Months into President Donald Trump’s second term, several prominent entertainers — including Robert De Niro, Kathy Griffin, Whoopi Goldberg, Rob Reiner, Larry David and Rosie O’Donnell — have amplified critiques of his leadership amid nationwide 'No Kings' demonstrations and ongoing online sparring.
Donald Trump was certified the winner of the 2024 presidential election on January 6, 2025, and returned to the White House on January 20. He won 312 electoral votes and carried the cycle’s key battlegrounds, according to the Associated Press and other outlets. Against that backdrop, the 'No Kings' protest movement drew millions to events in June and again on October 18, 2025, with large turnouts reported in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York and other cities, according to Reuters, NBC News and the Guardian.
Robert De Niro, 82, has been among the most vocal celebrity critics. In an interview on MSNBC’s 'The Weekend' after the October protests, he urged continued demonstrations and argued Trump 'does not understand anything about humanity' and 'has no empathy,' adding that Trump 'does not want to leave the White House.' De Niro has used similar language for years; in 2016 he said of Trump, 'I’d like to punch him in the face' in a widely circulated video, and he has also called him a 'wannabe gangster' in a past late-night appearance. (MSNBC/Variety, Washington Post, the Independent)
Kathy Griffin, who drew backlash in 2017 for a photo depicting a mock severed head of Trump, has escalated her rhetoric on her YouTube show Talk Your Head Off with Kathy Griffin. In a mid-October episode tied to 'No Kings Day,' Griffin said, 'He’s barely a president,' and claimed she didn’t believe Trump won 'in a free and fair election.' She also referred to Elon Musk as a 'professional Nazi' and alleged Musk 'handed out million‑dollar checks to people to vote for Trump.' That claim is not supported by evidence. Reporting shows Musk’s America PAC promoted sweepstakes-style $1 million payouts tied to petition sign‑ups in swing states in late 2024, which drew legal scrutiny over lottery and disclosure rules; he later floated and then deleted a plan for $1 million checks linked to a Wisconsin judicial election, which was criticized by election-law experts. None of this establishes that voters were paid to vote for Trump in the 2024 presidential race. (Daily Beast, Washington Examiner summary; The Verge; Politico; New York Post)
On ABC’s The View, Whoopi Goldberg has continued to criticize the administration, at times referring to Trump indirectly as 'the man in the White House.' In a February 18, 2025 episode, she argued it is difficult to engage with supporters of policies she finds exclusionary and referenced concerns about 'Project 2025' — a conservative policy agenda promoted by allies outside the administration — saying the proposals did not feel geared to the country as a whole. (New York Post, Entertainment Weekly coverage)
Director Rob Reiner has warned that U.S. democracy is at risk under Trump. In an October appearance on MSNBC’s Velshi, Reiner said, 'Make no mistake: We have a year before this country becomes a full‑on autocracy and democracy completely leaves us,' arguing the administration’s tactics presage broader crackdowns. Conservative and mainstream outlets alike reported the remarks; a White House spokesperson dismissed them. Reiner has also been reported to have left X (formerly Twitter) for Bluesky after the 2024 election, according to the Daily Wire. (New York Post, TheWrap; Daily Wire attribution)
Larry David published a satirical New York Times guest essay, 'My Dinner With Adolf,' in April 2025. The piece parodied a commentator’s softened take on a dinner with Trump by imagining a 1939 dinner with Hitler. It includes the line: '“I must say, mein Führer, I’m so thankful I came… Although we disagree on many issues, it doesn’t mean that we have to hate each other.” And with that, I gave him a Nazi salute and walked out into the night.' The essay prompted debate; Bill Maher criticized it as trivializing the Holocaust, while David’s defenders said it lampooned the dangers of normalizing autocrats through charm. (The New York Times via TheWrap, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly)
Rosie O’Donnell’s years‑long feud with Trump predates his first term. In 2016 she declared on social media, 'HE WILL NEVER BE PRESIDENT,' and used insulting epithets for him. After Trump’s 2024 victory, O’Donnell said she relocated to Ireland; People magazine reported in March 2025 that she had moved and was settling in while pursuing Irish citizenship. (Entertainment Tonight/Washington Post archives; People)
The administration, meanwhile, has broadened its social‑media presence. Reuters reported in August that the White House launched an official TikTok account. The Associated Press and TechCrunch reported that the White House joined Bluesky on October 17, 2025, prompting immediate attention on the platform. The Daily Wire later highlighted a purported White House Bluesky post on October 23 reading, 'Democrats‑ Rx: Take one pill daily to cure TDS, side effects include putting America First.' That specific message could not be independently verified by this outlet, though the broader move to Bluesky is well‑documented. (Reuters; AP/TechCrunch; Daily Wire attribution)
Bottom line: Major entertainment figures continue to denounce Trump’s policies and leadership style during his second term. Much of their commentary is opinion or satire. Where specific factual claims are made — such as allegations about paid voting — the available reporting does not substantiate those assertions. At the same time, the scale of 'No Kings' protests and the administration’s stepped‑up social‑media push are well‑established by multiple news organizations.
