George Clooney has clapped back at President Donald Trump and the White House for mocking his acting ability amid the war in Iran.
“Families are losing their loved ones. Children have been incinerated. The world’s economy is on a knife’s edge,” Clooney, 64, told Us Weekly in a Wednesday, April 8, statement. “This is a time for vigorous debate at the highest levels. Not for infantile name calling.”
Earlier this week, Clooney told Italian high school students that Trump, 79, committed a war crime by threatening that “a whole civilization [would] die” in Iran unless a dispute over the opening of the Strait of Hormuz was resolved. (The U.S. and Iran eventually agreed to a two-week ceasefire and the temporary reopening of the strait on Tuesday, April 7.)
“The only person committing war crimes is George Clooney for his awful movies and terrible acting ability,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung responded to The Independent on Wednesday.
In his latest statement to Us, Clooney noted, “A war crime is alleged ‘when there is intent to physically destroy a nation,’ as defined by the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute. What is the administration’s defense? [Besides calling me a failed actor which I happily agree with having starred in Batman and Robin?].”
Us has reached out to the White House for comment.
On Easter Sunday, April 5, Trump threatened deadly consequences against the people of Iran over the ongoing dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” the president wrote via Truth Social.
Clooney took exception to the social media posts while speaking to Italian students on Wednesday, according to local outlet ANSA.
“Some say Donald Trump is fine. But if anyone says he wants to end a civilization, that’s a war crime,” Clooney argued. “You can still support the conservative point of view, but there must be a line of decency, and we must not cross it.”
George Clooney in November 2025. Joe Maher/Getty Images for BFI
The two have a long history as friends and later political foes. In December 2025, Clooney revealed to Variety that he knew Trump “very well” before the politician ran against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
“He used to call me a lot, and he tried to help me get into a hospital once to see a back surgeon. I’d see him out at clubs and at restaurants,” Clooney recalled.
The two-time Academy Award winner described Trump as “a big goofball” during the time they were acquainted.
Trump subsequently ridiculed George and his wife, Amal Clooney, in January when it was revealed that they received French citizenship after settling their family in Provence, France. (George and Amal are parents to twins, Alexander and Ella, 8.)
“Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration, much like we had under Sleepy Joe Biden,” Trump wrote via Truth Social.
The President insisted that Clooney “got more publicity for politics than he did for his very few, and totally mediocre movies” in recent years.
“He wasn’t a movie star at all, he was just an average guy who complained, constantly, about common sense in politics,” Trump alleged.
Clooney became an outspoken critic of Trump once the latter entered the political arena. The Ocean’s Eleven actor endorsed each of Trump’s electoral opponents — Clinton, 78, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — though he was publicly critical of Biden, 83, in the lead up to the 2024 presidential election.
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