At the opening ceremony of the 78th Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2025, Robert De Niro called Donald Trump “America’s philistine president” while accepting an honorary Palme d’Or. His speech linked that criticism to art, democracy, cultural institutions, public support for the arts and education, and Trump’s proposed tariff on films made outside the United States.
What did Robert De Niro say about Trump at Cannes?
De Niro used the phrase “America’s philistine president” in his acceptance speech for an honorary Palme d’Or. Leonardo DiCaprio presented the award at the festival’s opening ceremony in Cannes, France. The Associated Press reported the wording and occasion in its account of the event: Associated Press coverage.
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De Niro’s full quoted sentence was: “America’s philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of America’s premier cultural institutions.” The Guardian identified the institution he was referring to as the Kennedy Center and described the remarks as part of the honorary award speech: The Guardian’s account.
Why did De Niro use the word “philistine”?
In this context, “philistine” was De Niro’s critical characterization of Trump’s approach to culture. He presented art as valuable partly because it embraces diversity and challenges authoritarian politics, saying: “Art is the truth. Art embraces diversity. And that’s why art is a threat to the autocrats and the fascists of the world.” The Associated Press reported that line alongside his criticism of Trump.
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De Niro connected his argument to several subjects rather than making the speech solely about one policy:
- Cultural leadership: He criticized Trump’s role at the Kennedy Center, which De Niro described as one of the country’s premier cultural institutions.
- Arts, humanities and education: He objected to cuts in support for these areas.
- Film policy: He criticized Trump’s announcement of a proposed 100% tariff on films made outside the United States. That figure was the proposed tariff De Niro referred to, not a measured outcome.
These points explain the political context De Niro gave for his remarks; they are his stated criticisms, not an independent assessment here of the effects of those policies.
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What was De Niro’s message beyond the criticism?
De Niro framed the issues as extending beyond the United States. ABC News reproduced his words: “All these attacks are unacceptable. And this isn’t just an American problem, it’s a global one.” He urged people concerned about liberty to organize, protest without violence and vote when elections take place. ABC News’s account includes more of that call to action: ABC News Australia.
As reproduced by ABC News, he said: “It’s time for anyone who cares about liberty to organise, to protest and when there are elections, of course to vote.”
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What is known about the speech’s full wording?
Contemporaneous reports support the event details and the quoted passages above, but they do not establish a complete official transcript or a festival-hosted full recording. The excerpts should therefore be treated as reported quotations, not as a canonical transcript of everything De Niro said.
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