Robert De Niro clashes with Trump supporters outside money hush trial

NEW YORK: Famous actor Robert De Niro engaged in a verbal altercation with supporters of former United States (US) President Donald Trump outside Trump’s hush money trial in New York on Tuesday.

During a news conference, De Niro referred to Trump as a “clown” and accused him of seeking to “destroy the world.” The octogenarian criticised Trump’s leadership, stating that the former president does not belong in New York City.

Read more: Trump hush money payment undermined 2016 election: Prosecutor

The actor of “Taxi Driver” fame warned of severe consequences if Trump were to return to the White House. Robert De Niro advocated to vote for Democrat candidate Joe Biden in the upcoming US presidential election to “preserve democratic freedoms”.

The incident occurred as two police officers accompanied De Niro as special guests of Joe Biden’s campaign. De Niro’s comments sparked a heated exchange with Trump’s supporters, who criticised the actor and his movies.

Despite the confrontation, De Niro stood by his remarks, warning of the threat posed by Trump’s potential return to power.

Trump’s spokesperson and campaign advisers responded to De Niro’s remarks by dismissing him as a “washed-up actor” and criticising Biden’s campaign for enlisting him. They mocked De Niro’s involvement in the campaign. The Republican supporters mocked the actor’s “detachment” from the “real issues” facing the US.

De Niro said democratic values were slowly eroding under Trump’s leadership and urged voters to support Biden in order to safeguard these freedoms.

The US society has become increasingly polarised, with political divisions aligning along the lines of the two major parties. Some attribute the polarisation to Donald Trump’s election as president in 2016, while others place blame on the media.

Trump is currently facing a series of lawsuits just ahead of the November 5 presidential elections. The hush money trial involves former US President Donald Trump and revolves around allegations of a conspiracy to corrupt the 2016 election and subsequent attempts to cover it up.

Specifically, the trial focuses on a payment made to adult actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump during the election campaign. The prosecution argues that this payment constituted an illegal campaign contribution aimed at influencing voters.

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Meanwhile, Trump’s defense maintains that the payment was not related to the campaign and was instead part of an effort to prevent extortion by Daniels. The trial is the first criminal trial of a former US president and could have implications for Trump’s political future.