During the heated discussion, Joy Behar, an outspoken critic of Musk and his support for social media platform X (formerly Twitter), expressed doubts about the billionaire’s impact on public discourse.

Behar has previously called Musk’s leadership “   reckless”   and   “dangerous to democracy.”

De Niro was quick to come to Musk’s defense, reinforcing his stance and doubling down on his disapproval of Musk’s actions.

“Joy is right. We are talking about someone who manipulates public opinion, spreads misinformation and plays with real people’s lives,”   he said.

A direct criticism of Musk

De Niro’s comments come at a time when Musk is facing scrutiny for his business practices, political statements and controversial decisions regarding free speech at X.

The Taxi Driver and Goodfellas star made it clear that he views Musk as a trustworthy figure.

“He’s not a genius. He’s a businessman who got lucky and now thinks he can control everything,”   De Niro said bluntly.

“People need to wake up and stop treating him like some kind of savior.”

The Ådieпce reacts

The   View audience   responded with loud applause, showing their support for De Niro’s bold comments.

Many viewers took to social media to praise the actor for standing up to Musk’s growing influence.

One X user wrote:   “Robert De Niro speaking the truth about Musk on national television. This is something we need more of!”

Others, however, dismissed Musk, arguing that his contributions to technology and space exploration outweigh all the controversies.

What’s next?

De Niro has always shied away from political or social debates, and his criticism of Musk is just the latest example of his unwillingness to speak his mind.

As tensions over social media, free speech and corporate influence begin to rise, it’s clear that figures like De Niro and Behar will continue to challenge the status quo.