Robert De Niro Warns Trump Won’t Leave Without a Fight
Actor robert de niro warned that President Donald Trump will not go willingly at the end of a second term and urged citizens to act, saying "He will never leave" and "We have to make him leave. " The remarks come in an exclusive clip from an anchor's podcast and land as midterm elections approach — a timing De Niro framed as critical for protecting the voting process.
What De Niro said in the clip
In the exclusive clip, robert de niro told the anchor that "He will never leave" and added, "We have to make him leave. " He pressed that Trump is not joking about proposals to centralize control of elections, saying, "He jokes now about nationalizing the elections. He's not joking. We've seen enough already. " When the anchor suggested Trump could be gone in three years, De Niro responded flatly, "He ain't leaving. No, no way. "
Concerns about midterm elections
De Niro linked his warning to the upcoming midterm contests, arguing they could be a flashpoint for attempts to disrupt results. He said Trump would attempt to interfere with the midterms and called on citizens to ensure polling places remain staffed and safe, framing that work as a civic responsibility: "We have to make sure that like what he's trying now, that all the polling places have people that can come there safely. " When the anchor clarified the call as "peaceful organization, " De Niro replied, "It's up to the people. "
Calls for public protest and scale
Beyond protective measures at polling sites, De Niro urged broader public action. He referenced past protest movements as a model and urged large-scale participation, stating it could not be limited to relatively small demonstrations: "It's got to be not 7, 8, 9 million. It's got to be way, way more than that. " He described widespread protest as a necessary mechanism if institutional norms failed to hold.
Political figures and the 'No Kings' movement
The clip revisits De Niro's prior remarks on the "No Kings" protests, which he has praised for opposing Trump's policies. He offered support for several Democratic figures who he said were fighting back, naming specific leaders he admires for their challenges to the president. De Niro positioned public dissent and legal pushback as complementary lines of defense against what he described as efforts to concentrate electoral control.
- Key takeaways: De Niro warns Trump won’t leave; calls for citizen action; highlights risks to midterm integrity.
Analysis and forward look: De Niro’s comments aim to elevate public attention on election administration ahead of the midterms. If efforts to centralize or federalize election control escalate, De Niro framed the likely response as large-scale civic mobilization and protective staffing at polling places. The immediate practical indicator to watch is public engagement and organization around polling locations in the weeks before the midterms, which De Niro singled out as an area requiring citizen attention. Unclear at this time is how institutions or campaign officials will respond to the concerns De Niro raised; he framed the outcome as dependent on citizen action rather than institutional assurances.
The full episode of the anchor’s podcast featuring the actor is set to be available to stream on Monday, where the interview continues beyond the excerpts shown in the exclusive clip.
