- Wednesday, May 14, 2025
At the Cannes Film Festival, legendary actor Robert De Niro used his Honorary Palme d’Or speech to deliver a searing critique of former President Donald Trump, warning against growing attacks on democracy and the arts.
By: Vibhuti Pathak
Robert De Niro ignited the Cannes Film Festival’s opening night with a passionate political speech that took direct aim at Donald Trump, whom he called “America’s philistine president.” The two-time Academy Award-winning actor delivered his remarks while accepting the prestigious Honorary Palme d’Or on May 13, 2025.
Introduced by his longtime co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, De Niro was honored not only for his decades-spanning film career but also his ongoing commitment to social and political causes. DiCaprio, who shared a heartfelt anecdote about auditioning opposite De Niro as a teenager in This Boy’s Life, praised the veteran actor for “fighting for our democracy,” foreshadowing the fiery words that would soon follow.
As De Niro took the stage at the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière, the audience erupted in two full minutes of applause. Visibly emotional, he paused, taking in the standing ovation from a crowd that included jurors Halle Berry and Jeremy Strong and director Quentin Tarantino.
De Niro reflected on his five-decade history with the Cannes Film Festival, from his breakout role in Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets in 1973 to last year’s Killers of the Flower Moon. He credited the festival as an inspiration behind the founding of the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002, emphasizing shared values between the two events: openness, inclusivity, and democracy.
“Like Cannes, we’re known for being open and democratic. Democratic—there’s that word,” De Niro said pointedly. “In my country, we’re fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted. And that affects all of us because the arts are democratic.”
He then launched into a sharp criticism of Trump, referencing the former president’s appointment as chairman of the Kennedy Center and his recent cultural policies.
“Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity. That’s why it’s a threat—to autocrats and fascists. America’s philistine president has cut funding to the arts, the humanities, and education. And now he’s announced a 100% tariff on all films produced outside the U.S. Let that sink in.”
De Niro called these moves “unacceptable,” warning that the assault on creativity was not just an American issue, but a global concern.
“You can’t put a price on creativity—but apparently, you can put a tariff on it,” he said to gasps and applause from the audience.
The actor closed with a call to action, urging audiences worldwide to organize, protest peacefully, and vote. His final words paid tribute to the host country’s revolutionary ideals: “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.”
In a festival known for its glamour and cinematic celebration, De Niro’s speech served as a sobering reminder of the power of art in the face of political oppression—and the importance of defending that power.
