George Clooney Explains Hillary Clinton's Presidential Election Loss: Speeches 'Didn't Soar'

George Clooney explained what happened to Hillary Clinton's failed presidential campaign during a promotional interview Friday for his latest directorial effort, "Suburbicon." The actor-filmmaker, who has openly criticized President Donald Trump and his administration, bemoaned how Clinton did not "elevate her game."

"Hillary, for years and years and years, has been the presumptive nominee, and quite honestly, she was incredibly qualified for the job. But being qualified for the job does not necessarily mean you’re the right person to be president," Clooney told the Daily Beast on Friday. "She was more qualified than even her husband was when he was elected president, but she's not as good at communicating things. That's simply true. When she got up and gave a speech, it didn't soar."

Clooney added, "That doesn't mean that she wouldn't have done a great job as president, and I supported her because by the time we did the fundraiser the primary was over at that point and it was time to get on with picking someone to move forward, and she was the right person to side with."

Clooney also argued that Clinton "wasn't particularly good at articulating the things that she wanted to do," which he explained is very crucial in the electorate period compared to the latter. He then cited Trump's simple slogan, "Make America Great Again," as an easy method to getting his campaign's message across.

Clooney has been asked on several occasions whether he plans to run for office. The actor may have said being president "sounds like fun" at Venice Film Festival on Sept. 1, but he has since retracted that statement.

"The reality is there are many more people who are much better qualified than me," Clooney told reporters at Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 8. "I think the reason people talk about is that our bench [in the Democratic party] doesn’t seem very good right now, it doesn’t seem very exciting."

Clooney added, "By this time eight years ago we had already heard Obama give a speech at the convention and there was something going on. But right now nobody really sees anybody out there."

Clooney has been a long-time supporter of the Clinton campaign. He wrote an email letter to Clinton supporters on the importance of backing a "grown-up" candidate.

"In all of this clutter, there's been one consistent voice... A candidate who knows firsthand the complexity of our international relationships. That candidate is Hillary Clinton," Clooney wrote in March 2016.

Clooney, alongside his wife, Amal Clooney, also launched two fundraisers for Clinton. The high-profile fundraisers, which were held in San Francisco and Los Angeles, reeled in a reported $15 million. The bulk earnings, however, weren't all designated for Clinton's campaign. Clooney said on NBC's "Meet the Press" in April 2016 that a generous amount of the earnings would go towards congressmen and senators to help them take back Congress.