Hollywood legend Robert De Niro has been stripped of a prestigious leadership award after making several fiery anti-Trump remarks outside the former president’s criminal trial. The 80-year-old Oscar-winner was set to receive the National Association of Broadcasters’ Service to America Award next Tuesday in Washington, D.C., but the organization rescinded the award, stating that the ceremony is “proudly bipartisan.”
In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for the group said, ”This event is proudly bipartisan, uniting those from across the political spectrum to celebrate the impactful work of local broadcasters and our partners.”
They continued, “While we strongly support the right of every American to exercise free speech and participate in civic engagement, it is clear that Mr De Niro’s recent high-profile activities will create a distraction from the philanthropic work that we were hoping to recognize. To maintain the focus on the service of the award winners, Mr. De Niro will no longer be attending the event.”
De Niro, who has often taken shots at Trump openly, was invited by Joe Biden’s presidential campaign to speak at a press conference outside the courthouse. The actor snapped at Trump, calling him a “threat” to the country and accusing him of inciting violence and destruction on January 6, 2021, at the US Capitol.
The award-winning star stated, “I don’t mean to scare you. No no, wait, maybe I do mean to scare you. If Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss away these freedoms that we take for granted and elections, forget about it.”
The 80-year-old star also called Donald Trump a “clown,” adding that “we’ve forgotten the lessons of history that showed us other clowns who weren’t taken seriously until they became vicious dictators.” De Niro further shared, “With Trump, we have a second chance, and no one is laughing now. This is the time to stop him by voting him out once and for all. If he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never leave.”
Speaking to Sky News, Mr De Niro said that Mr Trump should not be the President of the United States. “You know my view of Donald Trump, he’s a monster. He should not be allowed… listen – he cannot be president of the United States again, never, ever.”
