‘Who does he think he is?’: Douglas Murray slams Robert De Niro over Trump criticism
Summary
TLDRIn this interview, bestselling author Douglas Murray discusses various topics, including the reaction to Donald Trump's trial and the potential impact of celebrities like Robert DeNiro's political statements on voters. Murray also addresses Europe's transformation due to unassimilated population growth and criticizes the UK's failure to control immigration. He comments on the recent clash in London between supporters and opponents of the Iranian regime, suggesting it reflects the broader issues of importing the world's problems. Finally, he touches on the Biden-Trump presidential debates, advising Trump to let Biden speak to expose his weaknesses, and shares his thoughts on Prince Harry's visa issues, suggesting Harry's poor judgment and the potential for deportation if he lied on his application.
Takeaways
- 🎬 Robert DeNiro's political statement at the New York courtroom was criticized by Douglas Murray, who believes that celebrity endorsements can backfire and encourage more people to vote for the opposite candidate.
- 🗳️ Murray suggests that ordinary people do not appreciate being lectured by celebrities on political matters, as they often lack special insights.
- 👥 Ayan Hirsi Ali's observation on Europe's transformation into resembling an Islamist country within three decades is highlighted, raising concerns about the speed of demographic changes.
- 🚫 The lack of assimilation and growing presence of unassimilated populations with opposing views is seen as a threat to European identity and values.
- 🇬🇧 The UK's failure to control immigration and integrate newcomers effectively is pointed out, with net migration reaching almost a million people a year under the Conservative government.
- 🤔 Murray questions the presence of individuals who support oppressive regimes in the UK, citing the example of regime supporters clashing with protesters in London.
- 🎤 The upcoming Biden-Trump presidential debates are discussed, with advice for Trump to let Biden speak and potentially expose his weaknesses.
- 🗣️ It is suggested that Biden's tendency to say outrageous things without a script could be more damaging to himself than any attack from Trump.
- 👮♂️ Concerns are raised about Biden's commencement speech at a historically black college, which seemed to focus on racial division and victimhood.
- 🤷♂️ Douglas Murray expresses sympathy for Prince Harry's visa situation, criticizing the decision to write a memoir that could jeopardize his immigration status.
Q & A
What is the main topic of discussion in the interview with Douglas Murray?
-The main topic discussed is the potential impact of celebrity endorsements on voters, particularly in relation to Donald Trump's trial and Robert DeNiro's public statements.
How does Douglas Murray perceive the effect of celebrities like Robert DeNiro making political statements?
-Douglas Murray believes that such actions by celebrities may encourage more voters to support Trump, as they may not appreciate being lectured by celebrities who they feel do not have special insights into politics.
What does Douglas Murray suggest about the demographic changes in Europe?
-He suggests that the demographic changes, particularly the growth of unassimilated populations with views that may be distasteful to the rest of the country, could lead to a significant transformation of European societies.
What is the 'strange death of Europe' that Douglas Murray refers to?
-It refers to the transformation of European societies due to factors such as unassimilated population growth and a lack of respect for Western values, which could potentially lead to a 'flip' in the cultural and societal landscape.
How does Douglas Murray view the role of the government in the current state of immigration and integration in the UK?
-He criticizes the government for not listening to warnings about the pace of immigration and the importance of assimilation, and instead accelerating immigration without proper integration efforts.
What is Douglas Murray's opinion on the recent clashes in London between supporters and opponents of the Iranian regime?
-He finds it incredible and unacceptable that people who support the brutal Iranian regime are living in the UK, and questions why the government has allowed such a situation to develop.
What advice does Douglas Murray give to Donald Trump regarding the upcoming presidential debates?
-Douglas Murray suggests that Trump should let Biden speak and make mistakes on his own, as Biden's own words and actions can be more damaging to him than any attacks from Trump.
How does Douglas Murray describe President Biden's commencement address at a historically black college?
-He describes it as a bitter, unpleasant, and ugly message that focused on racial division, victimhood, and the idea that black Americans need to be '10 times better' to succeed.
What is the controversy surrounding Prince Harry's US visa application and his memoir 'Spare'?
-The controversy involves whether Harry was honest about his past drug use in his memoir, which could potentially affect his immigration status, and the ongoing court case over whether the details of his visa application should be made public.
What is Douglas Murray's view on the potential deportation of Prince Harry if it's revealed he lied on his visa application?
-Douglas Murray finds the situation unwise and poorly advised, and he suggests that it would be 'hilarious' if Prince Harry were to be deported from the US, indicating a lack of sympathy for Harry's predicament.
Outlines
🗳️ Celebrity Influence on Politics and Trump's Trial
In this segment, the discussion begins with the appearance of Robert DeNiro outside the New York courtroom where Donald Trump's trial took place. DeNiro warns of the loss of freedoms should Trump return to the White House. The author, Douglas Murray, suggests that such celebrity endorsements may actually encourage more people to vote for Trump. Murray criticizes celebrities for offering unsolicited political opinions and believes that ordinary people do not appreciate being lectured by them. The conversation then shifts to the broader topic of Europe's transformation and the potential 'flip' in demographics by 2040-2050, as highlighted by women's rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
🌍 Immigration and the Impact on Western Society
This paragraph delves into the issue of immigration, integration, and the political response in Western countries. Murray criticizes the UK's conservative government for failing to control immigration, despite promises to reduce it to tens of thousands per year. He points out the irony of the government leaving office with net migration at nearly a million per year. The conversation highlights the lack of assimilation and respect for Western values among some immigrants, exemplified by the recent clash in London between supporters and opponents of the Iranian regime. Murray argues that importing people without addressing assimilation leads to importing problems, and he criticizes the government for not listening to warnings about the potential consequences of unchecked immigration.
🎙️ Presidential Debate Strategy and Biden's Communication
The discussion turns to the upcoming presidential debates between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Murray suggests that the best strategy for Trump would be to allow Biden to speak freely, as Biden's own words often undermine his image. Murray points out Biden's tendency to lose track of thought and make gaffes when deviating from scripted speeches. He also suggests that Trump should try to draw out Biden's 'nasty' side to reveal a different facet of his personality. The conversation includes a critique of Biden's commencement address at a historically black college, where Biden allegedly delivered a divisive message focused on racial victimhood and division, contrasting it with Trump's message of unity and positivity.
🤴 Prince Harry's Visa Issues and Public Image
The final paragraph discusses the ongoing legal issues surrounding Prince Harry's US visa application and his admission of past drug use in his memoir 'Spare'. Murray expresses sympathy for Harry's personal situation, criticizing the decision to write a book that could potentially cause immigration problems. The conversation touches on the potential for Harry's deportation if he is found to have lied on his visa application and speculates on the public's reaction should he return to the UK. Murray also hints at the possible influence of Harry's advisors, particularly Meghan Markle, on his decisions.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Bestselling author
💡New York courtroom
💡Robert DeNiro
💡Celebrity endorsement
💡Democracy
💡Ayan Hirsi Ali
💡Assimilation
💡Political class
💡Conspiracy theory
💡Iranian regime
💡Racial division
Highlights
Robert DeNiro's statement outside the New York courtroom regarding the potential consequences if Trump returns to the White House.
Douglas Murray's opinion on the impact of celebrity political endorsements and their potential to backfire.
Ayan Hirsi Ali's observation on Europe's transformation into resembling an Islamist country within three decades.
Concerns about the rapid demographic changes and the lack of assimilation leading to a potential societal flip.
Criticism of the UK's conservative government's handling of immigration and failure to meet their promises.
Douglas Murray's argument on the importance of assimilation and respect for Western values among immigrants.
Discussion on the clash between supporters and opponents of the Iranian regime in London and its implications.
Murray's critique of the presence of individuals who do not embrace Western values living in Western countries.
Strategic advice for Trump in the upcoming presidential debates, suggesting letting Biden speak to expose his weaknesses.
Analysis of Biden's tendency to make gaffes and lose his train of thought during speeches.
Contrasting Trump's unifying message with Biden's speech focusing on racial division and victimhood.
Critique of Biden's commencement address and its potential negative impact on black students.
Douglas Murray's commentary on Prince Harry's visa issues and the potential consequences of his memoir.
Discussion on the unwise decision-making of Prince Harry and the role of his advisors.
Speculation on the potential deportation of Prince Harry and the reactions it might cause.
Transcripts
joining me now is the bestselling author
of groundbreaking books including the
war on the west The Madness of crowds
and the strange death of Europe Douglas
Murray it's the strange death of Europe
I want to speak to you about but first I
need your take on what we saw today
outside the New York courtroom where
Donald Trump's trial is been conducted
we had Robert DeNiro make an appearance
with this important
message I don't mean to scare you no no
wait maybe I do mean to scare you if
Trump returns to the White House you can
kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all
take for granted and elections forget
about it that's over that's done if he
gets in I can tell you right now he will
never
leave he will never leave you know that
he will never
leave there you have it elections
democracy it's all over if Trump wins it
got even worse than that Douglas I'll be
featuring some of the Luna SE later in
the program but what did you make of
that and will it have any impact on the
voting
public the only impact that Robert dairo
and other celebrities have when they do
this kind of thing is to uh encourage
more voters to silently vote for Trump
uh first of all I mean what is somebody
like dairo thinking of what they who who
does he think he is what does he think
his role is in society I mean he's an
actor and I think a very good one which
is one of the reasons I really dislike
it when I see an actor like him do this
because afterwards you can't help but
watch him in a role then think oh
there's that guy who's rather tedious
political bore um but it is tedious and
it is boring he has no special
insights um and so why is he standing in
front of a bank of microphones offering
his insights about Trump I I've always
thought that this this celebrity you
know endorsement celebrity commenting
thing um backfires on the people that
they support I think most ordinary
Americans like most ordinary Australians
and Brits we don't really like to be
talked at uh by you know Mega
celebrities who imagine they've got
insights they just don't
have you're so right I preferred it they
just threatened to leave the country if
someone got elected and they never
actually follow through with that either
now your good friend and courageous
women's rights activist Ayan hery Ali
was on the trigonometry podcast this
week and she noted that within three
decades she's seen Europe start to
resemble the islamist country she
fled many neighborhoods resemble where I
left and that just happened within three
decades and so you can see when I talk
about transformation that it doesn't
take that long and so there were really
some very serious Scholars they were all
telling us back back in the day that if
this demographic developments continue
and we don't do anything about
assimilation there is going to be this
flip in 2040 2050 that's not too far
away it's not too far away Douglas which
begs the question is it too late now to
stop this flip this transformation uh
this strange death of Europe as we know
it I mean I I would say it's extremely
difficult to know because predictions
are
always tough rough on people um all you
can do is base them on the evidence in
front of your eyes and I think that what
aan said there is completely true and
indeed evident it's evident because if a
population grow uh that is effectively
in large part
unassimilated uh or at least has views
that the rest of the country finds
abhorent or just distasteful if that if
that particular demographic grows and
grows and grows of course they're going
to have more and more impact more and
more presence they'll be felt more and
more in the country when uh Ayan first
arrived in the Netherlands uh as an
asylum Seeker she uh was one of the
prodiges among other things of the uh
politician Fritz Borstein and he warn he
was warning about this in the
1990s and uh you know others of us
warned about it and not only did
governments not listen they actually
made the situation worse I mean look at
the UK um in in in the UK we have a
conservative government about to leave
office after 14 years years got into
office saying that immigration would
become tens of thousands of year of
people a year rather than hundreds of
thousands roughly back to 1990s
immigration and the conservatives going
to leave office with net migration in
the UK at almost a million a year um why
did these people not listen why did they
never listen why did they never act on
all of the warnings after warnings that
people gave so you ask you know is it
going to happen yes if we continue like
this and if we continue in this
situation where the uh political class
both accelerates immigration massively
totally fails at integration I mean good
luck with that old old idea and and then
tells the general public as they do that
uh it's all a conspiracy theory uh that
uh the immigration is happening at this
pace and it's all a great replacement
conspiracy theory so what you see before
for your eyes is a conspiracy theory
that it'll happen if it goes on like
that for
sure and we have so many in the west who
have no regard for the West uh they
don't want to assimilate they're not
called on to assimilate they have no
respect for Western Civilization uh and
the values we have and that was apparent
in the Streets of London last week as
supporters of the Iranian regime clashed
with anti-regime Pro
[Music]
[Applause]
ters Douglas The Clash happened outside
of venue where they were holding an
event to Mark the death of Ibraham Ry
the Iranian president who died in a
helicopter crash Why is anyone who
supports the brutal islamist Iranian
regime living in the
UK that to me is incredible there are so
many in the Middle East who would give
their right arm to have the freedoms
that we enjoy and yet we have people
accepted in as as migrants as residents
as citizens who obviously do not Embrace
Western
values yes I mean um it's it's it's not
just people like the thugs there um the
other night um as I think I've told you
before r you know the former deputy
prime minister of Iran uh M
mohajerani lives in leafy Harrow uh in
London um why got regime goons in the UK
why have we why have we got these people
in the country and again it goes back to
the previous um Point Rita you know this
is what happens if a government if
Government after government completely
loses control of migration and doesn't
do anything about it um I think that
these people people who are you know
mourning RI mourning The Butcher of
Teran I don't think they should be in
Britain I don't think they should be
there I don't think there's any reason
why the average British person needs to
live alongside somebody who's mourning
an islamist goon and monster and let
alone breaking out fights uh in protests
that anyone disliking I mean I mean it's
Preposterous I've said for years you
know if if you import the world's people
if you import all the world's people you
import all of the world's problems and
once again we see
that problems in the Middle East now
play out on the streets of London as
they do on the streets of Sydney and New
York and everywhere
else and we saw the regime goons there
uh push a woman to the ground and kick
her so the fact that they feel
emboldened to do that in in the UK uh
says plenty now we are all looking
forward to the Biden Trump presidential
debates you've written in the New York
Post that if uh Trump wants to Prevail
in these debates all he has to do is
shut up and let Biden speak or at least
try to speak uh you wrote that even the
best Zinger of the line from Trump
cannot do more harm to Biden than Biden
can do to Biden uh
he he does have a neck of just saying
outrageous lies doesn't he but Will
trump take your advice will he be able
to control
himself well it's it's a really key test
for Trump I mean the last election you
remember of the two debates uh the polls
all showed really the voters did not
like Donald Trump in the first debate
and they liked him slightly more in the
second and the reason is that he uh he
just didn't allow Biden to speak in the
first debate he was too aggressive uh he
just kept interrupting even if you
support a particular candidate or person
one rule of Television is just you know
if you keep interrupting and
interrupting everyone thinks you know
they just get fed up of you and uh
Donald Trump was of course a TV star
before he was president and uh and he
should know that you can sort of
irritate the viewer um and I think he
did that in the first debate last time
and and the key thing thing as I
mentioned that piece is that you know
Biden trips himself up all the time just
let the man speak watch any speech of
his and the minute he has to go off
script such as it is he just he loses
train of thought he did it again the
other day he just kind of says oh well
any I was going to say but well anyway I
don't need to tell you that and he
hasn't said anything yet and and um I I
think that if Trump just lets Biden
speak uh uh it it it will show a lot of
viewers and a lot of
Voters um that the commander-in-chief
you know for whatever his virtues uh in
the past um is is rather sad reflection
of that at the moment and that and that
America needs for the next four years um
a president who is as spritely and
capable as possible uh and um I think
that there's only one way to show that
as I say that's that's that's for Donald
Trump to to shut up um but is that an
easy piece of advice for him to take had
to said
not I don't think I think you're right
there the Temptation will be too too big
for him and if he's going to play it
smart he would also draw out the nasty
Biden because one certainly exists and
uh that could be a powerful thing as
well Douglas if Trump can goat him into
showing that side of himself yes I mean
I mean he Biden showed that that side of
himself um just the other day at the
commencement address he gave um and in
the US and and that it was a really it
was a bitter unpleasant ugly message and
also means of communication that Biden
did he B basically told all these black
students that you know the country was
against them I mean I mean it was really
it was it was very sad actually um but
sad that they that these young black
students at commencement should get this
advice I mean at the same time Donald
Trump was in New Jersey telling everyone
it didn't matter what color they were
what color your skin is you know uh
you're all American and um but but Biden
was doing very mean uh Speech and he
looked mean doing it really mean and
angry and and he didn't thing he starts
to shout and I think that stuff goes
across very badly I mean everyone says
you know it's it's Trump with the female
voters who goes over badly but I think
some of that with Biden goes over with
female voters and others just just not
that
well I think you're 100% right actually
let's just have a quick look at what
You' just spoken about firstly let's
have a look at Trump uh when he gave
that speech in the Bronx it was uh one
of unity and a largely positive
message whatever the hell color you are
at doesn't matter we are all Americans
and we're going to pull together as
[Applause]
Americans and you contrast that with the
speech you mentioned the one President
Biden gave at a historically black
college the previous week very different
you missed your high school
graduation you started college just as
George Floyd was
murdered and there was a reckoning on
race it's natural to
wonder democracy you hear about actually
works for
you what is
democracy if black men are being killed
in the street what is
democracy betrayal of broken promises
soon leave black black communities
behind what is democracy you have to be
10 times better than anyone else to get
a fair shot Douglas uh very different
approaches there Biden's speech uh seems
to be obsessed about racial Division and
victimhood and this message that you
need to be as black Americans 10 times
better than non-black Americans to do as
well who is he speaking to with with
that kind of
rhetoric it's it's very interesting you
know Biden came in with the idea that he
was the great uniter he'd be the sort of
father or perhaps grandfather figure of
the nation and whenever he does this
this kind of speech you something do you
remember what you said you'd be do you
remember that you said you'd try to
unite the nation what are you doing here
and why are you demotivating black
students and actually lying to them that
the the country is against them and and
that to pick up that phrase you know
black men are just being murdered in the
streets I mean it's true that quite a
lot of black men are murdered in the
streets and they're murdered by other
black men in cities like Chicago in
terrible gun violence that goes on all
the time but Biden wasn't talking about
that he was he he talked about George
Floyd and then went straight on this
idea that I mean basically that that
cops and goodness knows who else just
kill black men all the time that's not
true but it it is the sort of rhetoric
and ideas that you would imagine to you
would expect to hear from somebody
wanting to whip up up a certain base on
ethnic lines and racial lines and that's
clearly what Biden was doing in that
speech but it it's really ugly and it
feels to me at any point at any rate
like a rhetoric of the of the past in
America describing at the best the past
in
America now let's talk about Prince
Harry and uh The Saga with his Visa
papers the court case case over the
dukee of sussex's US Visa is still going
on uh we still don't know whether Harry
was honest about his past drug use as
revealed in his Memoir spare the White
House has pleaded with the court to keep
the documents confidential Douglas uh
lawyers for the Department of Homeland
Security argued that releasing the
papers would create a stigma the
Heritage Foundation is the one that's
filed a freedom of information request
to access the records related to Harry's
March 2020 Visa uh Douglas this story
does tickle me because Trump has been uh
open to deporting Harry if he's elected
and it's revealed that Harry lied on his
official
document yes I know I I'm not wild about
this story just because I I actually
this is one one that makes me feel
rather sorry for Prince Harry and it
takes a bit uh for me to do that um I
mean this is his sort of personal you
know immigration situation or story and
um he's the one who wrote he told us
about his drug use in that book I mean
if he's in this situation it's
completely
self-inflicted well no I agree with that
I mean there was no need first of all
there was no need for him to write the
book H and secondly there certainly
wasn't any need for him to write a book
in which he said things that would then
get him into trouble with immigration
authorities and the years immed
mediately ahead and it's very unwise but
then as I said everything to do with
that was unwise I mean it's very unwise
to spill secrets about your family in
public uh not least because you might
then discover that your family are wild