Robert De Niro Calls for Continued Fight Against Trump Because “He Does Not Want to Leave the White House”
Robert De Niro is urging Americans to keep protesting against Donald Trump, warning that the president will not step down voluntarily.
Speaking to MSNBC after the nationwide No Kings protests on October 18, De Niro said the country needs to push harder to hold politicians accountable. “We need much more,” he said.
“It’s the only thing the politicians are going to recognize. We need to make them more afraid of the wrath of the people than the wrath of Trump.”
De Niro was very clear about Trump’s intentions. “We can’t let up,” he said. “Cannot let up on him because he is not going to leave the White House. He does not want to leave the White House. He will not leave the White House. Anybody thinks he, oh, he’ll do this, he’ll do that, it’s just deluding themselves.”
He criticized Republicans for going along with Trump despite knowing the risks. “The Republicans, most of all, because they know, but they’re going along with it. It’s a classic bully situation. We see it, and there’s no other way to face a bully. You have to face him and fight it out and back them off and back him down. That’s the only way this is going to work,” De Niro said.
The October 18 No Kings protests drew nearly 7 million people nationwide, according to MSNBC. Demonstrators voiced concerns about immigration enforcement, National Guard deployments, and cuts to federal programs.
The movement, inspired by the original protests against King George III more than 250 years ago, emphasizes nonviolent action.
De Niro has been a vocal supporter of No Kings for weeks. On October 9, he appeared in a video on the TikTok account of the activist group Indivisible to encourage people to participate.
“The original No Kings protest was 250 years ago,” he said. “Americans decided they didn’t want to live under the rule of King George III. They declared their independence and fought a bloody war for democracy. We’ve had two and a half centuries of democracy since then. Often challenging, sometimes messy, always essential.”
He continued, drawing a direct comparison to Trump: “Now we have a would-be king who wants to take it away: King Donald the First. Fu*c* that. We’re rising up again, this time, nonviolently raising our voices to declare: No Kings.”
De Niro’s comments show that he believes continuous public pressure is essential to protect democracy. It’s powerful to see a major public figure use their voice to encourage activism. What do you think about celebrities speaking out in politics? Share your thoughts in the comments.