Film festivals

Robert De Niro Slams Trump at Cannes Film Festival, Calls for Action Against "Philistine President"

Strategic Insights

May 13, 2025 — 1 min read

Robert De Niro, an outspoken critic of US President Donald Trump, used his award acceptance speech at the Cannes Film Festival to criticize the president's policies and call for action against what he called a "philistine president." De Niro, 81, was receiving the Palme d'Or lifetime achievement award at the event in the south of France on Tuesday, and his speech was met with applause from the audience, which included some of the biggest names in showbiz.

De Niro criticized Trump's reported plan to impose tariffs on movies produced outside the US, saying that "you can't put a price on creativity" and that such a move is "unacceptable." He also took aim at Trump's appointment of himself as head of the Kennedy Center, citing the president's cuts to funding and support for the arts, humanities, and education. De Niro warned that the attacks on the arts are not just an American problem, but a global one, and called for people to take action, protesting and voting against Trump's policies.

Key Takeaways:

De Niro received the Palme d'Or lifetime achievement award at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, December 20, 2022.
He criticized US President Donald Trump, calling him a "philistine president" and criticizing his policies on tariffs and arts funding.
De Niro called for action against Trump's policies, urging people to protest and vote against him.
He warned that the attacks on the arts are not just an American problem, but a global one.
De Niro has been an outspoken critic of Trump on multiple occasions, including calling him a "clown" in the past.
He starred in a campaign ad for former US President Joe Biden in May 2024.

Statistics:

81: the age of Robert De Niro.
11: the number of days at the Cannes Film Festival.
2024: the year De Niro starred in a campaign ad for Joe Biden.

Sources:

CNN: "Robert De Niro uses Cannes award acceptance speech to criticize Trump".
CNN: "Joe Biden campaign ad features Robert De Niro".

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