Robert De Niro Cries After Amy Poehler Praises His Anti-Trump Activism

Actor Robert De Niro became emotional and cried during a podcast interview after host Amy Poehler praised him for repeatedly speaking out against President Donald Trump. The exchange occurred on the September 15, 2026, episode of Poehler's "Good Hang" podcast. Poehler concluded the hour-long interview by thanking De Niro for using his platform to challenge the president. She noted that while marginalized groups are often asked to speak truth to power, De Niro's status as an older, powerful man makes his advocacy particularly significant. "There's not a lot of men who, in your position, who do that," Poehler said, adding that "white men of a certain age" with power often do not use their responsibility in that way. Poehler compared the country to a wedding being ruined by a terrible speech, saying De Niro acts as the adult who intervenes. "And the wedding is America, and there's another adult who says, like, 'We don't talk like that. That's not how you're supposed to treat people. This is insane,'" she stated. "It makes everybody feel very safe, and so I've seen you do it over and over again, and I really appreciate it.