Robert De Niro tears into Trump administration over wars, high cost of living, voting bill

One of U.S. President Donald Trump’s stark critics, Robert De Niro, tore into the administration for its attempts to curtail voter rights, wage new wars, mass deportations, and high cost of living, urging Americans to take action. The Oscar-winning actor bluntly called out the SAVE America Act as an attempt to curb voting rights, ICE agents as "masked thugs", and argued that no American voted for them or for the new wars that the President waged and the tariffs, both of which impacted the cost of living for citizens. De Niro urged people to join the nonviolent "No Kings" protests on March 28 and exercise their voting rights wisely in the November midterm elections.

In the kickoff call for a 'national day of action,' a nonviolent protest organized by the No Kings coalition, De Niro addressed supporters and discussed the most pressing issues, especially voting rights. "I've played plenty of tough, scary guys in the movies, but you know what really scares the hell out of me? What the government, this government, our government, is trying to take away our right to vote," De Niro said in his scathing promo. He called out the Trump administration for "nationalizing elections, "hijacking the states' voter rolls, and making voters re-register with original documentation.

This was a direct criticism of Trump's  Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE America Act), which is currently in the Senate, and a top priority for the president. The bill, if passed, will require voters to prove citizenship and may limit the use of online and mail-in registration methods. Democrats have collectively pushed back against the bill, as around 21 million Americans don't have the documents readily available to prove citizenship, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Furthermore, Voting rights groups agree that voter fraud is exceedingly rare; thus, Democrats allege that the proposed legislation is an attempt to alter the results of the upcoming midterm elections. 

"Why am I focusing on voting when they're doing so many other monstrous things? Because our vote is our power, our voice," De Niro said. "It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent. No one. No one voted for new wars. No one voted for higher prices at the pump. No one voted for higher prices in grocery stores. No one voted for higher prices in the housing market. No one voted for deporting our good neighbors. And no one voted for government masked thugs shooting down our citizens in the streets," he added. The actor claimed that the administration is not paying attention to the issues, but voters can get his attention in the November elections.

The remarks come after several cases involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) agents using excessive force, including the fatal shooting of two 37-year-old residents of Minneapolis, Renee Nicole and Alex Pretti, in the past couple of months. The incidents sparked protests across the country, bringing increased scrutiny of ICE. 

"That's why I'm asking you to vote three times," De Niro urged Americans. "First, vote with your feet in the nonviolent No Kings demonstration on March 28th. Second, vote with your support and presence for whatever is needed to oppose the next abomination of the Trump administration," he added, explaining that it could come in the form of non-violent protests. "And finally, third, vote in the election on November 3rd. That is the ultimate goal," he said. He urged people to join the No Kings demonstrations and fight the administration's policies, or else they may not be able to vote in the elections. "It's crazy, but it's come to that. So now, it's up to you. It's up to all of us. Thank you," he concluded.