In the longest monologue in “Saturday Night Live” history, Dave Chappelle delivered a pointed message to incoming President Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration Monday, calling for empathy and compassion as Americans prepared for a new chapter.
At the end of his 17-minute monologue, which was filled with reflections on current events and personal anecdotes, the controversial comedian reminded Trump that the presidency is more than just petty politics.
“Remember, whether people voted for you or not, they’re all counting on you. Whether they like you or not, they’re all counting on you. The whole world is counting on you,” said Chappelle, who has hosted the show three other times. “I mean this when I say this — good luck. Please do better next time. Please, all of us do better next time. Do not forget your humanity, and please have empathy for displaced people, whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.”
Chappelle hosted the first episode of 2025 on Saturday and was joined by rapper GloRilla as the musical guest. His wide-ranging monologue touched on California wildfires to his admiration for President Jimmy Carter’s stance on the Palestinian territories. Chappelle recounted visiting the Middle East after he stepped away from “The Chappelle Show,” noting it was around the time Carter, who died last month, published “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.”
“While I was there, Jimmy Carter said, ‘I want to go to the Palestinian territory,’ and the Israeli government said, ‘It’s too dangerous, and if you go, we cannot protect you.’ And man, Jimmy Carter went anyway,” Chappelle said. “I will never forget the images of a former American president walking with little to no security while thousands of Palestinians were cheering him on.”
Chappelle recalled becoming teary-eyed when he saw those photos.
“I said, ‘I don’t know if that’s a good president, but that right there, I am sure, is a great man,’” he said Saturday.
Chappelle’s appearance on “Saturday Night Live” elicited strong reactions from the moment he was announced as host. He has drawn criticism over the years for his jokes about trans people and other members of the LGBTQ community. On Saturday, he took a crack at West Hollywood, the center of queer culture in Los Angeles, continuing his history of controversial jokes about the LGBTQ community.
Several LGBTQ activists and allies have blasted Chappelle for his history of controversial trans jokes, including comedian Michelle Buteau, who said in her comedy special “Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind at Radio City Music Hall” that the comedy world should learn to joke and “not disparage a whole community.” She also asked audience members to let Chappelle know that.
“I don’t think he knows,” she said.
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