'We Have to Stop Him': Robert De Niro Brands Donald Trump 'Insane' and Calls Elon Musk a 'Monster'

Robert De Niro calls Trump 'insane' and Elon Musk a 'monster' while backing Zohran Mamdani's right to attend the 9/11 memorial.

Robert De Niro has launched a fresh verbal assault on Donald Trump and Elon Musk, calling the president 'insane' and the tech billionaire a 'monster' in a candid interview published on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The Oscar-winning actor, 83, spoke about the state of American politics and the role of wealthy powerbrokers in shaping the country's future.

For context, De Niro has long been one of Trump's most vocal critics in Hollywood, previously describing him as a 'pig', a 'punk' and a 'bulls**t artist' during the 2016 election cycle.

More recently, he told USA Today that the Trump administration 'has to be gotten out', warning that the president risks destroying not only the United States but other parts of the world.

'We Have To Stop Him': De Niro on Donald Trump

When asked directly about Trump, De Niro did not hold back. 'We have to stop him. It's insane,' he said in the interview. He went on to stress the importance of safeguarding the electoral process, saying: 'We have to send people to voting booths and make sure they can go in. Just watch to keep them safe. It's crazy we're here, but this is where we are. We have to protect our elections.'

The actor's remarks come amid heightened political tension, with Trump recently sharing a visibly AI-generated image on Truth Social that falsely depicted De Niro wearing a shirt reading 'TRUMP IS MY PRESIDENT'. The post was widely mocked online, given De Niro's well-documented opposition to the president.

De Niro has also linked his cultural work to political resistance, describing the Tribeca Film Festival, which he co-founded to help revive Lower Manhattan after 9/11, as 'an act of defiance' against the current administration.

'We now see more and more how insane this administration is, how insane Donald Trump is, and he has to be gotten out,' he said in a separate interview earlier this week.

'He's a Monster': De Niro on Elon Musk and Tech Barons

The conversation turned to Alex Gibney's new documentary, Musk, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and examines the Tesla founder's influence over politics and media. De Niro's assessment was blunt. 'He's a monster. I don't know how else to say it. So many of the tech barons,' he said.

He expressed dismay at what he sees as a betrayal by Silicon Valley elites. 'They were supposed to be helping us and now look at what they've done to us. And they're doing things not to other countries but here, in America, to America, in our own backyard. It's unbelievable.'

The documentary itself features similarly stark warnings, with one observer quoted as saying: 'It's completely insane we have one person who's this chaotic, who's completely unelected, and has this much power.'

De Niro Backs Mamdani's Right To Attend 9/11 Memorial

On a more conciliatory note, De Niro weighed in on the controversy surrounding New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's planned attendance at the 9/11 memorial ceremony. A petition with more than 98,000 signatures has called for Mamdani to stay away, with some victims' relatives among those opposing his attendance.

De Niro rejected the push to exclude the mayor. 'I don't see why he shouldn't come. He's the mayor. I haven't heard him say or do anything yet that would disqualify him from being there,' he said.

He suggested Mamdani could use the occasion as a 'bridge' between divided communities, adding: 'Maybe I'm naive, but you have to give the guy a chance. He's not a part of what happened.'

Mamdani attended the ceremony to honour victims, survivors and first responders, despite the backlash. He had previously confirmed that he would attend the 25th anniversary commemoration.

He has also announced a $34 million commitment to create and maintain a public portal for 9/11 records. The city's initial release contains approximately 170,000 pages covering health concerns, air quality and the city's response to the attacks.