George Clooney Calls Donald Trump A ‘Hollywood Elitist,’ Steve Bannon A ‘Failed Director’

George Clooney called out President Donald Trump for his statements, branding Trump as a “Hollywood elitist.” Both Trump and his supporters routinely criticize Hollywood for its elitism. However, Clooney points out the fact that Trump and his chief strategist Steve Bannon are still quietly profiting from their lengthy stay in the entertainment industry.

Clooney On Trump

In an interview with the French outlet Canal+, Clooney discussed Trump’s presidency, a reality the Oscar winner still finds hard to swallow. “It catches in your throat,” Clooney said.

He then moved on to how Trump and his supporters dismiss Hollywood as a world of pretentious elitists, while conveniently forgetting that Trump and Bannon are still major beneficiaries of the entertainment industry.

“Donald Trump has 22 acting credits,” Clooney said. “He collects $120,000 a year in his Screen Actors Guild pension fund. He is a Hollywood elitist.”

The actor is slightly off by his numerical claim, but not by much. Trump’s 2015 financial-disclosure form reveals that he had $110,228 in a SAG pension fund. This large sum comes mostly courtesy of Trump’s hosting gigs on The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice. The president has also made cameo appearances in Home Alone 2 and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Clooney then moved on to his next target: Steve Bannon. Bannon, former chairman of Breitbart, a site known for publishing conservative content, now serves as Trump’s trusted adviser. “Steve Bannon is a failed film writer,” Clooney said vehemently. He noted that Bannon attempted to write a Shakespearean rap movie about the L.A. riots, but failed. Clooney then pointed to the royalties Bannon still collects from purchasing a share of Seinfeld.

“He’s an elitist,” Clooney deemed. “That’s the reality.”

Clooney ended his tirade by defending Meryl Streep, whose passionate speech at this year’s Golden Globes about needing compassion in the Trump era sparked backlash from conservatives. The president himself attacked Streep on his Twitter account, calling the iconic actress “overrated” and a “Hillary flunky who lost big.”