In the movie A Bronx Tale, the character played by Robert De Niro tells his son that “the saddest thing in life is wasted talent.” Yesterday, the actor appears to have forgotten his own cinematic advice in a bizarre press conference organized by the Biden campaign in front of the Manhattan courthouse during the trial of former President Donald Trump. In a raving, disconnected press conference, De Niro predicted the end of democracy and then the world if Trump is not stopped in New York.
De Niro offered a rambling monologue and exposed the danger of an actor speaking without a script:
It’s a good time to reflect on how Americans fought and died so that we may enjoy the freedoms guaranteed to us by a democratic government, a government that as President Lincoln said of the people by the people for the people shall not perish from the earth.
Under Trump this kind of government will perish from the earth.
I don’t mean to scare you.
No, no, wait, maybe I do mean to scare you.
If Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all take for granted.
And elections, forget about it.
That’s over.
That’s done if he gets in, I can tell you right now, he will never leave, he will never leave.
You know that he will never leave.
De Niro has gone full Travis Bickle. However, now 80, it came across as De Niro screaming at the courthouse for Trump to get off his lawn.
The diatribe is consistent with the messaging of Democrats, including President Biden, that “democracy is on the ballot” and that this may be our last election. De Niro was not satisfied with that alarmist message and decided to take it to an apocalyptic level in predicting a global meltdown.
As I have previously written, it is a narrative that ignores our history and our values. To suggest that this may be our last democratic election is to suggest that both branches (and the population at large) would stand idly by as a president assumed tyrannical powers. That did not occur, even when this country was united by wars and national emergencies. With the nation now divided right down the middle, it is even less likely.
That is why the “democracy is on the ballot” claims border on defamation against our Constitution. We have the most successful and stable democratic system in history. The success of that system is not measured by those who would riot or challenge our values. It is measured by how the system responds. Our system works because it was not only written for times of relative unity and calm, it also was written for times like these.
What was particularly weird is that the Biden campaign succeeded in reinforcing the view of this case as lawfare, an effort to stop Trump at any cost.
That message was also reaffirmed by President Biden stating that he will hold a press conference on the verdict. After the third highest ranking official in the Biden Justice Department joined the prosecution to bring the case, the announcement only magnified the view of a case that is being used for political purposes.
De Niro walked away pursued by hecklers and proceeded to exchange profanities.
The question for the Biden campaign lingered as to what was achieved by the chaotic scene outside of the courthouse. I am a great fan of De Niro’s artistic work, a legacy of great movies that are now an indelible part of our culture. That is precisely why, as I watched from the Fox camera location near his presser, I was more sad than surprised by the spectacle. As another De Niro character said in the movie Stardust, “reputations, you know, a lifetime to build, seconds to destroy.”
Huh oh, jury sent a note to the judge. Could they have decided?
“ The jury has submitted a note that includes four requests related to testimony:
David Pecker’s testimony regarding the phone conversation with Trump while Pecker was in the investor meeting
Pecker’s testimony regarding life rights for Karen McDougal
Pecker’s testimony regarding the Trump Tower meeting
Michael Cohen’s testimony regarding the Trump Tower meeting”
If they are focusing on Pecker it must not be a good sign.
Apparently Trump was asleep during jury instructions When the bailiff called “all rise” for the exit of the judge and jury Trump remained seated because he was asleep. Blanche had to nudge him to wake him up.
Here is the report from the courtroom:
Former President Donald Trump had to be shaken awake during court proceedings in his criminal hush money trial Wednesday even as Justice Juan Merchan sent the jury off to determine his fate, according to one journalist inside the building.
Lead attorney Todd Blanche was seen repeatedly prodding his client as alternate jurors filed out of the Manhattan criminal courtroom where Trump stands accused of falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
“Blanche appeared to gently shake Trump awake, nudging his shoulder, as the six alternates filed out of the courtroom, and he was the only person still sitting down,” reported the Daily News’ Molly Crane-Newman.
@anonynous,
Blanche should have slapped Trump upside the head to get him to wake up. I wonder if the jury noted Trump sleeping and being disrespectful by not standing up. Sleeping through the instructions and the charges then posting on Truth social that the judge did not cite the specific charges. Wow. What an idiot.
Jonathan: Like you I am a great fan of Robert DeNiro and his movies. He has become a movie icon–whether it is the villain, a hero or even in his comedic roles. He fills the screen with those looks. He can do it all. And I admire his willingness to take a stand on important issues of the day. Many actors try to keep a low profile on political questions because they think it might affect their careers. Not DeNiro. He is willing to speak out on the most controversial issue of the day–whether DJT is fit to be president again.
But DJT went ballistic over DeNiro’s appearance at the courthouse yesterday. Probably because DJT knew the press and the public would pay close attention to the actor and what he has to say–unlike a lot of ordinary politicians. So DJT was up after midnight today firing off unhinged claims that DeNiro is a “wacko”, his movies have “gone WAY DOWN IN VALUE” and that the actor is “pathetic and sad”–and suffers from TDS.
Ahead of the 2016 election DeNiro described DJT as a “punk, he’s a dog, he’s a pig, he’s a con”. Nothing much has changed since then–has it Bob?
Dennis: Thanks. I note that Turley takes issue with an Academy Award winning actor using his celebrity to support democracy, AFTER the Speaker of the House and Members of Congress showed up at a state criminal trial to lend their support for their badly-flawed candidate, who brags about sexually assaulting women. This is a state criminal trial over a presidential candidate having a sexual escapade with a porn actress, paying her hush money and then falsifying business records to cover up the payment as “attorney fees”. Just another example of the MAGA hypocrisy Turley promotes, but more importantly, the bad things brought about by Trump–just look at the disrespect for the Judge and his family, the name-calling, death threats and politicization of the entire process, something Turley aids and abets. Now Turley’s going after DeNiro. Yeah, it’s OK with Turley when the Speaker of the House, who holds himself out as some righteous family values maven to show up to take advantage of the free publicity, but NOT OK for the Democrats to do the same thing, and with a private citizen who happens to be famous and popular.
Gigi: No, thanks to you for speaking truth to the idiots on this blog–although I think you are wasting your time with most of them. They overdosed on the DJT/MAGA cool aid years ago. Somewhere years ago Prof. Turley did the same. Now he makes money for providing an echo chamber for Fox and its support for DJT.
In his column Turley mocks Robert DeNiro for appearing before the Manhattan courthouse and denouncing DJT. He calls that a “sad spectacle”. Yet Turley has not uttered one word of criticism when Speaker Johnson and the MAGA House members traveled at taxpayer expense, neglecting an import House hearing, to show support for DJT in his criminal trial. And they were all dressed up in the official DJT dress of the day–and many were there because they are auditioning to be DJT’s running mate! Now that was a “sad spectacle”! When was the last time members of Congress showed up at a criminal trial of any other criminal defendant? Never has happened. But Turley seems to think that was all OK.
Now I can understand why Turley and DJT would focus on DeNiro’s appearance in front of the courthouse. DJT was incensed the well known actor was was getting all the press attention and the limelight. DJT thinks the focus should always be on him. Ever the sociopathic narcissist!
MAXIMUM PANIC MODE HERE!!!
IF YOU’RE DUMB AS A HORSE AND YOU HAVE NOTHING,
YOU GO FULL AD HOMINEM WITH A VENGEANCE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE A DOSE OF METHADONE HANDY?
Dennis,
Mika and the Morning Joe, took the Biden Campaign manager to the wood shed and asked why he pulled such a bone headed stunt. He just nodded and lied, while smiling.
Andrea Mitchell mused along with another talking head about the own goal idiocy.
CNN could not believe Biden would be so stupid to tie himself to this soviet style show trial.
After this, no one will convince me that this has not been scripted from the beginning. Disgusting. Our modern DNC is disgusting. This is elitists flagrantly shaking and abusing their privilege, and it should make all of us absolutely furious. DeNiro can bite me. He is just as unhinged as the random nobody who is unhinged; look at the behavior, not the person. Disgusting. Despicable. Unconscionable, and with the creepy sh*show that is a modern dem – your tax dollars, you are paying for this (that fool came to the ‘presser’ at the behest of the White House). The tearing up of the speech was a new low, and yet somehow the modern dems find new ways to lower the bar. Absolutely absurd, and they are having the opposite of their intended effect; turns out the rest of us have little patience for arrogant, privileged ash*les, and we will be happy to marginalize them and toss their boosheet into the dustbin of history. Again.
That wealth and/or fame have become ‘credentials’ in a supposedly free and equal society is the even more disgusting thing. make no mistake: the leftists of the world want to create a new caste system, and if you aren’t one of them, well – you aren’t one of them. Cry me a river, Robert, and take all of your POS Hollywood kin with you. We don’t care. Wake the eff up, everybody else.
” DeNiro can bite me.”
James, do you wish to run the risk of getting rabies?
@S. Meyer
😂😂😂
Man, I wish that were humor. 🤷🏻♂️ These frikkin’ idiots in our dem regime vastly overrate how much stock we put in the opinions of ‘celebrities’, or even worse, ‘influencers’. Shills for money and privilege, all of them, influencers worst of all. They are slaves to advertising dollars, and that is just sad. I could give a toss about any of their opinions (that very clearly come from a script. And *somebody* sent them that script 🙄. It did not appear out of thin air). Pfft. We are not that stupid or easily impressed, modern left. Try again. On second thought, don’t.
My father spoke of Charlie Chaplin being a card carrying communist, making his money in a capitalist country and then taking his money out of the country to France. My father also predicted that the US would be going toward communism and for me to “look for it.” Hollywood has always been loaded with communists. Joseph McCarthy was a bit crazed from drinking but he was right in his accusations and concern of the implants making movies to influence and undermine our way of life. Just think of all the crime and ugly views of society, Hollywood and the DeNiro element brought to society, plus the nudity, sexuality and all the things which takes away from wholesome living and influences our children. Hollywood took away the sacredness of marriage, family, sex, and children and LIFE. Look now at all the kids with their with guns who want to be a Travis Bickle and don’t mind risking their life since to them their life and others’ lives are worthless, just as many movies have shown life is cheap. Abortion makes life cheap and undermines the value of life, of a human being. What about man’s nobility? Many young don’t know mankind can even be noble. The noble man who is strong, kind, a good man, the good father, soldier, and ultimate keeper of a society. Just think Trump has been a good father as his children prove. Hollywood has helped to create a sleazy society. What a mess when people who have worked, contributed and created for the better, who have lived the American dream and then the sleaze types such as DeNiro are envious. The power of a Bickle played by Denier was the shock at the time and still is the shock of the subject matter, the edge of insanity, the power of violence in your face from a giant screen. And now we have the Hollywood types who make plenty of money wanting to tell the true Americans who actually work and create real things which exist in reality what to do and what to think. Rather than shock and awe they try to shock and scare! For all the illusions the screen uses DeNiro now has delusions.
The best thing for Trump is for the jury to find him guilty.
While this seems wrong, think about it.
The majority of people see what is happening. That its a sham.
Biden will be toast. So too will the Dims.
Trump will appeal and it will be overturned on appeal.
That puts Mechan and Bragg in the crosshairs.
Trump would and could sue both and both along w others could face charges for election interference.
Trump could sue in civil court for violating his constitutional rights under the color of law. (This gets set aside while he’s POTUS …)
But when he wins, as POTUS he could bring in an USAG and then walk away. The USAG follows on his/her own and charges them.
So much wrong here. All of the prosecution and the judge should be disbarred and barred from being an officer in a public company.
-G
Trump would not be able to sue them. They have qualified immunity. What if the verdict is held up on appeal? People seem to think this will be overturned on appeal because…it has to? It can only be appealed if there are serious errors committed by the judge. So far that has not been pointed out to my knowledge.
Huh? Trump posted on Truth social,
“I don’t even know what the charges are in this rigged case — I am entitled to specificity just like anyone else. There is no crime!”
Trump spent most of the time napping in court. The judge just told the jury I’m exacting detail what the charges were. There’s legitimate concern for Trump’s mental degradation.
If he can’t remember that how is he supposed to function as a president?
He’s clearly afraid he could be found guilty and seems to be lashing out in order to deal with the prospect of being a convicted felon. He’s scared.
Really George?
What crime was committed?
The statute of limitations on the NY State stuff ran out after 2 yrs which was long ago over.
Bragg tied this to an unspecified crime. What was it?
-G
The charges are falsifying business records in the first degree which is a felony. The SOL does not apply. The judge explained in detail to the jurors what the crime was and why it’s a felony. I posted a link to the live blog quoting the judge explaining it to the jury. Here’s a copy and paste from the judge’s explanation.
“The way prosecutors were able to get the charges raised to a felony was by noting that the “first crime” — the business fraud — was intended to conceal the other crimes, which were related to swaying the election.
The “other crime,” Merchan said, is NY Election Law 17-152, which prohibits a conspiracy to promote or prevent the election of a person to public office by unlawful means.
The defendant must intend that the conduct be performed to prevent or promote the election of a person through unlawful means.
“You need not be unanimous as to what those unlawful means were … you may consider: violations of FECA, falsification of other business records, violation of tax laws,” he said.”
“The charges are falsifying business records in the first degree which is a felony. ”
New George, in our previous discussion, you said the record falsified was a check, but you couldn’t tell us why the check was a business crime.
You continue to demonstrate your ignorance by cutting and pasting what the judge said.
Keep demonstrating your lack of intellect. There seems to be no downside.
Trump is not the only one who can’t understand the charges.
Jury begins deliberations in Trump hush money trial
A jury of 12 will determine whether Trump is guilty. Here’s what to know about the jurors
A jury of 12 — seven men and five women — will determine whether Donald J Trump is guilty of 34 felony criminal charges of falsifying business records in connection with allegedly concealing reimbursements to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen for a purported hush money scheme to silence adult film star Stormy Daniels about an affair shortly before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump vehemently denies the relationship with Daniels and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. A felony conviction of a former president, and current GOP front runner would be unprecedented.
By: CNN’s Kara Scannell, Lauren Del Valle and Jeremy Herb in the courthouse ~ May 29, 2024
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-29-24/index.html
What to know about the jurors seated on Donald Trump’s criminal trial
By: Lauren del Valle, Annette Choi and Matt Stiles, CNN ~ April 19, 2024
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/16/politics/jurors-trump-trial-criminal-case-jury-dg/index.html
“Accuse the other of that you are guilty.” — Joseph Goebbels
A guilty verdict will be overturned on appeal. This is all about painting Trump as a felon during a campaign. Meanwhile Biden goes on as a forgetful well meaning old man that collected millions of dollars by selling out our Nation.
Possible, but that would depend if there were serious errors in Trump’s trial. The defense would have to point out where and what those errors were. One way to tell is how often the defense objected and there were few objections from the defense.
And you refuse to play Trump. Too much of a scumbag. Jakie, not so much. Mob hired killers, ehh. Nothing serious about a little murder, ain’t that right Bobbi?
I’m talking to you, Bobbi. Indeed u filthy little coward. Sure am. Slick abetted and aided the murder of a million innocent blacks, but Trump? He ain’t no good, huh Bobbi? Talkin to you Punk. Say somethin. Go right ahead. Dare ya, you filthy nuthin.
Well Said, Prof. Turley!! .Quite Obvious to those of us who watched this most disrespectful (to the ‘Justice System’) nonsensical Bizarre Spectacle put on by the Biden Campaign (‘BC’) in front of the Courthouse, that he was ‘High As A Kite…’ i.e., obviously the BC shared some of the same ‘secret sauce’ which got Joe there for his nonsensical SOTUS rant.. as if we are stupid enough to be impressed by any of this…
Robert De Niro never cared much for politics until 2016 when Hillary Clinton was upended in an election all the progressive illiberal elitists were certain was preordained for her. Since then, De Niro has made his politics exclusively and all about his own very acute case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. His vindictive, personal and profane insults have long been what sets the new coarse and vulgar De Niro so much apart from the once accomplished actor De Niro.
A person’s fall from what has been an esteemed reputation to one that has become lowly and undignified was on full display when De Niro vented his malevolence for nearly ten minutes at the Biden/Harris campaign press conference. When one becomes so incensed as to lose their grasp on reality and resorts to clear and obvious fearmongering, they will say the melodramatic things De Niro did.
One’s credibility wanes in direct proportion to the hyperbole infused into their language. To wit:
“Donald Trump wants to destroy not only this city (New York City), but the country and eventually he could destroy the world.”
“And now he is promising to use our own military to attack US citizens.”
“That’s the tyrant telling us he would be. And believe me, he means it.”
“We’ve forgotten the lessons of history that showed us other clowns who weren’t taken seriously until they became vicious dictators.”
“Under Trump this kind of government (of, by and for the people) will perish from the earth.”
“If Trump is returned to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms good-bye that we all take for granted.”
“And elections? Forget about it. That’s over. That’s done. If he gets in, I can tell you right now he will never leave, he will never leave. You know that. HE- WILL- NEVER- LEAVE!
“Do we want him running this country and saying I’m not leaving, I’m dictator for life?”
“I hope this new ad campaign reaches outside the bubble to remind supporters of what a danger he is to our lives. This is not a threat. This is a reality.”
“The only way to preserve our freedoms and hold on to our humanity is to vote for Joe Biden for president.”
Bobby Boy, you forgot to apologize to the million blacks bill turned his bavk on, abandoned to be cuts to pieces. The Rwandan Holocaust. U damn fool.
I guess it’s okay. Your left-wing friends and media magnets let it slip, too.
“The judge is bringing back jurors 4 and 6 to learn how to use the laptop containing evidence that the jury will be able to review.
They are two sort of techy jurors. Juror 4 is the West Village man who is a security engineer and Juror 6 is the woman who works as a software engineer.”
Oh, there are two engineers on the jury. This will be interesting. These two may be looking at this purely from a logical perspective. So we have two lawyers and two engineers on the jury. It does not look good for Trump.
Yesterday’s De Niro/Biden “presser” …………I thought it was the casting call for a “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” remake!
Judge just finished the instructions to the jury. Now, it’s off to the deliberations. Trump must be having a nervous sweat by now.
Georgie, thanks for your input. Can you please take a screenshot of your CV so we can evaluate your qualifications to comment against the Prof’s? Thanks.
My qualifications are the same as yours.
After guilty verdict prosecution will demand that he be held in custody pending sentencing, because he is an extreme flight risk.
I suspect his pilots are already warming up the engines on his 757.
He is planning on escape to Russia or Saudi Arabia. Maybe North Korea.
Florida? MarALago?
He won’t go to jail. More likely he will face probation and a fine. It’s the stigma of being a convicted felon that is more damaging to Trump.
😂🤣🤪
How do ppl like you survive day to day?
Star Classic,
In alternative reality.
You can see it by their insane comments.
“The way prosecutors were able to get the charges raised to a felony was by noting that the “first crime” — the business fraud — was intended to conceal the other crimes, which were related to swaying the election.
The “other crime,” Merchan said, is NY Election Law 17-152, which prohibits a conspiracy to promote or prevent the election of a person to public office by unlawful means.
The defendant must intend that the conduct be performed to prevent or promote the election of a person through unlawful means.
“You need not be unanimous as to what those unlawful means were…. you may consider: violations of FECA, falsification of other business records, violation of tax laws,” he said.”
There it is. The other crime.
Actually no. 17-152 requires “by unlawful means.”
But the prosecution refused to specifically describe the unlawful means and didn’t even try to prove it, and the judge, in his jury instructions, told the jury to just make up whatever crime they think Trump might have committed. That’s not how the American legal system is supposed to work. It’s contrary to common law principles.
“The judge is speaking slowly while walking jurors through all the ins and outs of how a charge that’s normally a misdemeanor gets escalated to a felony, but piecing this all together without being able to refer to a written copy of jury instructions during deliberations could be challenging (or not). Many jurors have been observed taking notes throughout the morning as the judge is talking.”
I would love to hear his explanation of how the misdemeanor changes into a felony. If the judge can explain it to the jury it should be explainable to most Trump supporters who can’t grasp the concept. At least the jurors are taking notes and that means they are taking this seriously.
I was shocked that the Biden administration would send out somebody…anybody…to make these statements. This is not a case that should have the Biden fingerprints on it, yet it does. It is this continuing effort of the Biden administration to tie itself to this trial, which is a state-level action, that is making everything they talk about less credible in my view.
As if this wasn’t going far enough, their statement that President Biden would be holding a press conference about this case immediately after its conclusion shows a level of collusion an d corruption that is beyond reprehensible.
I’m not even going to discuss all their hair-on-fire rants against Donald Trump since 2019 that have been used as tactics by our current President, even during his campaign for office the previous time around, because that would take too many megabytes of data into this response.
“Merchan is now reciting the elements of the felony falsification charge, clarifying that the business records at issue can pertain to a private business and that the records can be electronic or data. Intent to defraud means that a person’s conscious objective is to do so, but does not require advanced planning.
Notably, Merchan tells them in determining intent, they can ask: What did the person do or say? Was the result the natural or probable outcome?
The intent to defraud need not be an intent to defraud any particular person or entity and can extend beyond economic concerns.
Several jurors moved to take notes when judge says, “general intent to defraud suffices.”
This is the core of the criminal charges against Trump. The crime that Trump apologists try so hard to deny.