George Clooney thinks Joe Biden’s decision to quit the 2024 US presidential race was one of the most “selfless” moments in American history.

The Democrat-supporting actor, 63, publicly pulled his support for Biden in an essay he wrote for The New York Times in which he said the one battle the 81-year-old politician cannot win is the “fight against time”.

He’s now said at the Venice Film Festival Biden’s decision to pull out of the White House race – which came after his article was published – was “the most selfless thing that anybody has done since George Washington”.

Ahead of the premiere of his new film ‘Wolfs’ at the event, George was asked at a press conference to talk about the impact his essay had on Biden’s move, which paved the way for US Vice President Kamala Harris, 59, to run as the Democrat candidate in the White House race.

He said: “The person who should be applauded is the President who did the most selfless thing that anybody has done since George Washington.

“All of the machinations that got us there, none of that’s going to be remembered, and it shouldn’t be.

“What should be remembered is the selfless act of someone who did the hardest thing to do.

“You know we’ve seen it all around the world, and for someone to say, ‘I think there’s a better way forward’ – he gets all the credit, and that’s really the truth.”

George’s emotive essay for The New York Times was called ‘I Love Joe Biden, But We Need a New Nominee’.

Referencing Biden’s shambolic performance in a debate against Donald Trump, 78, He said in the piece: “It’s devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe ‘Big F****** Deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020.

“He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.”