Clooney believes ABC and CBS should have told Trump to ‘go f— yourself’

George Clooney Critiques ABC and CBS for Settling Lawsuits with Trump

Actor George Clooney, known for his liberal stance, has criticized ABC and CBS for settling lawsuits with former President Donald Trump. He believes the networks should have taken a firmer stand, suggesting they should have said, “go ahead and do it yourself.”

Each network reportedly paid over $16 million to resolve lawsuits initiated by Trump. Clooney, who moved to France with his family to escape the Hollywood scene, feels concern over the lack of resistance from these major networks. He stated, “If CBS and ABC had contested these lawsuits and said, ‘Do your thing,’ we wouldn’t be where we are in this country right now.”

Clooney remarked that we are living in challenging times, and while it can lead to feelings of anger or even depression, it’s important to remain positive and keep pushing forward. “Quitting is not an option,” he emphasized.

Recently, CBS agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit against it from Trump related to an edited 2024 interview with Kamala Harris on “60 Minutes.” The Trump camp had sought as much as $10 billion, arguing that the editing constituted “election interference.” Trump’s legal team described the settlement as a win for media accountability.

Interestingly, during the same time, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved an $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, with David Ellison leading the new company. Afterwards, Ellison appointed Bari Weiss to oversee CBS News, a choice Clooney disapproves of. He expressed concern over how news is being reported, stating, “I’m worried about how to get information to ourselves and how to assess reality when the news media is not functioning.”

Earlier, Trump had also settled a defamation lawsuit against ABC, receiving a similar $16 million payout in December after anchor George Stephanopoulos alleged on air that Trump was “responsible for rape,” a claim that faced backlash in light of a jury’s findings in an unrelated case.

Clooney recalled that he previously had a good relationship with Trump, saying, “I knew him very well.” He shared memories of their interactions, including moments when Trump even assisted him with hospital visits.

Politically engaged, Clooney had previously called for Joe Biden to step down as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 election following what he perceived as disappointing debate performances.