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Dave Chappelle, two days before Donald Trump‘s inauguration, spoke to the president-elect during the tail end of his SNL monologue to wish him good luck, and to urge everyone to have empathy for all displaced peoples–“whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.”
In the comedian’s fourth time hosting since 2016, but his first on an episode that didn’t air the same week as a presidential or midterm election, Chappelle covered a lot of ground, beginning with recapping discussions with executive producer Lorne Michaels about when he would next host. When Michaels had asked him to host after November’s election, Chappelle said he replied, “Nah, man. I’m cool.”
Before Saturday, Chappelle’s most recent monologue on the late night show had been November 2022.
Chappelle said he preferred the date closest to Jan. 6, and was looking forward to “getting rid of all these old Trump jokes.”
“The moment I said yes, L.A. burst into flames,” he recalled. “And it’s a tough one, you knowwhat I mean?Because I’m tired of beingcontroversial.I’m trying to turn over a newleaf.And it is way too soon to do jokes about a catastrophelike that. It is.”
After noting how well-known friends of his lost their homes, Chappelle joked: “Then I go on the internet and Iwatch these fire videos, and Iread the comment sections andeveryone’s like, ‘Yeah, it servesthese celebrities right! I hopetheir houses burn down!’You see that?That right there?That’s why I hate poor people.”
“Because they can’t see pasttheir own pain,” he continued, adding that damage estimates are so high“because people in L.A. have nicestuff.”
“I could burn 40,000 acres inMississippi for $600, $700,” he joked.
The extent to which global warming, wind, and potential arsonists factored into the fires aside, Chappelle went on, there’s another theory.
“If you’re a rational, thinking person, you have to at least consider the possibility that God hates these people,” he joked. “‘Sodomites!’ No, that’s not true, because West Hollywood was unscathed. Because how can you burn that is already flaming?”
Later on, Chappelle shifted gears, riffing on rapper P Diddy‘s indictment for sex trafficking.
“A lot of my friends asked me, ‘Dave, did you know anythingabout those freakoff parties?’I’d be like, ‘No, man. I don’t know anything aboutfreakoffs.’”
Still skeptical, they would reply, “How were all thesepeople you know at thefreakoff, and you’re the only onethat wasn’t at the freakoff?”
“I thought about it for a minute,” Chappelle said, pausing. “I said, ‘Oh, my god!I’m ugly!’”
“Boy, that is a tough way to find thatout,” he explained. “Can you imagine, mereading the newspaper and you foundout everyone in Hollywood had anorgy behind your back?”
Chappelle closed by speaking to Trump and addressing the recent death of former President Jimmy Carter:
Here’s the thing: On Monday, Donald Trump’s comingback.He’ll be the 47th president.He’s done it again.And all the flags will behalf staff because Jimmy Carterdied.Jimmy Carter–people go back and forthand say he was a bad presidentor a good president.I’m not qualified to speak onthat.But I’ll tell you this:I was in the Middle East yearsago after I quit my show.I was trying to find out what Iwanted to do with my life.
While I was there, Jimmy Carterflew to Israel.So everybody in the region wastalking about a former Americanpresident being in the Middle East.And while he was in Israel, abook of his was released, andits title was very controversialin Israel.And the title of the book was“Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid.“
People were very mad in Israel.There were a lot of mean storiesthat came out in the paper.Some people were supportive.While he was there, Jimmy Cartersaid, ‘I want to go to thePalestinian territory’, and theIsraeli government said, ‘It’stoo dangerous, and if you go, wecannot protect you.’And then Jimmy Carter wentanyway.
I will never forget the imagesof a former American presidentwalking with little to nosecurity while thousands ofPalestinians were cheering himon.When I saw that picture, itbrought tears to my eyes.I said, I don’t know if that’s agood president, but that rightthere, I am sure, is a greatman.
It made me feel very proud.The presidency is no place forpetty people.So, Donald Trump, I know youwatch the show. Man, remember: Whether peoplevoted for you or not, they’reall counting on you.Whether they like you or not,they’re all counting on you.The whole world is counting onyou.
I mean this when I say this: Good luck.Please, do better next time.Please, all of us: Do betternext time.Do not forget your humanity, andplease have empathy fordisplaced people, whetherthey’re in the Palisades orPalestine.
