Voight and De Niro in bitter Trump stoush
Voight is 'ashamed' of De Niro's rant. Photo: Getty
Jon Voight, who has endorsed Donald Trump, is defending the Republican presidential nominee and lashed out at fellow actor Robert De Niro for saying he’d like to punch Trump “in the face”.
Voight wrote on Twitter that Trump’s lewd remarks in a 2005 audio conversation with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush were common among young males.
“I don’t know of too many men who haven’t expressed some sort of similar sexual terms toward women, especially in their younger years,” he wrote.
Actor De Niro labels Trump a ‘punk’.
Photo: Getty
“Donald Trump’s words were not as damaging as Robert De Niro’s ugly rant.
“Trump’s words did not hurt anyone.
“Can you imagine if any Republican said words like Robert De Niro used – against Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? All hell would break loose.
“I am calling for all Trump supporters to express their outrage and anger against De Niro and all of the Republican turncoats against Trump.
“Let Donald Trump know we are completely behind him, and may God give him the strength to continue his calling.”
Trump is 70. The Access Hollywood recording was made when he was 59.
Happy Days star Baio is a big Trump fan. Photo: Getty
De Niro appeared in a video, released on Friday, in which he lashed out at Trump. His video was shot before the release of the 2005 Access Hollywood recording as part of a get-out-the-vote project.
Voight said that he was “so ashamed of my fellow actor Bobby De Niro’s rant against Donald Trump. What foul words he used against a presidential nominee, who has worked harder then any other man I know in the past year and a half to get a good message to the American people”.
Voight did not attend the Republican National Convention in July because of a production scheduling conflict, but he did narrate a biographical video about Trump.
Another Trump supporter who spoke at the convention, Scott Baio, also defended Trump, writing “I believe every Liberal should give @realDonaldTrump a pass. 11 years ago he was a Democrat.”
The director of De Niro’s video, Tom McCarthy, asked him, “What do you care about?”
De Niro’s anti-Trump remarks were so emphatic that the producers concluded that it could not be part of the campaign, which is non-partisan.
But it was given to Megyn Kelly’s show for airing and publicists for the production firm released it to the media on Friday.
In the video, De Niro also calls Trump “blatantly stupid,” “a punk” and a “bulls*** artist.”
Other celebrities have openly endorsed Trump’s rival, Hillary Clinton.
Earlier this week, the cast of Empire released a video supporting the Democratic nominee.
The new ad was called “What Will You Say,” and highlights “what’s at stake for the African American community in this election,” the Clinton campaign said in a statement announcing the spot.
It will run on TV and online in battleground states.
