Robert De Niro Goes Toe-to-Toe with Trump Supporters Outside NYC Courthouse

Robert De Niro is putting himself directly in the line of fire with Donald Trump's furious supporters ... who called him every name in the book, but he shouted right back at 'em.

The actor was almost literally Daniel in the lions' den Tuesday morning in downtown Manhattan, where De Niro came face-to-face with an angry MAGA mob -- they shouted "F*** you," and called him a traitor ... to America and Italians and Jewish people. Other obscenities made mention of Robert's mother.

He was surrounded by security guards as he made his way through the crowd, but did stop at one point to yell back, "We're trying to be gentlemen in this world, the Democrats. You are gangsters! F*** you!!!"

As for why De Niro -- maybe the most outspoken Trump enemy in the country -- would subject himself to the MAGA crowd gathered outside the court where the former president's hush money trial? Well, he's there on behalf of the current prez.

President Joe Biden's administration reportedly dispatched De Niro and 2 former Capitol Police Officers to address the media outside the trial. For his part, De Niro made it clear he'd rather not be there, but feels passionately that it's his civic duty to be there to speak out against Trump.

Agree or disagree with him ... he's a man of his convictions, and De Niro's sticking to his guns when it comes to opposing Trump -- no matter what his haters say.