While speaking at the Cannes Film Festival in France, legendary actor Robert De Niro loudly urged the international community to take a stand against President Donald Trump.
The Guardian reported Tuesday that De Niro launched into a tirade against the 47th U.S. president while accepting an honorary Palme d'Or — Cannes' highest honor – from actor Leonardo di Caprio on the opening day of festivities, which coincided with De Niro's iconic role in the film "Taxi Driver" winning top honors at Cannes 49 years ago. He particularly honed in on the Trump administration's defunding of federal support for arts and humanities-related projects, arguing that the arts served as a crucial obstacle to far-right authoritarian leaders around the world.
“In my country, we are fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted,” De Niro said. “That affects all of us here, because art is the crucible that brings people together, like tonight. Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity. That’s why art is a threat.”
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“That’s why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists. America’s philistine president ha[s] had himself appointed head of one of our premier cultural institutions [the Kennedy Center]," he continued while the crowd applauded. "He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education.”
The actor also criticized Trump's proposal to put a 100% tariff on films made outside of the United States, and used that as a pivot point to argue that Trump wasn't just a threat to Americans but the international arts community as a whole.
“You can’t put a price on creativity,” De Niro said, “but apparently you can put a tariff on it. Of course, this is unacceptable. All of these attacks are unacceptable. And this isn’t just an American problem, it’s a global one. Like a film, we can’t just all sit back and watch. We have to act, and we have to act now.”
"It’s time for everyone who cares about liberty to organise,” he added, “to protest, and when there are elections, vote. Vote. Tonight, and for the next 11 days, we show our strength and commitment by celebrating art in this glorious festival. Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.”
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Click here to read the Guardian's full report.