Stars Target Trump at New York Benefit Concert

Celebrities Unite Against Trump

A two-and-a-half-hour variety show held in New York on Sunday night, 'Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment', brought together some of Donald Trump's fiercest detractors. The event, co-executive produced by Jane Fonda, served as a celebration of free speech and a pushback against Trump's polarizing agenda.

De Niro's Opening Salvo

Robert De Niro opened the event with a sharp remark: 'Good evening, everyone, and welcome to all of you who couldn’t get tickets to the White House cage fights.' He continued to express his opinion of Trump, stating, 'When I hear Trump say, as he did a few days ago, ‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation, not even a little bit,’ I say, ‘Shut the fuck up,’” which became a repeated refrain chanted by the audience.

Fonda's Fiery Speech

Jane Fonda used softer language but was just as fiery. 'The government and its cronies are routinely violating the first amendment to silence artists, shuttering institutions like the Kennedy Center and defunding museums,' she said. Fonda pointed to her father's work as one of the original members of the Committee for the First Amendment, founded in support of the Hollywood Ten.

Bette Midler's Performance

Bette Midler sang a rousing version of Woody Guthrie’s 1944 protest song 'All You Fascists Bound to Lose', with updated lyrics like 'We’re gonna win the midterms, we’re coming for his ass.' The audience was electrified by her performance, with Midler telling them, 'I feel like I’m part of a community that is so bright, so intelligent, so well meaning, and so desperate for justice.'