Twitter Claps Back at Robert De Niro for Comments About President Trump

Twitter isn't happy with the harsh words Robert De Niro had for President Trump on Tuesday [...]

By Libby Birk

Twitter isn't happy with the harsh words Robert De Niro had for President Trump on Tuesday night.

De Niro bashed the president while he was introducing Meryl Streep at the National Board of Review awards for her portrayal of the late Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham in The Post.

De Niro's piercing words and name-calling — which included "jerk-off-in-chief" and "f—ing tool" — were not welcomed by many on Twitter, who told the 74-year-old to stick to acting, among other things.

Not all social media reactions were negative toward the award-winning actor. Some praised him for his honesty, while others pointed out that Trump is a celebrity himself.

During his speech, De Niro likened Trump to President Nixon and the Pentagon Papers, attempting to tie in his political tirade to his task of introducing Streep as the best actress winner.

In Steven Spielberg's The Post, Nixon is exposed as a "delusional, narcissistic, petty" leader who attempted to silence the Washington Post and The New York Times for publishing the Pentagon Papers, which unraveled a web of lies by the government.

"Today the world is suffering from real Donald Trump. Come on. You know. What are we talking about? This f—ing idiot is the president. It's the Emperor's New Clothes – the guy is a f—ing fool," De Niro ranted, according to a transcript published by The New York Times.

"Our baby-in-chief – the j—off-in-chief, I call him – has put the press under siege, ridiculing it through trying to discredit it through outrageous attacks and lies," De Niro said. "And again, just like 1971, the press is distinguishing itself with brave, exacting journalism."

De Niro held back no punches during his speech; the Associated Press reports that because the event is not televised, speakers and award recipients have the opportunity to be "more free-wheeling" with their words than at similar events.

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