Special Poll
Lifelong Democrat George Clooney was undoubtedly disappointed by Kamala Harris’s loss in the presidential election, but he isn’t letting it weigh him down. Instead of dwelling on the outcome, Clooney offered a pragmatic perspective on democracy during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night.
“What am I supposed to do—storm the f–king Capitol? It didn’t work out, that’s what happens. It’s part of democracy,” Clooney said. “Most of us still like each other. We’re going to get through it.”
He then shared an anecdote about his son, who loves playing chess but sometimes loses to other kids. When that happens, Clooney tells him not to get upset but to shake hands and say, “Good game, and I’ll get you next time.” He applied the same philosophy to politics, saying, “You’ve got to live by those rules, which is ‘All right, good for you. I hope you do well because our country needs it. And then we’ll meet you in three and a half years and see where we go next.’ That’s part of the thing.”
Colbert responded by knocking on the wood of his desk. “You play by the rules, but both sides have to agree there should be rules, is what I would say,” he remarked.
Clooney was on the show to promote Good Night, and Good Luck, the stage adaptation of his acclaimed film. The play marks his Broadway debut, with Clooney portraying Edward R. Murrow, the legendary journalist who took on McCarthyism and reshaped the role of the press. Murrow’s fearless reporting, which challenged both government overreach and corporate influence, eventually led to backlash from both political leaders and his own network.
Reflecting on Murrow’s legacy, Clooney spoke about the ongoing tension between power and the press. “Forever we’ve had this issue, which is power kind of hates the fourth estate. They hate journalism,” he said. “My father’s an anchorman and a newsman, and we’ve always believed in the idea that when the other three estates—the judiciary, the executive, and the legislative—fail you, you really need that fourth estate. It has to be the people who can hold power to account.”
He described Good Night, and Good Luck as a story about a moment when the country was at its best, even in difficult times. “You’re never at your best when it’s easy,” he said. “Being on the right side of history is not fun in the moment when you do it. It’s nice later.”