George Clooney has made a stern call for Joe Biden to drop out of the US presidential race, hours after senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi dodged questions about whether he should continue.
The Hollywood actor and prominent Democratic fundraiser said the president has won many battles in his career, “but the only battle he cannot win is the battle against time.”
His comments came hours after Ms Pelosi, the former House Speaker, joined the growing unease in the party, saying time was “running out” for Mr Biden to decide whether to continue the race against Donald Trump following a disastrous debate late last month.
Clooney told The New York Times that “it pains me to say this” but the Biden he met at a fundraiser three weeks ago was not the “big ****ing deal Joe” Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020.
“He is the same person we all saw in the debate,” he said. “Our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw.
“This is about age. There is nothing more to it,” he continued. “We will not win in November with this president.”
The growing disagreement has emerged during one of the most crucial weeks of Mr Biden’s fraught re-election campaign as he hosts a crucial NATO summit in Washington.
Asked on MSNBC’s Morning Joe whether she supported President Biden’s re-election, Pelosi replied: “I want him to do whatever he decides to do.”
“It’s up to the president to decide whether or not to run. We all encourage him to make that decision, because time is running out.
Her response appeared to ignore Mr Biden’s repeated statements on Monday, on the same show, that he was committed to staying in the race.
The president has struggled to maintain morale within his party since his June 27 debate with Trump.
Since then, about a dozen elected Democrats have suggested he should abandon his campaign in private and public comments.
On Tuesday, Colorado’s Michael Bennet became the first Democratic senator to publicly object.
While he did not call for Mr Biden to resign immediately, he said Mr Trump would win the election, possibly in a “thumping victory”.
Others are much more direct.
“I am asking him to announce that he will not seek re-election,” North Jersey Congresswoman Mikie Sherril said in a statement.
Acknowledging the pressure, Ms Pelosi said on Wednesday: “I told people – just wait and see. Whatever you’re thinking, say it to someone privately, but you don’t have to put that on the table until we see how this week goes. But I’m very proud of the president.”
