Robert De Niro has once again delivered a blunt assessment of Donald Trump and his supporters, calling the president’s following “a cult” while expressing serious concerns about the future of the United States. The two-time Academy Award winner made the comments during an interview with USA TODAY, conducted ahead of the release of his new Netflix thriller, The Whisper Man.
De Niro, who has been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics in Hollywood, discussed politics alongside his new film and other upcoming projects. When asked what he hoped for in the coming year, the actor did not hold back in his criticism of Trump and his administration.
The comments arrive just days before The Whisper Man premieres on Netflix on August 28. The crime thriller sees De Niro returning to familiar territory as a retired detective drawn back into a disturbing investigation involving a missing child and a convicted serial killer. Netflix has described the film as an adaptation of Alex North’s bestselling novel, with Adam Scott and Michelle Monaghan joining De Niro in the cast.
Robert De Niro’s Trump Comments Come Ahead of The Whisper Man Release
During his conversation with USA TODAY, De Niro was asked about what he hoped for personally, professionally, and for the world following his recent birthday. Instead of speaking about his career, the actor turned his attention to Trump’s administration and made clear that politics remained one of his biggest concerns.
“I don’t even use the word ‘hope’ anymore with [President Trump’s] administration,”
De Niro said.
“They have to be gotten out.”
The actor then criticized those who continue to support Trump, arguing that they should know better. De Niro added,
“We can’t have them in office anymore. It can’t be. He’s just going to destroy not only the country, but other parts of the world. It’s insane.”
De Niro also addressed Trump’s repeated use of the phrase “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” arguing that the public reaction to the president is based on Trump’s own actions. When discussing people who continue to support him, the actor said,
“There’s some that follow him … under any conditions. Whatever their reasons are, I don’t know. It’s a cult, I guess, in some ways.”
The Goodfellas star went on to suggest that Trump’s time as the host of The Apprentice may have played a role in building his public image before entering politics.
“I think that part of the country watching The Apprentice had a tremendous influence,”
De Niro said, while acknowledging that his view of the situation could be wrong.
USA TODAY reported that it had reached out to the White House for comment on De Niro’s remarks.
De Niro’s latest criticism comes as he prepares to lead Netflix’s The Whisper Man, which brings him back to the crime thriller genre that has defined some of the most acclaimed films of his career. However, the actor explained in the USA TODAY interview that the project attracted him because of its emotional family story as much as its darker mystery.
“When I read the script, I liked the fact that there was this family drama going on between the father and the estranged son, and then the thriller aspects sort of rolled into each other,”
De Niro said.
“That was good. It’s just an interesting movie.”
In The Whisper Man, De Niro plays Pete, a retired detective who must work with his estranged son Tom, played by Adam Scott, after Tom’s young son disappears. Their search leads them toward a terrifying connection with the Whisper Man, a notorious serial killer who was previously captured by Pete.
The film’s central relationship between De Niro and Scott’s characters is also what director James Ashcroft has identified as the emotional heart of the story. According to Netflix’, the thriller explores not only the mystery surrounding the abduction but also the fractured bond between fathers and sons.
That combination of crime, family drama and psychological suspense gives The Whisper Man a more emotional foundation than a conventional serial killer thriller. For De Niro, who has spent decades playing detectives, gangsters and other complicated figures, the personal conflict between the characters was clearly a major reason for joining the project.
With his comments about Trump likely to generate further debate, De Niro is heading into the release of The Whisper Man with both a major new Netflix thriller and another highly publicized political statement. Whether audiences agree with his views or not, the actor has made it clear that he has no intention of softening his criticism.
