The White House brushed off a report claiming Hollywood actor Robert De Niro has banned President Donald Trump from his restaurants, saying the president has many other dining options at his disposal.
Days after the Daily Mail reported that De Niro — a frequent Trump critic — had banned the president from his Nobu restaurants, White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley was asked to comment.
"I don't think the president is planning on attending a dinner at Nobu anytime soon. Look, Hollywood people grandstand all the time. They're elitists. They don't know anything about what this president's doing for the American people and could care less," Gidley told Fox Business Friday.
"I saw the report, whatever. It's his business, he can do what he wants. The president has great dinners here at the White House, and quite frankly, he can go to any of his many properties around the country and globe. He's not gonna stop at Nobu anytime soon."
The Hollywood Reporter refuted the Daily Mail report Thursday, claiming that De Niro's agent said Trump is not actually banned from Nobu restaurants.
"Bob has not banned anyone from dining at Nobu," the agent said. "I know what [the Daily Mail] wrote. No one is banned."
Nobu has restaurants across the United States, Europe, Asia, Mexico, the Caribbean and Africa.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.