Recalling her time at Fox News, Kelly mentioned an exclusive interview where De Niro openly criticized Trump for the first time during his campaign against Hillary Clinton.
“We had Robert De Niro on camera in an exclusive rant about the ex president.” Kelly said. “It was the first time he’d really come out and said how he felt about politics. And we broke that on my show, when he ran against Hillary.”
Kelly questioned the effectiveness of De Niro’s efforts, pointing out that the actor’s involvement did not prevent the victory in 2016. “So if he couldn’t make any change in 2016 why does he think he can do it now?” she asked.
Her comments came after De Niro held a press conference expressing his love for the city and his fears about Trump’s potential to cause widespread destruction. “I love this city,” De Niro said. “I don’t want to destroy it. But they will destroy not only the city but the country, and eventually he could destroy the world.”
Kelly did not hold back in her criticism. “It’s so stupid it was colossally stupid,” she said. “If you’re going to send somebody to go speak there, make it someone who is universally beloved. Robert De Niro has gone so hard partisan for the past eight years he is like the number one example of Trump derangement syndrome.”
Kelly’s remarks highlight her view that De Niro’s strong partisan stance over the years makes him an ineffective choice for such a politically charged event.
