In one quote, Dave Chappelle sets the conditions for support of Donald Trump
Roughly a week after Dave Chappelle seemed to defend President-elect Donald Trump in a stand-up routine, the 43-year-old comedian clarified his stance in an opening monologue on Saturday Night Live: He's willing to support the "internet troll" we've named president, he said, if that internet troll is willing to support the American people — all of them.
In a wide-ranging opener that touched on President Barack Obama's legacy, the June shooting at Pulse nightclub, Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter and Democrats' deeply felt disappointment over what the comedian deemed a predictable Trump win, Chappelle gave the president-elect an ultimatum on human decency. He recalled a recent visit to the White House for a BET-sponsored party.
"Everyone there was black, and it was beautiful," the comedian said.
Chapelle then recounted occasions in history when black people had been invited to the White House, only to be stopped at the door.
"I thought about that, and I looked at that room, and I saw all those black faces and Bradley [Cooper], and I saw how happy everybody was, these people who had been historically disenfranchised," he said. "And it made me feel hopeful, and it made me feel proud to be an American, and it made me feel very happy about the prospects of our country."
Following Trump's unexpected win early Wednesday morning, many people are feeling far from hopeful about the nation's prospects. This is because the Trump campaign alienated much of the country with its racist, Islamophobic, xenophobic, sexist, misogynist, anti-Semitic and veteran-offensive rhetoric — and while Trump, in his acceptance speech, promised to be "a president for all Americans," that promise rings tenuous at best. But, following Obama's lead, Chappelle vowed to give the president-elect a shot — on one condition:
"So, in that spirit, I'm wishing Donald Trump luck, and I'm gonna give him a chance, and we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one, too."
Watch Chappelle's full opening monologue below:
