Actor George Clooney, a major Democratic fundraiser, threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday as she seeks the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

Clooney told CNN in a statement that President Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 race showed "true leadership."

"He's saving democracy once again," Clooney said, according to CNN anchor Jake Tapper. "We're all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest." 

Clooney shocked many in the Democratic Party when he wrote an op-ed for The New York Times urging Mr. Biden to exit the presidential race, saying earlier this month that "we are not going to win in November with this president." 

He made the assertion weeks after co-hosting a star-studded Biden campaign fundraiser that included former President Barack Obama, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and actress Julia Roberts. A record $30 million was raised — the most for a single Democratic fundraiser, the Biden-Harris campaign said at the time.

"It's devastating to say it, but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe 'big F-ing deal' Biden of 2010," Clooney wrote in the Times op-ed weeks. "He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."

Mr. Biden has endorsed Harris, who is now the likely Democratic nominee. CBS News estimates she has received the endorsement of a majority of Democratic delegates, which — if the total holds — would make her the party's nominee after a roll-call vote in early August. 

A growing list of celebrities have rallied around Harris as donations to her campaign have mushroomed. She took in over $100 million between the time Mr. Biden announced Sunday he was bowing out of the race and Monday evening.

Musician John Legend said on social media he's "ready to reject Trump's authoritarian, oppressive Project 2025 and elect Kamala Harris as our President." Film director, actor and producer Spike Lee wrote alongside a portrait of the vice president on Instagram: "once again a sista comes to da rescue." 

Christopher Brito, Melissa Quinn, Li Cohen, Aaron Navarro, Nidia Cavazos, Shawna Mizelle and Arden Farhi contributed reporting.

In:
• Joe Biden
• Kamala Harris
• George Clooney

Sarah Lynch Baldwin

Sarah Lynch Baldwin is an associate managing editor of CBSNews.com. She oversees "CBS Mornings" digital content, helps lead national and breaking news coverage and shapes editorial workflows.