Robert De Niro Tears Up at 82 After Amy Poehler Praises Trump Criticism

Q: What drove one of Hollywood's toughest actors to tears during a simple podcast interview about speaking out?

Robert De Niro was moved to tears by a mix of personal gratitude and deep anxiety about the state of the country. On Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast, Poehler thanked De Niro for repeatedly using his fame to speak out on public issues and for stepping in, as she put it, like “another adult” setting a boundary when public behavior becomes harmful. She said his willingness to be outspoken matters because influential people often stay silent, and that his voice helps others feel safer. That praise appeared to hit De Niro on an emotional level. As he responded, he said he was upset by what he believes is happening in the United States, calling it “so crazy” and warning that people must stay alert and remain “on guard.” He stressed that people cannot give in to hopelessness or complacency and must continue to push back and “fight.” The moment was not an isolated one. It echoed a February 2026 podcast appearance in which De Niro also became emotional while urging people to “resist,” support one another, and reject division. Together, those remarks suggest that his tears came not just from Poehler’s compliment, but from the weight of his long-running concern that public silence and complacency can allow damaging conduct to spread.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 18

Amy Poehler’s thanks on her Sept. 15 “Good Hang” podcast interview left 82-year-old Robert De Niro teary-eyed as she praised him for using his status to “speak truth to power.”
Poehler said De Niro’s public attacks on Donald Trump make people feel “safe,” arguing few older white male stars with similar influence use their power that way.
De Niro replied that what is happening in the U.S. is “so upsetting” and “so crazy,” warning Trump’s example could be copied again and saying people must stay on guard and keep fighting.
The exchange fits a pattern for De Niro, who also became emotional in a February podcast interview while urging people to “resist” and warning that Trump’s movement would outlast the president himself.
Christian Toto, editor of Hollywood in Toto, pushed back in comments to Fox News Digital, calling De Niro’s anti-Trump attacks embarrassing and ineffective.