Robert De Nirohas never been the biggest fan ofDonald Trump, but the Oscar-winning Hollywood veteran didn’t even attempt to hold back his opinions of the former - and potentially future - President during an appearance onMSNBC’s The 11th Hour. In a blistering interview with Stephanie Ruhle, De Niro pulled no punches when comparing Trump to some of the world’s most notorious dictators, and labeling him as“very dangerous.”
I’m tired of calling him names. He is really, genuinely a sick person.
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Monday night at the 2023 Gotham Awards, the Killers of the Flower Moon actor Robert De Niro, became upset after discovering alterations to his speech.
The interview comes as Trump continues to appear in court in the hush money trial that could potentially end his bid to return to the White House by handing him a prison sentence. While that outcome still seems very unlikely, the frequently outspoken mogul has not done himself any favors by flouting a gag order imposed by the judge, and reportedly falling asleep while the court proceedings continued. As far as De Niro is concerned, though, buying silence is the least thatTrump is capable of. He said of Trump’s supporters:
“I don’t think they understand how dangerous it will be if he ever, God forbid, becomes president [again]. I don’t think they really understand. And, historically, from what I see, in Nazi Germany they had it with Hitler. They don’t take him seriously. Looks like a clown. Acts like a clown. Mussolini, same thing. These guys, I don’t know why, they look like clowns. Somehow people, that element of society, identifies with them.”
Robert De Niro Says the Idea of Trump Returning to Presidency is ‘F*cking Scary’
From even those lines, it is clear that there is nothing that would cause De Niro to change his opinion on Donald Trump. In fact, when asked if he would consider playing Trump on screen,theGoodfellasactoralmost cut off the question to reply,“Never.”
Sebastian Stan is set to appear as a young Donald Trump in Ali Abbasi’sThe Apprentice.
However, for De Niro, it seems that there is something much more fundamental than the state of American democracy at stake. He went on:
“It’s about right and wrong. Period. The guy’s a monster. It’s beyond wrong. It’s almost like he wants to do the most horrible things that he can think of in order to get…a rise out of us? I don’t know what it is, but it’s f*cking scary.
The idea to be bullied at my age by someone like this, [it] is not happening…I think other people are going to have to stand up because it’s either that, or you’re going to find yourself in a world that’s so terrifying…We always hear about people from Eastern Europe, the Jews from other parts of Eastern Europe, Western Europe, coming over. Look what happened in France, the Nazis and so on. When I was a kid I’d say, ‘Hitler, it’s a nightmare. It never would happen [here].’ But now I see that it’s possible.”
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De Niro ended his interview by not exactly endorsing Joe Biden to remain in the power seat of the U.S., but pointed out that there is very little choice given the alternative. He said:
We don’t have a choice. He’s a good guy. He’s trying to do the right thing.
Sharing his advice on what Biden should do next, De Niro suggested,“Figuratively, punch him in the face. Go at him. A bully you punch in the face. Trouble with Trump is he’s not just a bully, he’s a stupid bully.”
