You Knew Robert De Niro Would Turn Film Premiere Into Trump-Trashing Fest

Robert De Niro found a way Monday to zing Republican nominee Donald Trump at a screening for a movie that the actor isnt even in.

The cinema icon appeared before the Megalopolis New York premiere in a half-hour Q&A with the sci-fi films writer and director, Francis Ford Coppola , and another filmmaking great, Spike Lee .

Just imagine Donald Trump directing this film, De Niro said, per Deadline . Itll never go anywhere ... He cannot do anything. He cannot hold anything together. ... He wants to destroy the country . And he could not do this movie. He couldnt do anything that has a structure. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter , Coppola at one point drew comparisons between ancient Rome and present-day America. The nations prospects appeared to be on De Niros mind as well.

Im worried, De Niro said, per the San Francisco Chronicle . I see the things in Francis film about that, the parallels and so on. To me, its not over till its over and we have to go at this wholeheartedly to beat the Republicans those Republicans, theyre not real Republicans and beat Trump. Its that simple. We cannot have that type of person. Everybody has to get out there and vote.

Lee chimed in as well. As my sister says, forward not backward, he said. Its simple: Register to vote and show up. . This election is going to be very, very close.

De Niro has been a celebrity thorn in Trumps side for years , but it recently cost him an honor.

The Raging Bull Oscar winner, who also won a supporting actor Oscar in Coppolas The Godfather Part II, was stripped of a philanthropy award  in May for campaigning for then-candidate President Joe Biden outside of Trumps hush-money trial in Manhattan.

It is clear that Mr. De Niros recent high-profile activities will create a distraction from the philanthropic work that we were hoping to recognize, the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation said in rescinding the award.