Actor Robert De Niro described Donald Trump as a “clown” determined to destroy American democracy on Tuesday, outside the New York City courtroom where the Republican presidential candidate’s hush money trial is taking place. De Niro, a long-time Democrat and recent voice for a campaign ad supporting President Joe Biden, attended the Biden campaign event alongside former law enforcement officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, who were present during the Capitol attack by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021.
De Niro’s comments are part of the Biden campaign’s strategy to leverage the extensive media coverage of Trump’s trial to highlight their message: Trump poses a threat to democracy. The Trump campaign dismissed the event as a publicity stunt.
Referring to Trump’s initial candidacy in 2016, De Niro, an Academy Award winner, remarked that Trump was initially not taken seriously. “We’ve forgotten the lessons of history that showed us other clowns who weren’t taken seriously until they became vicious dictators,” he said. “With Trump, we have a second chance and no one is laughing now. This is the time to stop him by voting him out once and for all.”
De Niro warned that if Trump were to return to the White House, Americans might see their civil liberties disappear and the end of free elections. “If he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never leave,” he stated.
Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone delivered emotional speeches, emphasizing that the violence at the Capitol was fueled by Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election being stolen. The speakers faced heckling from a Trump supporter and chants from pro-Trump demonstrators in the background.
Trump campaign officials described the De Niro event as a sign of desperation from the Biden campaign. Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesman, claimed the Biden team was in “complete freakout mode” over Trump’s enduring popularity. “Joe Biden is losing nationally,” added Jason Miller, another Trump spokesperson. “President Trump’s numbers continue to rise. And the best that Biden can do is roll out a washed-up actor.”
