Clooney’s donation prompts presidential speculation

Speculating about an Oprah presidential bid is sooo last month. The celebrity whose 2020 plans everyone is suddenly interested in: George Clooney.

The actor prompted a fresh round of speculation about his possible political ambitions when he announced via Twitter that he and his wife, human rights attorney Amal Clooney, would be donating $500,000 to the gun-rights march being held March 24, and would participate in the protest. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who has been the subject of intense speculation following a fiery Golden Globes speech, followed with a tweet saying she’d match the Clooney’s gift.

Cue the sirens. “CLOONEY 2020 VISION? OPRAH TEAMS WITH GEORGE” was the allcaps headline blaring across the Drudge Report, with a link to the Hill newspaper’s story about the twin donations.

(We should note that the splashy Clooney gift is hardly out of character. It’s what he’s long been known for: cutting big checks for liberal causes and showing his chiseled face in their support.) But the echo chamber was already noisy.

Even Fox News host Sean Hannity hyped the possibility, expressing his mock support for a possible Clooney bid during his radio show. “My attitude is, ‘Run, George, run,’” said Hannity, who is an outspoken backer of President Donald Trump. “If George Clooney wants to run, I’m all for it.”

Director Steven Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw said that they, too, would match the Clooneys’ donation. Film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife, Marilyn, also said they would put up $500,000.