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This weekend CNN finally aired that now infamous interview Van Jones did with Dave Chappelle where the comedian retracted his previous statements about giving President Donald Trump a second chance.
During the sit down, which was taped before the Kanye West outrageous manic rant meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, Chappelle said Kanye “shouldn’t say all that sh*t” about Trump.”
Given that the 45-year-old lives in rural southern Ohio, in a small liberal college town that is surrounded by Trump supporters, Chappelle has a very specific understanding of what it’s like to be Black (albeit rich) in Trump country.
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For one, Chappelle has learned its best not to even attempt talking his neighbors out of supporting Trump.
“In the name of safety, I don’t tell them anything about that guy,” Chappelle said. “I don’t think I can change anybody’s mind. However, when it comes to Yeezy, who he still likes and considers a friend, things are more complicated.
“Kanye’s an artist, and he’s a genius,” Chappelle explained to Jones. “I think the angle he’s seeing things from is about the division and he’s not inconsistent with what he’s saying. For instance, a decade ago he was saying he wanted to take the Confederate flag and re-appropriate it.”
“I’m not mad at Kanye West,” he continues. “That’s my brother. I love him, I support him, I buy his albums. I don’t have to agree with everything that he says, I just trust him as a person of intent.”
Chappelle also acknowledged that in this political climate everyone, including entertainers, needs to stay informed, which has moved him to speak out more.
“Even a guy like me that’s just writing jokes, I have to listen more than I’ve ever had to listen ’cause the gripes is coming so fast and furious. And I’m not dismissive of people’s gripes. Might sound like it on stage, but I listen,” he said.
“As a president of a country that’s as eclectic as ours, you look around your crowd and you see it’s like a patchwork of people. I just think that he’s speaking to a very small choir.”
Check out the clip below.
