“You have to lift people up,” the legendary actor told MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace. “You have to bring them together, period. You can’t divide people.”
Robert De Niro didn’t hold back during a recent podcast appearance, delivering an emotional message about the direction of the nation and the deep divisions he believes are shaping today’s political climate.
“Trump is the enemy of this country, let’s not kid ourselves,” De Niro plainly stated. “It’s that simple. Everybody has to stick together to get them out and get back on track. We can all argue and fight about our little differences and all that. This is the big problem.”
After a lengthy discussion of Trump’s polarizing effect on the state of both civil discourse and public life, Wallace reminded De Niro of his acceptance speech for Best Actor at the 1981 Oscars, which was characterized by gratitude and humility. “You have to lift people up,” De Niro reflected, tears brimming in his eyes as his voice cracked. “You have to bring them together, period. You can’t divide people. You can’t win that way.”
De Niro dismissed Wallace’s suggestion that people seek to understand “the human side” of the Trump era, stating his hope that a “a great director will do a great story on this time. Someone will play Trump and they’ll understand what it is, and much more that’s been learned in those years that can be done. But right now, it’s a survival thing with this country.”
The Taxi Driver star described the political situation Trump has ushered the nation into as “a no-win situation.” But he was able to reframe that grim view as a hopeful one. “It’s almost like destiny to have this thing there, attempting to destroy this country, and maybe not even understanding why. So it’s up to us to protect the country… We have to save the country.”
De Niro has long used his public platform to agitate for progressive political causes like gay rights and climate justice. Since Trump was first elected to the presidency in 2016, he’s become a primary target of the actor’s passionate critique.
From expletive-laden anti-Trump rants on The View to lending his voice to a pro-Joe Biden ad targeting the former Apprentice host, De Niro has been relentless in his criticism of Trump’s politics and personality.
Trump is not shy when it comes to responding to his celebrity critics in kind. He frequently sends venom back at the liberal-leaning View cohosts when they sound off about him. But De Niro has been a bit of an exception. Trump has had ample opportunity to engage in a sparring match with the Raging Bull star yet has rarely taken the chance. Though in 2018, he did call De Niro “a very Low IQ individual,” accusing him of being “punch-drunk” following De Niro criticizing him on stage at the Tony Awards.
