It would be easy enough to dismiss the actions and opinions of Hollywood stars, especially when it comes to politics. But doing so ignores the enormous influence celebrities have over a shocking number of voters. And it completely ignores the deep pockets of multi-millionaire movie stars. These people – who overwhelmingly vote Democrat – host fundraisers, hype fans, and hold sway especially over their young adult fans.
Like it or not, Hollywood’s opinion can affect an election. The latest twist in this saga is that many A-listers are turning on President Biden, demanding that he end his reelection bid or even resign as president right now.
This idea has been gaining traction ever since Biden’s disastrous debate performance against rival candidate Donald Trump last month. Now Left-leaning mainstream media outlets are openly questioning Biden’s ability to perform. Many Democrat politicians are also sounding the alarm.
One of the most shocking “et tu, Brute?” moments comes courtesy of major Dem donor George Clooney. Just weeks after headlining a major fundraiser for Biden’s campaign, the “Ocean’s 11” star published an op-ed in The New York Times detailing how even though he “love[s]” Biden, he believes it’s time for a replacement candidate.
“I love Joe Biden,” Clooney wrote in the piece published on July 10. “As a senator. As a vice president and as president. I consider him a friend, and I believe in him. Believe in his character. Believe in his morals. In the last four years, he’s won many of the battles he’s faced.”
He continued, “But the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time. None of us can. It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal‘ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”
Clooney went on to highlight the debate performance as a major turning point.
“Was he tired? Yes. A cold? Maybe. But our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw,” the Hollywood A-lister shared. “We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign.”
The actor insisted that his decision to stop backing Biden is “about age” and “nothing more.”
“We are not going to win in November with this president,” Clooney wrote. “On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate…We love to talk about how the Republican Party has ceded all power, and all of the traits that made it so formidable with Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, to a single person who seeks to hold on to the presidency, and yet most of our members of Congress are opting to wait and see if the dam breaks.”
“But the dam has broken,” he went on. “We can put our heads in the sand and pray for a miracle in November, or we can speak the truth.”
Clooney isn’t the only Hollywood star openly demanding that Biden bow out. Leftist filmmaker and director Rob “Meathead” Reiner posted on X over the weekend, demanding that the Democrats need to find a new candidate.
“It’s time to stop f***ing around. If the Convicted Felon wins, we lose our Democracy. Joe Biden has effectively served US with honor, decency, and dignity. It’s time for Joe Biden to step down,” he wrote.
“Say Anything” actor John Cusack chimed in with his reply, agreeing with the Hollywood director. “There has been no bigger supporter of Biden’s domestic policy than Rob – he’s right,” he wrote.
According to a CNN report, Reiner attended a debate watch party in Los Angeles and was “screaming about losing” while fellow leftist Jane Fonda “had tears in her eyes.”
Avowed Left-wing author Stephen King is another person publicly calling on Biden to step aside and allow someone else to become the nominee.
“Joe Biden has been a fine president, but it’s time for him—in the interests of the America he so clearly loves—to announce he will not run for re-election,” King shared on X.
“Even Stephen King is voting for Donald Trump!” Elon Musk joked in a reply.
Actor Michael Douglas didn’t specifically ask for Biden to bow out, but he did tell the audience of “The View” that he’s “deeply, deeply concerned.” The two-time Academy Award winner also hosted a fundraiser for Biden earlier this year.
Progressive filmmaker Michael Moore published his thoughts on his website, advising the current president not to “let your enablers hound you into doing what your body is begging you not to do.”
Moore further expanded on his opinion during an episode of his podcast, saying Biden’s participation in the debate was “the cruelest form of elder abuse I’ve ever been forced to watch…Who would send an 81-year-old out onto any stage to debate a living monster at nine o’clock at night for a brawl that would not end until 10:42 p.m.?”
The “Sicko” filmmaker took it one step further, offering his suggestion for a replacement: Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Be the one who not only stopped Trump, but also the brave man who gave us our first woman in the Oval Office,” he said on the show. “She will complete your mission — and we will stand beside her.”
It’s not just celebrities saying it. Other members of the Hollywood community, like Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, are echoing that idea.
“Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous,” he wrote in an email to The New York Times.
Abigail Disney, heiress to the Disney fortune, said the same. “This is realism, not disrespect,” Disney said during an interview with CNBC earlier this month. “Biden is a good man and has served his country admirably, but the stakes are far too high.”
Critically, the heiress said she would withhold further donations to the Democratic party until Biden is replaced.
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