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Dave Chappelle has criticized the Republican Party, accusing it of turning his comedy about transgender issues into political messaging he says was never his intention.
Speaking during an interview on NPR’s _Newsmakers_, Chappelle addressed the backlash surrounding his past stand-up specials, including The Closer and The Dreamer, which drew criticism for jokes about the transgender community.
“I did resent that the Republican Party ran on transgender jokes,” he said. “You know, I felt like they were doing a weaponized version of what I was doing. That’s not what I was doing.”
Chappelle pointed to a specific incident on Capitol Hill to illustrate his concerns. He recalled taking photos with lawmakers without considering their political affiliations, saying, “I just take pictures with whoever asked. I didn’t ask how they vote or what their voting record is.”
He then described an encounter with Lauren Boebert, who later shared their photo online with a political message. “She said, ‘Can I get a picture?’… So I just took the picture,” he explained. “And then she posted the picture… and says something to the effect of, ‘Just two people that know that it’s just two genders.’ Just instantly, like, weaponized or politicized.”
Chappelle added, “I got to the arena, and I lit her ass up for doing that. And she should never do that to a person like me.”
The comedian has faced ongoing criticism since 2021, when _The Closer_ sparked protests, including walkouts by Netflix employees. Despite the
backlash, the streaming platform continued to support his work under the banner of “artistic freedom.”
Reflecting on the broader reaction to his material, Chappelle said he does not object to criticism but takes issue with attempts to limit what he can say. “I’m not even mad [people] take issue with my work.
Good, fine. Who cares?” he said. “What I take issue with is the idea that because they don’t like it, I’m not allowed to say it.” He continued, “Art is a nuanced endeavour… I have a belief that they are trying to take the nuance out of speech in American culture… Everything seems absolute… I don’t see the world in red or blue.”
Chappelle also briefly addressed Donald Trump, suggesting that while there may be humour in his persona, the impact of his actions makes it harder to view him purely as comedic. “There are funny things about him… But I think what he does is so consequential… I don’t know how funny it is,” he said.
Speaking during an interview on NPR’s _Newsmakers_, Chappelle addressed the backlash surrounding his past stand-up specials, including The Closer and The Dreamer, which drew criticism for jokes about the transgender community.
“I did resent that the Republican Party ran on transgender jokes,” he said. “You know, I felt like they were doing a weaponized version of what I was doing. That’s not what I was doing.”
Chappelle pointed to a specific incident on Capitol Hill to illustrate his concerns. He recalled taking photos with lawmakers without considering their political affiliations, saying, “I just take pictures with whoever asked. I didn’t ask how they vote or what their voting record is.”
He then described an encounter with Lauren Boebert, who later shared their photo online with a political message. “She said, ‘Can I get a picture?’… So I just took the picture,” he explained. “And then she posted the picture… and says something to the effect of, ‘Just two people that know that it’s just two genders.’ Just instantly, like, weaponized or politicized.”
Chappelle added, “I got to the arena, and I lit her ass up for doing that. And she should never do that to a person like me.”
The comedian has faced ongoing criticism since 2021, when _The Closer_ sparked protests, including walkouts by Netflix employees. Despite the
backlash, the streaming platform continued to support his work under the banner of “artistic freedom.”
Reflecting on the broader reaction to his material, Chappelle said he does not object to criticism but takes issue with attempts to limit what he can say. “I’m not even mad [people] take issue with my work.
Good, fine. Who cares?” he said. “What I take issue with is the idea that because they don’t like it, I’m not allowed to say it.” He continued, “Art is a nuanced endeavour… I have a belief that they are trying to take the nuance out of speech in American culture… Everything seems absolute… I don’t see the world in red or blue.”
Chappelle also briefly addressed Donald Trump, suggesting that while there may be humour in his persona, the impact of his actions makes it harder to view him purely as comedic. “There are funny things about him… But I think what he does is so consequential… I don’t know how funny it is,” he said.
