NEW YORK — Actor Robert DeNiro and two Jan. 6 police officers appeared Tuesday on behalf of the Biden campaign outside the courthouse where former President Trump’s trial is taking place.
In its most direct attempt to address Trump’s legal troubles, President Biden’s campaign held a surprise press conference in lower Manhattan at which the actor and officials Henry Dunn and Michael Fanone spoke of the dangers of a second Trump presidency. Trump.
When asked why they were holding a political event outside of a criminal trial – particularly after Trump complained that the Biden administration was responsible for his prosecution despite it being a state case – the communications director for Biden, Michael Tyler, said “you are all here”, referring to the massive presence of the media at the trials.
“It’s easy to talk about choice in this election when all the media is here day in and day out,” Tyler said.
De Niro, who filmed a Biden campaign ad last week, argued against another Trump presidency to start the news conference, attacking the former president as Trump supporters shouted and heckled him backstage in lower Manhattan .
“It’s kind of crazy, it’s really crazy. This thing. Donald Trump created this. He should be telling them not to do this… he wants to sow total chaos, which he’s managing to do in some areas and places.” De Niro said.
“I don’t want to scare you, or maybe I want to scare you. If Trump returns to the White House, you can discard these freedoms we take for granted and the election, forget that… he will never go away,” he added.
The police officers who defended the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, stood behind the actor.
“I love this city, I don’t want to destroy it. Donald Trump wants to destroy not just this city, but the country and will eventually destroy the world,” said De Niro.
“We swore we wouldn’t allow terrorists…” he said, stopping himself.
He said that in New York, locals used to “tolerate” him when Trump was a real estate mogul, arguing that no one took him seriously at the time.
The actor then focused on January 6, calling on Trump to further warn against another presidency. He said Trump gathered “an angry mob” on Jan. 6, saying he “ran away and hid in the White House” during the event.
“He doesn’t get blood on his hands… he directs the angry mob to do his dirty work for him,” he said.
Fanone spoke after De Niro, describing in detail the brutality that befell him during the January 6 riots at the Capitol. Dunn then spoke, arguing that Trump “encourages” political violence.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
