Providing a forum to actor and Obama supporter Robert De Niro on Sunday's NBC Meet the Press, host David Gregory teed up the celebrity to praise the President: "...you talked about your inspiration and your support for President Obama. Are you as inspired? Are you as hopeful? Are you as satisfied with what he's done as president as he stands for re-election?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
De Niro gave a predictably positive review: "You know, it's very easy to criticize people. I think he's done a good job....as far as Bin Laden and other things that he stepped up – being a liberal president, supposedly – that were effective." De Niro then predicted: "I know he'll do better in the next four years, when he won't have to worry whether he's going to be elected or not."
Gregory interviewed De Niro for the Meet the Press web-based feature Press Pass, during which the actor urged Republicans to "help" Obama: "...give us some faith in your behavior and don't make preposterous statements, don't get into all this posturing and silliness. Try to be – try to move forward and help the president, even though you're from another party, the other party. Try to stop criticizing so much. Try to move it forward."
In the April 29 edition of Press Pass, Gregory interviewed Saturday Night Live cast members Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen, who impersonate Mitt Romney and Barack Obama for the show. Armisen gushed over the President: "I've grown to like him more and more. You know, I was always – I've just been a fan of his."
Filling in for Matt Lauer on Friday's Today, Gregory cheerfully touted the "treat" of being able to interview liberal comedian Stephen Colbert, "who has had a loud and influential voice in this political season."
Here is a portion of Gregory's May 6 exchange with De Niro:
11:40AM ET
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ROBERT DE NIRO: You know, it's very easy to criticize people. I think he's done a good job. He's done other things that maybe he should have been a little stronger about, people will complain. But it's not easy to be President of the United States. And he – and that was pointed out in the New York Times, I think in the last Sunday Week in Review, by Peter Bergen, about all the things he did, as far as Bin Laden and other things that he stepped up – being a liberal president, supposedly – that were effective. Not always – you know, there's always the negative side of that. But he took the chance to do it, and he did it. And ultimately, with Bin Laden.
And I think he's doing – I give him credit, and I hope he does – I know he'll do better in the next four years, when he won't have to worry whether he's going to be elected or not.
DAVID GREGORY: Do you have much faith in Washington right now? How Washington operates?
ROBERT DE NIRO: I don't – well, I – all the shenanigans going on about, you know, the divisiveness is always – it's upsetting. And I think most people feel that way. They might not say it or they might not say, "Look, I just want to get on with my life, do what I have to do." But let's at least – at least give us some faith in your behavior and don't make preposterous statements, don't get into all this posturing and silliness. Try to be – try to move forward and help the president, even though you're from another party, the other party. Try to stop criticizing so much. Try to move it forward. Because everybody sees that it's just a game and it's about really doing something.
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