Los Angeles, Oct 9

Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight has defended Donald Trump\'s controversial remarks about women and criticised fellow movie star Robert De Niro for making disparaging remarks about the Republican presidential nominee.

\"Midnight Cowboy\" star Voight, who has supported several Republican politicians over the years, on Saturday took to Twitter to share his views, reported foxnews.com.

In a series of tweets, he said he was \"ashamed\" of De Niro and his \"foul words\" about Trump, following the controversy over Trump\'s lewd comments about women, in a hot mic audio tape from 2005.

Voight posted: \"I am so ashamed of my fellow actor Bobby De Niro\'s rant against Donald Trump. What foul words he used against a presidential nominee, who has worked harder than any other man I know in the past year and a half to get a good message to the American people.\"

\"I don\'t know of too many men who haven\'t expressed some sort of similar sexual terms toward women, especially in their younger years. Donald Trump\'s words were not as damaging as Robert De Niro\'s ugly rant. Trump\'s words did not hurt anyone. Can you imagine,\" he added.

Voight said: \"If any Republican said words like Robert De Niro used -- against Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? All hell would break loose. I am calling for all Trump supporters to express their outrage and anger against De Niro and all of the Republican turncoats against Trump.\"

\"Let Donald Trump know we are completely behind him, and may God give him the strength to continue his calling.\"

Voight was responding to a newly released video in which De Niro took aim at Trump, calling him everything from \"so blatantly stupid\" to a \"pig\", a \"punk\" and a \"og\".

On the other hand, Trump has apologised after the leaked video from 2005 caught him passing crude remarks and bragging about groping women because of his fame.

Jon Voight defends Donald Trump, slams De Niro