EXCLUSIVEHow George Clooney's wife Amal helped sway his decision to pen scathing op-ed urging Joe Biden to drop out of presidential race
- Clooney was swung by wife Amal's views on Middle East conflict, sources say
- READ MORE: George Clooney pens op-ed urging Biden to STEP DOWN from race
George Clooney's decision to pen a scathing op-ed attacking his friend Joe Biden for deciding to stay in the presidential race was swayed by his wife Amal's stance on the Israel-Hamas war, DailyMail.com has learned.
The diehard Democrat had been reluctant to speak out about the president's mental decline – even after noticing how far the president had fallen when he hosted a major Hollywood fundraiser for him last month.
But the actor was swung by his wife's views on the Middle East conflict, sources say.
Clooney, 63, made the call for a new candidate in piece published in the New York Times on Wednesday – three weeks after the $28million fundraiser event.
He reportedly called former President Barack Obama of his plan. Obama did not object.
Clooney was reportedly furious at the White House decision to question Amal's work on the war in Gaza
George Clooney and fellow actor Julia Roberts posed with President Joe Biden and Barack Obama during a campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles on Saturday, where his wife Amal was noticeably absent
'I love Joe Biden,' the Hollywood A-lister wrote. '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.
'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 fundraiser 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,' he continued.
Clooney joins the scores of Democrats and Biden allies who have called for the president to step down in the two weeks since his meandering and mumbling showing on CNN.
Biden has insisted he is not going anywhere and that he will still beat Trump in November, but Clooney's comments are an enormous blow to his embattled campaign.
As DailyMail.com exclusively reported last month Clooney called the White House after House of Representatives voted to sanction members of the International Criminal Court if they made good on their plans to prosecute Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and others.
He called Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti, to express concern that his Lebanese-born wife, a renowned human rights lawyer, could face penalties under the sanctions bill as she penned an opinion for the court calling for prosecution.
Amal, 46, was noticeably absent at the fundraiser that Clooney co-hosted along with fellow Hollywood hotshots Julia Roberts and Jimmy Kimmel.
The event, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, raised a staggering $28million for Biden's re-election campaign.
'Her presence would have made for an awkward and uncomfortable situation,' one source told DailyMail.com.
'So, they decided she should stay home.'
It was only when Clooney saw Biden at the June 15 fundraiser that he realized he was not the man he used to be, he claims.
He soon realized that Biden was no longer fit to continue in the role as the most powerful man in the world, but his friendship with the president put him in an uncomfortable position.
'He hadn't been in Biden's company for a while, and he was shocked at his physical and mental decline. And he suddenly realized he couldn't consider backing the president for another four years,' the source added.
'Once George had the opportunity to see Joe, as popular and much loved as Biden is among his supporters, he realized he was just not strong enough to face another four grueling years at the helm.'
The source says this has been a difficult few weeks for George who is head over heels in love with Amal and considers her one of the smartest women he knows.
He knew her stance on Israel put him in conflict with many Democrats – including Biden – who still show full support for Israel.
'With each passing day there are more and more Democrats coming out in support of Biden stepping down,' says the source.
And Clooney has now joined them although he has not put full-throated support for Vice President Kamala Harris, instead saying in the op-ed: 'We Democrats have a very exciting bench.
Amal Clooney, a renowned human rights lawyer, was named as one of the six legal experts who recommended chief prosecutor Karim Khan seek arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister and Hamas leaders last month
Obama seen giving Biden's arm a gentle tug and leading him off the stage after the president freezes during the applause at a fundraiser in Los Angeles in June
George Clooney visited the White House where he was honored by the President in 2022
'We don't anoint leaders or fall sway to a cult of personality; we vote for a president.
'We can easily foresee a group of several strong Democrats stepping forward to stand and tell us why they're best qualified to lead this country and take on some of the deeply concerning trends we're seeing from the revenge tour that Donald Trump calls a presidential campaign.
He added: 'Let's hear from Wes Moore and Kamala Harris and Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Newsom and Andy Beshear and J.B. Pritzker and others.'
The source told DailyMail.com: 'No matter what the outcome, the pressure is now off George to dig in his heels in support of Biden, which meant going against his wife.
'Amal has also taken a strong stance on her views regarding the conflict, and George is, as always, listening. Now, at least for the time being, the former gap between him and his wife are not as much of an issue.'
The 63-year-old A-lister, who has been married to the mother of his seven-year-old twins for nearly a decade, had suddenly found himself caught in the middle of a dispute over the International Criminal Court's decision to prosecute Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In May, international human rights attorney Amal, 46, was revealed to have played an instrumental role in calling for the arrest of Netanyahu, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders, for the series of 'war crimes' committed in the ongoing conflict.
But while she's in favor of taking action, the Biden administration continues to support Israel in the war against the Palestinian terror group Hamas, that has already lead to more than 37,000 deaths in Gaza following the group's October 7 attack on Israel.
Speaking to DailyMail.com last month a source revealed how the conflicting views between the two parties had put Clooney in an awkward position.
The insider said: 'George was scheduled to host the recent Biden fundraiser alongside longtime friends Julia Roberts, Jimmy Kimmel, and Barack Obama. It was a star-studded gala held to raise campaign funds for Biden's re-election.
'And while Amal usually would attend such an event with her husband, her recent part in the International Criminal Court's decisions would have made for an awkward and uncomfortable situation.
'George has always been a person who honors his commitments,' the insider added.
'So, he did his part and attended the event, going it alone.'
Amal, a British citizen, was one of six legal experts who wrote an opinion stating International Court prosecutor Karim Khan had 'reasonable grounds to believe' that the Israeli leaders had committed war crimes, in a May 20 report.
Clooney met with then-President Barack Obama at the White House in 2010 to talk about the Sudan
George Clooney with Bill Clinton at the White House Correspondents' dinner
She wrote on the Clooney Foundation for Justice's website that she believes in the rule of law and the need to protect civilian lives.
'The law that protects civilians in war was developed more than 100 years ago and it applies in every country in the world regardless of the reasons for a conflict,' she wrote.
'As a human rights lawyer, I will never accept that one child's life has less value than another's. I do not accept that any conflict should be beyond the reach of the law, nor that any perpetrator should be above the law.
'So I support the historic step that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has taken to bring justice to victims of atrocities in Israel and Palestine.'
The source says not only is George head over heels in love with Amal he considers her one of the smartest women he knows.
He feels her knowledge of the law, and human rights is vast, and he supports her work 100%.
But not only is George's relationship with the White House at risk, he may also be putting some of his friendships in jeopardy because many of his longtime friends are Jewish and they and others support Israel's stance.
'Before he met Amal, George lived a very different lifestyle,' the source added.
'He dated a bevy of beauties, but none of the relationships proved serious. He preferred spending time with his guy friends, who he felt he could trust much more than some of the women he hooked up with.
The insider continued: 'George was a super-generous friend.'
'He was always treating his pals to fun-filled vacations, whether it was taking off on a boy's only holiday in Italy riding motorcycles and dining at expensive restaurants or jetting off to his place in Cabo with his pals.
'And of course, he would always foot the bill.
'A year before marrying Amal, George decided to surprise 14 of his pals with $1million each,' said the source.
'Many of those pals are Jewish.'
While Clooney had a large group of loyal friends, most often he would go off with actor Thom Matthews, comedian Richard Kind, actor and producer Grant Heslov and close friend Rande Gerber and his wife Cindy Crawford.
'These were George's ride or die pals,' says the source. 'And while Thom isn't Jewish, Richard, Rande and Grant are. And while they like Amal, they have to be bothered by her stance on what's going on in Israel.
'George is walking a fine line,' added the source. 'His allegiance to his wife and twins will always come first. But he still values his close friendships and his relationships with the people currently in the White House.'
