# Robert De Niro Criticizes Elon Musk's Political Spending After GOP Losses Actor questions the efficacy of Musk's massive financial backing following recent Republican electoral setbacks. - **Source:** [Latest news RSS](https://feeds.ibtimes.co.uk/feeds/bhsz8.rss) - **Published:** 2026-11-09 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/a5df2ce8-72dc-4b36-9f42-365dfe6fdabd ## De Niro Challenges Musk Actor Robert De Niro publicly questioned Elon Musk’s political influence during a screening of the documentary Musk in New York City. Addressing the audience at the Crosby Hotel, De Niro mocked the billionaire's heavy financial support for Republican candidates, specifically asking how the recent electoral outcomes turned out for his interests. ## Financial Scale of Influence De Niro highlighted the massive scale of Musk's political contributions, noting that the billionaire spent approximately 300 million dollars to support Donald Trump in 2024. Furthermore, the actor pointed out that Musk invested nearly half a billion dollars on Republican efforts during the most recent election cycle, questioning the overall effectiveness. ## Democracy Versus Wealth During the event, De Niro framed the election results as a victory for democracy over the influence of private wealth. He declared that while democracy prevailed in this instance, the public must remain vigilant and ready to take action, as figures like Musk remain persistent forces in the current political landscape. ## Critique of the Cybertruck Beyond political spending, De Niro offered a sharp critique of Musk’s business ventures, specifically comparing the billionaire's political presence to his grotesque Cybertruck. He suggested that despite electoral setbacks for the Republican party, Musk is not going anywhere, implying that his influence remains a persistent challenge that requires ongoing public attention. ## Documentary Gains Critical Acclaim The documentary Musk, directed by Alex Gibney, has gained significant momentum, recently winning Best Biographical Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards. Having premiered at the Venice Film Festival, the four-hour film has already grossed over 700,000 dollars at the North American box office and is available on video-on-demand platforms. ## Tribeca Founders' Perspectives Jane Rosenthal, co-founder of the Tribeca Festival, joined De Niro at the screening and praised the film despite its lengthy runtime. She described the documentary as an engrossing look at a character that society cannot ignore, citing Sun Tzu’s advice on knowing one's enemy as a justification for watching the film. ## Global Festival Circuit Reach The film’s reach extends well beyond American audiences, having been showcased at major international festivals in Toronto, Camden, Zurich, and London. Upcoming screenings are scheduled for DOC NYC later this week, followed by a presentation at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam, further cementing its status as a leading documentary. ## Resistance and Political Discourse Filmmaker Alex Gibney expressed gratitude to De Niro for his contributions to political resistance efforts during the event. By urging the audience to share the film, De Niro and Gibney emphasized the importance of using media as a tool to expose political influence and maintain public awareness regarding high-profile donor activities. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/robert-de-niro-elon-musk-republican-spending-election-losses-1831057 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._