Robert De Niro Compares Trump Presidency to Abusive Relationship

Robert De Niro says enduring the Trump presidency is like being an abusive relationship.

The legendary actor said this in the most recent episode of Michael Moore’s new weekly podcast Rumble, in which De Niro was introduced as “arguably the greatest actor in our lifetime.” D

During their conversation, the actor spoke about Trump, who he has been vocal about many times in the past year.

Said Moore: “What you’re about to hear is completely uncensored, unfiltered, in its raw form. You and I and everybody listening to this are living in a weird time; I think that there is a malaise in this country right now. There is a level of despair with people. Have you seen this and felt it? They’re so low.”

And De Niro responded by saying, “To me, it feels like, with this administration, this president, it’s kind of [like] being in an abusive relationship. You don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t feel safe. The president is such an idiot and doesn’t do anything that we can rely on or feel safe about, even good intentions — he has no good intentions. That’s your role as president, to make people feel good and positive. Even though it’s easier said than done, that’s your responsibility as president. He doesn’t have any of that, as we all know.”

The actor goes on to say that he didn’t want to have anything to do with Trump in New York City. “He was a fool then, he’s a fool now, but now it’s even worse. I even gave him the benefit of the doubt — the day after he was elected, I went on Jimmy Kimmel [Live!] and said, ‘Look, I’ll give him a chance, I hope I’m wrong.’ But there has not been one thing about this person that has been redeeming as far as I can see. Nothing.”

He explains that he doesn’t understand Republicans who have “fallen in line” with Trump, calling the situation a disgrace. “It’s beyond a disgrace, shame on them,” he says. “Shame on all of them.”