On Wednesday, President Donald Trump took to his social platform Truth Social to rebuke actor Robert De Niro, branding some of the longtime Trump critic’s comments “seriously CRIMINAL” after De Niro made emotional calls for resistance against the president’s policies and leadership ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The post grouped De Niro alongside Democratic lawmakers whom Trump has frequently targeted.
In his Truth Social post, Trump wrote that “Trump Deranged Robert De Niro [is] another sick and demented person with, I believe, an extremely Low IQ, who has absolutely no idea what he is doing or saying — some of which is seriously CRIMINAL!” and went on to mock the actor’s emotional delivery. Trump also referenced Democratic Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), writing that they appeared “lunatics, mentally deranged and sick” during his recent State of the Union address and suggesting that all three — Omar, Tlaib and De Niro — “should actually get on a boat.”
De Niro, who has been a public Trump critic for years, had urged Americans to “resist” what he described as detrimental political trends in the United States. In a recent interview on the The Best People with Nicolle Wallace podcast, the 82-year-old actor expressed concern over the political climate and the direction of the country, saying that “the story is our country, and Trump is destroying it,” and repeatedly urging listeners that “people have to resist, resist, resist — that’s the only way.” The conversation included emotional reflections on national division and a call to collective action.
De Niro also appeared at a counter-programming event called “State of the Swamp”, sponsored by Defiance.org, held in Washington, D.C., where he spoke to an audience of activists critical of the president’s policy agenda. At that event, he said, “Tragically, we are now in a country of, by and for a handful of dishonest and greedy and cruel authoritarians,” and added that he felt “betrayed by my country,” calling for a return to foundational values.
Trump and De Niro have engaged in back-and-forth criticism over years; the actor has called Trump an “idiot” and warned of threats to American norms, while the president has repeatedly labeled his critics as mentally unstable or irrational.
A podcast plea and a few sharp words were all it took to trigger a Truth Social rebuke, turning a celebrity critique into prime-time online drama. Some commentary linked Trump’s blunt language and the grouping of a prominent Hollywood actor with elected officials to historical comparisons of political rhetoric.
The interaction comes as the U.S. heads into a contentious midterm election season, with both cultural figures and political actors increasingly visible in public political discourse. While De Niro’s remarks emphasize resistance and unity through action, Trump’s response framed the criticism as symptomatic of what he characterizes as “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a phrase he has used repeatedly to describe opposition to his policies and leadership style.
Featured image by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
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