Donald Trump has reportedly lashed out at Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro, 82, after the actor publicly criticized the president and urged Americans to resist his administration. During an appearance on The Best People podcast, De Niro called Trump “an idiot” and warned that he believed the president was going to “ruin the country.” He also reminded fellow Americans that political supporters do not represent the entire nation.
De Niro had previously hosted a political event called State of the Swamp, held on the same night as Trump’s State of the Union address. During the event, he encouraged opponents of the administration to stand together and said they should be prepared to “take to the streets” if they wanted to take their country back.
Trump responded on Truth Social with a lengthy personal attack. He called De Niro “Trump Deranged,” “sick and demented,” and claimed the actor had an “extremely Low IQ.” Trump also suggested that De Niro should leave the United States and referenced Democratic politicians Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib in the same post.
The comments quickly drew attention because De Niro was born in New York City and has been one of Hollywood’s most outspoken Trump critics for years. Trump also brought up comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland after his second inauguration, comparing her intelligence favorably to De Niro’s. The clash has once again highlighted the extraordinary hostility between Trump and some of Hollywood’s most prominent critics.