George Clooney hits back at WH mockery of his acting after he accused Trump of 'war crimes'

CUNEO, ITALY: Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker George Clooney has reacted to a strong White House statement. This came after he accused Donald Trump of committing a war crime. The issue began when the president threatened Iran, saying, “a whole civilization will die tonight.”

Clooney spoke to around 2,700 students at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Cuneo, Italy. The event was organised by the Community Restorative Centre Foundation along with his own group, the Clooney Foundation for Justice. The local media agency, Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, reported Clooney’s comments.

Trump’s statement about wiping out an entire civilization has drawn widespread attention. Many people, from Democrats to actors and activists, have spoken out against it. Now, Clooney also appears to have joined that list.

George Clooney responds after White House mocks his comments

After accusing Trump of a war crime, Clooney is now responding to criticism from the White House. The backlash included a sharp remark from Communications Director Steven Cheung, “The only person committing war crimes is George Clooney for his awful movies and terrible acting ability.”

Clooney, who first made his comments during a speech to students in Italy, pushed back strongly. In a new statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, he aimed at the White House and said, “Families are losing their loved ones. Children have been incinerated. The world’s economy is on a knife’s edge."

"This is a time for vigorous debate at the highest levels. Not for infantile name-calling. I’ll start. A war crime is alleged when there is intent to physically destroy a nation, as defined by the 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).”

He also added, “You can still support the conservative point of view, but there has to be a line of decency, and we shouldn’t cross it.”

George Clooney reflects on Trump and US politics

Clooney has always spoken out against Trump and his administration. The two have clashed before, with Trump once calling him a “second-rate movie star.” Clooney said the recent threat went too far and crossed a line of decency.

He also spoke about the current situation in the US, saying, “This is not a great moment in American history.” He questioned whether he had played a part in what followed after writing an opinion piece in The New York Times, where he urged Joe Biden to step aside from the election race.

“Do I feel responsible for what happened next? We had our backs against the wall. I said we should have had primaries, but they didn’t let us. It was a shame,” Clooney said, before also sharing concerns about the future of NATO, as per the Sunday Morning Herald.

“(NATO) has allowed Europe, but also the rest of the world, to be safe. I’m concerned that an institution like this is being dismantled. Beyond the many mistakes, I believe the US has also done many extraordinary things that have survived,” he said.