The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) in the United States has announced the revocation of an award originally intended for Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro. This decision came after De Niro made remarks outside a courthouse where former President Trump was facing a “hush money case” trial on Tuesday, May 28th. The association deemed De Niro’s comments inappropriate and not in line with the spirit of the award.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the NAB announced that De Niro was initially selected as the recipient of the 2024 Service to America Leadership Award from the NAB Leadership Foundation. However, due to his behavior outside a criminal court in New York on the same day, the association has decided to cancel the award ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, June 4th in Washington D.C.
Alex Siciliano, Senior Vice President of Communications at NAB, stated, “The ‘Service to America Awards Celebration’ aims to recognize the significant local news and public service provided by local radio and television stations to their communities. This event is a proud bipartisan occasion that unites people from different political backgrounds to celebrate the impactful work done by local broadcast companies and our partners.”
“While we firmly support every American’s right to freedom of speech and participation in civic activities, Mr. De Niro’s recent high-profile activities appear to divert our attention from the charitable work we aim to honor. To maintain the focus on service to awardees, Mr. De Niro will no longer attend this event,” the statement continued.
De Niro has been known for his frequent criticisms of Trump over the years, but his actions on Tuesday seemed to have a more political tone. During a press conference held outside the Manhattan criminal court, he launched a scathing attack on the former president, alleging that regardless of the trial’s outcome, Trump is guilty of the charges against him and advocated for his imprisonment.
Following the press conference, De Niro got into a conflict with Trump supporters.