Ahead of the inauguration, Dave Chappelle sent a message to President-elect Donald Trump.
The comedian wrapped up his nearly 17-minute monologue on “Saturday Night Live,” in which he cracked jokes about everything from the Los Angeles fires to the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs and talked about the upcoming He spoke directly to the president.
“I know you watch the show,” he jokingly addressed President Trump.
“Remember, whether people voted for you or not, everyone is counting on you,” Chappelle said. “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. Next time. Please try harder.”
Before delivering a message to Trump, the cartoon paid a heartfelt tribute to former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away last month. Chappelle recalled being moved by Carter’s visits to Israel and the Palestinian territories around the time of the publication of his 2006 book, “Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid.” “I will never forget the sight of the former American president walking with little security as thousands of Palestinians cheered him on,” he said.
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Mr. Chappelle added that when he saw this, he thought, “I don’t know if he’s a good president, but he’s definitely a great person.”
With that in mind, the comedian said that “the office of president is no place for small-minded people,” and urged President Trump and “all of us” to “remember our humanity and please, with or without displacement.” Regardless, please have empathy for the evacuees.” I’m in the Palisades or Palestine. ”
Chappelle’s monologue was unusually long for SNL, and the comedian could be seen sitting in a chair with the lights dimmed. At the beginning of his set, he talked about the deadly Los Angeles fires and joked that seeing comments from people who didn’t sympathize with celebrities who lost their homes was “the reason I hate poor people.”
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Chappelle also addressed the sexual assault allegations against Combs, joking that she realized, “Oh my god, I’m ugly” after “not being invited” to the embattled music mogul’s party. said. Combs denies the assault charge.
The “Chappell’s Show” star also hosted “SNL” for the first time after President Trump’s victory in 2016, when he wished the president-elect the best of luck and said, “I’m going to give him a chance.” And those of us who have been historically disenfranchised, demand that we have it too.”
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In the final “SNL” cold open before the inauguration, MSNBC’s panel vowed to change the way it covers Trump in his second term to avoid getting distracted by all of his most outrageous statements. Ta.
“This time, we’re not going to get caught up in another shiny, crazy statement from President Trump,” said Joy Reid of Ego Nwodim. “We need to focus on what he does, not what he says.”
But in the sketch, the panel discussion was repeatedly interrupted by new and increasingly ridiculous Trump comments, such as “I want to trade Connecticut for Italy” and “Fill the house ‘up’ with water balloons to end the fire.”
In the end, the panel cut to Trump (James Austin Johnson) giving a speech about banning TikTok in the United States.
“We love TikTok, right?” Johnson’s Trump said. “We love TikTok. I used to hate TikTok, but frankly, TikTok helped me win in so many ways. So now I love it.”
“SNL” returns next week with Timothée Chalamet serving as host and musical guest.
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During the show’s bedtime segment, Chappelle was seen celebrating the broadcast by hugging other SNL cast members, including Bowen Yang.
The exchange came a year after Yang sparked speculation that she wasn’t happy with the controversial comedian’s surprise appearance on a season 49 episode hosted by Dakota Johnson. During the January 27, 2024 show, Yang was seen standing on the opposite side of the stage with his arms crossed, which some media interpreted as Yang “keeping his distance” from Chappelle.
“I’m standing where I always stand when I say goodnight. It wasn’t a physical distance that anyone created,” Yang told Variety in June 2024. “It had to do with so many things that were completely internal.”
When asked about his feelings about Chappelle’s appearance, the gay actor and comedian said, “It was about other people’s reactions on the show. I was just confused, that’s all.” he added.
Chappelle has spoken out about transgender people and others in his stand-up sets, including saying in his 2019 Netflix special Sticks and Stones that “LGBTQ people” don’t care about him. He has a history of making homophobic comments. The 51-year-old comic was even more controversial with his 2021 special “Closer,” which “led to a Netflix employee strike,” and 2023’s “Dreamers.”
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Contributors: David Oliver, Patrick Ryan, Naledi Ushe, Edward Segarra, USA TODAY