Famed actor George Clooney condemned President Donald Trump on Wednesday over his recent threat to destroy Iran’s entire civilization – a threat he ultimately backed down from – but in doing so, ignited fury from a top White House official.
On Tuesday, Trump warned that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” referencing his then-impending deadline for Iran to lift restrictions on a critical trade waterway or face the destruction of its civilian infrastructure. The threat sparked global panic, along with widespread calls for Trump to be immediately removed from office.
Among those critical of the president’s threat was Clooney, who on Wednesday described Trump’s threat in an interview with Variety as a “war crime.”
“Some say Donald Trump is fine. But if anyone says he wants to end a civilization, that’s a war crime,” he said. “You can still support the conservative point of view, but there must be a line of decency, and we must not cross it.”
Clooney’s remarks were soon picked up by the White House, with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung lashing out at the veteran actor on Wednesday.
“The only person committing war crimes is George Clooney for his awful movies and terrible acting ability,” Cheung wrote in a social media post on X to his more than 145,000 followers.
Cheung has been a controversial member of the Trump administration, often attacking Trump’s critics on social media using profanities and offensive slurs. In February, for instance, Cheung lashed out at Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) by calling them “some of the dumbest r------ ever to be in Congress,” using a slur for people with intellectual disabilities.The only person committing war crimes is George Clooney for his awful movies and terrible acting ability. https://t.co/HiatXQTt9D
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) April 8, 2026
