In a guest essay in The New York Times that sent shockwaves through Hollywood and Washington this week, George Clooney reminded readers that he has great affection for the man he wants out of the presidential race.
“I love Joe Biden,” Clooney wrote, “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 last four years he has won many of the battles he has faced.”
But then the word “but” came.
“But the only 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.”
Clooney did just that, calling on his confidant to drop out of the race, and in so doing joining a growing swath of other liberal media figures and leading Democrats who worry that Biden cannot beat former President Trump, despite the polls showing the race remaining close.
President Biden is receiving a lot of “love” from those who want him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election. (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Many of them Fox News Digital As he pointed out, they claim they “love Joe Biden” and it’s nothing personal. Others who haven’t called for him to resign have recited the same mantra.
The night Biden’s weak, halting debate performance sparked panic within the party, CNN’s Van Jones was close to tears.
“That was tough. I love Joe Biden. I worked for Joe Biden,” he said. “He didn’t do well at all.”
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough solemnly said on June 28, the day after the debate, that Biden’s time may have come, calling him “a guy I love” but noting that Fortune 500 companies might replace CEOs with similar performance. But Scarborough later suggested Democrats should delay replacing Biden.
“I love Joe Biden. I think he’s been a good president,” The Bulwark’s Tim Miller said on MSNBC on June 28, adding that if Biden can’t make the case that Trump is a threat, he should be replaced.
“We love Joe Biden. He’s been a great president,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said on MSNBC on June 30, acknowledging the party’s “concerns” about Biden’s viability.
“We love Joe Biden. I love Joe Biden,” said former Ohio Democratic congressman Tim Ryan on July 2, but later called on Biden to drop out of the race. Democratic congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, Democratic senator Peter Welch of Vermont, and Democratic congressman Jim Himes of Connecticut have also made similar comments in every media appearance since the debate, calling on Biden to drop out of the race.
Senator Welch was the first Democratic senator to call on Biden to drop out of the race. (Getty Images)
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Journalists say they’re hearing the same thing behind the scenes, including NBC’s Ali Vitali, who seemed to sum up the sentiment on Friday.
“I’ve never spoken to a staffer, operative or elected official who hasn’t said some version of, ‘I love Joe Biden, but,'” she said.
But Biden has made it clear he will remain in the running for president in 2024. Earlier this week, Biden appeared on “Morning Joe,” a show where he has been a strong advocate for his presidency.
“The bottom line is, we’re not going anywhere,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
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The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
