Robert De Niro made a surprise appearance at a New York City event on Sunday. The two-time Oscar winner used the moment to bash President Donald Trump. The 82-year-old actor took the stage at the Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, held on June 14 at The Town Hall. The event was organized by the Committee for the First Amendment to celebrate the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest. It was also to push back against what organizers call government repression and industry intimidation.
Robert De Niro blasts Donald Trump during an event
Robert De Niro’s appearance was unannounced, and the crowd responded with roaring applause. He opened by establishing his position on free speech before pivoting to his criticism of Donald Trump.
“I’m devoted to our Constitution’s First Amendment. All parts of it — not just the free speech part. That said, I’m pretty close to being a free speech absolutist. Even speech I don’t like and there’s plenty of that around. So when I hear something I don’t like, I use my own free speech to respond,” he said.
De Niro then gave the audience specific examples of Donald Trump’s statements that drew his ire. And each one met with a sharp, crowd-pleasing response.
He referenced remarks Trump made on May 12, just before the president left for China. When asked how much Americans’ financial hardships were influencing his push to strike a deal with Iran, Trump replied, “not even a little bit” — a comment that received a lot of public backlash.
De Niro took aim at that saying, “When I hear Trump say like he did a few days ago ‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situations, not even a little bit.’ I say shut the f**k up.”
He followed with two more examples: Trump’s claims about inflation and his repeated assertion that he won the 2020 election — each time inviting the audience to join in with the same four-word response. The crowd obliged enthusiastically, saying, “shut the f**k up” (Via Huffpost).
