De Niro has been a frequent critic of Trump over the years
Film legend Robert De Niro has been stripped of a prestigious leadership award after making a series of inflammatory anti-Trump comments outside the former president’s criminal trial. The 80-year-old Oscar winner was supposed to receive the award from the National Association of Broadcasters for Service to America next Tuesday in Washington, D.C., but the organization rescinded the award because it says the ceremony is “proudly bipartisan.” ‘
On a declaration for The hill, a spokesperson for the group said: “This event is proudly bipartisan, uniting people from across the political spectrum to celebrate the impactful work of local broadcasters and our partners.”
“While we strongly support the right of every American to exercise free speech and participate in civic engagement, it is clear that Mr. De Niro’s recent high-profile activities will create a distraction from the philanthropic work we had hoped to recognize. To keep the focus in attending to the award winners, Mr. De Niro will no longer be present at the event.”
Notably, De Niro, who has been a frequent critic of Trump over the years, was invited by Joe Biden’s presidential campaign to say a few words at a press conference outside the courthouse. The actor attacked Trump and called him a “threat” to the country, claiming that he incited violence and destruction on January 6, 2021, at the US Capitol.
”I don’t want to scare you. No, no, wait, maybe I want to scare you. If Trump returns to the White House, you can discard these freedoms that we take for granted and the election, forget about it,” the actor said.
He also called Donald Trump a “clown,” adding that “we have forgotten the lessons of history that showed us other clowns who were not taken seriously until they became cruel dictators.”
“With Trump, we have a second chance, and no one is laughing right now. This is the time to stop him by voting for him once and for all. If he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never get out,” he added.
Speaking with Sky News, De Niro said Trump should not be president of the United States. “You know my opinion on Donald Trump, he’s a monster. He shouldn’t be allowed… listen – he can’t be president of the United States again, ever, ever.”
A few hours after NAB announced its decision, the Hollywood actor did not protest and said that he supports NAB. ”I support the work of the NAB Leadership Foundation and would like to express my appreciation and gratitude for what the Foundation has done and will continue to do for the good of us all, and I wish them the best of luck for their continued good work,” he responded.
This story originally appeared on Ndtv.com read the full story
