The long-running feud between President Donald Trump and Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro flared up again after the star delivered emotional criticism of the president and his administration. Trump responded with a blistering Truth Social post, branding De Niro a “sick and demented person” with an “extremely Low IQ” and suggesting he should leave the country on a boat alongside two Democratic congresswomen.
De Niro’s Emotional Podcast Critique
Robert De Niro has never held back in his criticism of Trump. In an appearance on Nicolle Wallace’s The Best People podcast, the Taxi Driver and Goodfellas star called the president “an idiot” and urged action.
“We gotta get rid of him. He’s gonna ruin the country. I don’t want everybody going around with their MAGA, the American flags, like they’re the only ones. We are Americans too,” De Niro said.
He grew emotional during the interview, fighting back tears while describing Trump as the “enemy of this country” and calling on Americans to “resist, resist, resist.” De Niro argued that people must mobilize, particularly ahead of midterms, because Trump “won’t leave.”
“State of the Swamp”: A Counter to the State of the Union
De Niro escalated his remarks by headlining the “State of the Swamp,” a live counter-event held at the same time as Trump’s State of the Union address. Organized as a rebuttal, the gathering featured progressive politicians, activists, and other celebrities including Mark Ruffalo.
At the event, De Niro expressed a deep sense of betrayal. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does need to return to the values that gave us our strength and humanity,” he said. “If you want our leaders to be accountable, if you’re devoted to the constitution and the rule of law, if you want the United States of America to be worthy of your love, be ready to take to the streets together, and we will take our country back.”
He also criticized policies he viewed as divisive and harmful, framing the moment as a call to reclaim the country’s core principles.
Trump’s Fiery Truth Social Response
Trump did not take the criticism lightly. In a lengthy post on Truth Social the day after the State of the Union, he first targeted Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who had protested during his address by shouting and leaving early.
“When you watch Low IQ Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, as they screamed uncontrollably last night at the very elegant State of the Union… they had the bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalised,” Trump wrote. He argued they should be “sent… back from where they came – as fast as possible.”
Trump then expanded the attack to include De Niro: “They should actually get on a boat with Trump Deranged Robert De Niro, another sick and demented person with, I believe, an extremely Low IQ, who has absolutely no idea what he is doing or saying – some of which is seriously CRIMINAL!”
He mocked De Niro’s emotional delivery, saying that watching the actor “break down in tears last night, much like a child would do,” led him to conclude De Niro “may be even sicker than Crazy Rosie O’Donnell, who is right now in Ireland trying to figure out how to come back into our beautiful United States.”
Trump closed by claiming America was “Bigger, Better, Richer, and Stronger than ever before,” and that this success was driving his critics “absolutely crazy.”
Can Trump Actually Deport De Niro?
The suggestion of deportation is largely rhetorical. Robert De Niro was born in New York City on August 17, 1943, making him a natural-born U.S. citizen. He also holds dual Italian citizenship through ancestry, but as an American citizen by birth he cannot be deported under normal circumstances.
Omar was born in Somalia and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen, while Tlaib was born in the United States. Trump’s language about sending critics “back from where they came” or putting them “on a boat” has long been part of his combative style toward opponents.
A Feud That Refuses to Die
This latest exchange fits a pattern of years-long hostility. De Niro has repeatedly called Trump names ranging from “philistine” to “jerk” and “clown,” while supporting Democratic candidates against him. Trump has labeled the actor “whacko,” accused him of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” and now added “sick and demented” with claims of low intelligence and possible criminal speech.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/gettyimages-1202357729-c8f22c1ef5db4bfa9ecc67df3bbb5738.jpg)
The personal insults, the theatrical framing of “deportation,” and the public emotional appeals ensure the clash remains highly visible. Whether it stays confined to social media and political events or escalates further, the Trump–De Niro rivalry continues to deliver the kind of raw, unfiltered confrontation that keeps audiences watching.
