Joe Biden reportedly failed to recognise George Clooney at 2024 fundraiser

A new book claims Joe Biden did not recognise George Clooney at a 2024 fundraiser, raising concerns among Democrats.

President Joe Biden reportedly did not recognise longtime friend George Clooney during a June 2024 fundraiser, according to claims in the upcoming book Original Sin by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson. The incident is cited as a key moment in growing concerns over Biden’s mental fitness during his re-election campaign.

As reported by Variety and The New Yorker, Clooney — who had last seen Biden at the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors — was “shaken” when the president failed to identify him without prompting at the high-profile event. The fundraiser, co-headlined by Clooney and Julia Roberts, raised at least $28 million for the Biden campaign.

Clooney had already expressed concerns about Biden’s health, including reports from a White House aide about efforts to improve his mobility. But the 2024 encounter led Clooney to believe the problem was “much graver.”

The book also describes Biden as appearing “slow and almost catatonic” during the event, displaying noticeable signs of cognitive decline. The incident, combined with Biden’s poor June 27 debate performance, reportedly prompted Clooney to write a New York Times op-ed urging him to withdraw from the race.

Original Sin, published by Penguin Press, is set for release on May 20 and offers a behind-the-scenes look at internal Democratic concerns leading up to Biden’s eventual exit from the 2024 presidential race.