In his initial statement, Clooney said: "Some say Donald Trump is okay. But if someone says they want to end civilization, that is a war crime. You can still support conservative views, but there must be a boundary of decency, and we must not cross it." A swift response followed, with White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posting on platform X: "The only person committing war crimes is George Clooney, due to his terrible movies and awful acting skills." The Oscar winner then sharply criticized the Trump administration, stating that there is no time for "childish insults" when more serious issues are happening in the world and the United States. "Families are losing their loved ones. Children are being burned. The global economy is on a knife's edge. This is a time for vigorous debate at the highest levels. Not for childish insults. I'll start. A war crime is defined as '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? (other than calling me a failed actor, which I happily agree with because I starred in 'Batman' and 'Robin')," he noted. This is not the first time Clooney and Trump have publicly clashed. Previously, after criticism, Trump called him a "second-rate movie star and failed political expert." Clooney found that statement amusing and joked that Trump's remark might be true, but it wasn't scary. However, when it came to Trump's political actions, Clooney did not hold back, giving a direct and uncompromising response. "I don't care. My job is not to please the president," Clooney said.