A broadcasting industry group has canceled a philanthropic award it was planning to give to actor Robert De Niro after he criticized former President Donald Trump on behalf of the Biden campaign earlier this week.
The National Association of Broadcasters has rescinded De Niro’s invitation to attend an awards ceremony honoring him for service to America, citing “disruptive” comments and recent activities by De Niro for the president’s reelection campaign.
The “Goodfellas” actor said at a news conference on Tuesday outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump is on criminal trial that Trump “has the potential to destroy the entire world.”
“I’m not trying to scare you. No, wait, maybe I’m trying to scare you,” De Niro, 80, said at a news conference hosted by the Biden campaign. “If Donald Trump returns to the White House, we’ll have to kiss goodbye these freedoms that we take for granted.”
The Hollywood star traded expletives with Trump supporters outside the courthouse, calling one of them a “fucking moron” who accused him of accepting money from the Democratic National Committee.
Following this comment, the broadcasting group removed the famous actor from the list of award recipients.
“While we strongly support the right of all Americans to exercise free speech and participate in public life, it is clear that Mr. De Niro’s recent high-profile activities will serve as a distraction from the philanthropic work we hoped to honor,” said Alex Siciliano, NAB’s senior vice president of public affairs. “To maintain the focus on our honorees’ service, Mr. De Niro will no longer be attending the ceremony.”
Siciliano’s statement also stressed that the event celebrates the vital local journalism and public service of radio and television stations and is “proudly bipartisan.”
“This event is a proudly bipartisan event that brings people together from all political walks of life to celebrate the impactful work of our local broadcasters and partners,” he said.
“We look forward to a celebratory evening celebrating the great work of our broadcasters and partners who serve their communities every day.”
De Niro didn’t seem upset about not being invited back.
he He told The HillSpeaking at a press conference in , which first reported on the withdrawal, he said he supported and appreciated NAB’s work and wished them success.
Trump, who is considered the Republican presidential nominee, fired back at De Niro following his comments on Tuesday.
“I didn’t realize how small former actor Robert De Niro was, both mentally and physically,” Trump denounced. Authentic Social Posts.
