Robert De Niro Urges Early Voting Ahead of Midterms
Actor Robert De Niro appeared in a political ad urging voters to cast ballots early, warning that the Trump administration could interfere with the voting process on Election Day. The White House responded with a sharp rebuke.
Actor Robert De Niro appeared in a new political advertisement urging voters to cast their ballots early, arguing that early votes will be secured regardless of what he described as efforts to interfere on Election Day. The ad was shared by the progressive group Indivisible as part of its Hands Off Our Vote campaign, which seeks to protect the right to vote.
In the video, De Niro said that voting is a constitutional right and claimed that the Trump administration and the Supreme Court are not paying attention to those rights. He framed the choice facing voters in pointed terms, arguing it should be easy to back a preferred candidate over what he called a would-be king who gets the country into a disastrous war, or over candidates who would cut healthcare and fail to protect children from predators. De Niro, a longtime critic of President Donald Trump, also said, "There are some powerful people who want to take away that power," and added that opponents were being fought in the courts and in the streets.
He encouraged viewers to vote early, whether by mail or in person, so that their ballots are already counted. "Whether by mail or in person, you control when, and then, no matter what they pull on Election Day, your vote will already be banked," De Niro said. The message reflected a broader concern among some Democrats that the Trump administration could try to influence or disrupt the midterm elections, a claim that has circulated for months.
The White House pushed back hard. Spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital that De Niro is a washed-up has-been who has not been relevant in 30 years, accusing him of spewing hate speech and inciting violence. Indivisible did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The exchange comes amid a broader debate over election integrity. Earlier this year, Democratic figures including former Vice President Kamala Harris accused Trump and Republicans of trying to cheat in the midterms. Republicans have countered that Democrats are resisting election security measures such as the SAVE Act, which would require voter identification and proof of citizenship. Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, said in February that Democrats were opposing voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements and demanding that no questions be asked about election security.
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