Overview
- On MSNBC, Robert De Niro compared Stephen Miller to Joseph Goebbels and called him a Nazi, adding that Miller is Jewish and should be ashamed of himself.
- Responding on Fox News’ Hannity, the White House deputy chief of staff and homeland security advisor labeled De Niro a sad, bitter, broken old man and claimed he has not made a worthwhile movie in 30 years.
- Journalists and social media users quickly rebutted Miller’s portrayal by citing De Niro’s acclaimed work over the past three decades, including Heat, Silver Linings Playbook, The Irishman, Joker and Killers of the Flower Moon.
- Host Sean Hannity floated the idea of a defamation lawsuit, but no legal action has been filed and De Niro has not issued a direct reply to Miller’s personal attacks.
- Coverage frames the exchange as an example of escalatory rhetoric across partisan media, with added sensitivity over Nazi comparisons directed at a Jewish public official.