Dave Chappelle uses SNL monologue to urge Trump to ‘do better,’ while addressing Palestine, LA fires, Diddy, and more
The comedy legend crafted a powerful monologue that, in 17 minutes, tackled the Los Angeles wildfires, Jimmy Carter's legacy, displacement from Gaza to Los Angeles, and Donald Trump's inauguration.
Dave Chappelle hit the Saturday Night Live (SNL) stage tasked with a big assignment: address a country on the eve of Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
Despite saying he tried to avoid the assignment when he got the call from SNL boss Lorne Michaels, Chappelle relented, and the result was 17 minutes of comedy and reflection that have now swept the internet.
Chappelle opened up talking about the LA wildfires and how conspiracy theories had made people illogically suspicious of what happened, with some going so far as to suggest it was punishment for Los Angeles. He joked, “You have to at least consider the possibility that God hates these people.”
He also dove into the 2024 presidential election and the ways in which Donald Trump lied to make his case, such as his claim that Haitian immigrants had eaten pets. Chappelle pointed out that in reality, 20,000 Haitian immigrants legally moved to Springfield, Ohio, and did jobs most American citizens hadn’t made easy to fill, saying they “saved a lot of companies because they did jobs that the whites weren’t doing…They were busy doing other things: Heroin, sleeping on streets.”
Chappelle also joked that when people frequently pressed him about why he hadn’t attended any of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ alleged “freak-offs,” despite so many other celebrity friends in his orbit doing so, it made him realize he might be too ugly to be invited.
“Can you imagine everyone in Hollywood had an orgy behind your back?” Chappelle quipped. “Carl Winslow from Family Matters was there, and I wasn’t invited?!”
But it was Chappelle’s adept transition from discussing pop culture to tackling politics that earned him praise for last night’s monologue, even from critics of the unfiltered comedian. At this point in the monologue, he told the story of former President Jimmy Carter, who was on a trip in the Middle East to promote the book, “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,” and being warned not to go near Palestine because it was too unsafe for an American president.
With perfect timing, Chappelle stood from his stool on stage to tell this part of the story, saying:
“Jimmy Carter, people go back and forth and say whether he’s a good president, bad president. I’m not qualified to even speak on that…Jimmy Carter said I want to go to the Palestinian territory… Jimmy Carter went anyway. I will never forget the images. When I saw that picture, it brought tears to my eyes…a former American president walking with little to no security while thousands of Palestinians were cheering him on.”
Chappelle added with emotion, “I don’t know if that’s a good president, but that right there, I am sure, is a great man. It made me feel very proud.”
The comedian then turned his attention to Donald Trump, closing the monologue with this thought after noting that Trump had “did it again” in winning:
“The presidency is no place for petty people. Donald Trump, I know you watch the show. Man, remember, whether people voted for you or not, they’re all counting on you. Whether they like you or not, they’re all counting on you. The whole world is counting on you. I mean this when I say this: Good luck. Please, do better next time. Please, all of us, do better next time. Do not forget your humanity and please have empathy for displaced people, whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.”
Chappelle’s monologue has already racked up 3.1 million views and counting on SNL’s YouTube channel. It’s not the first time Chappelle has made waves on the SNL stage in the wake of major events in American politics. His 2016 monologue in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s win is considered an SNL classic, blending the power of oratory and comedy in one.
You can watch the full video below:
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