Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro broke down in tears during a live interview Monday as he delivered an emotional appeal calling for President Donald Trump to be “neutralized” by the American people.
The 82-year-old Hollywood legend sobbed openly while appearing on MSNBC’s podcast “The Best People” with host Nicolle Wallace, unleashing a passionate 40-minute critique of the 79-year-old president and his administration.
“I want my country back,” De Niro declared, his voice cracking with emotion. The actor then called for Trump to be “neutralized by the people, who say, ‘Wait a minute, our rights are being trampled on, and we have to stand up!'”
The actor, known for his tough-guy roles in films like Martin Scorsese’s 1976 psychological drama “Taxi Driver,” showed a vulnerable side when Wallace asked him about his tendency to lift others up. De Niro immediately began crying, struggling to maintain his composure as he spoke about unity and what he sees as the president’s divisive leadership.
Throughout the interview, De Niro described Trump as “sadistic” and “cruel,” mocking him as “triggered” by “real men” and “displays of actual strength.” He grew visibly angry when discussing Trump’s reaction to dissent, calling the president “an idiot” who is “gonna ruin the country.”
The emotional moment came as the actor discussed the current political climate and Trump’s presidency, which began when he was inaugurated on January 20, 2025, alongside Vice President JD Vance. De Niro also voiced concern about retribution against New Yorkers, warning of potential ICE operations targeting the city.
De Niro’s interview aired just one day before Trump’s scheduled State of the Union address on Tuesday evening. The president’s speech will focus on the theme “America at 250: Strong, Prosperous and Respected,” according to White House officials, as he faces flagging poll numbers and a recent Supreme Court ruling striking down his sweeping tariffs.
The actor and the president have maintained a contentious relationship for years. De Niro has repeatedly criticized Trump at public events, including when he accepted the honorary Palme d’Or lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival last May. There, he called Trump “America’s philistine president” and warned that artists and democracy itself were under threat.
More recently, De Niro joined Jimmy Kimmel’s show in September for a brutal parody targeting FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and what De Niro described as the MAGA attack on free speech. Playing a mobster-style FCC chairman, De Niro delivered an expletive-laden takedown of the administration’s pressure on broadcasters.
In March 2024, De Niro called Trump a “total monster” during an appearance on “Real Time With Bill Maher,” declaring he would never play the then-former president in a film because he could see “nothing redeemable in him.”
The criticism flows both ways. Trump has called De Niro “a very Low IQ individual” and “a total loser.”
White House communications director Steven Cheung responded to De Niro’s latest comments with a blistering statement. “Robert DeNiro is a washed up has-been who hasn’t been relevant in 30 years,” Cheung said, accusing the actor of “spewing hate speech and inciting violence” while suffering from “a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
As the interview wound down, Wallace told De Niro, “You weren’t supposed to make me cry.” The actor’s sobbing briefly subsided as he offered his final message: “All I know is people have to resist, resist, resist.”
De Niro added a stark warning about what Americans must do to protect their country. “You better jump and run through the fire because if you don’t run through the fire, you’re not getting out,” he said. “And that’s what we have to do.”