More Viewers Watched 'Family Feud' Than Robert De Niro's Anti-Trump Speech
ABC’s “Celebrity Family Feud” topped CBS’s airing of the 2018 Tony Awards on Sunday night in total viewers.
The awards program made headlines thanks to actor Robert De Niro’s profanity-laced tirade against President Donald Trump.
According to Nielsen Media Research, during the 8 p.m. hour, 7.4 million viewers turned into “Celebrity Family Feud,” while 6.3 million watched the Tony Awards, which honors the best of Broadway.
The Steve Harvey-hosted “Family Feud” featured a face-off between the extended families of the Kardashians and the Wests.
Meanwhile, the Tony Awards — hosted by Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles — saw the plays “The Band’s Visit” starring Tony Shalhoub and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” about the later life of its title wizard and his family take home several prizes, The New York Times reported.
De Niro received a standing ovation at the show after he attacked Trump.
Before introducing a performance by rocker Bruce Springsteen, the veteran actor veered off script proclaiming, “I’m gonna say one thing: F— Trump!” as he clenched his two fists in the air, which brought roars of approval.
“It’s no longer ‘Down with Trump,’ it’s ‘F— Trump!’” De Niro said.
Fox News reported censors were able to catch the Academy Award winner’s profane comments in time, so those watching on television simply heard silence.
When De Niro did get around to introducing Springsteen, he took another apparent jab at the president.
“Bruce, you can rock the house like nobody else,” the veteran actor said.
“Even more important in these perilous times, you rock the vote. Always fighting for, in your own words, truth, transparency, integrity in government. Boy, do we need that now.”
Daily Wire editor Ben Shapiro was not impressed with De Niro’s attack of Trump before a crowd he knew would be in agreement with his view.
As CNN noted, Sunday was not the first time De Niro went into an f-bomb-laced rant about Trump.
In a January speech at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala in New York, the actor said, “This f—ing idiot is the president. It’s ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ — the guy is a f—ing fool … our baby-in-chief — the ‘Jack— -in-chief’ I call him.”
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