The Biden campaign on Tuesday dispatched actor Robert De Niro and two former police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone — to convey the threat they argued former President Donald Trump poses to the country.
Speaking to reporters near the Manhattan courthouse where Trump’s criminal hush money trial is taking place, De Niro said Trump “wants to sow total chaos.”
De Niro, a New Yorker, called Trump a “clown” whose presidency could be dangerous for Americans. He said New Yorkers once tolerated Trump, but now recognize him as a threat.
Actor Robert De Niro speaks in support of President Joe Biden outside of Manhattan Criminal Court as former President and Donald Trump attends his criminal trial in New York City, May 28, 2024.
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
“I love this city. I don’t want to destroy it. Donald Trump wants to destroy not only the city, but the country, and eventually he can destroy the world,” De Niro said.
At a press conference following the Biden campaign’s, Trump campaign senior adviser Jason Miller shot back, saying the best the Biden campaign could do in attacking Trump was to “roll out a washed-up actor.”
De Niro said that if “Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all take for granted.”
De Niro recently voiced an anti-Trump ad for the Biden campaign. He said he agreed to participate in the ad “because it shows the violence of Trump and reminds us that he’ll use violence against anyone who stands in the way of his megalomania and greed.”
Robert De Niro speaks to reporters in support of President Joe Biden across the street from former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York, May 28, 2024.
Seth Wenig/AP
Robert De Niro argues with a Donald Trump supporter after speaking to reporters in support of President Joe Biden across the street from Trump’s criminal trial in New York, May 28, 2024.
Seth Wenig/AP
Dunn and Fanone both defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, and have been some of the most outspoken members of law enforcement to condemn the attacks. They were both witnesses during the congressional investigation of the Jan. 6 attacks.
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Dunn — who failed in his bid for Congress earlier this month, losing the Democratic primary to represent Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District — called Trump the “greatest threat to our democracy.”
“Donald Trump is the greatest threat to our democracy and the safety of communities across the country today,” Dunn said. “We’ve been called traitors, just today. We were all called traitors on Jan. 6 for doing our job,” Dunn said.
Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn speaks to the press outside of Manhattan Criminal Court as former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends his criminal trial in New York City, May 28, 2024.
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
Fanone, who was a D.C. police officer, was assaulted by rioters on Jan. 6 and suffered a heart attack from the assault.
“I came here today to remind Americans of what Donald Trump is capable of and the violence that he unleashed on all of Americans on Jan. 6, 2021,” Fanone said.
Tuesday’s appearance marked the first time the Biden campaign has engaged in any activity outside the courthouse in lower Manhattan. The Trump campaign has had surrogates in the Collect Pond Park near the courthouse every day for the past three weeks speaking on behalf of the former president.
During the Trump campaign’s rebuttal, Miller criticized the Biden supporters’ appearance.
“The Biden folks have finally done it. After months of saying politics had nothing to do with this trial, they showed up and made a campaign event out of a trial day for President Trump,” Miller said.
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
Robert De Niro, a renowned actor and vocal critic of President Donald Trump, joined forces with a group of former police officers to protest outside the New York hush money trial. The trial, which involves allegations of hush money payments made by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to two women who claimed to have had affairs with the president, has garnered significant attention and controversy.
De Niro, known for his outspoken opposition to Trump, took the opportunity to speak out against the president and his administration. He criticized Trump for his alleged involvement in the hush money payments and accused him of trying to cover up his indiscretions. De Niro also expressed his support for the women involved in the case, stating that they deserve justice and accountability.
The former police officers who joined De Niro in protest also voiced their concerns about Trump’s behavior and the implications of the hush money scandal. They emphasized the importance of upholding the rule of law and holding public officials accountable for their actions, regardless of their position or power.
The protest outside the trial highlighted the growing opposition to Trump and his administration, particularly in light of ongoing investigations into his conduct. De Niro and the former police officers used their platform to draw attention to the issues at hand and call for transparency and accountability in government.
As the trial continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how it will impact Trump and his presidency. However, one thing is clear: voices like De Niro’s and those of the former police officers will continue to speak out against perceived injustices and hold those in power accountable for their actions.
