The interview began with Wallace noting that De Niro came on the show specifically to talk about Trump, and asking why he feels so strongly about the former president:
WALLACE: Actors usually come on here because they have a project they want to promote, but you wanted to come on to talk about the election and Donald Trump. Why do you feel so strongly about Trump?
DE NIRO: It’s so clearly offensive what he does that I don’t see how you cannot say anything. I tell people from other countries who I meet, I just imagine the person in that country you think is the least qualified to run your country. And, well, that’s what we have.
WALLACE: And what is it you say? He’s so offensive.
DE NIRO: Even people who should know, who should acknowledge don’t, and that’s where we have a big problem today. They know that it’s crazy, but they still go along with it, partially out of fear with the being thrown out of the party, say like Liz Cheney and so on. And Adam Kinzinger for standing up and doing the right thing.
WALLACE: Yeah, but there are people, for instance, Chris Sununu, governor of New Hampshire, who couldn’t have been stronger in his denunciation of Trump during the campaign, supported Nikki Haley, went all around with her now he says going to vote for Trump.
DE NIRO: I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it. And I think people who do that eventually, in some way, pay for it because they are not honest about, Nikki Haley’s another one, classic example, not honest about, I don’t know what I mean, other than survival, I don’t understand why they take the position that they do even if it’s survival, I think they’re prominent in their communities, or their families are and they can always get another job. They always have a voice if they want to complain about Trump and all what’s going on. They can do it. They can do it and not be in politics. And that’s what Liz Cheney is doing, and I respect her greatly for that, because she’s doing the right thing.
WALLACE: You have been going after Trump for some years now. Here are some of the greatest hits over the course of the last decade. Take a look.
(CLIP)
WALLACE: Now, that last one was outside the courthouse in May, where he was convicted for falsifying business records. And when you held that news conference, one of his advisors said about you, he’s washed up. He is out of touch with real people’s problems.
DE NIRO: Well listen, there are real people’s problems. Yes, but Trump isn’t the answer. He’s not the answer. We know that. He’s a con artist. I’m out of touch maybe, with certain people in certain parts of the country, yes, and their problems, and I have great empathy for those problems, and we do have to address those and they’re angry, and they have a right to be angry. And I that part of that I really understand, and I even the elite type thing, I understand that, but you don’t rely on someone like Donald Trump to fix it. There’s something else going on. You know, look the crazy uncle at home. You tolerate everybody, not as the President of the United States. It’s crazy.
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