Robert De Niro delivered one of his most direct attacks on Donald Trump yet during a First Amendment concert in New York City, borrowing a line from his own filmography to send a blunt four-word message to the president in front of a packed crowd.
The event, Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment, was hosted by Jane Fonda and took place on Trump's 80th birthday in June. De Niro took to the stage and addressed the crowd about the state of the country, focusing in particular on economic pressures and comments Trump had reportedly made about Americans' financial situations.
"When I hear Trump say, as he did a few days ago, 'I don't think about Americans' financial situation, not even a little bit,' I say, 'Shut the f*** up,'" De Niro told the audience, before leading them in repeating the phrase. The line is borrowed from his 1988 film Midnight Run.
The remarks came after Trump had attacked De Niro on Truth Social following his State of the Union address, calling him a "sick and demented person" and suggesting he should be deported, alleging some of his actions were "seriously CRIMINAL."
De Niro did not hold back in his wider remarks either, delivering an extended and emotional critique of the current administration's policies on healthcare, immigration and what he described as the erosion of democratic norms.
"I hate to say it, but loving our country is starting to sound like an abused spouse saying they love their abuser," he told the crowd.
He closed with a more personal note about his own relationship with patriotism. "I want to love my country again," he said. "I want my country back."
