CNN’s Anderson Cooper interviewed actor George Clooney on the set of his Broadway play, “Good Night, and Good Luck,” which is focused on Edward R. Murrow’s famous battle with Senator Joseph McCarthy. Clooney discussed why people are coming to the play and what he predicts will happen to “Trumpism”  after President Trump’s second term ends.

Los Angeles

George Clooney was interviewed by Anderson Cooper on the set of his Broadway play, 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' which centers on Edward R. Murrow's confrontation with Senator Joseph McCarthy. Clooney discussed the reasons audiences are drawn to the play, noting its relevance to current events and the desire for collective reflection on society's values.

Clooney also addressed the future of 'Trumpism,' expressing his belief that it will be difficult for the movement to persist after President Trump's term ends. He attributed Trump's influence to his celebrity status and charisma, suggesting that finding another figure with similar appeal would be challenging for the movement.

George Clooney on what will happen to ‘Trumpism’ after Trump’s term

history will be made right here on cnn this saturday night that's when cnn presents a live broadcast of the five-time tony award-nominated play goodnight and good luck on broadway it features two-time academy award winner george clooney who stars as edward r murrow in the lead-up to his legendary showdown with senator joseph mccarthy seen as anderson cooper just spoke with george clooney on the broadway set ahead of the big night and this is with us now anderson thanks so much for joining i guess there's so much excitement built uh like heading into saturday night not just because it's the first time a broadway play will be televised but also because some of the striking parallels between the mccarthy era and now yeah i think that's that's certainly true and i do i do think it's it's an exciting broadcast as you said this has never been done before this is an opportunity for people all around the world to see a broadway production uh being performed live by by george clooney uh and this cast um i talked to clooney yesterday on the stage where they've recreated an old cbs news uh see it now news uh newsroom uh clooney obviously plays uh edward r murrow i asked him about what he thinks is bringing so many people to see this play uh for each performance i think they feel um that they wanted to place and to be in a room together where they could hear and talk about who we are at our best and i think that's a good uh i think it's a good outlet to give them is something because a lot of people feel like in this room probably who are here feel that we are at our worst right now i can make an argument that we're not i can make an argument that we've had uh much worse times in our history you know 1968 every city in the united states was burning there was a national guard was surrounding the white house and the capitol and we'd lost martin luther king and bobby kennedy and ted offensive but it's a frustrating time and i think a scary time for many people it's a scary time to be a news person to be in your profession um you've been uh um picked out um you know 60 minutes has been picked out uh uh most news organizations are under fire that usually happens with demagogues in a way usually as a way of the first places you attack are the news because that's how we inform ourselves do you think trumpism lasts beyond this term don't think so i think i think it'd be very hard to do it remember this donald trump is a celebrity that's what he is i mean he's got a you know he has a star on hollywood boulevard i don't have a star on hollywood boulevard he's i'm not lobbying for one i'm just saying you know seems like an oversight by the way what's going on um he's a celebrity and he's the president united states and so he has been elected duly elected fair deal i'm not complaining about that that's how it works that's how this democracy works but he's also a celebrity and he is uh charming and to the people who like him they think he's funny um to a great many others they don't and so when he is finished and he will be finished they're going to have to go looking for someone who can deliver the message that he delivered with the same kind of charisma and they don't have that cluny co-wrote this uh this uh play uh initially it was for for television it became a movie uh now it's a play he wrote it 20 years ago uh but certainly for many people who are coming it feels very very timely indeed phil yeah no question about it anderson cooper thanks so much you can watch the special broadcast of the broadway hit good night and good luck this saturday night at seven eastern only on cnf

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending his decision to keep fighting in Gaza, despite protests at home and abroad. Debora Patta has the latest.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Middle East Conflict

Netanyahu defends plan to expand war in Gaza

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is thanking European leaders for backing his push to join this week's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, insisting an end to the war must be fair. Willie James Inman has more from the White House.

Anchorage

Ukraine Invasion

Countdown begins to Trump-Putin meeting, without Zelenskyy

Violent weather hit several Midwest states over the weekend, with high winds being blamed for the death of at least one person in Nebraska and flash flooding prompting a state of emergency in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

Milwaukee

Milwaukee inundated with floodwaters, one dead in Nebraska

Thirty-seven major wildfires are currently burning across nine states in the western United States. Firefighters have made significant progress on the Canyon Fire in California, achieving 62% containment and allowing over 4,000 residents to return home, with minimal property loss reported.

Major fires continue to burn across western U.S.

President Donald Trump's envoy met with the Qatari prime minister on Saturday in Spain to discuss possible deals to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, as Israel's military plans to expand into Gaza City. Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages and Palestinians alike are pleading for peace.

Families of Israeli hostages, Palestinians plead for ceasefire

Renewed anti-government protests have taken place in Israel, where relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas demanded their release and an end to the brutal war Israel has been waging in Gaza.

Israeli anti-government protesters take to the streets in Tel Aviv

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Kyiv "values and fully supports" a joint statement by European leaders that welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to try to end the war, while emphasizing the need to pressure Russia and provide security guarantees for Kyiv.

Kyiv

Europe stresses need to protect Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin meet

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has firmly rejected Russia’s proposal requiring land concessions to end the war. Ukrainian and European officials have submitted a counterproposal to Washington.

Ukraine, Europe counter Russian ceasefire proposal ahead of US talks

There have been more protests, and counter protests, in several British towns and cities, outside of hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers. Some far-right protesters called for one of the hotels to stop housing migrants.

Bournemouth

UK: Anti-immigration & anti-racism protesters face off

A man who opened fire on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, firing into the complex from a pharmacy and killing a police officer, blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, according to reports.

Atlanta

Vaccine conspiracy could be behind Atlanta shooting

The Gifford Fire burning through the rugged backcountry of California's Central Coast is now the state's largest wildfire of the year. It has reached so-called "mega-fire" status and is one of 38 large fires burning across nine states.

San Luis Obispo

Largest California wildfire of 2025 reaches "mega fire" status

President Trump is preparing to take another swing at a deal with President Putin during a high-stakes summit next Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the country will never give up land, even if it means an end to the war.

Trump: Ukraine must cede land for ceasefire; Zelenskyy refuses

The United Nations Security Council is set to hold a rare Sunday meeting to discuss Israel's plan to intensify its 22-month war with Hamas by taking control of Gaza City. CBS News' Debora Patta reports on the conflict and the mounting humanitarian crisis.

Netanyahu's plan to occupy Gaza comes under fire

At least 200 protesters have been arrested at a rally showing solidarity for Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Parliament in London. Crowds are also demonstrating against a ban on the Palestine Action group, after it was designated as a terrorist organisation.

London

London:  Hundreds arrested during Palestine action protest

After almost four decades of a bloody conflict that until recently had no end in sight, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a peace agreement in the presence of the US President Donald Trump. Notably absent in this historic moment is Russia, which no longer plays a central role in the South Caucasus.

Washington

Azerbaijan and Armenia sign historic agreement

Montana's governor said that the dayslong manhunt for the suspect in a bar shooting has ended. 45-year-old Michael Brown was taken into custody on Friday.

Anaconda

Montana bar shooting suspect captured after weeklong manhunt

President Trump announced Friday that he will hold a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15 in Alaska. The summit comes as Russia has been pushing to keep all the Ukrainian territory it gained from its invasion. Nancy Cordes and Margaret Brennan have the latest.

Trump, Putin to hold meeting in Alaska next week

The U.S. Department of Justice issued subpoenas in its investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James. CBS News' Jake Rosen reports.

New York

Trump's DOJ subpoenas New York AG Letitia James

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in the coming days, the Kremlin said on Thursday (August 7), as the U.S. president seeks a breakthrough to end the Ukraine war after voicing mounting frustration with his Russian counterpart and threatening him with new sanctions.

Moscow

Kremlin says Trump, Putin to meet soon; Ukraine seeks role for Europe

U.S. President Donald Trump's rushed deadline for Russia to strike a ceasefire deal or face more sanctions has arrived without much movement from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump deadline for Russia to reach ceasefire arrives

Protesters in Israel are voicing their concerns about a plan approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet to take over Gaza City. CBS News' Debora Patta has more.

Jerusalem

Israel's security cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel intends to take full military control of Gaza and push a new offensive, despite mounting international criticism over the war’s human toll and growing hunger crisis.

Israel intends to take full control of Gaza, Netanyahu says

U.S. President Donald Trump said that there is a good chance he'll meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin soon over Russia's war with Ukraine.

Trump says 'good chance' he'll meet with Putin soon

U.S. President Donal Trump officially began levying higher import taxes on dozens of countries on Thursday (August 7), just as the economic fallout of his months-long tariff threats was beginning to create visible damage to the U.S. economy.

Global Tariffs

Higher U.S. tariffs officially take effect

The man accused of killing two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., earlier this year has been charged with federal hate crime charges. CBS News Justice reporter Jake Rosen has more.

Hate crime charges filed in killings of Israeli Embassy staffers

As Sean "Diddy" Combs awaits his sentencing, his lead attorney Marc Agnifilo says he has not talked to anyone at the White House about a possible pardon.

Sean "Diddy" Combs' attorney says he hasn't had talks about a pardon

Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, blamed Hamas when asked about starvation in Gaza, saying, "Hamas has not allowed the food to get to the people who are hungry." Huckabee also addressed questions over the controversial aid sites.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel faces questions over starvation in Gaza

On "T-Day," the US began enforcing Trump's new tariffs, raising average rates from 2% to 15% after a 90-day pause allowed some countries to negotiate reduced deals while others, like India and Brazil, faced hikes. These tariffs have generated over $150 billion in revenue by July, impacting various sectors and aiming to address trade imbalances.

U.S. begins collecting Trump's new global tariffs

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he plans to call the leaders of China and India, to discuss a joint response to new US tariffs. The announcement came as Brazil and India were hit with 50 percent levies - the highest imposed by President Donald Trump.

Breakdown