Robert De Niro Kicks Off Cannes Film Festival With Blistering Speech About 'Philistine' Trump
Robert De Niro used his acceptance speech at the Cannes Film Festival to once again take aim at Donald Trump.
Throughout Trump’s political career, De Niro has been one of his most vocal critics – even garnering responses from the president on multiple occasions.
While accepting an honorary Palme D’Or – the film festival’s highest honour – on Tuesday, the two-time Oscar winner said that back in the US, people are “fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted”.
“That affects all of us here, because art is the crucible that brings people together, like tonight. Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity. That’s why art is a threat,” he began. “That’s why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists.”
De Niro continued: “America’s philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of our premier cultural institutions. He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education. And now he has announced a 100% tariff on films outside the US. Let that sink in for a minute. You can’t put a price on creativity – but apparently you can put a tariff on it.
“Of course, this is unacceptable. All of these attacks are unacceptable. And this isn’t just an American problem, it’s a global one. Like a film, we can’t just all sit back and watch. We have to act, and we have to act now.”
De Niro then urged anyone listening to act “not with violence, but with great passion and determination”.
“It’s time for everyone who cares about liberty to organise,” he concluded. “To protest, and when there are elections, vote. Vote.
“Tonight, and for the next 11 days, we show our strength and commitment by celebrating art in this glorious festival. Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.”
At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival opening, Robert De Niro used his honorary Palme d’Or acceptance speech to sharply criticize Donald Trump, labeling him ‘America’s philistine president’ and an enemy of the arts. pic.twitter.com/e4FOSHrdlU
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) May 13, 2025
Last year, months before Trump’s re-election, De Niro made headlines when he branded the former president “crazy” and accused him of wanting to “destroy” the United States.
Prior to that, he made an appearance outside the courthouse where Trump was facing trial – and later found guilty on all charges of falsifying business documents to cover up an alleged affair with pornographic film performer Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election – where he called Trump a “monster” and a “tyrant”.
He later branded Trump a “clown”, and urged people to vote for the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who he said had the “right intentions”, particularly in comparison to her political opponent.