Clooney Declares U.S. a Kakistocracy at Venice, Targets Hegseth
George Clooney, at the Venice Film Festival where he’s receiving the Golden Lion, branded the United States a “kakistocracy”—a government run by the least qualified people—while critiquing a post by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about Canadian cadets as an example of cruelty in public life. He urged optimism that the 2026 midterms would act as a check and balance and predicted that the 2028 presidential election could restore normalcy after this turbulent period.