President Donald Trump torched legendary actor Robert De Niro during one of his final midterm election campaign rallies at the Ocean Center Arena in Daytona Beach, Florida. While Trump acknowledged De Niro’s acting chops, he conceded that it is impossible to be a fan due to the large volume of unhinged anti-Trump comments over the years.
The topic came up when the president was discussing his former program The Apprentice, which he noted had outperformed the Academy Awards during its runtime. “By the way, is Robert De Niro a moron? He’s a moron. No, there’s something wrong with him. I used to sort of like him or something, but now I can’t even watch him,” Trump said, drawing laughs from the crowd.
“He’s like gross. Then he goes into the comedies. He’s no good for comedies. Maybe somebody should tell him, but he’s terrible.”
Trump also addressed Hollywood executives seeking federal film tax credits, saying that people who had previously criticized him were now meeting with him. “Guys that have been saying bad crap about me for years are sitting in my office,” the president quipped. He added that records of past statements are readily available online.
POLL: Should ABC Pull The Plug On “The View”?
Trump: “The Academy Award sucks now because people get up and use foul language about your favorite president. By the way… Is Robert De Niro a moron? He’s a moron. There’s something wrong with him.” pic.twitter.com/nZtivC6U8c
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) October 31, 2026
Trump’s remarks were the latest in a pattern of public exchanges between the two that dates to at least 2011. That year, De Niro criticized Trump’s comments on Barack Obama’s birthplace during a Tribeca Film Festival appearance, to which Trump responded by questioning the actor’s intelligence during an appearance on Fox & Friends, marking the beginning of the back-and-forth.
“He’s so blatantly stupid. He’s a punk. He’s a dog. He’s a pig. A con. A bull**** artist. A mutt who doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” the Goodfellas actor ranted during Trump’s 2016 campaign. De Niro, then 73, added that he wanted to punch Trump in the face.
At the 2018 Tony Awards, while introducing Bruce Springsteen, De Niro ranted, “I’m gonna say one thing. F*** Trump. It’s no longer down with Trump. It’s f*** Trump.” The remarks received a standing ovation from the audience and were bleeped on the U.S. broadcast.
Trump later described De Niro as a “very low IQ individual” who may be “punch-drunk” from film roles.
