Updated
Updated · HuffPost · Jun 4
Robert De Niro Denounces Trump at Tribeca Opening, Invoking Post-9/11 Unity
Updated
Updated · HuffPost · Jun 4

Robert De Niro Denounces Trump at Tribeca Opening, Invoking Post-9/11 Unity

3 articles · Updated · HuffPost · Jun 4

Summary

  • Opening the 2026 Tribeca Festival on Wednesday, Robert De Niro attacked Donald Trump without naming him, telling the audience “you know who I’m talking about.”
  • De Niro contrasted the festival’s mission to “pull people together” with “monstrous leaders” he said are forcing people apart for “immoral, cruel and corrupt purposes.”
  • The remarks fit a long-running feud: De Niro has repeatedly called Trump an “existential threat,” a “monster” and a “tyrant,” and recently took another swipe on Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show.”
  • Trump has repeatedly hit back on social media and has even threatened to deport De Niro, despite the actor being a U.S. citizen.

Insights

As the Tribeca Festival marks 25 years, has its core mission shifted from community healing to a platform for celebrity activism?
Beyond its billion-dollar impact, how does the festival measure its success in fulfilling its original post-9/11 revitalization goal today?
Can a cultural event founded on unity effectively heal a divided world when its leadership takes a strong public stance?