Michael Douglas Weighs in on Hollywood Pressuring President Biden to End Reelection Campaign: 'I'm Deeply Concerned'
Michael Douglas weighed in on calls for Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign.
July 11 2024, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
Actor Michael Douglas has weighed in on A-list celebrities calling for President Joe Biden to suspend his reelection bid following a disastrous performance in the first general election debate.
The Basic Instinct star admitted he's "deeply concerned" about the Biden campaign.
Douglas admitted he's 'deeply concerned' about Biden's reelection campaign.
During Wednesday's edition of The View, Douglas was asked his thoughts on fellow celebrities calling on the incumbent to step aside and end his campaign ahead of November's election.
"It’s such a tough one. I adore the guy. Fifty years of public service — a wonderful guy. This just happens to be one of these elections that is just so crucial. And it’s really hard," the actor explained.
The president only decided to step aside when he was confronted with new polling data suggesting that he could not beat Donald Trump.
"I don’t worry necessarily today or tomorrow, but a year down the line, I worry," the Wall Street star added. "I am concerned."
Douglas was then pressed for his thoughts on George Clooney's shocking New York Times essay, which was published shortly before Douglas' appearance on the talk show and called on Biden to end his reelection campaign.
George Clooney wrote an op-ed in the New York Times that warned Democrats would lose the election if Biden is the nominee.
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Clooney — who has long been a Democratic supporter and has even hosted fundraising events for the Biden campaign as recently as June — wrote in the op-ed that Democrats "are not going to win in November with this president."
"I think it’s a valid point," Douglas said of Clooney's essay. "I’m deeply, deeply concerned. It’s especially difficult because the Democrats have a big bench. They have a lot of heavy hitters."
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Biden has pushed back against calls to end his reelection campaign and insisted he's the 'best person' to beat Donald Trump.
Douglas appeared to waiver from previous comments he made in support of the 81-year-old president, who he once called "sharp as a tack."
At a campaign fundraiser event in April, which Douglas hosted, he insisted that "everybody" in Biden's circle that have met with the president said he's "fine" in regard to ongoing criticism of Biden's age and questions regarding his mental fitness.
But Douglas' opinion seemed to change after a poor performance in the first debate against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
"We need courage. We just generally need some strength and courage on the side of both parties," Douglas told the View panel.
Despite mounting pressure from top Democratic donors to suspend his campaign, Biden pushed back this week and stood by his efforts to seek a second term.
"I can respond to all this by saying clearly and unequivocally: I wouldn’t be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024," Biden said.