Robert De Niro slams Trump’s 100% tariff on foreign films at 2025 Cannes, says "art is a threat to autocrats"

Robert De Niro slammed Donald Trump while accepting an honorary Palme d’Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. This comes after the US president proposed to impose a 100% tariff on foreign-made films.

The award was presented to him by Leonardo DiCaprio, after which he began his acceptance speech. Robert De Niro said:

"In my country, we are fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted. That affects all of us here, because art is the crucible that brings people together, like tonight. Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity. That’s why art is a threat. That’s why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists."

He added:

"America’s Philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of our premier cultural institutions [the Kennedy Center]. He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education. And now he has announced a 100 percent tariff on films produced outside the U.S. Let that sink in."

Robert De Niro continued, further calling it unacceptable, calling it a “global” problem. He urged the viewers to take action “without violence, but with great passion and determination.” He concluded his speech by saying that it is time must organize protests to preserve democratic values and freedom.

He attended the event with his partner Tiffany Chen, with whom he shares a 2-year-old daughter, Gia Virginia.

So, what do we know about Trump's 100% tariff on foreign films? Here are the details.

What is the 100% tariff on foreign films policy that led Robert De Niro to call out Donald Trump?

On May 4, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a 100% tariff on foreign films policy to impose a 100% import tax on all films produced outside the United States and brought into the U.S. market, according to Associated Press.

He announced his social media platform, Truth Social, where he indicated that the American film industry is facing a "very fast death" as foreign countries are offering incentives that lure filmmakers away from the U.S. He wrote:

"The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States."

He added:

"Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda!"

The US President continued:

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"Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!"

Critics like Robert De Niro have seen the proposal as a politically motivated move, believing it threatens artistic expression. The 81-year-old made his latest appearance in the 2025 film The Alto Knights, released in March this year.

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