Famed Hollywood actor and director Robert De Niro is scheduled to visit West Chester University (WCU) Monday, Nov. 4 on behalf of the Harris-Walz Democrat ticket, just one day before the 2024 United States Presidential Election. The Hollywood star of movies such as “Raging Bull” (1980), “The Joker” (2019) and “The Godfather Part II” (1974), is set to attend WCU just HOURS before polls open on Election Day 2024.
De Niro, accompanied by actor Sam Waterson, will be speaking at an event organized by the Harris-Walz Campaign and the Pennsylvania Democrats. The event is scheduled from 3:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Monday, on the Academic Quad. Students are able to sign up for the event at mobilize.us.
The two-time Oscar and Golden Globes winning actor and native New Yorker has been increasingly vocal about his disposition to Trump in recent months. In a September interview with CNN political commentator Chris Wallace, De Niro referred to Trump’s former presidency and current candidacy as “insanity.” In the Wallace interview, De Niro, colorfully compared Trump’s politics to that of gangsters.
On Trump De Niro stated in the video that, “He thinks he’s a gangster, he does everything like a gangster, [but] I don’t think gangsters in that world would think much of him.” De Niro would go on to say at least within the world of gangsters there is “honor among thieves,” implying Trump has no honor himself.
These comments followed a litany of criticism hurled by De Niro towards Trump. Most notably, De Niro called Trump a “clown” outside the New York City courtroom that played host to Trump’s New York State hush money trial back in May. As reported by Reuters in May 2024, De Niro stated, “We’ve forgotten the lessons of history that showed us other clowns who weren’t taken seriously until they became vicious dictators,” going on to state, “With Trump we have a second chance, and no one is laughing now. This is the time to stop him by voting him out once and for all.”
De Niro’s campaign stop comes just days after a contentious visit to WCU from defunct 2024 Republican presidential nominee Vivek Ramaswamy on behalf of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA. The De Niro visit comes off as a game of one-upmanship from Democrats as both parties vie for crucial Chester County votes.
The state of Pennsylvania has been almost unanimously pointed to as the “must win” state for both Vice President Harris and former president Trump ahead of the 2024 Election, with most political analysts stating neither candidate can win the election without winning Pennsylvania. Currently, according to the New York Times/Siena College Poll, both candidates stand deadlocked at 48% each within the Keystone State.
The Quad will be reporting on the scene of this event.
Author’s Note: This event is not affiliated with the WCU College Democrats.
KC Thoman is a third-year English-Education student with minors in journalism and communications.