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ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel invited actor George Clooney to his Tuesday show, where he gushed over his New York Times op-ed demanding President Joe Biden exit the presidential race. While Kimmel claimed he helped “change the world,” Clooney was desperate to keep up the allusion that Biden dropped out on his own, hailing it as “really extraordinary.” 

Kimmel began, “I want to talk to you about the big thing and you know what that is. You, as everyone knows, in July, you wrote an op-ed in the New York Times.”

Clooney tried to downplay the whole thing as he interrupted, “Oh gee, you’re going to get right into that.”

However, Kimmel insisted, “Really, it may well have, did, actually, change the world. I mean, it had an enormous impact on the presidential election. Right?”

Clooney, again, tried to dance around the idea, “No, I don’t know that that’s true,” but Kimmel wouldn’t let him, “I do.”

Kimmel apparently didn’t get the memo: liberals are supposed to portray Biden as George Washington because focusing on the pressure campaign waged by people like Clooney or former Speaker Nancy Pelosi undermines that claim and makes it look like a good old-fashioned political power struggle, as Clooney tried to explain, “the bottom line is that — that it’s very hard to let go of power and President Biden did something really extraordinary. Really extraordinary, and so honestly, I really do think that that’s what should be focused on, really.”

Still wanting to heap effusive amounts of praise on his guest, Kimmel wouldn’t let the matter go, “Yeah, yeah, and yet it was a risky move. Because had he not decided to step aside, it would probably have damaged him. I mean, having one of his great supporters—”

Clooney interrupted to ask, “What are you getting at, Jimmy?”

Kimmel explained, “I’m getting at, you took a big swing, and thank God you hit that ball out because—”

Clooney finished the sentence, “It could have gone very badly,” a sentiment Kimmel then echoed, “It could have gone very, very badly.”

Switching gears, Kimmel worried, “Well, listen, I don’t know, seems to be going pretty well right now, but have you thought about, if Donald Trump wins, have you thought about the possibility he might use the power of the federal government against you personally?

Clooney joked, “Yeah, I have. But I just, I’m confident in the fact that he’s coming after you first… You know that theory about, you don’t have to be faster than the bear, just have to be faster than the one kid.  You’re that one kid, pal.”

Here is a transcript for the September 17 show:

ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live!

9/17/2024

11:56 PM ET

JIMMY KIMMEL: All right, I want to talk to you about the big thing and you know what that is. You, as everyone knows—

GEORGE CLOONEY: Yes.

KIMMEL: — in July, you wrote an op-ed in the New York Times —

CLOONEY: Oh gee, you’re going to get right into that. “We have time for one more question.”

KIMMEL: Really, it may well have, did, actually, change the world. I mean, it had an enormous impact on the presidential election. Right?

CLOONEY: No, I don’t know that that’s true.

KIMMEL: I do. 

CLOONEY: There was an awful lot of people–

KIMMEL: Yeah, it was, you know–

CLOONEY:  Listen, the bottom line is, you know, as I’ve said.

KIMMEL: Let’s get right to the bottom line.

CLOONEY: Okay, the bottom line is that — that it’s very hard to let go of power and President Biden did something really extraordinary. Really extraordinary, and so honestly, I really do think that that’s what should be focused on, really.

KIMMEL: Yeah, yeah, and yet it was a risky move. Because had he not decided to step aside, it would probably have damaged him. I mean, having one of his great supporters –

CLOONEY: What are you getting at, Jimmy? 

KIMMEL: I’m getting at, you took a big swing, and thank God you hit that ball out because— 

CLOONEY: It could have gone very badly.

KIMMEL: It could have gone very, very badly.

CLOONEY: It can still go badly.

KIMMEL: Well, listen, I don’t know, seems to be going pretty well right now, but have you thought about, if Donald Trump wins, have you thought about the possibility he might use the power of the federal government against you personally?

CLOONEY: Yeah, I have. But I just, I’m confident in the fact that he’s coming after you first.  

KIMMEL: That makes you feel better?

CLOONEY: Yeah. You know that theory about, you don’t have to be faster than the bear, just have to be faster than the one kid.  You’re that one kid, pal.

KIMMEL: I’m the kid.

CLOONEY: Yeah.

KIMMEL: I’m the slow boy.