White House fires back at George Clooney after actor accuses Trump of threatening a war crime

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George Clooney blasted President Donald Trump over his recent threat to unleash overwhelming military force against Iran's infrastructure, calling the rhetoric a potential "war crime."

In a Tuesday Truth Social post, Trump, 79, issued an ominous warning to Iran if the country did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway, and agree to a ceasefire deal before his 8 p.m. deadline.

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump wrote in part. A two-week ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran along with Israel was subsequently reached ahead of the deadline.

On Wednesday, Clooney, 64, a longtime critic of Trump, slammed the threat while speaking at the "Dialogues on Talent" event in Cuneo, Italy.

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"Some say Donald Trump is fine. But if anyone says he wants to end a civilization, that’s a war crime," Clooney said, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

"You can still support the conservative point of view, but there must be a line of decency, and we must not cross it," he added.

The event, which was organized by Clooney and his wife Amal Clooney's Clooney Foundation for Justice as well as the CRC Foundation and Collistioni Foundation, was attended by 3,000 high school students from across the province of Cuneo.

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The White House responded to Clooney's comments in a statement on Wednesday.

"The only person committing war crimes is George Clooney for his awful movies and terrible acting ability," White House Communications Director Steven Cheung wrote.

On Wednesday, Clooney responded to the White House's jab at his career and acting ability in a statement to Deadline. 

"Families are losing their loved ones," Clooney said. "Children have been incinerated. The world’s economy is on a knife’s edge. This is a time for vigorous debate at the highest levels. Not for infantile name calling. I’ll start. A war crime is alleged 'when there is intent to physically destroy a nation,' as defined by the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute. What is the administration’s defense? [besides calling me a failed actor which I happily agree with having starred in Batman and Robin?]."

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

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While giving his remarks, Clooney also expressed his concerns over Trump's suggestion that he was considering pulling the U.S. out of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) due to its European members' lack of support for the war against Iran.

"I’m worried about NATO," the "Ocean's Eleven" star said. "It has ensured that Europe, but also the rest of the world, has been safe. Dismantling an institution like this worries me. Aside from many mistakes, I believe the U.S. [with NATO] has also done many extraordinary things that have stood the test of time."

Trump is set to discuss the possibility of the U.S. leaving NATO during a meeting with the alliance's chief, Mark Rutte on Wednesday.

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Clooney and Trump have a history of publicly criticizing each other. In December, Clooney criticized ABC and CBS for settling lawsuits with Trump. 

CBS and ABC have shelled at least $16 million apiece to settle lawsuits brought by Trump. However, Clooney expressed his frustration that the networks didn’t fight back. 

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"If CBS and ABC had challenged those lawsuits and said, ‘Go f--- yourself,’ we wouldn’t be where we are in the country," Clooney told Variety.

"It’s a very trying time," Clooney continued. "It can depress you or make you very angry. But you have to find the most positive way through it. You have to put your head down and keep moving forward because quitting isn’t an option."

In a Truth Social post on New Year's Eve, Trump celebrated Clooney and Amal's decision to become French citizens.

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"Good News! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators of all time, have officially become citizens of France which is, sadly, in the midst of a major crime problem because of their absolutely horrendous handling of immigration, much like we had under Sleepy Joe Biden," Trump wrote.

The president also referenced how Clooney "dumped" former President Joe Biden after his presidential debate with Trump in July 2024. Following the debate, Clooney wrote an op-ed for the New York Times urging Biden to exit the 2024 presidential race. The "Jay Kelly" star later endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris in her run for the presidency.

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"Remember when Clooney, after the now infamous debate, dumped Joe during a fundraiser, only to go onto the side of another stellar candidate, Jamala(K!), who is now fighting it out with the worst governor in the Country, including Tim Waltz, Gavin Newscum, for who is going to lead the Democrats to their future defeat," he railed.

Trump concluded his post by roasting Clooney's acting career, writing, "Clooney got more publicity for politics than he did for his very few, and totally mediocre, movies."

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"He wasn’t a movie star at all, he was just an average guy who complained, constantly, about common sense in politics. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump added.

When asked for comment by Fox News Digital, Clooney responded with the following statement: "I totally agree with the current president. We have to make America great again. We’ll start in November."

Ashley Hume is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to ashley.hume@fox.com and on Twitter: @ashleyhume