Robert De Niro has dismissed criticism from Jon Voight over a video in which De Niro said he would like to punch Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the face.
In a video released on Saturday, De Niro called Trump “blatantly stupid … he’s a punk, he’s a dog, he’s a pig, he’s a con, a bullshit artist. A mutt who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
“He talks how he wants to punch people in the face. Well, I’d like to punch him in the face.”
Jon Voight attacked De Niro’s video in a series of tweets, saying he was ashamed of his fellow actor’s rant. Voight also defended Trump over a tape released last week in which Trump boasted about groping women.
I am so ashamed of my fellow actor Bobby DeNiro's rant against Donald Trump. What foul words he used against a presidential nominee. cont'd
— Jon Voight (@jonvoight) October 8, 2016
who has worked harder then any other man I know in the past year and a half to get a good message to the American people. cont'd..
— Jon Voight (@jonvoight) October 8, 2016
“I don’t know of too many men who haven’t expressed some sort of similar sexual terms toward women, especially in their younger years,” said Voight, going on to call on Trump supporters to express their “outrage and anger” at De Niro and “all of the Republican turncoats”. Voight has long been an outspoken supporter of the Republican party.
De Niro responded to Voight’s comments, saying: “Voight is a nice guy, but he’s delusional,” according to UAE newspaper the Khaleej Times, before continuing to attack Trump.
“The Republican party has rationalised that his guy is sane, that this guy should be president,” he said. “It’s awful, they will self-destruct.”
De Niro urged Americans to vote on 8 November in order to prevent Trump from winning.
“They have to vote, they must vote, it’s imperative that you vote, it’s a very serious situation,” he said.
“Everybody has to be vigilant to make sure that this guy does not become president. Let’s not win by a margin, let’s make sure he’s crushed … because he represents so many horrible things.”
A growing number of senior figures in the Republican party have withdrawn support or distanced themselves from Trump, including former presidential candidate John McCain, former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger.
