Appearing on Wednesday’s NBC Today show to promote the Tribecca Film Festival, actor Robert De Niro also happily discussed his cameo on Saturday Night Live portraying Special Counsel Robert Mueller, even hoping for future skits where he could arrest Donald Trump and throw him jail.
Eager to promote the NBC comedy show, fill-in co-host Craig Melvin asked: “A few days ago, you made some headlines. SNL, Robert Mueller. I think we have a clip here to remind folks what you look like here.” In the skit, De Niro, playing Mueller, interrogates Trump attorney Michael Cohen, played by actor Ben Stiller. Melvin hoped for more: “Is this going to become a recurring thing?”
De Niro excitedly replied: “I don’t know, I hope there’s a couple where I interrogate him, then I arrest him, and then I escort him to jail.” Movie producer and De Niro’s Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Jane Rosenthal clarified: “You mean Trump.” De Niro explained: “Yeah, who do you think I mean?...No, not Cohen. Him, too. But Trump, definitely, yes. Can I make it any clearer?”
Melvin laughed and used the opportunity to gush over the celebrity’s liberal activism: “Yeah, no, I think you’ve made it quite clear over the past few months. You’ve been, I won’t say politically active, but I mean, you have been pointed in your criticism of this president and your criticism of this administration since he took office.” The supposed objective journalist then asked: “Do you think that we’re living in a time where it is imperative for everyone to be politically active?”
De Niro urged more people to denounce the President:
I have never been this active. But I – when I see what’s going on with this guy, you have no choice but to be active. It’s past the point of being passive. You have to – people have to speak out. They have to speak out over and over and over and over again. This guy, this administration, is beyond belief. It has to stop.
As NewsBusters has chronicled, De Niro has made a habit out of launching into anti-Trump rants since the President was elected.
Trying to bash Trump and promote the film festival at the same time, Rosenthal chimed in:
We end the festival this year with The Fourth Estate, which is Liz Garbus’s documentary about embedded in – she’s embedded in The New York Times during – from the Inauguration through the first 100 days. And how you cover a president who has a total disrespect for the truth is kind of the interesting point, as you watch this film.
Melvin responded by endorsing the event: “The Tribeca Film Festival, it’s become one of the highlights of living here in New York City.”
Here is a transcript of the April 18 exchange:
8:36 AM ET
(...)
CRAIG MELVIN: A few days ago, you made some headlines. SNL, Robert Mueller. I think we have a clip here to remind folks what you look like here. How did this SNL cameo Saturday night come to be?
ROBERT DE NIRO: Well, I was talking to Lorne [Michaels]. And he said, “If there’s anything you want to – you know, anything you can think about that you play. I said, “Well, jeez” and I spoke to my wife and she said, “Why don’t you play Mueller?” I told him, “Mueller, how about Mueller?” And that’s how it came down.
MELVIN: Is this going to become a recurring thing? Or is this a one and done?
DE NIRO: I don’t know, I hope there’s a couple where I interrogate him, then I arrest him, and then I escort him to jail.
JANE ROSENTHAL: You mean Trump.
DE NIRO: Yeah, who do you think I mean?
ROSENTHAL: Well, I don’t know. I’m just making sure, just clarifying.
DE NIRO: No, not [Michael] Cohen. Him, too. But Trump, definitely, yes. Can I make it any clearer?
MELVIN: Yeah, no, I think you’ve made it quite clear over the past few months. You’ve been, I won’t say politically active, but I mean, you have been pointed in your criticism of this president and your criticism of this administration since he took office. Do you think that we’re living in a time where it is imperative for everyone to be politically active?
DE NIRO: I have never been this active. But I – when I see what’s going on with this guy, you have no choice but to be active. It’s past the point of being passive. You have to – people have to speak out. They have to speak out over and over and over and over again. This guy, this administration, is beyond belief. It has to stop.
ROSENTHAL: We end the festival this year with The Fourth Estate, which is Liz Garbus’s documentary about embedded in – she’s embedded in The New York Times during – from the Inauguration through the first 100 days. And how you cover a president who has a total disrespect for the truth is kind of the interesting point, as you watch this film.
MELVIN: The Tribeca Film Festival, it’s become one of the highlights of living here in New York City. Jane, thank you. Robert De Niro, always good to see you sir, thanks for your time as well.
(...)
