[KARAH RUCKER]

OSCAR-WINNING ACTOR ROBERT DE NIRO IS LOSING OUT ON AN AWARD AFTER AN APPEARANCE THIS WEEK ON BEHALF OF THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN. OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE WHERE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WAS ON TRIAL TUESDAY, MAY 28, THE ACTOR CLAIMED MR. TRUMP COULD “DESTROY THE WHOLE WORLD” IF ELECTED AGAIN. 

“I DON’T MEAN TO SCARE YOU. NO, WAIT, MAYBE I DO MEAN TO SCARE YOU. IF TRUMP RETURNS TO THE WHITE HOUSE, YOU CAN KISS THESE FREEDOMS GOODBYE THAT WE ALL TAKE FOR GRANTED.” 

DE NIRO WAS SET TO RECEIVE THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION’S “SERVICE TO AMERICA” AWARD ON TUESDAY, JUNE 4, BUT THE ORGANIZATION RESCINDED THE HONOR IN THE WAKE OF HIS HEATED REMARKS. THE NAB SAID DE NIRO’S COMMENTS CREATE “A DISTRACTION”. 

A NAB SPOKESPERSON EXPLAINED THE DECISION TO RESCIND DE NIRO’S AWARD IN A STATEMENT: “THIS EVENT IS PROUDLY BIPARTISAN, UNITING THOSE FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM TO CELEBRATE THE IMPACTFUL WORK OF LOCAL BROADCASTERS AND OUR PARTNERS. WHILE WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE RIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN TO EXERCISE FREE SPEECH AND PARTICIPATE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, IT IS CLEAR THAT MR. DE NIRO’S RECENT HIGH-PROFILE ACTIVITIES WILL CREATE A DISTRACTION FROM THE PHILANTHROPIC WORK THAT WE WERE HOPING TO RECOGNIZE. TO MAINTAIN THE FOCUS ON SERVICE OF THE AWARD WINNERS, MR. DE NIRO WILL NO LONGER BE ATTENDING THE EVENT.” 

IN A STATEMENT TO THE HILL, WHICH FIRST REPORTED THE AWARD’S RESCINDING, DE NIRO SAID HE SUPPORTS AND APPRECIATES THE WORK OF THE NAB AND WISHES THEM WELL. 

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, THE PRESUMPTIVE 2024 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE, RESPONDED TO DE NIRO’S REMARKS IN A POST ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TRUTH SOCIAL TUESDAY. 

“I NEVER KNEW HOW SMALL, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, WACKO FORMER ACTOR ROBERT DE NIRO WAS.”