Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro issued a forceful and emotional call for Americans to oppose President Donald Trump, warning that the country’s democratic foundations are under direct threat.

Appearing on The Best People With Nicole Wallace, De Niro did not temper his words as he described what he sees as the consequences of Trump’s leadership. “The story is our country, and Trump is destroying it, and who knows what his reasons are, but it’s sick, it’s fucked up,” he said. “We have to save the country.”

Throughout the conversation, De Niro repeatedly framed Trump as an existential danger to the nation, urging unity among Americans who oppose the administration. “Let’s not kid ourselves. It’s that simple. Everybody has to stick together to get them out and get back on track,” he said, calling Trump the “enemy of this country.”

The veteran actor stressed that resistance must be sustained, regardless of political outcomes or individual figures. “People have to resist, resist, resist, resist, resist. That’s the only way. There’s no magic. There’s no nothing – people are not going to go away, even if Trump dies for some reason by having an illness or something,” De Niro said. “Parts of that movement are still there, and that’s the scary part. It has to be neutralized by the people.”

Host Nicole Wallace later shifted the discussion to De Niro’s long-standing emphasis on collective responsibility, referencing his Academy Award acceptance speech for Raging Bull. She noted how he has consistently focused on uplifting others rather than himself.

Asked why that value remains central to him, De Niro became visibly emotional. “You have to — you have to lift people up,” he said, his voice breaking. “You have to bring them together. Period. You can’t divide people. You can’t win that way.”

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He went on to reflect on the broader political moment, describing it as a defining test for the country. “It’s a no-win situation, and look what we have, look who we have there, it’s almost like a destiny to have this thing there, destroying… attempting to destroy this country and maybe not even understanding why. So it’s up to us to protect the country.”

De Niro’s remarks are consistent with years of outspoken criticism of Trump. In October 2025, he appeared in a video shared by the political activist group Indivisible, encouraging public participation in the No Kings protests.

Referencing American history, De Niro said, “The original No Kings protest was 250 years ago. 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.”

Drawing a sharp parallel to the present, he added, “Now we have a would-be king who wants to take it away: King Donald the First. Fuck that. We’re rising up again, this time, nonviolently raising our voices to declare: No Kings.”

De Niro’s full interview is available on The Best People podcast.