Robert De Niro’s best movies include greats such as Taxi Driver, The Godfather Part II and The Irishman. However, just because he is a great actor doesn’t mean that President Donald Trump admires him. In fact, it is the opposite as the two men continue to feud as they have since 2011. But why have the two men had 14 years of back and forth feuding?
On Wednesday, February 25, Trump hit out at the Heat actor on his social media platform, Truth Social. This was due to the fact that De Niro headlined a State of the Swamp event at the National Press Club, an alternative event set to air during the (longest ever) State of the Union address.
At the event, the outspoken actor dubbed the Trump administration a bunch of “dishonest, greedy and cruel authoritarians,” while Donald Trump was a “failing, flailing, and desperate leader.” After the POTUS heard about that, he threatened to expel De Niro from the US.
Robert De Niro: “We all love our country. I choke on that phrase. Can you love a country where our neighbors are shot down in the streets by masked government thugs? Can you love a country that denies healthcare for tens of millions of our fellow citizens? Can you love a country… pic.twitter.com/fuQhQ3DCUS
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) February 25, 2026
It all started in 2011, when De Niro first started criticizing Trump’s desire to be a politician, after already having been a real estate tycoon in New York. As noted by Tyla, Trump’s response was to appear on Fox and Friends, where he stated the Hollywood actor was “not the brightest bulb on the planet,” which kicked off the pair’s feud.
Since that time, the actor has said plenty about Trump, especially during his 2016 presidential campaign and election. Among his statements, he famously said he wanted to “punch” Trump, while trying to persuade people not to vote for him.
“He’s so blatantly stupid. He’s a punk. He’s a dog. He’s a pig. A con. A bulls*** artist. A mutt who doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” De Niro said, adding, “I’d like to punch him in the face.”
Robert De Niro on Donald Trump: “He’s an idiot. We’ve gotta get rid of him. He’s gonna ruin the country. Everything this country has worked for, represents, he is ruining it. I want my country back. There are more of us. We believe in what’s right and wrong. Empathy, kindness.… pic.twitter.com/Fn6dDI2KM6
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) February 23, 2026
When Trump did become president, De Niro said in an interview, “He’s president now – half the country is horrified, many parts of the world are, and we’re gonna see how he does. That’s it. I give the benefit of the doubt that’s he going to try his best to do the right thing.”
“Trump joked about being ‘president for life’ with [Chinese president Xi Jinping] and so on. He’ll pardon anybody, he’ll do anything. The day after he was elected, I went on a TV show and said I’d give him the benefit of the doubt and say that I hope he won’t be as bad as I think he will be, but he’s turned out to be a lot worse.”
Meanwhile, Trump has fired back at the actor, tweeting in 2019, “Robert De Niro, a very Low IQ individual, has received too many shots to the head by real boxers in movies”
“I watched him last night and truly believe he may be ‘punch-drunk’.”
In response, De Niro, 82, recently appeared on Nicolle Wallace’s The Best People podcast, where he called Trump “an idiot.”
“We gotta get rid of him,” he said. “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.”
It was at this time when the president responded, telling him his movies “suck.”
During the State of the Swamp event, the actor said he felt a “betrayal” by his country, saying, “It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does need to return to the values that gave us our strength and humanity.
“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.”
Trump took exception and spoke up, first of all referring to Democratic politicians Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, saying they should be “sent back from where they came.”
“When you watch Low IQ Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, as they screamed uncontrollably last night at the very elegant State of the Union, such an important and beautiful event, they had the bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalized.”
Trump added: “When people can behave like that, and knowing that they are Crooked and Corrupt Politicians, so bad for our Country, we should send them back from where they came – as fast as possible.”
“They can only damage the United States of America, they can do nothing to help it,” he added.
Trump then hit out at Robert De Niro, saying, “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!”
“When I watched him break down in tears last night, much like a child would do, I realized that he 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.”
“The only difference between De Niro and Rosie is that she is probably somewhat smarter than him, which isn’t saying much,” Trump added.
“The good news is that America is now Bigger, Better, Richer, and Stronger than ever before, and it’s driving them absolutely crazy!”
It’s likely De Niro wouldn’t agree.
