“Sad, broken old man”: Stephen Miller takes a shot at Robert De Niro amid ongoing controversy

Actor Robert De Niro and White House deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, are caught up in a heated argument after trading sharp comments about each other. The back-and-forth started when De Niro appeared on MSNBC’s The Weekend and called out Miller, drawing a comparison to Joseph Goebbels, a Nazi propagandist. Miller fired back on Fox News, labeling the seasoned actor as a “sad, broken old man."

De Niro, 82, spoke about political leadership, addressing Miller's accusation that he promotes divisive rhetoric.

“We see it, we see it, we see it … all the time — he will not want to leave. He set it up with … I guess he’s the Goebbels of the cabinet, Stephen Miller. He’s a Nazi,” De Niro said (via Newsweek).

He continued,

“He is and [Miller’s] Jewish, and he should be ashamed of himself.”

Stephen Miller responds to Robert De Niro’s remarks on Fox News

Many have made similar comparisons about Miller before. Critics have accused Miller of relying on extreme rhetoric and using language that divides people in his political strategies.

Miller talked about De Niro’s remarks on Fox News.

"Robert De Niro is a sad, broken old man who is mostly enraged because he hasn't made anything worth watching in at least 30 years,” Miller said. “Probably the longest string of flops, failures, embarrassments — this man has been degrading himself on camera with one horrific film after another for my entire adult life, and he is not taken seriously by anybody. Not by his family, friends, not by his community.”

Miller criticized Robert De Niro, calling him a sad, broken old man whose career has been a string of failures for 30 years, claiming he is not taken seriously by anyone, including his family and community. pic.twitter.com/41re72tWEg

— The Vivlia (@TVivlia) October 23, 2025

Miller spoke after days of growing focus on the exchange. The argument between the politician and the actor joins a long list of public arguments De Niro has had with politicians lately. These issues often involve his strong opinions against conservative ideas and leaders.

At the same time, Miller has remained a controversial name in U.S. politics. He is known because of his strict views on immigration and his role in crafting policies during the last administration.

Neither of them has said anything new since the exchange. Their remarks, however, have sparked big conversations online about how political and cultural conversations are unfolding.