The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has pulled an award from Hollywood heavyweight Robert De Niro. Evidently, the broadcasters’ union was unable to handle the Oscar winner’s recent angry presence at a Biden campaign event outside the courthouse where former President Trump was being tried for hush money activities. Following his divisive remarks, De Niro, who was initially scheduled to receive the NAB Leadership Foundation’s Service to America Award next Tuesday in Washington, D.C., had his honor revoked.
De Niro lost control of an anti-Trump press conference on Tuesday outside the Manhattan courthouse because the sounds of a busy city overwhelmed his remarks. The 80-year-old actor was obviously upset at the possibility of a New York jury clearing Trump.
“Do we want him running this country,” the actor said, “and saying, ‘I’m not leaving, I’m dictator for life’?” Speaking in support of a new, anti-Trump ad blitz by the Biden campaign, De Niro said he hoped to remind voters about “what a danger he [Trump] is to our lives.”
A heckler wearing a MAGA hat interrupted De Niro as he was about to deliver his biting critique of Trump, calling him a “tyrant,” saying, “You’re washed up!” The actor appeared to take exception at the taunt, and a heated conversation soon broke out.
The actor yelled out at the Trump fans, “You’re gangsters!”
But the taunts from the heckler persisted, getting sharper with each one: “You’re trash. You make bad movies. You’re through! Visceral in its reaction, De Niro was seen on camera. The actor, whose career has spanned decades and brought him multiple awards, answered just as passionately.
“This event is proudly bipartisan, uniting those from across the political spectrum to celebrate the impactful work of local broadcasters and our partners,” a NAB spokeswoman said in a statement to The Hill on Thursday.
“While we strongly support the right of every American to exercise free speech and participate in civic engagement, it is clear that Mr. De Niro’s recent high-profile activities will create a distraction from the philanthropic work that we were hoping to recognize. To maintain the focus on the service of the award winners, Mr. De Niro will no longer be attending the event,” the spokesperson concluded.
De Niro made his own statement on the matter to The Hill: “I support the work of the NAB Leadership Foundation and would like to express my appreciation and gratitude for what the Foundation has done and will continue to do for the good of us all, and I wish them well for their continued good work.”
An annual conference and event organized by the NAB is the NAB Show, one of the world’s largest gatherings of professionals in media, entertainment, and technology. Broadcasters can network, learn about new technologies, discuss industry trends, and investigate innovative business methods at this event.
The top individual award from the NAB was to be given to De Niro “in recognition of charitable work and public service.” On June 4, he was supposed to be honored at the 2024 Celebration of Service to America Awards.
