After the article written by American actor George Clooney last Tuesday in the New York Times, in which he called for President Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, many speculated that the actor, who portrayed a presidential candidate being backstabbed in the film "The Ides of March," directed by Clooney himself, is thinking of turning art into reality. They suggested that "the son-in-law of the Lebanese," married to a Lebanese-origin woman, could replace Biden in the race for the highest office in the world's largest and most powerful country.
Dr. Kevin M. Wagner, author of the book "Tweeting for Power" and a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University, stated, "I wouldn't be shocked if Clooney was thinking about running for president at some point, as many Hollywood stars have contemplated it." In a past interview, Clooney mentioned, "I think it's more fun to play the president in films." Many imagined that when he married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin in 2014, the duo might become President and First Lady in the future.
George Clooney, 63 years old, is known to have been a long-time Democrat and a major fundraiser for the party, having raised $28 million for Biden's campaign a month ago, according to a summary by "Al Arabiya" based on a report published by the British newspaper "The Telegraph." The report highlighted that he stands out as one of the leading actors, starring in and directing films that raised awareness of issues such as U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and the situation in Darfur, Sudan. He pressured the President of the World Bank to provide assistance to Africa.
It's well-known that Clooney is "very political," appearing on platforms with a number of Democratic candidates, especially Obama. He and his father previously led campaigns in Darfur and he was a UN Messenger of Peace. His wife Amal has also given him more credibility to avoid appearing merely as a bleeding heart in a cage, as quoted by "The Telegraph" from Dr. Mark Wheeler, author of "Hollywood: Politics and Society" and a professor at London Metropolitan University.
In 2021, Clooney told British journalist Andrew Marr that he preferred to live a "beautiful life" rather than run for president, saying, "I turned sixty this year, and I had a conversation with my wife about working a lot, as we do together, and I said we need to think of these years as the golden years." A few days ago, he mentioned that his issue with Biden relates to age, and he may also have disagreed with him over their ideological differences regarding the situation in Gaza. Last June, it was reported that Clooney contacted the White House to complain about Biden's treatment of his wife, Amal, after the president criticized her for trying to prosecute Netanyahu.
Whether Clooney runs for president or not, in the post-Trump era, it can be seen that more celebrities are entering politics. Actor Dwayne Johnson, known as "The Rock," revealed that several political parties had contacted him to see if he wanted to run, after a poll showed that 46% of Americans would support his campaign. Actors Will Smith and Matthew McConaughey have also hinted at intending to work in the political sphere. Even reality star Kim Kardashian has a stake in seeking to become the first female president.
