Robert De Niro Pulled From Prestigious Award Over Anti-Trump Comments
Actor Robert De Niro has recently made headlines for his incessant criticism of former President Donald Trump. Last week, the actor made an appearance outside the New York City courtroom during the hush money trial, where he launched into a tirade against Trump.
Following the remarks, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) stated it would no longer extend a highly coveted award to the liberal actor. The NAB was set to grant the NAB Leadership Foundation’s Service to America Award to De Niro next week. However, the organization noted that it is “proudly partisan,” and rescinded the award after De Niro attended the Biden campaign press conference and sounded off on Trump.
“This event is proudly bipartisan, uniting those from across the political spectrum to celebrate the impactful work of local broadcasters and our partners,” an NAB spokesperson explained to The Hill. The spokesperson told the outlet that while the NAB supports freedom of speech, they felt that De Niro’s comments would be a “distraction” to the organization’s purpose.
“While we strongly support the right of every American to exercise free speech and participate in civic engagement, it is clear that Mr. De Niro’s recent high-profile activities will create a distraction from the philanthropic work that we were hoping to recognize,” the spokesperson continued. “To maintain the focus on service of the award winners, Mr. De Niro will no longer be attending the event.”
As De Niro delivered his remarks at the Biden-Harris event, outside the courthouse where its political opponent was being tried, the leftist actor was met with opposition from Trump supporters who shouted him down as he spoke. De Niro asserted that Trump does not “belong” in New York City.
