Who did Robert De Niro criticize at the Cannes Film Festival?
The opening night of the Cannes Film Festival took a sharp political turn when legendary actor Robert De Niro used his stage time to slam Donald Trump and warn against placing a price tag on creativity.
De Niro, 81, accepted an Honorary Palme d’Or on May 13, but quickly turned his speech into a critique of Trump’s cultural policies. “You can’t put a price on creativity,” he said, “but apparently, you can slap a tariff on it.”
His remarks were aimed at Trump’s recent proposal to introduce a 100% tariff on foreign films — part of a push to support the U.S. film industry. The former president had announced the idea earlier in May but later walked it back, saying it’s still “under discussion.”
De Niro didn’t hold back: he accused Trump of gutting arts, education, and public humanities funding, calling him a “philistine.” He then called on viewers to protest, organize, and vote to defend artistic freedom.
As Cannes celebrated cinema, De Niro reminded the world: art and politics are never far apart.
