George Clooney criticized the political situation in the United States and highlighted the midterm elections scheduled for November ahead of the opening of Italy's 83rd Venice Film Festival.
Speaking to reporters, Clooney said without naming US President Donald Trump: "It is not easy to live in a country run by incompetent people."
The actor said the United States was going through an unfortunate period in its history, adding that the country had faced difficult times in the past and that the current period was one of them.
Clooney highlights the midterm elections
Clooney said the midterm elections to be held in the United States in November would definitely be a moment of reckoning. He said the country could return to a more normal state if everything went well.
The festival's opening program
The Venice Film Festival will open with a ceremony at which Clooney will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. INK, a film by British director Danny Boyle competing in the main competition, will also be screened as part of the festival's opening program.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival will conclude with an awards ceremony on September 12.