Robert De Niro calls Trump 'an alien who wants to hurt this country' in MSNBC interview
The actor described Trump as someone who “has no empathy” and “does not understand anything about humanity,” saying he “wants to hurt this country.”
Actor Robert De Niro said former US President Donald Trump "will not leave the White House" if re-elected, urging Americans to sustain peaceful resistance through protests and civic engagement.
The comments came during a wide-ranging interview on MSNBC following a weekend of nationwide "No Kings" demonstrations that drew large crowds opposing what protesters called Trump's authoritarian agenda.
De Niro, a longtime critic of the former president, said he was encouraged by the turnout at the rallies. "We can't let up—cannot let up on them," he said. "Either face the wrath of Trump or the wrath of the people, and [politicians] have to be more afraid of the wrath of the people and realize this is not good."
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He warned that anyone expecting Trump to leave office willingly "is deluding themselves," arguing that Trump "does not want to leave the White House" and is facing "awful, monstrous things" that will make him cling to power.
Calling the current political climate a "classic bully situation," De Niro said the only way to confront Trump and his allies was to "face him and fight it out." He accused Republican lawmakers of complicity, questioning how some, including Senator Marco Rubio, could "live with themselves" after enabling Trump's behavior.
The actor described Trump as someone who "has no empathy" and "does not understand anything about humanity," saying he "wants to hurt this country." De Niro dismissed Trump's social media posts portraying himself as a monarch as "all nonsense" and "all racist."
De Niro also criticized senior Trump adviser Stephen Miller, calling him "the Goebbels of the Cabinet" and saying he "should be ashamed of himself."
He voiced concern that Trump could use the National Guard to intimidate voters during upcoming elections, referencing deployments in several US cities. "It's all about intimidation," De Niro said. "We have to be strong to counter that kind of situation … the freedom to walk into the polling station and vote without being intimidated."
De Niro urged Democrats to strengthen their messaging and "take him seriously now," praising California Governor Gavin Newsom for "fighting fire with fire" and labeling Trump an "invasive species." He also expressed admiration for congressional leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer for "fighting back" and refusing to be cowed by Trump's rhetoric.
The actor was sharply critical of the current White House's communications strategy, particularly remarks from the press secretary alleging that Democrats support "Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens and violent criminals." De Niro said such statements reflected "no respect for truth" and that the media should "tamp down nonsense from Trump" to prevent misinformation from spreading unchecked.
Despite his pointed criticism, De Niro emphasized that resistance must remain peaceful. "People have to stand up and do it nicely, peacefully and all that," he said. "You don't want to give him an excuse."
