Dave Chappelle Talks Trump America And The Origin Of Racism
Like many main stream comedians, Dave Chappelle has used Donald Trump as the subject of many of his monologues in recent years. However, Chappelle was determined to be optimistic in regards to Trump America following the election of the president in 2016. Now, nearly two years since the election of Donald Trump, Chappelle sat down with fellow comedian Jon Stewart to discuss his outlook on the nation’s future. The pair discussed the origin of racism in a candid interview with reporter Christiane Amanpour, according to CNN.
Just days after Donald Trump was elected in 2016, viewers across the nation turned attentively to Chappelle as he began his monologue for that week’s episode of Saturday Night Life. Many listeners were surprised by Chappelle’s positivity, as he attempted to use humor to settle much of the nation’s rising concerns.
“I’m going to give him a chance,” he said at the time. “And we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one, too.” He knew these words were what America needed to hear at the time, as so much of the nation had been divided by the recent election.
“I’m a black American, so we’ve — these feelings that people felt right after the election, we’ve felt them, many elections consecutively. And to some degree, people overreacted. The alternative to giving him a chance was storming the street,” he said.
Dave Chappelle: Donald Trump, Russia hacking didn't make America racist, we already were https://t.co/YqZwIwuymv pic.twitter.com/sDMauaNvXd
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) October 31, 2018
After the widespread panic brought on by Trump taking office, Chappelle hoped his words would encourage viewers to join together in harmony despite their differences. However, after watching the way the president has chosen to lead the nation, he now voices a shift of opinion.
“Is he doing a good job? Am I happy with what he’s doing? No, it’s been very difficult to watch the last couple of years,” he told Christiane Amanpour.
Jon Stewart echoed his concerns. Stewart said he had hoped that living in the White House would transform Trump into being the leader the nation needed. Thus far, he has not seen the progress he once hoped for. However, the comedian didn’t solely blame the president for the onslaught of division in America. He believes the media is partially to blame for the constant clash with the Trump administration.
“They are personally offended and wounded by this man. He baits them and they dive in,” he said.
Both Chappelle and Stewart agreed that the constant media backlash is a distraction inhibiting the nation from moving forward towards peace.
