns about the future of NATO, noting its role in ensuring global safety.
“[NATO] has allowed Europe, but also the rest of the world, to be safe. I’m concerned that an institution like this is being dismantled. Beyond the many mistakes, I believe the US has also done many extraordinary things that have survived,” he added.
Trump has accused NATO allies of failing to support the US in its foreign policy decisions, including the war in Iran. He also made controversial comments about other countries, stating:
“You know who else didn’t help us? South Korea didn’t help us. You know who else didn’t help us? Australia didn’t help us. You know who else didn’t help us? Japan.”
In response, White House communications director Steven Cheung took to X (formerly Twitter) to attack Clooney, saying, “The only person committing war crimes is George Clooney for his awful movies and terrible acting ability.”
Clooney responded to the comment with a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, highlighting the serious consequences of such rhetoric.
“Families are losing their loved ones. Children have been incinerated. The world’s economy is on a knife’s edge,” he said.
“This is a time for vigorous debate at the highest levels. Not for infantile name-calling. I’ll start. A war crime is alleged ‘when there is intent to physically destroy a nation,’ as defined by the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute. What is the administration’s defence? [besides calling me a failed actor, which I happily agree with, having starred in Batman and Robin?].”
Clooney has long been a critic of Trump, and the two have exchanged sharp words in the past. In January, when news broke that Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, had become French citizens, Trump labeled them “two of the worst political prognosticators of all time.” He also claimed the actor was better known for his politics than his “totally mediocre movies.”
A day later, Clooney responded by telling Fox News that he agreed “with the current president.” “We have to make America great again. We’ll start in November.”
In April last year, Clooney rebutted Trump’s comments on Truth Social, where the former president dismissed an interview with Clooney on 60 Minutes promoting the stage version of his and Grant Heslov’s 2005 film, Good Night, and Good Luck, as a “puff piece.”
“I don’t care. I’ve known Donald Trump for a long time. My job is not to please the president of the United States. My job is to try and tell the truth when I can and when I have the opportunity. I am well aware of the idea that people will not like that,” Clooney said on CBS Mornings.
Good Night, and Good Luck is based on real events and set at the height of the “Red Scare” in the 1950s. In the stage version, Clooney plays veteran CBS journalist Edward Murrow, who took on influential US senator Joseph McCarthy, notorious for leading a crusade to weed out alleged communists in the government and other institutions.
Many of the falsely accused were blacklisted and lost their jobs. McCarthy often targeted journalists, academics, and the Hollywood movie industry.
With Cindy Yin
