De Niro Takes Aim at Musk at Documentary Screening

Robert De Niro used an introduction to Alex Gibney’s documentary Musk in Manhattan on November 8 to criticize Elon Musk’s political spending. De Niro said Musk had spent about $300 million to help elect Donald Trump in 2024 and nearly $500 million backing Republicans in the recent election, then asked how that effort had turned out. The audience at the Crosby Hotel responded with cheers and laughter.

Musk directed roughly $445 million toward Republican-aligned political action committees and causes ahead of the midterms, making him the party’s largest financial backer of the cycle. Republicans nevertheless suffered major losses, with Democrats taking control of both chambers of Congress and winning several gubernatorial races.

De Niro said democracy had prevailed over Musk’s money, while warning that Musk remained influential. He also pointed to Tesla’s announced plan to stop making the Cybertruck next summer. De Niro urged the audience to remain vigilant and take action, and said he hoped viewers would be moved by the film and share it with others.

Jane Rosenthal, De Niro’s fellow Tribeca Festival founder, called the nearly four-hour documentary engrossing and said it offered a portrait of Musk that audiences could not ignore. Gibney thanked De Niro for his support of the resistance.

The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, has played at festivals including Toronto, Zurich and BFI London. It is available on video-on-demand platforms, has earned more than $700,000 at the U.S. box office, and is scheduled to screen at DOC NYC later this week and IDFA in Amsterdam this month.

Musk’s Political Spending Couldn’t Buy Republican Victory

Elon Musk poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Republican-aligned causes, but the party still suffered major defeats. At a Manhattan screening of Alex Gibney’s documentary Musk on November 8, Robert De Niro seized on that result, contrasting Musk’s spending with Democrats’ gains in Congress and gubernatorial races.

De Niro said Musk spent about $300 million helping Donald Trump win in 2024, then nearly $500 million on Republicans in the recent election. His pointed question about the outcome drew cheers and laughter from the audience. Musk directed roughly $445 million to Republican-backed political action committees and causes, making him the GOP’s biggest financial backer of the midterm cycle.

The results, De Niro argued, showed that money could not simply override voters. He said democracy had won this round, while cautioning that Musk was not going away. He urged continued vigilance and action, framing the film as a reason to keep examining the influence of a powerful political donor.

Jane Rosenthal, who co-founded the Tribeca Festival with De Niro, described the nearly four-hour film as engrossing and said it exposed its subject. Director Gibney thanked De Niro for his support of the resistance.

Musk is available on video-on-demand platforms and has grossed more than $700,000 in U.S. theaters. After screenings at several international festivals, it is due at DOC NYC later this week and IDFA in Amsterdam this month.

De Niro Turns a Film Screening Into a Political Jab at Musk

Robert De Niro used the introduction to a documentary screening to turn Republican election losses into a rebuke of Elon Musk. At the November 8 Manhattan event for Alex Gibney’s Musk, De Niro mocked the billionaire’s spending on Republican candidates and causes, drawing cheers and laughter from the crowd.

Musk directed about $445 million toward Republican-aligned political action committees and causes in the midterm cycle, making him the GOP’s largest financial backer. Republicans nonetheless lost ground, with Democrats taking control of both houses of Congress and several governor’s offices. De Niro cited the spending and the outcome, then declared that democracy had beaten Musk’s money for now.

The actor also warned that Musk remained a force and called for vigilance and action. His remarks made a screening of a nearly four-hour documentary critical of Musk a platform for a political message about Trump and the midterms. Gibney thanked De Niro for his work on behalf of the resistance.

Jane Rosenthal, De Niro’s fellow Tribeca Festival founder, praised the film as engrossing and said its portrait of Musk was hard to ignore. The documentary has played at festivals including Venice, Toronto and BFI London. It is available on video-on-demand platforms, has made more than $700,000 at the U.S. box office, and is scheduled for DOC NYC later this week and IDFA in Amsterdam this month.