Dave Chappelle might want to reconsider some of his new material before hostingΒ Saturday Night Live next week.
During a surprise set at New York comedy club The Cutting Room, the comedian launched a series of attacks against Hillary Clinton, leaving Fridayβs crowd stunned, according to the Observer. Chappelle also apparently praisedΒ Donald Trump, calling the Republican presidential candidate βThe Terminatorβ for his staying power in spite of the video leak that nearly derailed his campaign.
In Chappelleβs eyes, it was Hillary herself who leaked the tape, which according to him is reason enough not to vote for her. He compared it to having Halle Berry pass gas during sex. βIβm still going to go forΒ it,β Chappelle said. βBut I wish she hadnβt done that thing.βΒ
The portion of ChappelleβsΒ act that could inspire the most backlash came when he defended the comments Trump made in the infamous video, and dismissed the allegations that followed. βSexual assault? It wasnβt. He said, βAnd when youβre a star, they let you do it.β That phrase implies consent,β Chappelle argued. βI just donβt like the way the media twisted that whole thing. Nobody questioned it.β
Chappelle went on to call Trump βthe most gangsta candidate everβ for his performance in the second debate when he admitted that he avoided paying taxes. βThey asked him how he knows the system is rigged and he said, βBecause I take advantage of it.β He may as well have flashed his membership card for the Illuminati right then,β Chappelle said.
What made Friday's outburst even more bizarre is the fact that Chappelle himself voted for Clinton, but admitted that he didn't βfeel goodβ about it because her behavior hasnβt been βcoin-worthy.β ChappelleΒ proceeded to put his foot further into his mouth by implying that womenβs rights, gay rights, and transgender rights are somehow less important than the rights of black people.
"They should not be having that conversation in front of black people,β he said of rights activists. βYou go ahead and feel something about your rights. But if youβre putting sexism and homophobia and transphobia in front of racism, you should be ashamed of yourself.β
There have been conflicting reports from Chappelle's stand-up last night. One writer notes on Twitter he actually wasn't defending Trump. Another user says that we should consider the Observer's credibility.
According to TMZ,Β ChappelleΒ is reportedly unhappy withΒ the Observer'sΒ insinuation that he's pro-Trump, and that the original article failed to mention that heΒ went after the Republican nominee multiple times over the course of his 60-minute set.
Thereβs no telling yet if or how Fridayβs comments will affect Chappelleβs reception when he takes the stage at studio 8H on Nov. 12, that is, if he takes the stage at all. βYou know thereβs a pool going on whether or not I show up,β he said of the hugely anticipated gig. βI got $100,000 that says I wonβt.β
After Fridayβs rant, that might not be such a bad thing.