Robert De Niro used his acceptance speech at the Cannes Film Festival to criticize former US President Donald Trump. De Niro, 81, received the Palme d’Or lifetime achievement award at the event. “In my country, we are fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted,” said De Niro.
“That affects all of us here, because the arts are democratic, art is inclusive and brings people together, like tonight. Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity, and that’s why art is a threat,” he added.
De Niro, an outspoken critic of Trump, also spoke out against Trump’s reported plan to impose tariffs on movies produced outside the US. “You can’t put a price on creativity, but apparently you can put a tariff on it.
De Niro’s Cannes critique
Of course, this is unacceptable. All of these attacks are unacceptable,” he stated. “And this isn’t just an American problem, it’s a global one.
Unlike a film, we can’t just all sit back and watch. We have to act, and we have to act now,” said De Niro. He ended his speech with a call for people to stand up to Trump “without violence, but with great passion and determination.” “It’s time for everyone who cares about liberty to organize, to protest, and when there are elections, of course, to vote.
Vote,” said De Niro. De Niro has criticized Trump on multiple previous occasions, including calling him a “clown” and starred in a campaign ad for former US President Joe Biden in May 2024.
