Robert De Niro issues warning on Trump's influence: ‘We have to always be on guard’

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Robert De Niro became emotional during a conversation with Amy Poehler on her ‘Good Hang’ podcast, where the actor opened up about what he sees happening in the country.

The Tuesday, September 15, episode took an unexpected turn when Poehler thanked De Niro for continuing to speak publicly about issues that matter to him, including his criticism of President Donald Trump and his administration.

Amy Poehler praises Robert De Niro for speaking out

Poehler took a moment during the conversation to thank De Niro for using his platform to speak about issues affecting people.

“I just personally want to thank you for doing what you do and speaking out in the way that you do about where we are in the world,” she said.

Poehler said people who are often asked to “speak truth to power” are usually those with less influence or footing, including young people, people of color and women.

She also praised him for using his position to speak up for people's rights and called him “the best actor of our generation.”

Poehler said De Niro stands out among “White men of a certain age who have a ton of power” because he has chosen to use that position to speak out.

Robert De Niro urges people to stay ‘on guard’ over Trump’s influence

De Niro appeared visibly moved by Poehler's comments and responded in a shaky voice.

“It’s so upsetting to see what’s happening in this country, and it’s so crazy,” the 83-year-old actor said.

The conversation then turned to his long-running criticism of Trump.

De Niro said the situation being so obvious could also serve as a warning about what may happen in the future.

“In a way, that's better that it's so blatant because this will happen again; this guy will influence people, and they'll come up, and they'll say, 'Well, I can do it this way or that way,'” he said.

“And we have to always be on guard with what's happening now,” De Niro stressed. 

Robert De Niro continues to speak out against Trump

De Niro has never been quiet about his views on Trump. The ‘Taxi Driver’ star has been a vocal critic of Trump since his first presidential campaign.

That criticism has continued publicly over the years, making De Niro one of the Hollywood figures most closely associated with speaking out against Trump.

His conversation with Poehler, however, focused less on a specific political issue and more on why he continues to speak publicly.