Between co-host Sunny Hostin saying there were too many white people in Trump’s courtroom and George Stephanopoulos praising the Deep State, the Tuesday edition of ABC’s The View was already stacked with outrageous moments before Trump-hater and actor, Robert De Niro took the stage late in the show. The bitter aging actor went on an unhinged and profanity-filled tirade against the former President and asserted that he was “already” like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
“I don't understand why people are not taking him seriously [as a threat],” De Niro decried, “because you read about it historically in other countries that they didn't take the people seriously. Think of Hitler and Mussolini. They were fools and clowns. Well -- and I hear -- some people -- I mean, who does not think that this guy is going to do exactly what he says he's going to do? He's done it already.”
De Niro predicted that, if Trump got elected again, at some point he and other people against Trump would be able to say, “We told you so.” He then lashed out at Trump’s supporters with a deluge of profanity that caused executive producer Brian Teta to mute the entire show, not just De Niro:
DE NIRO: It's going to happen. If he gets elected it's going to change this country for everybody and they might think that it's going to make their life better or just want, excuse my French
[Show mutes as De Niro curses]
[Cheers and applause]
Literally. Those people who support him with anger and hate because that's what he's about, they're going to see. I mean, I used to see these things -- I didn't understand how he and Rosie O’Donnell used to get – I didn’t really care. I see what a hateful, mean-spirited awful thing he is.
Wallowing in hypocrisy, De Niro argued that he wanted to punch Trump in the face because Trump once said he wanted to punch a person who was disrupting one of his rallies during the 2016 election:
And why will he not do that in this country? He's already done it. Why would he not -- when I say I want to punch him in the face, it’s cause what he said to a person, a bystander, or somebody in one of his rallies, he wants to punch him in the face. You don't talk that way to people.
“What kind of person does that?” De Niro asked. Well, Robert, you do. What does that say about you?
De Niro would go on a much longer profanity-filled tirade, causing the show’s audio to break in and out multiple times:
DE NIRO: He's done everything. What more do you need? It's almost like he wants to do the worst that he could possibly do to show this country
[Show mutes as De Niro curses]
His Slau
[Show mutes as De Niro curses]
I
[Show mutes as De Niro curses]
[Cheers and applause]
As they were nearing the end of the segment, moderator Whoopi Goldberg chimed in to claim – without evidence – that Trump planned to take over the country and not relinquish power until he died. “Listen, he's not going to not stop being president! You understand this?! His idea is to stay in until he drops dead!” she screeched.
“That's it! He's not even conceding it now so imagine if he actually did win the election. It's over!” De Niro agreed. “We're going to have such civil strife. All the things he says because everybody is now on to him where he projects what he's saying. It's what he wants, what he envisions the world to be, which is chaos and craziness, total craziness.”
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
ABC’s The View
May 14, 2024
11:50:55 a.m. Eastern(…)
ROBERT DE NIRO: I don't understand why people are not taking him seriously, because you read about it historically in other countries that they didn't take the people seriously. Think of Hitler and Mussolini. They were fools and clowns. Well -- and I hear -- some people -- I mean, who does not think that this guy is going to do exactly what he says he's going to do?
SUNNY HOSTIN: Right.
DE NIRO: He's done it already.
JOY BEHAR: Worse.
[Applause]
DE NIRO: And then what? We're going to sit around and say, “What? We told you so” or whoever, “I told you so?”
It's going to happen. If he gets elected it's going to change this country for everybody and they might think that it's going to make their life better or just want, excuse my French
[Show mutes as De Niro curses]
[Cheers and applause]
Literally. Those people who support him with anger and hate because that's what he's about, they're going to see. I mean, I used to see these things -- I didn't understand how he and Rosie O’Donnell used to get – I didn’t really care. I see what a hateful, mean-spirited awful thing he is.
BEHAR: He was vicious to her.
DE NIRO: He's vicious.
BEHAR: Vicious.
DE NIRO: And why will he not do that in this country? He's already done it. Why would he not -- when I say I want to punch him in the face, it’s cause what he said to a person, a bystander or somebody in one of his rallies, he wants to punch him in the face. You don't talk that way to people. What kind of person does that?
[Applause]
BEHAR: Makes fun of the physically challenged. He makes fun of people who have physical challenges.
DE NIRO: He's done that too. He's done everything.
BEHAR: Trashes the military. He says people who go to war are losers. Wake up!
DE NIRO: He's done everything. What more do you need? It's almost like he wants to do the worst that he could possibly do to show this country
[Show mutes as De Niro curses]
His Slau
[Show mutes as De Niro curses]
I
[Show mutes as De Niro curses]
[Cheers and applause]
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: And the other thing is if he becomes president again, he is never -- listen, he's not going to not stop being president! You understand this?! His idea is to stay in until he drops dead!
DE NIRO: That's it. He's not even conceding it now so imagine if he actually did win the election. It's over. We're going to have such civil strife. All the things he says because everybody is now on to him where he projects what he's saying. It's what he wants, what he envisions the world to be, which is chaos and craziness, total craziness.
GOLDBERG: But what isn't crazy is the fact that we love when you come here.
(…)
