President Donald Trump isn't very happy with George Clooney after the actor touched on the 'fake news' narrative pedalled by the Republican.
The 63-year-old has been a vocal supporter of the Democratic party. In July last year, he wrote an 870-word op-ed for The New York Times, describing himself as a 'lifelong Democrat' and calling for then-President Joe Biden to opt out of running for a second term to give the Democratic Party a better chance at beating Trump.
Of course, that never materialized as the 78-year-old won against Biden's replacement, and vice-president at the time, Kamala Harris at the polls.
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Now, after sitting down with CBS' 60 Minutes to talk about his Broadway debut Good Night, and Good Luck, he spoke of the chilling times ahead for the media under the Trump administration.
"We're seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations to make journalists smaller," Clooney explained to the news station.
"Governments don't like the freedom of the press they never have and that goes for whether you are a conservative or a liberal or whatever side you're on they don't like the press."
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He referred to Trump's prior lawsuits last year against media publications like ABC News, with the outlet agreeing to pay the POTUS $15 million in a defamation suit after ABC's news anchor, George Stephanopoulos, made the false claim that Trump had been found 'liable for rape' in an interview, the BBC reports.
The businessman also filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS on the unfounded allegation that 60 Minutes had engaged in 'election and voter interference' by editing an interview with Harris to supposedly make him look bad.
In response, CBS said the plantiff's 'seek to punish a news organization for constitutionally protected editorial judgments they do not like' and lodged a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, all while Paramount - the owner of CBS - attempts to close a merger deal which requires approval from the Trump appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission.
Hitting back at the 60-minute segment on Clooney, Trump took to his social media account on Truth Social, writing: "Why would the now highly discredited 60 Minutes be doing a total 'puff piece' on George Clooney, a second rate movie 'star,' and failed political pundit.
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"He fought hard for Sleepy Joe’s election and then, right after the Debate, dumped him like a dog.
"Later, I assume under orders from the Obama camp, pushed all out for 'Kamala,' only to soon realize that that was not going to work out to well.
"60 Minutes even fraudulently inserted Fake answers into her disastrous interview, aired just before Election Day, in one of the most embarrassing and dishonest events in broadcast history… And now George Clooney again? His press agent should be making a fortune!!!"
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Clooney's Broadway production is an adaption of his 2005 drama of the same name, which follows how Senator Joseph McCarthy sensationalized the threat of communism and attempted to fear-monger the public - but for pioneering reporter Edward R. Murrow who exposed him.
Speaking on to 60 Minutes, he compared how occurs in the play differs to current events, saying: "Here's where I would tell you where we differ from what Murrow was doing, although McCarthy would try to pose things that he'd show up a blank piece of paper and say I've got a list of names, okay so it was that was his version of fake news.
"We now are at a place where we found that it's harder, and harder, and harder to discern the truth - facts are now negotiated."
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics
Joe Yates