Trump Returns Fire After De Niro Slam
Actor Robert De Niro speaks with a reporter at the National Press Club in Washington on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
President Trump has reignited his public feud with actor Robert De Niro, escalating an already heated exchange of insults.
The latest clash began after De Niro appeared on a podcast with Nicolle Wallace of MSNBC, where he sharply criticized the president. Speaking at a Washington, D.C., event organized to coincide with this week’s State of the Union address, De Niro called Trump “an idiot” and described him as “failing, flailing, and desperate.”
In response, President Trump fired back Wednesday in a lengthy post on Truth Social. He criticized progressive Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, suggesting they should be deported and calling them “low IQ” and “lunatics” who should be “institutionalized” after they protested during his Tuesday address.
The president also targeted De Niro, calling him “sick and demented” with an “extremely low IQ,” and accusing the actor of making statements that were “seriously criminal.” Trump further mocked De Niro for becoming emotional at the anti-Trump event, saying he cried “like a child.” He compared the actor to comedian Rosie O’Donnell, another frequent critic, suggesting she is “probably somewhat smarter” than De Niro.
During his interview, De Niro said the president is “destroying” the country and urged action, saying, “we have to save the country,” according to Variety. The 82-year-old actor, known for films including Goodfellas, has long been an outspoken critic of Trump. In past remarks, he has said he would like to punch the president and supported Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign cycle, saying she at least had “the right intentions.”
De Niro’s political activism has at times drawn professional consequences. In 2024, a major broadcasters’ group withdrew a planned leadership award for the actor amid controversy surrounding his outspoken views.
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