Michael Douglas said that it’s “hard” for him to imagine Joe Biden serving another term in office after he praised George Clooney for making a “valid point” in his scathing op-ed in The New York Times, calling for the president to stand down.
The 79-year-old Hollywood actor voiced his concerns over Biden’s re-election bid while on the red carpet at the premiere of his upcoming documentary America’s Burning in New York City. It marks a complete U-turn from his formerly staunch support of the president — including hosting a fundraiser for Biden in April.
“It’s just so hard for me to imagine a man four and a half years down the line from now,” Douglas told the BBC on Wednesday. “Particularly in a time that is so combative that requires someone to really be so articulate.”
The Academy Award winner expressed major concern over Biden’s “inability to acknowledge all the lies” of Donald Trump at the first debate of the election — with its aftermath thrusting the president’s mental acuity into the spotlight after he stumbled over his words and struggled to get his message across.
Douglas’ comments came hours after George Clooney’s op-ed was published in The New York Times calling for Biden to drop out of the race.
“You saw the attention that George [Clooney] got today… with his statement. And maybe it’s going to help move along the politicians who have been waffling,” Douglas said.
On Wednesday, Clooney became the most high-profile donor and biggest Hollywood name to call on Biden to drop out of the 2024 race — just one month after headlining a $28 million fundraiser for the president in Los Angeles.
The actor wrote that he had witnessed first-hand a marked change in Biden of late and accused party leaders of gaslighting the public by blaming his abysmal debate performance against Trump on the fact that he was suffering from a cold and was exhausted by his busy travel schedule.
“The one battle he cannot win is the fight against time,” Clooney wrote.
Just hours before Douglas spoke to the BBC, he appeared on The View and said Clooney made a “valid point” in his article.
He added that he is “deeply, deeply concerned” about Biden’s prospects in light of the recent debate.
Both Clooney and Douglas’ voices join a growing chorus of Democratic figures including donors, strategists and, most significantly, at least 15 serving Democratic lawmakers calling for the commander-in-chief to drop out of the race and allow another party candidate to take up the mantle.
