Robert De Niro well and truly slammed Donald Trump at the New Republic “Stop Trump Summit.” Most impressively, the actor wasn’t actually there.
Recovering From COVID
De Niro was recovering from COVID. As such, he wrote down the feelings he held for criminal defendant Trump and gave them to Miles Taylor, an ex-Trump administration official, to read at the event.
Trump Is Evil
In short, De Niro said that the former president is well and truly evil. “I’ve spent a lot of time studying bad men. I’ve examined their characteristics, their mannerisms, the utter banality of their cruelty. Yet there’s something different about Donald Trump. When I look at him, I don’t see a bad man. Truly, I see an evil one,” his statement said, likely referring to work he’s done throughout his acting career.
Democracy Won’t Survive Trump 2.0
De Niro continued: “He’s a wannabe tough guy with no morals or ethics. No sense of right or wrong. No regard for anyone but himself – not the people he was supposed to lead and protect. Democracy won’t survive the return of a wannabe dictator and it won’t overcome evil if we are divided.”
The Only Solution
De Niro is one of Hollywood’s most vocal Trump critics. In his eyes, the only solution is reaching out to Trump’s supporters. “They’re not stupid and we must not condemn them for making a stupid choice. Our future doesn’t just depend on us. It depends on them,” his statement said.
America’s Best Hope
De Niro is likely correct. The vast majority of Trump’s supporters aren’t stupid, nor are they evil themselves. They are victims of brainwashing and indoctrination and America’s best hope is to reach out to them, get through to them, and begin deprogramming them.
Deprogramming Is Possible
Many people will say Trump’s supporters are too far gone, that deprogramming is impossible. The evidence, however, says otherwise. Numerous ex-supporters have shared their stories on the internet in the hopes of helping others like them.
The Lesser Evil
One former Trump supporter wrote: “I voted for him in 2016. Truthfully, I’m just more right-leaning and I went with the lesser evil in terms of political stances. I found him entertaining at the very least, even though I thought he was a complete embarrassment of a president. The shine started to wear off quickly.”
A Broken Country
The aforementioned individual continued: “When COVID hit, that’s when I turned completely against him. He handled it so horribly. I couldn’t believe it. Then George Floyd happened [and] the following comments from Trump were so horrific and unhelpful to a broken country that it turned me very bitter toward him. Now? Can’t stand him. Our democracy was mocked and our politics were violated.”
The Overturning of Roe v. Wade
For another ex-MAGA Republican, the last straw was in relation to abortion. They wrote: “We live in Texas. I stupidly voted for Trump in 2020 because I believed he was an outsider fighting the system. I also appreciated that he was standing up to and calling out China for the pandemic. Then my wife was pregnant. In the first sonogram, the doctor showed us that the baby was developing with its organs outside its body so it had a 0% chance of survival. We were advised to have the baby aborted but the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade just two days prior to this diagnosis.”
A Painful Pregnancy
The former supporter continued: “Greg Abbott wasted no time in putting the ban into effect in Texas where we live. It was a painful pregnancy and my wife had to endure a painful flight to California as we could not have the abortion in Texas. Yes, I know that I was selfish and that I did not turn on Trump and the Republican Party until I myself was affected personally. But I apologize to everyone who was affected by his decisions and the corrupt thugs that he nominated for the Supreme Court.”
Moving to College
For others, moving to college is what opened their eyes. One such person said: “When I moved out to college, I got a chance to meet and surround myself with people who thought and believed differently. I grew up in a very conservative household, was taught how to think and act from a young age, and any and all news watched in the house was Fox News. I was, fortunately, not old enough to vote in 2016. I was old enough to vote in 2020. Vote for Trump, I did not.”
Colleges and “Woke Indoctrination”
Replying to the aforementioned individual, another person said: “This is why you see conservatives attacking the education system so much and claiming colleges are indoctrinating youth into being ‘woke extremists.’ Colleges tend to open up people’s world views and allow them to get to know different cultures [and] viewpoints.”
Developing Critical Thinking Skills
The commenter continued: “They also help to develop people’s critical thinking skills, which is a big no-no for the [GOP]. They want people they can manipulate with manufactured culture wars, outrage over gas stoves or Bud Light, and ones who won’t even think about fact-checking the things they say.”
The Events of Jan 6th
Another ex-Trump supporter said: “Jan 6th did it for me. Wouldn’t call myself a supporter so much as I just felt like he was a breath of fresh air compared to what I was sick of seeing from politicians. Then he really went off the rails and I saw how much of a petulant child he was. I immediately regretted voting for him.”
The MAGA Cult
Another ex-supporter wrote: “For me, it happened slowly. I’m not sure I can pick an exact moment I stopped supporting him. I used to laugh when people said it was a cult. I thought they were the ones in the cult, not me. I was wrong, obviously, and over time that became more and more clear. When you’re in the MAGA cult, it’s impossible to see clearly. The brainwashing is too strong. If you’re in the MAGA cult now, please listen to people like me. I used to be you. Take a step back. Look at the facts. The actual facts, not things Trump says are facts. Please try to think for yourself.”
The MAGA Response
It’s clear from the aforementioned personal stories that getting through to Trump’s supporters is possible. It’s also evident that the former president’s fans are far from stupid, as De Niro said. Regardless, when the news of his attack on Trump was shared across the internet, the former president’s current followers were less than pleased. “It amazes me how many people listen to someone who makes a living pretending,” one said, the irony seemingly lost on them.
De Niro Got One Thing Right
Another person said: “Ha! What does De Niro know? The guy’s an actor. He got one thing right though! We’re not stupid and neither is President Trump, a genius and the best leader our incredible country has ever seen.”
The Most Intelligent
Echoing the aforementioned commenter, another individual wrote: “He is correct. We’re not stupid. In fact, we appear to be among the most intelligent in the nation as we seem to be the only ones who see the truth.”
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