The award was presented by none other than Leonardo DiCaprio — a full-circle moment, as De Niro served as Jury President at the very same festival 14 years earlier, back in 2011.
”America’s philistine president..”
And things really heated up during his acceptance speech. Robert De Niro, known for his outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump, didn’t hold back as he addressed the political climate back home.
He kicked off by saying, “In my country, we are fighting like [expletive] for the democracy we once took for granted.” He went on to add, “That affects all of us here because the arts are democratic.”
Turning his focus to the current U.S. administration, De Niro sharply criticized President Trump’s recent moves — especially the economic implications that could be linked to healthcare costs, hospital billing, and the defunding of services tied to mental health coverage and education subsidies.
“America’s philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of our premier cultural institutions,” he said, referring to Trump’s appointment as chair of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts — an act that many legal scholars view as a gray area in terms of federal oversight and executive power limitations.
”We can’t just all sit back and watch”
The Goodfellas star also condemned Trump’s new tariff announcement: “He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities, and education, and now he has announced a 100 per cent tariff on films that are produced outside the US.” After a moment to let the words sink in, he told the audience, “Let that sink in for a minute.”
