Killers of the Flower Moon star Robert De Niro was confused when he took the stage at the Gotham Awards in New York City Monday night.
The Oscar-winning actor was on hand to introduce the historical icon and creator tribute award for Martin Scorsese’s Apple film, which also stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone.
When De Niro began reading his prepared remarks for the introduction of the award, he noticed his comments were edited. A video aired of the iconic director and Osage chief Geoffrey Standing Bear discussing the film, and then the actor made it a purpose to read the original speech he was going to recite, including several political comments about Donald Trump.
“History isn’t history anymore. Truth isn’t truth, and facts are being replaced by conspiracy theories,” De Niro said onstage. “Lying has become a tool in the charlatan’s arsenal. The former president lied to us more than 30,000 times over his four years, and he’s keeping it up in his campaign of retribution.”
He added, “With all of his lies, he can’t hide his soul,” adding that the former president made his disrespect known with his insulting use of the term “Pocahontas” as a slur, referencing Trump’s popular nickname for Senator Elizabeth Warren.
The actor continued, explaining that at this point in his speech, he noticed that his remarks had been edited and seemingly blamed Apple for it.
“I’m gonna say these things, but to Apple and thank them and all that, Gothams, blah, blah, blah, Apple. But I don’t feel like thanking them at all after what they did. How dare they do that, actually?”
The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Apple for comment.
This isn’t the first time De Niro has spoken out against Trump, comparing his time as president to “an abusive relationship.”
“With this administration, this president,” he said on Michael Moore’s podcast Rumble in 2019, “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.”
Past Lives took home the top award of the 2023 Gotham Awards, best feature, while Anatomy of a Fall received the best international feature prize and best documentary went to Four Daughters.
See the full list of winners.
