George Clooney used a press conference ahead of receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival to sharpen his criticism of the Trump administration, singling out US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth for a social media post mocking women in Canada's military cadet programme. He described the post as symptomatic of "cruelty" at the heart of the current administration and said he was "ashamed" of it, while also voicing support for actor Mark Ruffalo, who has faced accusations of antisemitism over his criticism of the Paramount-Warner Bros Discovery merger, saying he backs free speech "even when I completely disagree with it."

Clooney struck a broadly optimistic note on America's political trajectory, comparing the current turmoil to the unrest of 1968 and describing the country as being in a state of "kakistocracy" – rule by the least qualified. He pointed to November's US midterm elections as a potential check on the administration, with hopes for a "restoration into some normalcy" by 2028. He also confirmed he has stepped back from directing, despite nine feature and two TV credits including Good Night, and Good Luck and The Boys in the Boat, in order to spend time with his nine-year-old twins, saying acting offers more flexibility to travel between commitments than the year-long demands of directing.