George Clooney’s Broadway show echoes America’s current struggles: “The fourth estate has to succeed”

For the first time in his illustrious career, George Clooney is heading to Broadway. But his upcoming portrayal of Edward R. Murrow in ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ has already attracted the ire of President Donald Trump.

In the political drama Clooney plays Murrow, a veteran journalist, who was involved in a notorious television editorial on Senator Joseph McCarthy. And while the story is a factual, historical account there are clear parallels to be drawn with the modern-day political environment.

Speaking on CBS News' 60 Minutes, Clooney emphasised the importance of a strong, independent press: “When the other three estates fail, when the judiciary and the executive and the legislative branches fail us, the fourth estate has to succeed."

What did Donald Trump say about George Clooney?

During the course of the conversation, Clooney made reference to recent efforts made by the Trump administration to punish broadcasters. Trump’s team negotiated a $16 million defamation settlement with ABC News, and a $20 billion “voter interference” lawsuit against CBS News is still pending.

“ABC has just settled a lawsuit with the Trump administration. And CBS News is in the process … We’re seeing this idea of using government to scare or fine or use corporations – to make journalists smaller," Clooney explained. “Governments don’t like the freedom of the press. They never have. And that goes for whether you are a conservative or a liberal or whatever side you’re on. They don’t like the press.”

Predictably, those comments garnered a swift response from the President who took aim at the two-time Oscar winner. Writing on his own Truth Social platform, Trump dismissed the 60 Minutes interview as a “total puff piece” on a “second-rate movie ‘star’”.

Trump continued: “He fought hard for Sleepy Joe’s election, and then, right after the Debate, dumped him like a dog. Later, I assume under orders from the Obama camp, pushed all out for ‘Kamala,’ only to soon realise that this was not going to work out too well.”

The first previews of ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ went public on March 12 with opening night set for April 3. The show will run for just over two months initially, with the final performance taking place on June 8.

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