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Aging Actor Goes On Insane Rant About ‘America’s Philistine President’

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Robert De Niro
Photo Credit: Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Actor Robert De Niro used the international stage at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday to attack President Donald Trump, who he referred to as “America’s philistine president.”

While accepting the Palme d’Or lifetime achievement award, the aging liberal actor launched into a tirade, warning that Trump is a direct threat to democracy and artistic freedom.

“In my country, we are fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted, and that affects all of us,” De Niro declared.

“That affects all of us here because the arts are democratic. Art is inclusive, it brings people together, like tonight. Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity.”

The speech, delivered to a largely European audience, linked support for the arts to opposition against authoritarianism.

“And that’s why art is a threat. That’s why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists,” he continued.

De Niro took aim at several of the president’s cultural and trade policies, accusing Trump of undermining public support for the arts.

He referenced Trump’s appointment to a prominent cultural post at the Kennedy Center and his proposed tariff on imported films.

“America’s philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of our premier cultural institutions,” the “Taxi Driver” star moaned.

“He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education. And now he has announced a 100 percent tariff on films produced outside the U.S … You can’t put a price on creativity, but apparently you can put a tariff on it.”

The speech ended with a rallying cry to defend artistic freedom around the world “without violence, but with great passion and determination.”.

“Of course, this is unacceptable. All of these attacks are unacceptable. And this isn’t just an American problem, it’s a global one. Unlike a film, we can’t just all sit back and watch. We have to act, and we have to act now,” De Niro rambled on.

“It’s time for everyone who cares about liberty to organize, to protest, and when there are elections, of course, to vote. Vote,” he concluded.

“Tonight, and for the next 11 days, we show our strength and commitment by celebrating art in this glorious festival. Liberté, egalité, fraternité.”

De Niro’s combative tone at Cannes was not an isolated attack on Trump. Throughout the 2024 election cycle, he was a high-profile critic of the president, often participating in partisan messaging on behalf of the Biden campaign.

One of his most visible efforts was a dramatic television ad aimed at portraying Trump as dangerous and erratic.

“From midnight tweets, to drinking bleach, to tear-gassing citizens, and staging a photo op. We knew Trump was out of control when he was president,” De Niro narrated in the ad, which juxtaposed images of Trump with ominous music and grainy footage.

“Then he lost the 2020 election – and snapped. Desperately trying to hold onto power. Now he’s running again,” he continued. “This time threatening to be a dictator. To terminate the Constitution.”

Shortly after, De Niro appeared outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump’s hush money trial was underway.

“The Twin Towers fell just over here, just over there. This part of the city was like a ghost town, but we vowed we would not allow terrorists to change our way of life,” he said at one point.

“I love this city. I don’t want to destroy it,” De Niro claimed. “Donald Trump wants to destroy not only the city but the country, and eventually he can destroy the world.”

Returning to one of his most frequent jabs, the actor warned that Trump would cling to power if reelected.

“I don’t mean to scare you. No, no, wait — maybe I do mean to scare you,” De Niro said. “If Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all take for granted.”

“And elections — forget about it. That’s over; that’s done. If he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never leave.”

Amidst his Biden administration sponsored tour last year, De Niro described Trump as both “a total monster” and “a mean, nasty, hateful person,” on a May 2024 episode of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

He also warned at the time that Trump might go after Maher’s show and “come looking” for himself personally.

“There’ll be things that happen that none of us can imagine,” De Niro said. “That’s what happens in that kind of a dictatorship, which is what he says. Let’s believe and take him at his word.”

“So he’s a sociopathic, psychopathic, malignant narcissist,” the actor raged. “He is a dangerous person.”

The president responded directly on Truth Social, writing, “Robert DeNiro has a terminal case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Such a stupid sounding guy, a low IQ individual!”

De Niro also made headlines recently after his 29-year-old child came out as transgender.

“I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” he told TMZ. “I don’t know what the big deal is…I love all my children.”

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