On Tuesday, CNN’s Laura Coates failed to understand how actor Robert De Niro’s appearance in New York was a political move by the left. De Niro spoke outside the courthouse as closing arguments in Donald Trump’s trial began. The day before he appeared in New York, he starred in a new Biden Campaign released a new advertisement which criticized Trump.
Coates began by playing two clips. The first was of De Niro claiming, “I love this city. I don't want to destroy it. Donald Trump wants to destroy not only the city, but the country. And eventually, he could destroy the world. That's the tyrant he's telling us he'll be. And believe me, he means it.”
The second was of Donald Trump Jr., “This is a political persecution. That was evidenced today, today by the Biden campaign themselves holding a rally here. They bring in Robert De Niro.”
Despite his affiliation with the Biden Campaign, Coates did not see anything political about it, “But you also had Republicans having rallies outside the courthouse as well. And De Niro, last I checked, is actually not an elected official.”
Though this may be accurate, he did narrate a Biden campaign advertisement the day before he spoke in New York. In the ad, De Niro said “Trump wants revenge and he will stop at nothing to get it.”
This ad made De Niro’s political affiliation quite clear to anyone who saw it.
She did not elaborate on how voters are being intimidated yet continued to show support to the Biden administration for sending De Niro to speak in New York.
De Niro was not alone in New York. As Coates observed, he was “flanked by two police officers who helped defend the Capitol on January 6th, Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone.”
Dunn spoke following De Niro’s speech saying “Americans need to wake up. This is not a drill.” Fanone stated that if Trump won, he would be an “authoritarian who answers to and serves only himself.”
Later in the segment, Coates ended by reiterating that she does not understand how individuals see this as a political move. She finished by declaring, “I just wonder about the narrative that suggests that Robert De Niro's presence next to two officers from the January 6th Capitol events, that that justifies -- that says and confirms political viewpoints or politicization of the Justice Department. None of them are a part of it at all any longer. So, I failed to understand that connection, but there's always tomorrow.”
Harry Dunn tried to become a politician by running unsuccessfully ran for Congress to represent Maryland’s 3rd district last year. He lost by 11.2 percent to Sarah Elfreth in the Democratic Primary. Fanone is a CNN analyst whose comparison of Trump to Osama Bin Laden made even Laura Coates herself uncomfortable.
Click "Expand" to view the transcripts:
CNN’s Laura Coats LIve
5/28/2024
11:35:20-11:37:23
LAURA COATES: For weeks now, President Biden has barely had anything to say about Donald Trump facing criminal charges. His campaign taking his lead and staying quiet for the most part. Well today, that all changed. The Biden campaign holding a press conference right outside the courthouse featuring Robert De Niro. And he wasn't alone. He was flanked by two police officers who helped defend the Capitol on January 6th, Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone. Check this out.
[Cuts to video]
ROBERT DE NIRO: I love this city. I don't want to destroy it. Donald Trump wants to destroy not only the city, but the country. And eventually, he could destroy the world. [Transition] That's the tyrant he's telling us he'll be. And believe me, he means it.
[Cuts back to live]
COATES: Well, how was De Niro received? Well, things got ugly as he clashed with Trump supporters when he was leaving, and a classic New York dustup full of curses and insults. Trump's son making sure to give his opinion as well. Here's Don Jr.
[Cuts to video]
DONALD JOHN TRUMP JR: This is a political persecution. That was evidenced today, today by the Biden campaign themselves holding a rally here. They bring in Robert De Niro.
[Cuts back to live]
COATES: But you also had Republicans having rallies outside the courthouse as well. And De Niro, last I checked, is actually not an elected official. So, who's right and who's wrong in the conversations and the vantage point they bring? And more importantly, will either message win over voters or will it backfire?
With me now, Leigh Ann Caldwell, anchor for Washington Post Live and co-author for Washington Post Early 202 newsletter, Shermichael Singleton, a senior political commentator, Mike Dubke, a former Trump White House communications director, and Alencia Johnson, a former senior advisor to the Biden 2020 campaign.
All right, Alencia, you heard my take and both have done political rallies outside. One involves speaker of the House. One involves Robert De Niro. Not equal.
ALENCIA JOHNSON (FORMER SENIOR ADVISER FOR THE BIDEN 2020 CAMPAIGN): Not quite equal. But I think the reality here is having Robert De Niro there actually gets under Donald Trump's skin, right? Because he used to be this big guy in Hollywood. He's supposed to be the king of New York. And Robert De Niro is a big guy in Hollywood, a mainstay of New York, and he's going directly after Donald Trump.
And this was actually a really good move, I believe, on the Biden campaign's part because Democrats want to see a fight, and they want to see it coming from the Democratic side. And we don't want to have politicians involved in this and, you know, do the same thing that the Trump candidacy is doing and intimidating voters. But having Robert De Niro and surrogates out there making the case, that was a strong move from the Biden campaign. I applaud it.
(…)
11:44:00-11:44:25
COATES: I just wonder about the narrative that suggests that Robert De Niro's presence next to two officers from the January 6th Capitol events, that that justifies -- that says and confirms political viewpoints or politicization of the Justice Department. None of them are a part of it at all any longer. So, I failed to understand that connection, but there's always tomorrow. Thank you so much, everyone.
