De Niro Breaks Down Over Trump, Urges Endless ‘Resistance’

Robert De Niro is once again in tears over Donald Trump and this time, he says the movement behind the president “will never” go away.

During an appearance on Nicolle Wallace’s podcast, the 82-year-old actor became visibly emotional while urging Americans to “resist, resist, resist.” According to De Niro, even if Trump were no longer in office, the broader political movement would remain a threat.

“People have to resist,” he said repeatedly. “There’s no magic. There’s no nothing. Even if Trump dies… parts of that movement are still there, and that’s the scary part.”

De Niro has been one of Trump’s most vocal celebrity critics for nearly a decade. He has previously compared the former president to a “Nazi,” questioned his humanity, and accused him of wanting to “hurt this country.”

On Wallace’s podcast, he escalated the rhetoric yet again:

• Calling Trump an “idiot”

• Claiming he will “ruin the country”

• Urging Americans to “run through the fire” to stop him

At one point, De Niro teared up while speaking about unity, saying Americans must “lift people up” and “bring them together,” even as he described Trump’s presence as something that must be “neutralized.”

De Niro’s comments highlight a broader cultural phenomenon: elite celebrity activism that frames political disagreements as existential crises.

A recent Gallup poll found that roughly 46% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance, while 51% disapprove numbers that reflect a divided electorate, not a fringe uprising. Yet Hollywood rhetoric often paints the political landscape in apocalyptic terms.

Critics argue that this kind of language deepens polarization rather than easing it. Calling for “resistance” without defining limits can sound less like civic engagement and more like perpetual outrage.

De Niro insisted the Trump movement must be confronted permanently, suggesting it is embedded in American political life.

That reality may be precisely what unsettles many in Hollywood. Trump’s support has remained resilient across multiple election cycles, with tens of millions of Americans consistently backing his platform on immigration, economic nationalism, and foreign policy restraint.

For those who believed his rise was an anomaly, the endurance of that support challenges long-held assumptions about the country’s direction.

The actor’s emotional plea underscores how deeply politics has seeped into entertainment culture. Once primarily a box-office draw known for iconic performances in films like “Raging Bull” and “Taxi Driver,” De Niro has increasingly become known for political commentary.

Whether voters are swayed by celebrity outrage remains unclear. Survey data from Pew Research shows that most Americans say celebrity political endorsements have little to no impact on their vote.

Still, moments like this reinforce the cultural divide between Hollywood elites and a large segment of the electorate.

As De Niro urges endless resistance, millions of Americans remain focused on policy outcomes, economic realities, and the ballot box.

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