If you’ve spent any time on the internet over the last few years, you’ve likely seen a video of Robert De Niro shouting. Sometimes he's on a stage with a microphone. Other times, he's standing on a New York City sidewalk, dodging traffic and yelling over hecklers. Usually, he’s talking about Donald Trump.
It’s easy to write this off as just another Hollywood actor hating on a politician. But the Robert De Niro Trump conflict is actually way weirder and deeper than a simple Twitter spat. This isn't just about "liberal Hollywood." It’s a collision between two of the most famous New Yorkers to ever live—men who come from the same era, the same city, but represent two completely different versions of it.
The NYC Roots of a Bitter Rivalry
Honestly, you have to understand New York in the 70s and 80s to get why they clash so hard. De Niro was making Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. Trump was building towers and buying up tabloids. They were both becoming icons at the exact same time.
For years, they mostly ignored each other. De Niro stayed in the shadows, notoriously shy and press-avoidant. Trump stayed in the spotlight, constantly calling into radio shows to talk about himself. The breaking point didn't happen until 2011. Trump started pushing the "birther" theory about Barack Obama. That’s when De Niro first went public, basically calling Trump a "car salesman" who was selling a bunch of nonsense.
It wasn't a one-off comment. It was the start of a decade-plus of escalating hostility.
That Wild Appearance Outside the Courthouse
Fast forward to May 2024. This was probably the peak of the madness. While Trump was inside a Manhattan courthouse for his hush-money trial, De Niro showed up outside.
He didn't just show up to watch. He was there as a spokesperson for the Biden campaign. It was a bizarre scene. You had a legendary Oscar winner standing behind a podium with car alarms going off and people screaming "washed up!" in his face.
✨ Don't miss: Kaley Cuoco Tit Size: What Most People Get Wrong About Her Transformation
"I don't mean to scare you. No, wait, maybe I do mean to scare you," De Niro told the crowd. "If Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye."
It was a huge gamble for the campaign. Some people loved it; they thought it was about time someone fought fire with fire. Others, like political strategist David Axelrod, thought it was a disaster. Why? Because it made a serious legal proceeding look like a circus. It played right into the narrative that the whole thing was a Hollywood-style "witch hunt."
The Speech Tampering Scandal at the Gotham Awards
One of the most revealing moments in the Robert De Niro Trump saga happened at the 2023 Gotham Awards. This wasn't a protest. It was an awards show for the film Killers of the Flower Moon.
De Niro got up to give a speech. Suddenly, he stopped. He looked confused at the teleprompter. He realized the parts of his speech where he criticized Trump had been edited out without his permission.
Most actors would have just read what was on the screen and complained later. Not him. He pulled out his phone and read the original version. He went after Trump for lying "more than 30,000 times" and even called out Apple (the studio behind the film) for trying to censor him.
It was awkward. It was raw. And it showed that De Niro is willing to burn bridges with the people paying him just to get his point across. He’s 82. He doesn't care about his "brand" anymore.
🔗 Read more: Dale Mercer Net Worth: Why the RHONY Star is Richer Than You Think
2025 and the "No Kings" Movement
If you think the feud ended after the 2024 election, you haven't been paying attention. By late 2025, the rhetoric reached a boiling point. De Niro became one of the primary voices for the "No Kings" protests.
These rallies, which took place across all 50 states, were a response to what critics called Trump’s "authoritarian" tendencies during his second term. De Niro released a video in October 2025 that was basically a call to arms for non-violent resistance.
He started calling him "King Donald the First."
"Fuck that," he said.
Short. To the point. Classic De Niro.
Why Trump Always Hits Back
Trump doesn't let these things slide. He never has. Every time De Niro speaks up, Trump responds on Truth Social. He calls him "low IQ," says his acting talent has "greatly diminished," and reminds everyone that De Niro has been "hit hard" by life.
It’s a classic playground fight. But it works for both of them. For Trump, De Niro is the perfect "elite" villain to show his base. For De Niro, Trump is the ultimate "wannabe gangster" who he would never play on screen because he sees "nothing redeemable" in him.
Sorting Fact from Fiction
There's a lot of fake news in this space. You might have seen clips of De Niro at the 2025 Oscars saying "f*** Trump" again.
💡 You might also like: Jaden Newman Leaked OnlyFans: What Most People Get Wrong
That didn't happen. The footage people share is actually from the 2018 Tony Awards. In 2025, the Oscars were surprisingly quiet. Hollywood had sort of moved into a "survival mode," and many stars were hesitant to speak out as the political climate shifted. De Niro wasn't even there.
What This Means for You
So, why does this matter? Is it just two old guys yelling? Sorta. But it’s also a preview of how the "Resistance" operates in 2026.
We’ve moved past the era of polite disagreement. We’re in an era of direct confrontation. When a figure like De Niro uses his platform, it sets a template for other celebrities. It also creates a massive backlash that can actually help the person he's attacking.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you’re trying to navigate this landscape, here’s the reality:
- Check the Date: Before sharing a viral clip of an actor "slamming" a politician, look at the signage in the background. Most "new" rants are recycled footage from years ago.
- Understand the Strategy: These appearances are rarely accidental. The courthouse appearance in May 2024 was a calculated (if controversial) move by a presidential campaign.
- The Power of the Phone: The Gotham Awards incident proves that if you have a platform, you have the final say. De Niro's refusal to be censored by a tech giant like Apple is a blueprint for creators who feel their message is being diluted.
- Watch the Arts: De Niro’s recent focus has been on how political tariffs and policies affect the film industry. This is where the next stage of the battle will be fought—not just in speeches, but in the economy of culture.
The Robert De Niro Trump feud isn't going anywhere. As long as both men are in the public eye, they will continue to be the mirror image of each other's worst nightmares. It’s a New York story that has become the American story.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on upcoming rallies and how the film industry responds to new 2026 media regulations. You can start by looking into the "No Kings" organization's current schedule if you're interested in the grassroots side of this movement.