Hollywood heavyweight Robert De Niro took direct aim at Elon Musk during a New York City screening of the critical documentary Musk, ridiculing the billionaire’s massive campaign spending on Republican candidates who suffered widespread defeats in last week’s midterms.
The event, hosted Sunday at Manhattan’s Crosby Hotel by De Niro and fellow Tribeca Festival founder Jane Rosenthal, drew a room full of Academy members according to Deadline. The Oscar-winning actor didn’t hold back in his remarks introducing Alex Gibney’s film, which paints an unflattering portrait of the Tesla CEO.
De Niro’s Scathing Takedown
“Elon Musk spent about 300 million dollars getting Trump elected in 2024,” De Niro told the crowd, drawing a mix of cheers and laughter. “And he just spent close to half a billion on Republicans in this past week’s election. How did that turn out for you?”
The actor then pivoted to Musk’s recent announcement that Tesla would end production of its controversial Cybertruck next summer, framing both events as defeats for the polarizing billionaire. “In the fight between Musk’s money and democracy, democracy won. This time,” De Niro said. “But just like his grotesque Cybertruck, Musk isn’t going anywhere.”
A Call to Action
De Niro used the moment to urge continued opposition to former President Donald Trump’s political movement, calling for vigilance beyond just electoral victories. “We have to be ready to take action,” he emphasized before praising Gibney’s documentary as an important work.
The filmmaker returned the compliment, thanking De Niro for his support of “the resistance.” Notably absent from the discussion was any mention of the documentary’s disastrous box office performance. According to Breitbart’s John Nolte, Musk earned just $307,000 across 468 screens last weekend – a meager $649 per-screen average that paled in comparison to the Melania Trump documentary’s performance.
The fiery exchange comes days after midterm elections saw Democratic victories in key battleground states despite Musk’s reported nine-figure investment in Republican efforts. While not explicitly political, De Niro’s remarks underscore the ongoing cultural war between Hollywood progressives and conservative-leaning tech billionaires.
Source: www.breitbart.com โ https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/11/10/robert-de-niro-mocks-musks-midterm-spending-spree-how-did-that-turn-out-for-you/