Robert De Niro makes rallying call to Americans amid Joe Biden withdrawal
Hollywood icon Robert De Niro has shared a message to his fellow citizens of the United States ahead of the upcoming presidential election amid news of President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
Biden, who was elected in 2020, had originally planned to seek re-election against the Republic nominee Donald Trump. However, in a bombshell announcement on July 21st, he reluctantly announced a change of heart following growing pressure from the Democratic Party over his poll rating and fears over his mental fitness after numerous high-profile errors.
In a statement, Biden said it had been the “greatest honour of my life to serve as your president” but believed he needed to step aside to give his party the best chance of defeating Trump. Biden continued: “While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
Although no official candidate has been selected from the Democratic Party to replace Biden on the ticket, the outgoing president has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to make the step up. Furthermore, Harris has also received support from Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Now, De Niro, a supporter of the Democratic Party, has expressed his gratitude to Biden for dedicating his life to public service and for putting America ahead of self-interest. The actor said via his spokesperson Stan Rosenfeld, “In an act of shrewd politics and selfless patriotism, Joe Biden is stepping aside to clear the path for another Democrat to become president… because there is nothing more important for our country than defeating Donald Trump at the ballot box.”
De Niro concluded by saying, “With respect, admiration, and affection, thank you Mr. President!”
The Killers of the Flower Moon actor is one of the most high-profile critics of Trump. Earlier this year, De Niro unexpectedly turned up outside of Trump’s hush money trial in New York, labelling the former president a “monster”.
After Trump was convicted, De Niro said on the red carpet of his movie Ezra, De Niro, “I think justice was served. This is just one part of the whole picture, so I want to be very careful.”
“This never should have gotten to this stage,” De Niro added, “I don’t want to be talking, but I am so upset by it. I have to say something. This is my country. This guy wants to destroy it. Period. He’s crazy.”
Although Biden’s decision to step aside arrived as a surprise to many, George Clooney recently publicly pleaded with the politician to allow a different Democratic candidate to stand. He remarked on Biden’s well-being: “We’re all so terrified by the prospect of a second Trump term that we’ve opted to ignore every warning sign.”
This is a developing story.
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