George Clooney was optimistic about the US post-Trump, despite being a big critic of the president

“The View” co-host Joy Behar disagreed with actor George Clooney’s recent expressed optimism for America after President Donald Trump’s second term, suggesting the president’s tenure was not something America would survive.

“I must disagree with him because I was around during those days, and I remember exactly what happened. They were assassinating leaders of the country, Martin Luther King Jr., John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, etc. There was a tremendous discord in the country. People were rioting against the Vietnam War. My husband now had to go into the National Guard. It was a terrible time for people and that is true, and we did get through that,” Behar said.

Clooney, a Democrat and critic of Trump, said in an interview published this week with actress Patti LuPone that he believed the U.S. would be fine and get through the Trump years. He compared the current state of America to 1968 and said, “It’s not nearly as hopeless as it was at that moment of time.”

“But right now, we’re talking about the lack of a constitutional republic,” Behar said. “We’re talking about no checks and balances. We’re talking about the fact that half the country watches fake news. We’re talking about the fact that the Republicans at that time got rid of Nixon and the Republicans were not complicit in this charade going on with Trump … George, I still love you, but you’re wrong.”

Joy Behar

Joy Behar said Wednesday that George Clooney was “wrong” to be optimistic about America getting through Trump’s presidency during “The View.” (Screenshot/ABC)

Co-host Sunny Hostin agreed with Behar and declared that they were in “the middle of a constitutional crisis.”

Later in the segment, Behar did express a little hope that the country would survive.

“I’m an optimist, I am, because I believe we will eventually pull ourselves out of this, but we have to keep speaking about it, and we have to keep resisting,” Behar said.

Clooney argued during his sit-down LuPone that the “authoritarian” always goes away, referring to Trump.

“From President Jackson to [Joseph] McCarthy to this, the authoritarian, the demagogue, it goes away when they go away,” Clooney said, referring to Trump. “And he will go away.”

“It’s fine. We’re going to get through it,” Clooney said during the conversation with LuPone. “I’m an optimist.”