George Clooney, a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party, responded Thursday to criticism from President Donald Trump, signaling he intends to support Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections after Trump attacked the actor and his wife over their acquisition of French citizenship.
Key facts
It was revealed last weekend that Clooney, his wife Amal, and their eight-year-old twins were granted French citizenship after spending several years living on a farm in France and enrolling their children in school there.
Trump reacted on Wednesday, calling the news “good” while criticizing Clooney’s past support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. He dismissed the actor as “not a movie star at all” and accused him of “constantly” complaining about politics before ending his post with “Make America Great Again.”
Clooney issued a brief response on Thursday, saying: “I totally agree with the current president. We have to make America great again. We’ll start in November.”
Clooney has long been a prominent Democratic donor and fundraiser. Last April, he predicted Democrats would regain control of the House, urging the party to “find some people to represent us better, who have a sense of humor and who have a sense of purpose.”
He supported Biden in the 2020 election and initially backed him again in 2024 before later writing an opinion piece calling on Biden to withdraw from the race, which he did two weeks later. Clooney then endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
In March, while promoting a stage adaptation of Good Night, and Good Luck and speaking in defense of press freedoms, Clooney drew criticism from Trump, who labeled him a “second-rate movie star and failed political pundit.”
Key background
Clooney, who has said he was raised as a Democrat in the conservative state of Kentucky, has been involved in political and humanitarian causes for decades. Along with his wife, a human rights attorney, he co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice in 2014, which provides legal support to victims of oppressive regimes.
He has addressed the United Nations Security Council, advocated for accountability over atrocities in Darfur, and co-founded the advocacy group Not On Our Watch to raise awareness of mass human rights abuses worldwide.
Clooney has helped raise millions of dollars for Democratic candidates, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and numerous state and local officials. The Clooney family moved to their current home, a vineyard in southern France, in 2021. The property was purchased for $10 million.
Tangent
Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, a junior minister in France’s Interior Ministry, reportedly criticized the government for granting the Clooneys citizenship, arguing it raised concerns about fairness.
“The message being sent is not good,” Vedrenne said, adding that equal treatment was essential.
The French government defended the decision, stating that the Clooneys contribute to France’s international influence and cultural outreach. Officials also said France’s film industry would benefit from Clooney’s citizenship and cited the couple’s strong personal, professional, and family ties to the country.
