'Fight between Musk's money and democracy...': De Niro slams billionaire
What's the story
Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro recently took a dig at the world's richest man, Elon Musk, during a screening of the documentary film Musk. The screening was held in New York City on November 8 (Sunday) and was attended by several Academy members. De Niro, who co-founded the Tribeca Festival with Jane Rosenthal, introduced the film by questioning Musk's recent spending spree on Republican candidates.
Critique
De Niro took multiple digs at Musk
De Niro said, "Elon Musk spent about 300 million dollars getting Trump elected in 2024. And he just spent close to half a billion on Republicans in this past week's election."
"How did that turn out for you?" he asked, prompting cheers and laughter from the audience.
He also referred to Musk's announcement on X that Tesla would end production of the Cybertruck next summer as another setback for Musk.
Call to action
'It's a reminder that while we are celebrating...'
De Niro stressed the need for vigilance and action in light of Musk's political spending.
He said, "In the fight between Musk's money and democracy, democracy won. This time."
"It's a reminder that while we are celebrating the massive electoral repudiation of Trump and Trumpism, we have to be vigilant, and not just vigilant, we have to be ready to take action."
Film overview
Meanwhile, know more about the documentary film 'Musk'
The documentary Musk, directed by Alex Gibney, offers a critical look at the life and career of Musk.
The film runs for three hours and 52 minutes and is currently available on VOD platforms. It was released in theaters by Bleecker Street and has earned over $7,00,000 at the US box office.
On Sunday night, it also won Best Biographical Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards in New York.