President Donald Trump took aim at Hollywood icon Robert De Niro during a campaign rally in Daytona Beach, Florida, unleashing a string of insults against the Oscar-winning actor and longtime political adversary.
Speaking at the Ocean Center Arena on Saturday, Trump revisited his years in television before turning his attention to De Niro, whose outspoken criticism of the president has fueled a bitter feud spanning more than a decade.
The president acknowledged that he once appreciated De Niro’s performances but suggested the actor’s political remarks had permanently changed his opinion.
“By the way, is Robert De Niro a moron? He’s a moron,” Trump told supporters, drawing laughter from the crowd.
“No, there’s something wrong with him. I used to sort of like him or something, but now I can’t even watch him.”
Trump wasn’t finished.
“He’s like gross. Then he goes into the comedies. He’s no good for comedies. Maybe somebody should tell him, but he’s terrible.”
The remarks came as Trump discussed his former NBC reality television series, The Apprentice, which he claimed had attracted larger audiences than the Academy Awards during its run.
The conversation shifted toward Hollywood and the entertainment industry’s relationship with his administration.
Trump also described an unusual situation involving movie executives seeking federal tax incentives for film production.
According to the president, some of the same Hollywood figures who spent years publicly criticizing him have recently visited his office to discuss potential financial benefits.
“Guys that have been saying bad crap about me for years are sitting in my office,” Trump remarked.
He suggested that their previous comments were easy to find online, highlighting what he portrayed as a contradiction between their public attacks and private requests.
But his criticism of De Niro represented another chapter in a much longer personal feud.
The hostility dates back to at least 2011, when De Niro criticized Trump’s public questioning of former President Barack Obama’s birthplace during an appearance at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Trump responded during an interview on Fox & Friends, questioning the actor’s intelligence.
Their relationship deteriorated further during Trump’s first presidential campaign in 2016.
De Niro released a profanity-laced denunciation of the Republican candidate, attacking his character and making clear his opposition to Trump’s political ambitions.
“He’s so blatantly stupid. He’s a punk. He’s a dog. He’s a pig,” the actor declared.
De Niro also said he wanted to punch Trump in the face, a remark that attracted widespread attention during the campaign.
The confrontation continued after Trump entered the White House.
At the 2018 Tony Awards, De Niro delivered another extraordinary attack while introducing musician Bruce Springsteen.
“I’m gonna say one thing. F*** Trump,” he told the audience.
The declaration received a standing ovation inside the theater, although the profanity was censored during the American television broadcast.
Trump later fired back, calling De Niro a “very low IQ individual” and suggesting the actor had become “punch-drunk” from his movie roles.
The two have continued exchanging criticism over the years, with De Niro remaining a vocal opponent of Trump.
Saturday’s comments demonstrated that the president has not forgotten those attacks.
Although De Niro remains celebrated for his performances in films such as Goodfellas, Trump’s remarks made clear that his admiration for the actor has faded.
The president’s criticism also came during one of his final campaign appearances before the November 3 midterm elections, as Republicans work to rally supporters in the closing days of the election cycle, per Trending Politics.
What began as a discussion of television ratings ultimately became another public confrontation between two of America’s most recognizable figures.
And judging by Trump’s latest remarks, the feud between the president and the Hollywood legend shows little sign of ending.
