Actor Robert De Niro was set to receive a leadership award from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), but the organization rescinded the honor after the actor spoke out against Donald Trump outside the former president’s criminal trial in New York this week, according to reports by The Hill and The Huffington Post.
The NAB did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, a spokesperson for the organization told The Hill on Thursday that the event was “proudly bipartisan.” The spokesperson stated,
“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 that we were hoping to recognize.
To maintain the focus on service of the award winners, Mr. De Niro will no longer be attending the event.”
In a statement to The Hill, De Niro did not contest the decision and expressed his appreciation for the NAB.
He said, “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 well for their continued good work.”
Earlier, on Tuesday, De Niro, a longtime Democrat who recently voiced an advertisement for Democratic President Joe Biden, participated in a Biden campaign event outside the Manhattan courtroom.
He was joined by former law enforcement officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone, both of whom were present during the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.
De Niro criticized Trump’s 2016 presidential candidacy, which he said was initially dismissed as a joke. “We’ve forgotten the lessons of history that showed us other clowns who weren’t taken seriously until they became vicious dictators,” he stated.
“With Trump, we have a second chance and no one is laughing now. This is the time to stop him by voting him out once and for all.”
De Niro warned that a return of Trump to the White House could lead to the erosion of civil liberties and the end of free elections, saying, “If he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never leave.”
Fanone and Dunn spoke emotionally about the violence at the Capitol, attributing it to Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. The speakers were interrupted by a Trump supporter and pro-Trump demonstrators chanting nearby.
In response, Trump campaign officials dismissed the event as a sign of desperation from the Biden camp. Jason Miller, a Trump spokesperson, said, “Joe Biden is losing nationally. President Trump’s numbers continue to rise. And the best that Biden can do is roll out a washed-up actor.”
De Niro’s remarks about Trump were especially critical, reflecting the sentiment of many in New York City.
“We New Yorkers used to tolerate him when he was just another grubby real estate hustler masquerading as a big shot, a two-bit playboy lying his way into the tabloids,” he remarked. “A clown … No one took him seriously. They take him seriously now.”
