Key facts
- Robert De Niro led a crowd in chanting "shut the fuck up!" at a New York event.
- De Niro criticized Donald Trump's statements on inflation and the 2020 election.
- The chant was a reference to a scene from the 1988 film "Midnight Run".
- De Niro compared patriotism under Trump to an abused spouse loving their abuser.
- He stated he cannot love a country led by a "racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant."
Actor Robert De Niro led a crowd in chanting "shut the fuck up!" at a "Rise Up" event in New York, criticizing Donald Trump's remarks on inflation and the 2020 election. De Niro, who described himself as "pretty close to being a free speech absolutist," stated that he uses his own free speech to respond to statements he dislikes.
De Niro cited Trump's comments about not thinking about Americans' financial situations and his alleged statement, "I love the inflation," as prompts for the chant. The phrase "shut the fuck up!" is a reference to a scene in the 1988 film "Midnight Run," starring De Niro and Charles Grodin.
The actor also drew a parallel between current expressions of patriotism and domestic abuse, stating, "I hate to say it, but loving our country is starting to sound like an abused spouse saying they love their abuser." He further elaborated on his inability to love a country that engages in "stupid and inhumane wars," takes healthcare away to enrich associates, deploys "masked militias to shoot citizens," and is led by a "racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant." De Niro specifically stated he cannot love the country led by Donald Trump and his "sycophant Congress," concluding with a desire to "love my country again" and "get my country back."