Trump lashes out at ‘criminal’ Robert De Niro, suggests he leave the U.S.
President Trump on Wednesday dubbed Robert De Niro a “criminal” and suggested he leave the U.S. after the Oscar-winning actor headlined a “State of the Swamp” campaign that aired live on YouTube at the same time as Tuesday night’s State of the Union address.
De Niro joined actor and activist Mark Ruffalo, many Democratic politicians and even some members of Trump’s previous administration to urge the audience to protest against the president as the November midterm elections approach.
“If you’ve ever loved your country, this is a time to show it,” De Niro said when speaking from the stage at D.C.’s National Press Club. “If you want our leaders to be accountable, if you’re devoted to the Constitution and the rule of law, if you want the United States of America to be worthy of your love, be ready to take to the streets together and we will take our country back.”
The president didn’t take well to the speech, reacting angrily in a post on Truth Social that questioned De Niro’s sanity, intelligence and legal standing.
Trump’s message also suggested the Manhattan native should leave the country along with Democratic U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who shouted at him during his State of the Union speech.
“They should actually get on a boat with Trump Deranged Robert De Niro, another sick and demented person with, I believe, an extremely Low IQ, who has absolutely no idea what he is doing or saying — some of which is seriously CRIMINAL!” the president ranted.
He likened De Niro to a child because of his emotional speech and compared him to comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland just days before Trump took office in 2025.
“The only difference between De Niro and Rosie is that she is probably somewhat smarter than him, which isn’t saying much,” Trump claimed.
De Niro said Tuesday night that the U.S. is his home and he’s not going anywhere.
“This is my house, my home,” he asserted.
Trump and De Niro are no strangers to insulting one another. In 2016, footage went viral of the actor raging against the then-GOP nominee, calling him “a pig” and a “bulls–t artist” while expressing his desire to “punch him in the face.”
Two years later, after De Niro received a standing ovation for blasting Trump at the Tony Awards, the president suggested the “Raging Bull” star had “received (too) many shots to the head by real boxers in movies.”
The criticisms have only continued in the subsequent years. De Niro has called Trump a “philistine” who wants to “destroy” the country, while the president has repeatedly said his nemesis is a “whacko” who suffers from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”