Before his death, Robert Redford shared his true feelings about Donald Trump

Robert Redford, the legendary actor and Oscar-winning director, has died at the age of 89. Known for iconic films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, All the President’s Men, and Out of Africa, Redford also won an Academy Award for directing Ordinary People in 1981.

The news was confirmed by Cindi Berger of Rogers & Cowan PMK, who said Redford died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Sundance, Utah. His family has requested privacy during this time of mourning.

Tributes quickly poured in from fans, colleagues, and public figures. Among them was President Donald Trump, who called Redford “great” and praised his peak years in Hollywood.

However, Redford’s relationship with Trump was complicated. Known for being outspoken in politics, Redford often criticized Trump throughout his rise and presidency. While he once remarked in 2015 that Trump “shakes things up” in politics, his comments were later clarified as observations, not support. Trump, at the time, mistakenly thanked him for the words.

By 2019, Redford had made his views clear. In a Washington Post op-ed, he accused Trump of degrading “everything he touches” and argued that voters, not impeachment, should remove him from office.

That same year, he wrote for NBC that Trump was a danger to democracy, accusing him of undermining the rule of law, freedom of speech, and a free press. Redford warned the U.S. was becoming the “Divided States of America.”

Despite his criticisms, Redford acknowledged Trump was initially given “a chance,” but ultimately believed the former president failed to uphold democratic values.

Rest in peace, Robert Redford.