Clooney Family Granted French Citizenship, Sparks Exchange with Donald Trump

George Clooney, his wife Amal Clooney, and their two children have officially been granted French citizenship, a development confirmed by French government documents. This news has quickly led to a public exchange between the actor and former U.S. President Donald Trump, who commented on the family's political views and French immigration policies. George Clooney subsequently issued a concise statement in response to Trump's remarks.

French Citizenship Details Revealed

The Clooney family's naturalization orders were formally confirmed through official documents from France's Ministry of Justice and a French government bulletin. George Clooney will notably retain his American citizenship. Amal Clooney, naturalized under her maiden name Amal Alamuddin, holds British-Lebanese citizenship, while the couple's children were born in London.

The family acquired an 18th-century estate in Provence, France, in 2021, which George Clooney has since referred to as their primary home. He cited France's robust privacy laws and personal concerns about raising his children away from the pervasive public culture of Hollywood as key reasons for their residence. It was also noted that his wife and children are fluent in French.

France's Foreign Ministry clarified that the Clooneys were eligible for citizenship under a specific law for foreign nationals who contribute significantly to the country's international influence and cultural outreach.

The ministry specifically highlighted George Clooney's global status as a renowned movie star and Amal Clooney's impactful work with French academic institutions and various international organizations.

Donald Trump's Comments on French Citizenship and Politics

Following the news of the French citizenship, former U.S. President Donald Trump posted a series of comments on Truth Social on New Year's Eve. In his statement, Trump directly addressed the couple's political views, linking their French citizenship to what he characterized as France's "major crime problem" due to immigration. He then drew a parallel, attributing a similar immigration situation to the Biden administration in the United States.

Trump also specifically remarked on George Clooney's past political endorsements, including his public support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

He suggested Clooney had gained more public attention for his political activities than for his film career and went on to refer to Clooney's movies as "totally mediocre."

Trump further characterized the couple as "two of the worst political prognosticators of all time."

George Clooney's Direct Response

George Clooney issued a statement the day after Trump's post, provided to The Hollywood Reporter, in direct response to the former president's comments.

Clooney's statement read: "I totally agree with the current president. We have to make America great again. We'll start in November."

A History of Political Dialogue Between Trump and Clooney

Both Donald Trump and George Clooney have engaged in public exchanges of remarks over the years. George Clooney is a well-known activist and significant donor to the Democratic Party. His past political actions include authoring an op-ed in The New York Times in July 2024, where he suggested President Joe Biden consider withdrawing from the 2024 presidential election. Biden subsequently withdrew from the race by the end of that same month. Clooney had also publicly stated his belief that it was a mistake for Kamala Harris to become the alternative candidate, commenting on the inherent difficulty of a candidate running against their own record in a primary context.

Past interactions between the two have included criticisms from Clooney regarding press freedoms, particularly during his portrayal of journalist Edward R. Murrow. Trump has also publicly criticized Clooney, including a social media post referring to him as a "fake movie actor" after his New York Times op-ed.

Clooney has recalled that he and Trump had previously been on friendly terms during Trump's period in reality television, a relationship he described as having significantly changed over time.

Clooney has consistently affirmed his intention to continue exercising his right to freedom of speech, selecting specific issues on which to speak out when he feels well-informed or perceives a lack of other voices addressing them.