For more than a decade, Robert De Niro, one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors, has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump, escalating his attacks from pointed critiques to expletive-laden rants. His disdain for the former president, whom he has called everything from a “punk” to a “clown,” has become as defining as his iconic roles in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull.
Yet, the irony of De Niro’s personal life - particularly his marriage to Grace Hightower, a Black woman who reportedly voted for Trump -- underscores the contradictions within Hollywood’s liberal elite.
Let’s examine how the chronicles of De Niro’s 12-year campaign against Trump reveal the personal irony and critique the sanctimonious culture of Hollywood, which amplifies such feuds while overlooking its flaws.
De Niro’s public attacks on Trump began in 2011, during Trump’s “birther” campaign questioning Barack Obama’s citizenship.
In an interview at the Tribeca Film Festival, De Niro called out Trump’s claims, saying, “How dare you? That isn’t very good. To go out there and say things you can’t back up. That’s crazy.” Trump responded on Fox & Friends, dismissing De Niro as “not the brightest bulb” and “no Albert Einstein.”
By 2016, as Trump campaigned for president, De Niro’s rhetoric intensified.
At a Sarajevo event celebrating Taxi Driver’s 40th anniversary, he called Trump “totally nuts” and a “national disaster,” expressing disbelief at his rise.
That October, in a #VoteYourFuture campaign video, De Niro unleashed a tirade, labeling Trump a “punk,” “pig,” “con,” and “bullshit artist” who “doesn’t do his homework” and “thinks he’s gaming society.”
After Trump’s election, De Niro told The Hollywood Reporter he felt as devastated as after 9/11, though he briefly tempered his tone on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, saying he couldn’t punch Trump now that he was president.
In 2017, De Niro’s attacks resumed with vigor. At a “United We Stand” rally, he mocked Trump’s social media rants and criticized his immigration policies.
By 2018, De Niro’s rhetoric turned profane. At the National Board of Review gala, he called Trump a “jerk-off in chief” and “fing fool” while introducing Meryl Streep. At the Tony Awards, he received a standing ovation for shouting “F Trump,” prompting Trump to tweet that De Niro was “punch-drunk” and a “very Low IQ individual.”
In 2019, De Niro called Trump a “wannabe gangster” and “total loser” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, comparing him unfavorably to mobsters with codes of honor.
During the 2020 pandemic, he branded Trump a “lunatic” who “doesn’t care how many people die.”
In 2023, at the Gotham Awards, De Niro accused organizers of censoring his anti-Trump remarks while reading from his phone, criticizing Trump’s "30,000+ lies" and use of “Pocahontas” against Sen. Elizabeth Warren who falsified claims about Native American heritage to gain affirmative action privileges in hiring. Trump retaliated on Truth Social, calling De Niro a “total loser” whose “acting talents have greatly diminished.”
De Niro’s attacks peaked in 2024 and 2025.
In May 2024, outside the Manhattan Criminal Court during Trump’s hush-money trial, De Niro called him a “grubby real estate hustler,” “clown,” and “tyrant” who “will never leave” if re-elected. He narrated a Biden campaign ad. warning of a Trump “bloodbath.”
In September 2024, at a Megalopolis screening, De Niro said Trump “cannot do anything” and “wants to destroy the country.”
In October, he went on a “foul-mouthed tirade,” calling Trump a “piece of sh**.”
In November, at an Eagles tailgate, he likened Trump to Hitler and urged NFL fans to vote for Kamala Harris.
Most recently, in May 2025, at Cannes, De Niro accepted an honorary Palme d’Or and called Trump a “philistine president” whose 100% tariff on foreign films threatens art and democracy.
Amid De Niro’s relentless attacks, a striking irony emerges from his personal life.
De Niro was married to Grace Hightower, a Black woman, from 1997 until their divorce in 2021.
Reports suggest Hightower voted for Trump, a claim that, while unverified in primary sources, aligns with the complexity of political divides even within liberal circles. This alleged divergence highlights the disconnect between De Niro’s public persona as a progressive crusader and the private realities of his relationships. Their divorce, finalized after years of separation, underscores how political differences can strain even high-profile unions.
De Niro’s obsession with Trump is emblematic of Hollywood’s broader sanctimonious culture. The industry, dominated by liberal elites, often cloaks its moralizing in artistic virtue while ignoring its own contradictions.
Stars like De Niro decry Trump’s divisiveness yet engage in rhetoric that fuels polarization, alienating audiences who see their activism as out of touch with their values.
Hollywood’s selective outrage — condemning political figures while excusing its own history of misconduct, from Harvey Weinstein to labor abuses — reveals a double standard. De Niro’s Cannes speech, railing against Trump’s tariffs while overlooking the festival’s own controversies, like Gérard Depardieu’s sexual assault conviction, exemplifies this hypocrisy.
Moreover, Hollywood’s echo chamber amplifies voices like De Niro’s, rewarding them with applause while dismissing dissenting perspectives. The industry’s portrayal of conservatives as caricatures -- think Trump as a “clown” or “Hitler” - reduces complex issues to soundbites, undermining genuine discourse. De Niro’s rants, cheered on by peers, reflect a culture that prioritizes performative activism over self-reflection while profiting from the very systems it critiques.
Robert De Niro’s extended vendetta against Donald Trump, from 2011’s measured critiques to 2025’s fiery Cannes speech, reveals a man consumed by political animus. The irony of his ex-wife’s alleged Trump support exposes the personal contradictions beneath his public stance. More broadly, De Niro’s crusade reflects Hollywood’s sanctimonious tendency to preach while ignoring its own flaws. As audiences grow weary of celebrity moralizing, the industry should look inward rather than point fingers outward.
Image: George Biard, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 Deed
