Dave Chappelle Says Trump Gets “Too Much Credit” For The Country’s Racial Tensions: “All He Does Is Sing Those People’s Greatest Hits”

Donald Trump may be an orange “nationalist” with divisive rhetoric that fuels the racism in this country, but according to Dave Chappelle, the country’s issues with racism have been here long before the Donald stepped foot in the Oval Office. 

In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and Jon Stewart, the stand-up comedian opened up about Trump and his impact on society, claiming he gets “too much credit” for the ugly, hateful rhetoric of the era, which many have coined, “The Trump Era.” 

“I would not even name the era after him….He’s not making the wave, he’s surfing it,” Chappelle said. “All he does is sing those people’s greatest hits. ‘Build the Wall,’ all these things we’ve heard before, he just sings all the songs. He’s the only one that’s been brash enough to do it.” 

And despite his unexpected win, thanks to the election interference by Russian Intelligence, Chappelle believes the country’s deep roots in racism ultimately opened the door for The Donald. 

“Even when they say that Russia influenced the election, it’s kind of like, Is Russia making us racist? Is that who’s doing it?” Chappelle asked. “Oh, ok, oh my God, thank goodness – thought it was us….If they kill the country that way then we’re the murder weapon.” 

As the interview continued, he once again clarified the comments he made on SNL after the botched election, in which he pledged to “give [Trump] a chance,” adding, “And we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one, too.” 

But now, looking back on his optimistic thoughts, he admitted that he regretted those words, but also believed it to be the “right thing at the right time” to say.

“I’m a black American, so we’ve – these feelings that people felt right after the election, we’ve felt them, many elections consecutively. And to some degree, people overreacted,” he said. “The alternative to giving him a chance was storming the street. “

“Is he doing a good job? Am I happy with what he’s doing?” He asked. “No, it’s been very difficult to watch the last couple of years.”