Before President Biden decided not to seek reelection as the Democratic nominee this year, several top Hollywood figures had called for his resignation.
George Clooney penned an op-ed earlier this month explaining why he wants Biden to step down, despite years of vocal support and fundraising from him.
“I love Joe Biden — as a Senator, as Vice President and as President. I consider him a friend and I believe in him. I believe in his character. I believe in his morals. And over the past four years he has won many of the battles he has faced,” Clooney wrote. The New York Times.
“But the one battle he can’t win is the battle against time. No one can win that. It’s heartbreaking to say this, but the Joe Biden I was with at a fundraiser three weeks ago was not the ‘big’ Joe Biden of 2010. He’s not even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same person we all witnessed at the debates.”
Hollywood stars react to President Biden dropping out of 2024 presidential race
George Clooney was one of the leading Hollywood figures calling for President Biden to resign following his performance at the recent presidential debate. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Clooney continued, “We cannot win the election in November with this president. Not only that, we cannot win the House and we will lose the Senate. And this is not just my opinion, this is the opinion of every senator, congressman and governor that I have spoken to privately. Every single one of them, regardless of what they say publicly.”
Read on to find out what other prominent figures have said in support of Biden’s resignation in the months leading up to his decision.
George Clooney’s Hollywood career puts spotlight on Biden’s call for resignation
Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd wrote an op-ed calling on Biden to “voluntarily and gracefully step down.” (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)
Ashley Judd, in a July 12 op-ed for USA Today, called on Biden to “voluntarily and gracefully step down.”
“The defense of our cherished rights and freedoms, and our moral imperative to make things better for the many, and for our bodies, cannot be left to voters who see President Biden’s clear limitations and fear the consequences, or who will not turn out to vote now. We risk the worst, have a bad night and ignore the warning signs.” She wrote.
Judd said she has frequently supported Democratic campaigns alongside her Hollywood career. In 2017, she recited a poem called “I’m a Mean Girl” at the Women’s March and quoted Donald Trump during a debate calling his 2016 presidential opponent Hillary Clinton “such a mean girl.” Judd said she lost an endorsement deal because she promised to speak out against the former president.
She added in the essay: “And so, because of the very real pain that millions of people will be feeling, [Trump] Now that Biden is once again inaugurated as president, Democrats should not delay in thanking him and endorsing a talented and dynamic Democrat for our party’s nomination. We cannot afford any more distractions or divisions within our party.”
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John Cusack
John Cusack has criticized Biden not only as the Democratic nominee, but also his handling of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (Laura McDermott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
John Cusack criticized Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict and expressed his views on X.
“If Biden stays in office and his approval rating continues on its current trajectory, Senate candidates will be forced to abandon him in order to keep their seats. This existential threat is not just about Biden, it’s about billionaire activists who want to hold on to power,” he wrote.
Following Biden’s announcement, Cusack retweeted the president’s statement, saying, “And now the battle begins.”
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Rob Reiner
“When Harry Met Sally” director Rob Reiner has called on President Biden to resign in recent weeks. (Paul Archuleta)
Rob Reiner, director of When Harry Met Sally, has called for President Biden to resign in recent weeks.
“Let’s stop kidding around. If a convicted criminal wins, we lose our democracy. Joe Biden has served America with honor, decency and dignity. It’s time for Joe Biden to step down,” he said. he wrote in a tweet.
Cusack retweeted, saying, “No one supports Biden’s domestic agenda more than Rob. He’s right.”
Over the past few days, Reiner He reiterated his argument,“The sign is clear in bold capital letters: It is time for President Biden, for whom we have the utmost respect, to save our democracy by passing the baton to a new generation.”
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Stephen King
“Joe Biden has been a great president, but for the sake of the America he clearly loves, the time has come to announce that he will not run for reelection,” Stephen King wrote in X. (Lou Rocco/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Horror author and icon Stephen King expressed his feelings about Biden on the X show in early July.
“Joe Biden has been a great president, but for the sake of the America he so clearly loves, the time has come to announce that he will not run for reelection,” King wrote.
King has voiced his opposition to Trump on social media, including on Saturday when he tweeted about “The Shawshank Redemption.” The author writes: “The Republican Party has nominated a convicted felon for president of the United States. Think twice.”
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Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow said Biden was a good man and a great president, but added that she hopes he will resign for the sake of “American democracy.” (Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)
Mia Farrow has repeatedly called for Biden to resign since the debate.
“Biden is a good man and a great president. But this election is not just about Joe Biden. It’s about the survival of American democracy,” she wrote in June.
“If Biden doesn’t win, as the polls show, he must pass the baton. We cannot hand America over to Trump,” she wrote on X.
She also Vote for someone to replace him “If Biden leaves office, my commitment remains the same: I will vote for a Democrat, not a convicted criminal wannabe dictator surrounded by minions, liars and other unsavory characters,” she said.
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Michael Douglas
Actor Michael Douglas told his co-hosts on “The View” that he worries about whether President Biden will be re-elected. (Screenshot/ABC)
Michael Douglas, appearing on “The View” a few days after Clooney’s New York Times op-ed, said he agreed with his fellow actor.
“I think that’s a valid point,” he said. “I’m deeply, deeply concerned. And it’s especially difficult because the Democratic Party is a big force, we have a lot of big names and a lot of talented people.”
He also offered his thoughts on Biden’s debate performance, saying, “And I’m concerned, because the debate was a relatively straightforward one. First of all, they had the president stand up, put on a little bit of makeup for the debate, tell him where to look, and instead of dealing with all the facts, [Trump’s] Is a lie.”
Douglas did not specifically call on Biden to withdraw, but said, “This is a very tough election. I respect him. He’s a fine man who’s served in public office for 50 years, and this happens to be one of those elections that is incredibly important. I’m not necessarily worried about today or tomorrow, but I am worried about a year from now. I’m concerned.”
