D.L. Hughley is never one to bite his tongue, and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the comedian and political commentator had plenty to say about President Donald Trump’s latest rhetoric surrounding undocumented immigrants.
Speaking with TMZ, Hughley accused Trump of using immigration as a political weapon, particularly against blue states and cities that didn’t support him.
“There are more illegal immigrants, if that is your cause, in Texas, in Florida, in Illinois, in Georgia, even in California,” Hughley said. “He is punishing those people because, one, the governor [Tim Walz of Minnesota] ran against him, and, two, he just wants to be evil. This is a campaign against blue states and blue cities.”
Hughley’s comments come on the heels of Trump’s recent White House briefing, where the former president claimed that so-called “criminal illegal immigrants” make the Hells Angels biker gang “look like the sweetest people on Earth.” Critics have long argued that Trump’s language around immigration fuels fear rather than addressing policy realities—an accusation Hughley made clear he agrees with.
For Hughley, Trump’s approach isn’t about law and order; it’s about vengeance.
But immigration wasn’t the only topic Hughley touched on during his conversation with TMZ. The comedian also revisited his ongoing criticism of Nicki Minaj, particularly her political commentary and her vocal support of Trump.
Hughley reiterated remarks he previously made suggesting Minaj should be less focused on people like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has expressed support for trans youth, or independent journalist Don Lemon, a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and has openly critiqued the Trump administration, and more concerned about her husband, Kenneth “Zoo” Petty, a registered sex offender. Petty was convicted of first-degree rape in 1995.
“Damn Don Lemon! Nicki Minaj needs to be worried about Chris Hansen,” Hughley said, referencing the journalist famous for exposing sexual predators.
Ultimately reflecting on the fact that the country celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with divisive, political tensions spreading across the country, Hughley believes the civil rights leader would be “disappointed” to see that we are still fighting for some of the things he was fighting for in the 1960s.
“I think that ultimately, he is oftentimes used as a slogan, but nobody ever really embraces the true meaning of his message,” Hughley concluded.
