De Niro Surprises Carnegie Hall With Lincoln Speech

Actor, a Trump critic, read from late president's 'Lyceum Address' on mob violence, civility

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Robert De Niro took the stage at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday night and delivered a surprise performance, reciting excerpts from Abraham Lincoln's 1838 "Lyceum Address" that warned against mob violence and called for civility. De Niro's appearance was part of the 39th annual benefit concert for the nonprofit cultural and educational organization Tibet House US.

Why it matters

De Niro, a frequent critic of former President Trump, used Lincoln's words to make a statement about the current state of political discourse and violence in the country, without directly naming the former president. The performance was seen as a rebuke of the divisiveness and lack of civility that has characterized much of the political landscape in recent years.

The details

During his unannounced appearance, De Niro recited passages from Lincoln's "Lyceum Address," in which the future president warned against the dangers of mob violence and called for "reason, cold, calculating, unimpassioned reason" to guide the country. De Niro's reading was part of a larger program that featured performances by other artists, including Elvis Costello, Laurie Anderson, and Maya Hawke, who also used their platforms to denounce various political issues.

  • On March 4, 2026, Robert De Niro surprised the audience at Carnegie Hall's 39th annual benefit concert for Tibet House US.
  • In 1838, Abraham Lincoln delivered the "Lyceum Address" in Springfield, Illinois, warning against mob violence and calling for civility.

The players

Robert De Niro

An Oscar-winning actor who has been a frequent critic of former President Trump.

Abraham Lincoln

The 16th President of the United States, who delivered the "Lyceum Address" in 1838 warning against mob violence and calling for civility.

Philip Glass

A co-director of the 39th annual benefit concert for Tibet House US, who had planned to premiere his Symphony No. 15, "Lincoln," at the Kennedy Center in June but canceled the performance due to Trump's ouster of the center's leadership.

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What they’re saying

“Reason, cold, calculating, unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials for our future support and defense. Let those materials be molded into general intelligence, sound morality, and in particular, a reverence for the constitution and laws.”

— Robert De Niro (newser.com)

The takeaway

De Niro's surprise performance at Carnegie Hall, in which he recited Abraham Lincoln's words warning against mob violence and calling for civility, was seen as a pointed rebuke of the divisiveness and lack of respect for democratic norms that have characterized much of the political landscape in recent years.