Hollywood legend Robert De Niro didn’t hold back when he criticized Donald Trump, calling him a fool and cautioning that he could destroy the nation.

Now, Trump is retaliating — with a fierce threat of his own.

While Donald Trump was delivering his record-setting State of the Union address on February 24 — a lengthy speech that lasted almost one hour and 47 minutes — a completely different event was taking place across town.

At the counter-programmed “State of the Swamp,” which featured attendees like Don Lemon and Mark Ruffalo, the main speaker was none other than Robert De Niro — and he was unrestrained.

The 82-year-old actor, who has been vocal against Donald Trump for nearly ten years, reinforced his stance during a recent guest appearance on MSNBC’s The Best People with Nicole Wallace podcast.

“He’s an idiot. We need to get rid of him. He’s going to ruin the country,” De Niro stated.

In the same interview, he cautioned, “The narrative is our nation, and Trump is ruining it, and who knows what his motives are, but it’s disturbing, it’s messed up. We need to rescue the nation.”

At the alternative gathering, he characterized the president as “failing, flailing and desperate,” and in previous comments has referred to him as a “buffoon,” an “enemy of this country,” and even a “vicious dictator.”