At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, 87-year-old Robert De Niro accepted an honorary Palme d’Or — and used his spotlight to take aim at Donald Trump. De Niro arrived on the red carpet with his 45-year-old girlfriend Tiffany Chen and daughter Helen Grace. The award was presented by Leonardo DiCaprio, marking a full-circle moment for De Niro, who was Jury President in 2011.
During his speech, De Niro didn’t hold back. “In my country, we are fighting like [expletive] for the democracy we once took for granted,” he said. He blasted Trump as a “philistine president” and criticized his role at the Kennedy Center and recent tariffs on foreign films.
“This isn’t just an American problem, it’s a global one,” he warned, urging the public to protest and vote: “We have to act now — with passion and determination.”
Reactions online were mixed, with some praising his courage and others calling him out of touch. As always, De Niro stirred debate — and made sure people were listening.
