Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden campaign for enlisting actor Robert De Niro at a fundraising event, calling it a "stunt." De Niro, a vocal Trump critic, has previously expressed a desire to "punch [Trump] in the face."
Former President Donald Trump has denounced the Biden campaign for using actor Robert De Niro in a fundraising event, calling it a "stunt." De Niro, a staunch critic of Trump, has previously expressed a desire to "punch [Trump] in the face."
Biden Campaign's De Niro Stunt Sparks Trump Rebuke
The event, a virtual dinner titled "Paisans for Kamala," was hosted by former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and featured De Niro as the headliner. During the event, De Niro claimed that Trump could "destroy the world" and expressed concern about his supporters' loyalty to him.
Trump's campaign declined to comment on the event, but the former president took to social media to voice his disapproval.
Biden Campaign's De Niro Stunt Sparks Trump Rebuke
"Biden's handlers have brought out Robert De Niro, a very low energy individual, to try and help him win the Italian-American vote," Trump tweeted. "Robert De Niro is a Hollywood elitist who has never been good at anything except making movies. He knows nothing about politics, and he knows nothing about the Italian-American community."
De Niro has been a vocal critic of Trump throughout his presidency, and he has made no secret of his contempt for the former president. In 2018, De Niro said that he would like to "punch [Trump] in the face."
Biden Campaign's De Niro Stunt Sparks Trump Rebuke
At the fundraising event, De Niro reiterated his criticism of Trump, saying that he has "tapped into something" within his base that has bonded them to him. De Niro expressed concern that Trump's supporters believe they can control him, but he warned that they will be mistaken if he becomes "the boss."
De Niro's appearance at the event was met with mixed reactions. Some Italian-Americans welcomed De Niro's support for Harris, while others saw his involvement as inappropriate.
Biden Campaign's De Niro Stunt Sparks Trump Rebuke
"I'm not a fan of Robert De Niro, but I respect his right to support Kamala Harris," said Frank DiMartino, an Italian-American voter from New York. "I think he's a talented actor, but I don't necessarily agree with his politics."
"I don't think De Niro has any business getting involved in politics," said Maria D'Angelo, an Italian-American voter from California. "He's an actor, not a politician. I don't think he knows anything about the issues that matter to Italian-Americans."
De Blasio, who co-hosted the event, defended De Niro's involvement. He said that De Niro is a "great Italian-American" who has a right to speak out on behalf of his community.
"Robert De Niro is a great Italian-American who has a voice and a passion for this country," De Blasio said. "He's not afraid to speak out against the things that he believes are wrong, and I respect that."
The event also featured appearances from other high-profile Italian-Americans, including former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), actor Steve Buscemi, and former CIA Director Leon Panetta. Ryan, who said his maternal side is "fully Italian," spoke about the values he believes Harris brings to the table. Buscemi said that Harris struck the right tone as a descendant of immigrants, while Panetta said that he supports Harris because Trump appears to support isolationism.
Near the close of the dinner, former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who broke with Trump years ago, appeared. Scaramucci quipped that he could imagine himself, De Blasio, and former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney getting together to support Harris. He pledged $5,000 to Paisans for Harris.
