Robert De Niro’s speech outside Trump’s trial
Actor and New Yorker Robert De Niro spoke outside the courthouse as final arguments were heard in Donald Trump’s hush money lawsuit. De Niro called Trump a “clown” and explained why he’s supporting President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Robert De Niro attended a gathering outside the courtroom in New York City on Tuesday where closing arguments were taking place in the case of former judge Robert De Niro. Case filed against President Donald Trump for demanding money to keep quiet,
They claimed De Niro called Trump a joker and a clown and urged everyone to “vote him out once and for all” in November to preserve freedom and democracy.
“If he gets in (the White House), I can tell you right now he will never leave,” De Niro said. “Is this the country we want to live in? Do we want him running this country and saying, ‘I’m not leaving; I’m dictator for life?'”
De Niro also revealed that he had known Trump in New York society for decades before he entered politics.
“We New Yorkers tolerated him when he was just another sleazy real estate swindler wearing a mask of a big man, a two-penny playboy who lied to get in the tabloids, pretended to be his own spokesman, his own spokesperson. He exaggerated his net worth to fool the press — to himself — to himself,” DeNiro alleged. “A clown.”
“But this city is very accommodating. We make room for clowns. They’re all over the city. People who do crazy things on the street, we tolerate them. It’s part of the city. It’s part of the culture. But not a guy like Trump who will eventually run the country,” he added.
You can watch De Niro’s full remarks in the video player above.
Connected: Trump trial live updates: Final arguments begin in hush-money case
The actor was dispatched by Joe Biden’s campaign on Tuesday, along with two law enforcement officials who defended the US Capitol on January 6, to speak in an effort to refocus the presidential race on the Capitol insurrection.
Last week, the Biden campaign released a new ad in which De Niro sharply criticized Trump’s presidency and talked about what he plans to do if he’s re-elected.
De Niro said he joined the ad because “it reflects Trump’s violence and reminds us that he will use violence against anyone who gets in the way of his ego and greed.”
Biden’s team has largely ignored Trump’s trial since it began six weeks ago, but announced they were holding an event with “special guests” outside the courthouse on Tuesday.
Several of Trump’s political allies were also present outside the courtroom throughout the trial, including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswami, and several U.S. senators, including J.D. Vance of Ohio, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Rick Scott of Florida.
Trump’s campaign has lined up allies to appear in court to attack witnesses and others whom Trump has barred from criticizing him under a judge’s order.
Both Donalds and Burgum are being considered as potential vice presidential candidates for Trump.
Trump talks about lawsuit over paying money to keep quiet
Trump spoke before the closing debate
Closing arguments are underway in the hush-money lawsuit against Trump. The former president is speaking outside the courthouse.
Earlier, Trump spoke to reporters as he entered the courtroom.
The former president took a sheet of paper and read from it quotes from political and legal commentators who have attacked the case for paying money to keep quiet, a feature that Trump has made a regular part of his trial routine. He called Judge Juan M. Marchan “corrupt” and “disreputable,” but said he could not speak about it because of a gag order.
“We’ll see how it goes. This is a very dangerous day for America. It’s a very sad day,” Trump said.
He was accompanied by his three children, Don Jr., Eric and Tiffany, as well as one of his de facto campaign managers, Susie Wills.
Connected: Trump’s hush-money lawsuit: Information from past high-profile cases
Trump sues for money to keep him quiet
Prosecutors say the former president falsified internal business records to conceal payments of money related to a scheme to buy and suppress negative news stories that could have threatened his 2016 presidential candidacy.
He has denied the charges and pleaded not guilty to all 34 felony counts.
Closing arguments are expected to last all day Tuesday, and jury deliberations will begin as early as Wednesday.
This is a developing story. Refresh this page for updates.
