George Clooney Endorses Kamala Harris, Says Biden Is ‘Saving Democracy’

Actor and Democratic fund-raiser George Clooney endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential candidacy on Tuesday morning and thanked President Biden for deciding not to seek re-election.

In a statement to CNN, Mr. Clooney said Mr. Biden, 81, “has shown true leadership. He’s saving democracy once again.” He also vowed to “do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.”

Mr. Clooney’s representation didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

His statement comes less than two weeks after he penned a harsh guest essay in The New York Times calling for Mr. Biden to step aside as the Democratic presidential nominee. The president’s disastrous debate performance and subsequent efforts to revitalize his campaign, including an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos and NBC’s Lester Holt, inspired little confidence from Democratic voters and donors, who said Mr. Biden’s age was a liability to the party and its most vulnerable down-ballot candidates.

Since suspending his presidential campaign on Sunday, Mr. Biden has been praised by Democrats and by many political figures across the world. The party has also quickly coalesced behind Ms. Harris, whom Mr. Biden endorsed shortly after exiting the race. Since formally launching her presidential campaign on Sunday, the vice president has raised more than $100 million.