A cap-wearing George Clooney dramatically claimed that the current political climate in the US is worse than anti-communist witch-hunts of the 1950s during an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. 

The left-leaning Hollywood A-lister gave the interview on the set of his Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck, based on Clooney’s 2005 film about journalist Edward R. Murrow’s battles with Senator Joseph McCarthy.

McCarthy infamously alleged that communist spies had infiltrated America, targeting everyone from journalists to the movie industry, and earned a forceful rebuke from Murrow.

‘What’s fun about the play is although McCarthyism was bad, it wasn’t anywhere near as pervasive as it is right now,’ Clooney told Cooper, citing the President Donald Trump’s wave of executive orders and attacks on legacy media.

Clooney, who dyed his famous salt and pepper locks dark brown to portray Murrow in the production, remarked on ‘the kind of fear that you see kind of stretching through law firms and universities.’

‘You think it’s worse now than McCarthyism?’ a stunned Cooper responded, pointing to McCarthy’s persecution of left-leaning Americans during the ‘Second Red Scare.’ 

‘I do think it is worse now,’ Clooney replied, while offering ‘one caveat.’

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George Clooney claimed that the current political climate in the US is worse than anti-communist witch-hunts of the 1950s during an interview with CNN ‘s Anderson Cooper 

‘[A]lthough McCarthyism was bad,’ Clooney said, ‘it wasn’t anywhere near as pervasive as it is right now,’ citing the President Donald Trump’s wave of executive orders and attacks on legacy media 

‘When I was a kid, we did duck and cover drills. So, overriding all of this was the threat of nuclear annihilation,’ the 64-year-old actor said.

‘Very big deal. I mean, we were pretty sure we were going to all die of a nuclear bomb somewhere along the way.

‘So, that always kind of rode on top of the McCarthyism of it all,’ Clooney continued.

‘What’s fun about doing the play, is it reminds people that, you know, that we have been through difficult times, challenging times. And that we survive it as a country.

‘And we do find our better angels along the way. It takes a minute… We always do.’

In a separate portion of the segment, Clooney offered an anecdote about his father – 91-year-old former Cincinnati anchorman and ex-ABC gameshow host Nick Clooney – before revealing he too fears being targeted by the Trump administration.

‘When I was a kid, my dad would stand up on a chair like this, and he would do the speech that I start and close the show with. 

‘The “box of lights and wires” speech,’ Clooney said, referencing to the seminal speech Murrow gave to the Radio Television Digital News Association in 1958. 

When asked whether he personally feared being targeted by the Trump administration, Clooney responded: ‘I mean, everybody worries about it. But, you know, if you spend your life worrying about things, then you won’t do things’ 

The play begins and ends with the black-tie media event where Murrow warned commercial radio and television were becoming anti-intellectual and propagandized at the behest of the government. 

‘He would do the Edward R. Murrow speech?’ Cooper laughed. 

‘He would do the Edward R. Murrow speech,’ Clooney said. ‘And my father was an anchorman for like 40 years. [My performance] is a big salute to my dad, and the things that he stands for and believes in and fights for.

When asked whether he personally fears being targeted by the Trump administration, Clooney coolly said, ‘Sure.’

‘I mean, everybody worries about it,’ he explained.

‘But, you know, if you spend your life worrying about things, then you won’t do things.’

In April, It was widely reported that Clooney’s wife, Amal, a Lebanese-born international human rights lawyer with UK citizenship could be barred from re-entering the US after recommending an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu in a war crimes case brought against him earlier this year.

The two mainly live in Paris but have homes in London and Lake Como, Italy, and have briefly relocated to New York for the debut of Good Night, and Good Luck.

Clooney plays iconic journalist Edward R. Murrow in his Broadway play Good Night, and Good Luck

In April, It was widely reported that Clooney’s wife, Amal, a Lebanese-born international human rights lawyer with UK citizenship could be barred from re-entering the US after recommending an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu in a war crimes case brought against him earlier this year. The couple is pictured last week

Clooney, who dyed his famous salt and pepper locks dark brown to portray Murrow in the production, is seen promoting the play earlier this week on CBS Mornings

‘I have no problem with that,’ Clooney said of ending up in the administration’s crosshairs. ‘And my wife certainly doesn’t. And my wife’s the bravest person you’ve ever met.

‘My wife spent two years in a bunker in Beirut trying Hezbollah for killing Hariri. She’s the only person to put ISIS on trial. She’s the bravest person I’ve ever met in my life.

‘And so, you know, we have other issues, besides just worrying about an American administration that might want to be unkind and say bad things about us. It’s a frustrating and scary time.’ 

CNN is airing a special presentation of the play on Saturday.