Robert De Niro leads crowd in anti-Trump chant, compares patriotism to domestic abuse

Robert De Niro renewed his criticism of Donald Trump on Sunday at an event in New York. Speaking at "Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment," the actor led the crowd in a repeated cry of "shut the fuck up!" in response to various remarks and policies of the current president.

De Niro said he is close to being a free speech absolutist and uses his own free speech to respond to things he dislikes. He cited Trump's recent statement that he does not think about Americans' financial situation, and his claim that he loves inflation, as examples that prompted the chant. De Niro also referenced Trump's repeated assertions that he won the 2020 election.

The actor, who frequently clashes with Trump, compared modern expressions of patriotism to domestic abuse. He said that loving the country is starting to sound like an abused spouse saying they love their abuser. De Niro listed things he cannot love: stupid and inhumane wars, taking healthcare away from millions to enrich friends, sending out masked militias, and being led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant. He concluded by saying he wants to love his country again and get it back.

Earlier this year, Trump reacted to De Niro's description of him as "an idiot" by calling the actor "deranged," "sick and demented" with "an extremely low IQ."