Top Democratic fundraiser Clooney calls on Biden to drop out

George Clooney has issued a damning call for Joe Biden to quit the US presidential race, hours after senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi swerved questions about whether he should continue.

The actor and prominent Democratic fundraiser said the president had won many battles in his career, "but the one battle he cannot win is the fight against time".

Another Hollywood star and fundraiser, Michael Douglas, later told the BBC he was "worried" about Mr Biden's electoral chances.

The president has stated, repeatedly, that he is determined to remain as the Democratic party's candidate and beat Donald Trump, 78, in November.

The celebrities' comments came after Mrs Pelosi, the former House Speaker, joined growing disquiet in the party, saying time was "running short" for Mr Biden, 81, to decide whether to stay in the race after his stumbling debate against Trump.

Clooney wrote in the New York Times that it was "devastating to say it", but the Joe Biden he met at a fundraising event three weeks ago was not the Biden of 2010. "He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020," added the actor.

"He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate," Clooney said.

The fundraising event, co-hosted by Clooney in Los Angeles and also featuring Julia Roberts and Barbra Streisand, brought in a single-night record of roughly $30m (£23m) for the Biden campaign.

The Biden camp has hit back at the Hollywood star, with an unnamed source telling US media: “The President stayed for over 3 hours [at the fundraiser], while Clooney took a photo quickly and left.”

The president's campaign also pointed out that when he attended the fundraiser he had just arrived in Los Angeles from Italy, where he had been at the G7 summit.

In his op-ed, Clooney wrote: "Our party leaders need to stop telling us that 51 million people didn’t see what we just saw."

"This is about age. Nothing more," he continued. "We are not going to win in November with this president."

Clooney added that his concerns matched those of "every" member of Congress with whom he had spoken.

In his own comments, Michael Douglas said he had concerns about Mr Biden's capabilities during a potential second term: "I am worried not this week or next week, but let's say next year."

The actor said he had held a fundraiser in April for Mr Biden, who he believed had done an "incredible job". But, citing the debate with Trump, he said it was important for a candidate to be "articulate" during such a "combative" political era.

Asked to respond to Clooney, Mr Biden's campaign referred to a letter the president sent Democrats in Congress that said he was "firmly committed" to his candidacy and beating Trump.

Yet public dissent continues to grow within Mr Biden's party as he faces scrutiny while hosting the Nato summit in Washington.

Culled from the BBC.