• Clooney and his family obtain French citizenship
• Trump criticizes the decision and sparks a reaction from the star

American actor George Clooney fired back at US President Donald Trump after he criticized France’s decision to grant Clooney and his family French citizenship.

Clooney (64) and his wife, lawyer Amal, along with their two children, became French citizens earlier this month after years of living on a property they own in southern France.

Clooney praised French privacy laws, which provided strong protection for his family against international media intrusion, and noted that they also allowed him to raise his children away from the Hollywood environment.

Trump, known for supporting anti-immigration parties in Europe, wrote on the platform "Truth Social" that France was welcome to grant citizenship to the star, who has long supported the Democratic Party, participated in fundraising, and strongly criticized the president.

Trump wrote: "Good news! George and Amal Clooney, two of the worst political prognosticators ever, have officially become French citizens, while France sadly faces a major crime problem due to their terrible handling of immigration."

The US president added: "Clooney gained more political fame than he did for his few, modest movies. He wasn’t a true movie star, just an ordinary guy constantly complaining about the lack of common sense in politics."

Clooney responded to Trump’s comments, referring to the US midterm elections on November 3: "I completely agree with the current president. We have to make America great again. We’ll start in November."

News of Clooney and his family obtaining French citizenship comes ahead of stricter language requirements for citizenship applicants under new rules starting January 1.

A junior member of French President Emmanuel Macron’s government also criticized granting citizenship, despite Clooney speaking French poorly. Marie-Pierre Vedrenne said: "I understand some French people’s feelings about double standards. We need to pay attention to the message we send."

In contrast, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and the Foreign Ministry defended the decision, noting that French nationality law states: "French nationality may be granted by naturalization to any foreigner who speaks French and provides distinguished services to enhance France’s standing and the prosperity of its international economic relations."

Under the new rules, applicants must provide a certificate proving their language skills are sufficient for French university entry, and pass a civic knowledge test.

Clooney admitted his French is still weak, telling a radio station in December: "I love French culture and your language, even if I’m still bad at it after 400 days of lessons." His wife Amal speaks fluent French, being an international lawyer with dual Lebanese-British nationality.

The family purchased Domaine du Canadel near the town of Brignoles in Provence in 2021, which Clooney described as where the family is "happiest."

Interior Minister Nunez commented that he was very happy to grant citizenship to the Clooneys, affirming that France is lucky to host them.

The French Foreign Ministry confirmed that issuing passports to the family complied with legal requirements for naturalization, after following strict procedures including security checks, official interviews, and payment of legal fees.

The ministry added that Clooney and his family contribute through their distinguished services to enhancing France’s international influence and cultural status, through the actor’s cinematic roles, while Amal Clooney is "a renowned lawyer who regularly collaborates with academic institutions and international organizations in France."