Robert De Niro says Meryl Streep's Globe speech was 'great'

NEW YORK (AP) — Hollywood heavyweight Robert De Niro has come to the defense of Meryl Streep.

The multiple Oscar-winner wrote a letter of support to his "The Deer Hunter" co-star following fallout after her Golden Globes speech that criticized President-elect Donald Trump. Streep said that "when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose."

"What you said was great. It needed to be said, and you said it beautifully," De Niro wrote. "I have so much respect for you that you did it while the world was celebrating your achievements. I share your sentiments about punks and bullies. Enough is enough."

A De Niro representative confirmed the letter was authentic.

De Niro and Streep have co-starred in four films: "The Deer Hunter," ''Falling in Love," ''Marvin's Room" and "First Man."

Besides endorsing Hillary Clinton for president, Streep has been aligned with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, and even impersonated Trump at a gala in Central Park. De Niro, for his part, made a splash during this campaign season in a viral video, calling Trump "a pig," ''an idiot" and "a mutt, who doesn't know what he's talking about."