George Clooney is standing by his decision to publicly call for President Joe Biden to step down from the 2024 race.

The actor reflected on his controversial New York Times op-ed during a recent CNN interview with Jake Tapper, where he promoted his Broadway debut of Good Night, and Good Luck—a play focused on journalist Edward R. Murrow’s fight against McCarthyism.

Tapper noted that Clooney’s op-ed was seen as a bold move. Clooney responded, “I don’t know if it was brave—it felt like a civic duty.” As a Democrat from Kentucky, Clooney said he felt compelled to speak out when he saw others on his side being dishonest.

In his July editorial, Clooney warned that Democrats risked losing the presidency, House, and Senate if Biden remained the nominee. He claimed this view was shared privately by every Democratic senator, congress member, and governor he’d spoken with—even if they publicly supported Biden.

Shortly after the op-ed, Biden stepped down, a move Clooney praised as “the most selfless act since George Washington,” according to Deadline.

Clooney acknowledged that some people are still upset with him but said taking a stand means accepting criticism. He compared the backlash to when he opposed the Iraq War in 2005, saying he respects others’ rights to disagree.

The actor continues to be politically outspoken, recently warning about threats to press freedom during a 60 Minutes interview that drew sharp criticism from Donald Trump.