Over the course of his more than 40 years in the public eye, Robert De Niro has been famous for his reticence and general reluctance to give interviews. But there’s one subject that he hasn’t kept quiet about in recent years: His dismay over the presidency of Donald Trump. At the 2018 Tony awards, De Niro began his remarks bluntly. "I’m gonna say one thing—fuck Trump," he announced to cheers. "It’s no longer 'Down with Trump,' it’s 'Fuck Trump.'"
With two new films, Joker and Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, set to be released this fall, De Niro has been talking to the press more than usual. And in an appearance with CNN’s Brian Stelter Sunday, he was frank about his feelings concerning those who criticise his outspoken rebukes of the current president.
"This guy should not be president, period," said De Niro.
"And when you say that, folks on Fox come after you," replied Stelter. "I remember the Tonys, when you got up there and cursed—"
“Fuck ‘em,” De Niro broke in. “Fuck ‘em.” After a voice off-set was heard saying, “Whoa,” De Niro apologised.
"This is cable, so it's not an FCC violation," said Stelter, "but it is still a Sunday morning."
"Let me say something," the actor continued. "We’re at a moment in this country where this guy is like a gangster. He’s come along, and he’s said things, done things… this is terrible. We’re in a terrible situation, and this guy just keeps going on and on and on without being stopped." Check out the exchange below.
Gabrielle Bruney is a writer and editor for Esquire, where she focuses on politics and culture. She's based (and born and raised) in Brooklyn, New York.
