Actor Robert De Niro used a 9/11 anniversary interview with The Hollywood Reporter to renew his criticism of Donald Trump and Elon Musk, calling the US president "insane" and Musk a "monster". His comments extend a long-running public feud with Trump and reflect growing unease among some Hollywood figures over the influence of tech billionaires on American politics and elections.

De Niro urged people to vote and called for efforts to "protect our elections", echoing remarks he made in June describing Trump as a "racist, misogynist, xenophobic tyrant". His criticism of Musk came as he discussed the new documentary "Musk", which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and examines the Tesla boss's influence over elections; De Niro described tech barons as having failed to help America. He also defended New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's right to attend the 9/11 memorial despite calls from a small protest movement for him to be excluded, saying he deserved a chance and had done nothing to disqualify him.