According to Chris Whipple’s book Unchartered: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History, the actor and Democratic fundraiser lost his temper following comments by Mika Brzezinski on Morning Joe. Brzezinski suggested that Clooney’s op-ed about President Biden might have been secretly influenced by Obama. She remarked, “This wasn’t George Clooney… I think Barack Obama has a lot of influence.”
This remark reportedly enraged Clooney, who immediately reached out to an MSNBC producer, expressing frustration over the suggestion that Obama had orchestrated his op-ed. Clooney allegedly confronted the producer, demanding, “How the f— could you let her link me with Barack Obama saying he made me write the op-ed?”
The producer attempted to clarify that they had no involvement in Brzezinski’s statement, but Clooney responded angrily, saying, “You f—ed me… you’re my friend. You should have stood up for me.” The confrontation escalated, with the producer retorting, “George, this is not a f—ing movie. There’s no script. It’s just not a movie where you go script page to script page.”
Reports from the exchange also suggest Clooney’s exasperation continued as he fired back with “F— you!” before hanging up, while the producer shot back, “F— yourself.”
Further quotes from the book highlight a producer downplaying the incident, telling Clooney, “This is a morning talk show on a cable channel. Nobody gives a f— if we say he should get out or if he should stay in… It’s skywriting. It’s f—ng gone.”
Clooney’s op-ed, published in The New York Times, had urged President Biden to step aside, citing concerns about his performance and public discomfort. Clooney, who has remained politically active, continues to speak out on current issues, including his Broadway performance of Good Night, and Good Luck and his remarks on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
During the appearance, Clooney remarked, “I lost with some Bushes and I won with some Clintons and Obamas,” before making a veiled reference to the Capitol riots with, “Well, I don’t know, what am I supposed to do? Storm the f—ing Capitol?” He concluded with a message that seemed directed at former President Trump, expressing hopes for national recovery and adding, “Good for you. I hope you do well because our country needs it, and we will meet you in 3.5 years and see where we go next.”
