Actor Robert De Niro recently had some choice words about his country, delivered at the celebrity-filled, anti-Trump bash “Rise Up, Sing Out” held in New York City on June 14 as counterprogramming to President Donald Trump’s UFC fight on the White House lawn.
“I hate to say it, but loving our country is starting to sound like an abused spouse saying they love their abuser,” De Niro said. “I can’t love a country that’s led by a racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant. And let me just say it: I can’t love the country that’s led by Donald Trump and his sycophant Congress.”
Love of country should not be conditional. With America's 250th birthday around the corner, that kind of talk is alarming. And while De Niro, a Democrat, has long had it out for Trump, transferring that distaste – even hatred – for the sitting president to the country itself goes far beyond this one disgruntled Hollywood star.
Recent polls highlight just how large the partisan divide is when it comes to who's proud to be an American. Although Trump's presence in the White House has caused sharp drops in Democratic pride, the trend line over the past 25 years has been downward.
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