George Clooney Reveals Why He Wrote Op-Ed Article Urging Joe Biden to Step Down: 'You Have to Take a Stand'

George Clooney is reflecting on his 2024 op-ed article about Joe Biden.

If you didn’t know, last year, George wrote a piece for The New York Times titled “I Love Joe Biden, But We Need a New Nominee,” which urged the then-president to step down from the 2024 presidential race due to his seemingly declining state.

Now, the 63-year-old actor is standing by his decision to publish the story, and explained why he thought it was necessary.

“I don’t know if it was brave. It was a civic duty,” George told CNN‘s Jake Tapper in a recent interview.

“When I saw people on my side of the street not telling the truth, I thought it was time to [tell the truth],” he added.

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He continued, “The idea of freedom of speech, the specific idea of it, is you can’t demand freedom of speech but don’t say bad things about me. That’s the deal. You have to take a stand. If you believe in it, take a stand. Stand for it. Then deal with the consequences. That’s the rules.”

While the Wolfs star said he faced controversy for his article, the backlash did not phase him.

“When people criticize me, they criticize me because of my stance against the war 20 years ago. Some people picketed my movies and they put me on a deck of cards. I have to take that. That’s fair. I’m OK with that. I’m OK with criticism for where I stand. I defend their right to criticize me as much as I defend my right to criticize them,” he said.

Last month, George made a comment about now President Donald Trump when discussing his new Broadway show, Good Night, and Good Luck.