Actor Robert De Niro made headlines after dropping an f-bomb during an MSNBC panel discussion on Sunday. The incident occurred during his appearance on ‘The Weekend,’ where he was speaking about the ‘No Kings’ protests, a nationwide demonstration against President Donald Trump.
De Niro, who was appearing on ‘The Weekend,’ praised Democratic leaders and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who recently faced indictment for mortgage fraud charges. His outburst came after an audible reaction from host Jonathan Capehart, who had initially tried to maintain decorum. De Niro justified his language by referencing the historical context of the ‘No Kings’ protests, drawing a parallel to the American Revolution.
The incident highlights the polarized nature of political discourse in the United States and the role of public figures in amplifying such debates. Nearly 2,000 protests were planned nationwide across many major U.S. cities including Atlanta, Portland and Washington, D.C., on Saturday. At least 100,000 people were believed to have attended the protest in New York City’s Times Square.
De Niro had previously promoted the ‘No Kings’ protests in an Instagram video that also featured explicit language. “The original ‘No Kings’ protest was 250 years ago,” De Niro said. “Americans decided they didn’t want to live under the rule of King George III. They declared their independence and fought a bloody war for democracy. We’ve had two and a half centuries of democracy since then. Often challenging, sometimes messy, always essential, and we fought in two World Wars to preserve it.”
He continued, “Now we have a would-be king who wants to take it away? King Donald I. F– that. We are rising up again this time, nonviolently raising our voices to declare ‘No Kings.’” The incident has sparked discussions about the intersection of celebrity influence and political activism in contemporary America.