De Niro Condemns Trump at State of the Swamp; Trump Retaliates
Actor Robert De Niro told a Feb. 24 counterprogram he felt 'betrayed by my country,' prompting Feb. 25 attacks from President Trump and a White House spokesman.
Overview
On Feb. 25 President Donald Trump attacked Robert De Niro on Truth Social, calling him 'another sick and demented person' with 'an extremely Low IQ' and alleging some of his remarks were 'seriously CRIMINAL.'
On Feb. 24 at the National Press Club Robert De Niro said 'I feel betrayed by my country,' urged Americans to mobilize for the midterm elections and called for protests to hold leaders accountable.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told USA TODAY on Feb. 25 that De Niro was a 'washed-up has-been,' accused him of 'spewing hate speech' and urged he seek treatment for 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.'
During the Feb. 24 State of the Union address Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib heckled the president, and Trump on Feb. 25 called them 'lunatics' and said they should be sent 'back from where they came.'
De Niro urged participation in a 'No Kings' protest day scheduled for March 28.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a clash between an outraged president and critical cultural figures, using evaluative verbs ('irate', 'threw in a few attacks'), prioritizing Trump and De Niro quotes while minimizing context for Omar and Tlaib, and curating incendiary language (e.g., 'lunatics', 'sick and demented') to emphasize conflict.
Sources (13)
FAQ
De Niro said he felt 'betrayed by my country,' criticized it for pardoning violent criminals and protecting pedophiles, urged mobilization for midterms, protests to hold leaders accountable, and participation in the 'No Kings' protest on March 28.
On Truth Social, Trump called De Niro 'another sick and demented person' with an 'extremely Low IQ,' alleged some remarks were 'seriously CRIMINAL,' and suggested deporting him with Reps. Omar and Tlaib.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung called De Niro a 'washed-up has-been' spewing 'hate speech' and urged him to seek treatment for 'Trump Derangement Syndrome.'
They heckled Trump during the State of the Union address, calling him a 'liar,' prompting Trump to label them 'lunatics' and suggest sending them 'back from where they came.'
It is a national protest day scheduled for March 28, highlighted by De Niro as a wakeup call to hold leaders accountable and take back the country.
History
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