At the recent premiere of Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," veteran actor Robert De Niro unleashed scathing criticism of former President Donald Trump, comparing him unfavorably to the dubious character he portrays in the film.

The press conference kicked off with De Niro confiding his struggle with understanding the complexities of his character, William Hale. He shared, "There's a sincere aspect to him. Yet, his betrayal [of the Osage people] reveals a sense of entitlement."

The movie, based on David Grann's novel, narrates the chilling story of numerous murders that occurred in the early 1920s when oil was discovered on the land of the Osage Nation. The plot also delves into the FBI's investigation into these killings.

De Niro hinted at the former president without naming him, saying, "We see the banality of evil today, and we all know whom I'm referring to. That man is simply not bright."

Intriguingly, De Niro suggested that his character, despite his involvement in the film's horrifying murders, was smarter than the former Republican leader. He remarked, "Even Hale, despite everything, had certain smarts."

Co-star Lily Gladstone, who plays Mollie Burkhart, an Osage tribe member, pointed out the unsettling fact that the Osage people continue to attend Hale's funeral in the film despite his obvious wrongdoings. De Niro sharply criticized such blind loyalty, drawing a parallel to Trump's followers.

He expressed disbelief at Trump's unwavering supporters, stating, "There are people who still believe he could do a good job. Just consider how outrageous that is," further branding Trump as a "clearly evil" figure.

While De Niro was wrestling with the facets of his character, fellow actor Leonardo DiCaprio heaped praises on director Scorsese for his remarkable ability to extract deeply flawed, yet human characters from his actors.

DiCaprio stated, "What Marty does exceptionally well is he uncovers the humanity in even the most twisted, vile characters you can think of," during the press conference.

Variety was the first to report on De Niro's controversial comments.