George Clooney, the Hollywood star whose New York Times op-ed inflamed calls for President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 election against Donald Trump, says looking ahead, he believes Maryland Gov. Wes Moore could be the Democratic Party’s best chance at taking back the White House in 2028.
During a wide-ranging interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Clooney reflected on his decision to write his July 2024 column, “I Love Joe Biden. But We Need a New Nominee,” which ultimately helped amplify private demands for Biden, who was 81 years old at the time, not to seek re-election. While he stands by his decision, the actor and Democratic donor said he wished the party had instead had a primary contest. Biden quickly endorsed Kamala Harris, his vice president, as his successor for the Democratic Party nomination.
After Harris’ loss to Trump, Clooney now has his eyes set on a crop of “really good governors” who have a better chance of winning the presidency in the next election. Among them, Clooney said Moore is “levitating” above the fray.
“I think he is the guy,” said Clooney, who recalled how Moore led the state of Maryland during last year’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse that nearly upended a significant part of the nation’s supply chain. The actor said Moore handled it “beautifully.”
Clooney also said Moore’s profile has the makings of a great president, including his military background. He noted that Moore had two active duty tours in Afghanistan.
“He’s smart. He ran a hedge fund. He ran the Robin Hood Foundation..He’s a proper leader,” said Clooney. “I like him a lot. I think he could be someone we could all join in behind.”
Clooney said he could support other governors, including Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Andy Beshear of Kentucky. However, he emphasized that the party has to “find somebody rather soon.”
Political strategist and commentator Reecie Colbert, who is a Maryland voter, told theGrio that she, too, believes Gov. Moore has what it takes to win the White House in four years.
“Wes Moore is one of the most talented politicians that I’ve ever seen in action,” said Colbert. “One of the best things he has going for him is that a lot of people haven’t figured that out yet.”
The host of the Sirius XM radio show “The Reecie Colbert Show” noted that while Moore’s polling was low when he first ran for governor in 2021, he eventually dominated the primary election and won the governorship. She explained, “He is a person who just does the work, and he can fly under the radar.”
Colbert said Governor Moore has demonstrated steady leadership amid financial challenges like a budget deficit and local tragedies—including allocating resources from the State of Maryland to support the response to the Washington, D.C., airport crash that killed 67 people. The political expert said that if Moore decides to run for president in 2028, he will be able to point to the work he’s been doing in Maryland, like addressing the state’s wage gap.
“He could say, ‘Hey, look, in our state, we invested in workers, we raised the minimum wage, we got poverty down, we created pathways for new careers, for people, whether that’s federal workers, or for people coming out of high school, coming out of college,’” said Colbert. “He can point to tangible investments that he’s made in the state and say, ‘This is what I plan to do in the country.’”
Colbert shared that Wes Moore’s secret weapon would be his ability to connect with people.
“Not only is he good with people [but] he enjoys engaging with people. There are some politicians who are talented and they are good at interacting, but they don’t really want to be bothered,” she explained. “My husband met him at an IHOP…so I’m telling you that this man is a person who will get out there and meet the people where they are. That is something that the Democratic Party has not necessarily been as willing to do.”
Moore, who made history as Maryland’s first Black governor and only the third Black American elected governor in the United States, has yet to indicate whether or not he would run for the White House in 2028.
