Comedian Dave Chappelle had harsh words about President Donald Trump on CNN’s “The Van Jones Show,” calling the rhetoric of his presidency “repugnant” and saying he doesn’t represent the majority of Americans.
Chappelle, who described himself as “a cynic when it comes to politics,” appeared on the show alongside Ben Jealous, a civil rights leader running for governor in Maryland, who he said is “like family” to him. Jealous is Chappelle’s father’s godson.
“It’s cynical out here. It’s polarizing the way that I’ve never seen it before. And I feel like Ben is a uniter,” he said. “As a policymaker, he’s imaginative and he understands people.”
Best known for starring in “Chappelle’s Show” on Comedy Central, Chappelle took a long break from the spotlight after leaving the program in 2006. He slowly began re-entering the entertainment world in 2015, appearing in movies and comedy specials.
Jones’ interview with Chappelle is set to air at 7 p.m. ET Saturday on CNN.
Speaking on the program, the famously private entertainer acknowledged that his public role has traditionally had more to do with being a comic than a political commentator, but the current climate has moved him to speak out.
“Even a guy like me that’s just writing jokes, I have to listen more than I’ve ever had to listen ’cause the gripes is coming so fast and furious. And I’m not dismissive of people’s gripes. Might sound like it on stage, but I listen,” he said.
“As a president of a country that’s as eclectic as ours,” Chappelle said, “you look around your crowd and you see it’s like a patchwork of people. I just think that he’s speaking to a very small choir.”
