'How Did That Turn Out for You?' Robert De Niro Takes Aim at Musk Over GOP Spending

Robert De Niro took aim at Elon Musk over his spending on Republicans in the US midterm elections, taking a swipe at the billionaire after the party suffered electoral setbacks.

The Oscar-winning actor made the pointed remark during a Sunday screening of Musk, a documentary by filmmaker Alex Gibney, in New York City on Sunday. 'How did that turn out for you?' De Niro asked, drawing cheers and laughter from the audience.

De Niro Questions Musk's Spending After Republican Election Losses

De Niro and fellow Tribeca Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal attended a Sunday screening of Alex Gibney's documentary Musk at Manhattan's Crosby Hotel. The film, which takes a critical look at Elon Musk's business empire and political influence, reportedly drew a number of Academy members, according to Deadline.

'Elon Musk spent about 300 million dollars getting Trump elected in 2024,' De Niro told the audience. 'And he just spent close to half a billion on Republicans in this past week's election. How did that turn out for you?' The actor, a long-time critic of President Donald Trump, pointed to the Republicans' electoral defeats while questioning the effectiveness of Musk's heavy spending to support the party.

De Niro Also Comments on Musk's Cybertruck

'In the fight between Musk's money and democracy, democracy won. This time,' he declared. 'But just like his grotesque Cybertruck, Musk isn't going anywhere.'

He said, 'It's a reminder that while we are celebrating the massive electoral repudiation of Trump and Trumpism, we have to be vigilant — and not just vigilant, we have to be ready to take action.' De Niro also praised Gibney's documentary and urged the audience to share it with others, saying he hoped viewers would find it as moving as he had.

Gibney thanked De Niro for his contributions to political resistance efforts. 'Thank you, Bob, for all you have done for all of the resistance,' the filmmaker said.

Rosenthal Weighs In on Musk Documentary

Rosenthal also weighed in, admitting she initially had reservations about watching a nearly four-hour documentary. 'I mean four hours, Alex, really?' she joked. She nevertheless praised the film: 'Four hours in the company of Elon Musk — it is a lot to ask. It is a thoroughly engrossing film about a thoroughly gross character. A character we cannot ignore.'

She added, '2,500 years ago, Sun Tzu (author of The Art of War) cautioned us to know your enemy. Musk the film exposes Musk the man, and we cannot look away.'

Award-Winning Documentary Gains Momentum

According to Deadline, Musk has grossed more than $700,000 at the North American box office since its theatrical release. Alex Gibney's documentary is also available on video-on-demand platforms.

On Sunday, it won Best Biographical Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in New York. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival before screening at festivals in Toronto, Camden, Zurich, and London.

It is scheduled to screen at DOC NYC later this week after securing a place on the festival's shortlist of leading documentaries. Another screening is planned this month at Amsterdam's International Documentary Film Festival, extending the film's reach beyond American audiences.