Dave Chappelle Mocks Leftie 'SNL' Writers for 'Crying' After Donald Trump Was Elected — As He Admits Comedy Show Monologue on President 'Hasn't Aged Well'
Dave Chappelle claims the 'Saturday Night Live' writers were left in tears following Donald Trump's victory in 2016.
June 5 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Dave Chappelle claims the writing room at Saturday Night Live was left in tears after Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The popular comic sat down with fellow comedian Mo Amer for Variety's Actors on Actors, and looked back at just how much the sketch comedy show was rocked upon learning Trump had just been elected to serve his first term as president.
'Couldn't Believe It Was Happening'
Chappelle joined Mo Amer for 'Actors on Actors' and discussed what went down at 'SNL' after Trump's win.
"... When they called Donald Trump the winner, that s--- shut the writers' room down. You should have seen them in here.
"Boy, they were crying like Black people.... just kidding."
Chappelle added: "They couldn't believe it was happening."
The 51-year-old was the show's first guest host since Trump's victory, as he gave a monologue that he admitted did not "age well."
Give Trump A Chance?
The comic claimed 'SNL' writers were left in tears in 2016 after Trump beat Hillary Clinton.
Chappelle admitted that saying he’d "give Trump a chance" during the 2016 SNL monologue may not have “aged well.”
During the monologue, he said: "America’s done it. We’ve actually elected an internet troll as our president."
Then, toward the end, Chappelle added: "I’m wishing Donald Trump luck, and I’m going to give him a chance. And we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one, too.”
However, the funnyman is singing a different tune today.
He said: "I remember it fondly... I remember that part. That’s what it felt like in that moment. Now, if it ages well or not, I don’t get mad if I look at a picture because it’s not today.
"That’s what it was at that time. You might look at an old set and cringe, but you could just cringe because of how you were at that time.”
Just months after the monologue, Chappelle appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, and was already filled with regrets over his comments: "It’s not like I wanted to give him a chance that night... He’s like a bad DJ at a good party."
Chappelle admitted his 2016 monologue did not 'age well.'
Following his memorable SNL spot, Chappelle returned to host three more times, but his 2022 appearance is said to have led to plenty of ruffled feathers as writers were on the verge of boycotting him.
"They’re not going to do the show," a source revealed at the time, and added, "But none of the actors are boycotting."
Celeste Yim, a writer on the show, took to Instagram following the announcement that Chappelle would be hosting and called for transphobia to be condemned.
“I’m trans and non-binary,” Yim wrote during the chaos. “I use they/them pronouns. Transphobia is murder, and it should be condemned.”
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Trump was compared to a 'bad DJ at a good party,' by Chappelle.
In October 2021, the actor was put on blast after Netflix premiered his comedy special The Closer, a performance that left the Trans community raging due to numerous “transphobic” jokes made during the routine.
Then, just months later, Chappelle was attacked by a man armed with a fake gun while he performed on stage, as afterwards he joked, "It was a trans man!"
