Actor Robert De Niro sharply criticized President Donald Trump at a counter-programming event to the State of the Union address, calling for Americans to mobilize against his administration. De Niro, speaking at the “State of the Swamp” event held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, expressed a feeling of “betrayal by my country,” according to reports.
De Niro’s remarks, delivered at an event intended as a direct response to Trump’s address, included a plea for unified action. “If you’re devoted to the Constitution and the rule of law, if you seek the United States of America to be worthy of your love, be ready to take the streets together and we will take our country back,” he stated, as reported by USA Today.
The actor had previously denounced Trump as “an idiot” in a podcast appearance on Monday, urging for his removal from office, stating, “He’s gonna ruin the country.” This sentiment was echoed at the “State of the Swamp” event, where De Niro described the president as “failing, flailing and desperate.”
President Trump responded to De Niro’s criticism with a series of posts on his Truth Social platform. He labeled the actor as “sick and demented” and questioned his intelligence, claiming De Niro has “an extremely Low IQ” and “absolutely no idea what he is doing or saying.” Trump further suggested that some of De Niro’s statements were “seriously CRIMINAL!”
In his Truth Social posts, Trump also attacked Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who he said “screamed uncontrollably” during his State of the Union address, describing them as having “bulging, bloodshot eyes” and appearing “mentally deranged.”
Trump also shared an article from the New York Post on Truth Social, commenting on what he characterized as a rejection of “heroes for adults” in favor of “tired De Niro.”
The “State of the Swamp” event also featured actor Mark Ruffalo and author Marianne Williamson, according to reports. The event was organized by Defiance.org, Portland Frog Brigade, and Courier, groups critical of the Trump administration.