Robert De Niro took a pointed jab at Elon Musk over his spending on the recent midterm elections during a New York screening of the documentary Musk. The Oscar-winning actor questioned the billionaire’s political spending after several Republican candidates he supported suffered losses. Thus, drawing cheers and laughter from the audience.
Robert De Niro mocks Elon Musk’s election spending at Musk screening
According to Deadline, De Niro attended Sunday’s screening at Manhattan’s Crosby Hotel alongside Jane Rosenthal, his fellow Tribeca Festival founder. The event featured Alex Gibney‘s documentary, which takes a critical look at Musk, and was attended by several Academy members.
Introducing the film, De Niro highlighted Musk’s political spending, saying, “Elon Musk spent about 300 million dollars getting Trump elected in 2024. And he just spent close to half a billion on Republicans in this past week’s election. How did that turn out for you?”
The actor also referenced Musk’s announcement that Tesla would wind down Cybertruck production at its Texas factory around the middle of 2027. Taking another swipe at the billionaire, De Niro said, “In the fight between Musk’s money and democracy, democracy won. This time. But just like his grotesque Cybertruck, Musk isn’t going anywhere.”
The actor urged viewers to remain vigilant and take action, encouraging them to watch the documentary and spread the word. Gibney thanked him for his support, saying, “Thank you, Bob, for all you have done for all of the resistance.”
Rosenthal described the nearly four-hour film as “thoroughly engrossing” and called Musk “a thoroughly gross character” who cannot be ignored. Referring to Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, she added, “2,500 years ago, Sun Tzu [author of The Art of War] cautioned us to know your enemy. Musk the film exposes Musk the man and we cannot look away.”
Meanwhile, Musk won Best Biographical Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards on November 8. The film, released theatrically by Bleecker Street, has earned more than $700,000 at the domestic box office. It is also available on video-on-demand platforms. The documentary has screened at major festivals, including Venice, Toronto, Zurich, and BFI London, with additional screenings scheduled at DOC NYC and IDFA in Amsterdam.
