Robert De Niro Calls Global Action Against Trump at Cannes

At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, Robert De Niro used his honorary Palme d'Or acceptance speech to deliver a passionate critique of U.S. President Donald Trump, condemning his administration's cuts to arts and humanities funding and the proposed 100% tariff on foreign films entering the U.S. De Niro described art as a unifying force that embraces truth and diversity, making it a threat to autocrats and fascists, and warned that attacks on creativity are not only an American issue but a global one. He called on the international community to organize, protest peacefully, and vote in defense of democracy and liberty. The speech, delivered on the festival's opening night and presented by Leonardo DiCaprio, resonated widely, underscoring the intersection of art and political activism amid rising authoritarianism worldwide. De Niro emphasized the urgency of collective action to protect artistic freedom and democratic values, rallying the global audience with the French revolutionary motto "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité."