Actor Robert De Niro delivers speech at counter SOTU event
Actor Robert De Niro delivered a speech at the State of the Swamp, a counter State of the Union event, in Washington.
As No Kings protests swept the nation, Robert De Niro upped the ante on his criticism of President Donald Trump.
Speaking with Rev. Al Sharpton, with whom he’d stepped out for a No Kings Day event in New York earlier in the day on March 28, the 82-year-old actor said on MS Now that the massive turnout gave him hope that the midterm elections would not go in favor of the president and his Republican allies.
“Our democracy is at stake, period. And this fool is taking it with the fools around him. It’s like a surreal dream; it’s crazy,” De Niro said. “We cannot let up until the midterms are resolved, and resolved for the right reasons. We cannot let up with this guy.”
Accusing Trump of trying to “deflect” from the Epstein files, he added: “If I know anything, I know this guy will try anything because he’s crazy. He’s not well. He’s a damaged person, period. You’ve got to stand up.”
The Oscar-winning actor opened up about feeling “good now” after the third No Kings demonstration, saying, “I don’t want to say the word ‘hope’ again that things will get even better and stronger, but it’s the only way we’re going to get out of this.”
“My country’s at stake. I’m not going to keep my mouth shut, and why should I?” he told Sharpton. “Why should I not say anything, especially when I know I’m right?”
Organizers estimated 8 million people showed up to the 3,300 events across the U.S. on Saturday, March 28, though the total has not yet been independently verified. The turnout tops the 7 million who attended demonstrations in October, and the 5 million who rallied at the inaugural protest on June 24. The loosely organized group, unified in its opposition to Trump, names a few issues in its platform, including immigration enforcement, healthcare access, environmental protections, gun control and war funding.
When reached for comment, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded: “The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them.”
De Niro was among a slew of celebrities who spoke out at protests – a lineup that included Jane Fonda, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez and “M*A*S*H” star Mike Farrell.
Speaking at a press conference for a No Kings event in New York City, De Niro said from the podium, “When the crowds are chanting ‘no kings,’ what I’m hearing, as we all know, is ‘no Trump.'”
“There have been other presidents who occasionally tested the limits of their constitutional power, but none have been such an existential threat to our freedoms and security,” he continued. “None, except Trump. He must be stopped, and he must be stopped now.”
Among moves that have been deemed by civil rights organizations as unconstitutional is President Trump’s 2025 executive order that aimed to restrict birthright citizenship, a constitutional right originally established in 1868. The American Civil Liberties Union, among other groups, sued the Trump administration, arguing the move violated the 14th Amendment.
De Niro also called for “no unnecessary wars that rob our resources, sacrifice our great servicemen and women and slaughter innocents” and vowed to “go from the streets to the ballot box.”
The U.S.-Israel war with Iran, launched Feb. 28, is now in its fifth week. U.S. Central Command said in a post on X on March 28 that 3,500 troops and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli arrived in the Middle East region. The contingent includes sailors, Marines and strike fighter aircraft.
The number of American service members wounded in the Iran war has grown beyond 300, according to the Pentagon. The death toll remains at 13 service members killed.
The U.S. has offered a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, with a proposal to reopen waterways and restrict Iran’s nuclear program. But Tehran has rejected the list and put forward proposals of its own.
Contributing: Susan Page and Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY