Cannes film festival 2025: Robert De Niro once again attacks Trump, calls him ‘America's philistine president’ | WATCH

Robert De Niro, who was presented honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival, once again attacked Donald Trump during his speech. After thanking the festival, De Niro quickly turned to speaking about Trump, who recently said he wants to enact a tariff on films made outside the country.

“Art is the truth. Art embraces diversity. And that's why art is a threat to the autocrats and the fascists of the world,” said De Niro. “America's philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of America's premier cultural institutions. He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education. And now he announced a 100% tariff on films made outside the United States. You can't put a price on connectivity.”

Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Quentin Tarantino arrived at the Cannes Film Festival as the 78th edition of the French Riviera event kicked off on Tuesday.

Leonardo DiCaprio skipped the red carpet but received a standing ovation when he presented Robert De Niro with an honorary Palme d'Or. The moment, which united two of Martin Scorsese’s most frequent collaborators, came 49 years after Taxi Driver won the festival's top prize.

DiCaprio hailed De Niro as “the archetype” of an actor and commended the 81-year-old — a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump — for “fighting for our democracy.” As the crowd rose for an extended ovation, DiCaprio handed him the Palme. “Thanks, kiddo,” De Niro replied.

Know about Cannes

Cannes is coming off a standout 2024 festival that launched several eventual Oscar contenders, such as Emilia Pérez, The Substance, Flow, and the Best Picture winner Anora. When asked on Monday if he felt any pressure heading into this year’s edition, festival director Thierry Frémaux quipped that the only kind of pressure he acknowledges is the one found in beer, a nod to the French term for draft beer, “bière à la pression.”

Cannes kicked off the same day Gérard Depardieu, one of France’s most renowned actors, was found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. In one of the country’s most high-profile #MeToo cases, Depardieu received an 18-month suspended prison sentence. The 76-year-old has been a frequent fixture at the festival over the years.

Over the next 12 days, Cannes will host high-profile premieres, including Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, and Ari Aster’s Eddington.

(With inputs from AP)