*Comedian Dave Chappelle recently pulled back the curtain on the emotional turmoil that gripped the “Saturday Night Live” writers’ room following Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory.
In a candid interview with fellow comic Mo Amer for Variety’s Actors on Actors series, Chappelle recounted the scene at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, saying, “Man, when they called Donald Trump the winner – that s*** shut the writers’ room down,” he shared. “You should have seen them,” Chappelle added, describing how the writers were left in tears, stunned by the outcome.
Amer noted the contrast between their shock and his own lack of surprise, explaining, “I knew it the whole time,” while Chapelle said, “Yeah, because you live in Texas and I live in Ohio, but at 30 Rock, it looked like Hillary Clinton was going to win. I don’t know what looks different from those windows. But yeah, man, it surprised me.”
Chappelle, who hosted the first SNL episode after Trump’s 2016 win on November 12, 2016, delivered a monologue that became a cultural touchstone. His 11-minute set addressed Trump’s victory, mass shootings, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Chappelle famously quipped, “I didn’t know that Donald Trump was going to win the election. I did suspect it. Seemed like Hillary was doing well in the polls and yet … I know the whites. You guys aren’t as full of surprises as you used to be.” He also called Trump “an internet troll” elected as president.
Chappelle also explained to Amer that his SNL monologues are largely unscripted, a practice that even catches longtime producer Lorne Michaels off guard.
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“As a tradition, I never do my actual monologue in rehearsal,” Chappelle said. This approach, he admitted, is “a little terrifying” but exhilarating, allowing him to deliver raw, unfiltered takes on sensitive topics. He described the 2016 monologue as feeling “like a photograph” of that moment in time, capturing the nation’s raw emotions post-election.
Chappelle’s 2025 SNL appearance wasn’t without controversy. He concluded his monologue with a message of cautious optimism, stating, “The presidency is no place for petty people. Donald Trump, I know you watch the show. Man, 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,” Chappelle said.
He also urged Trump to do better next time.
“I mean it 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. Thank you very much!” he said.
During his 2016 SNL appearance, Chappelle said in his monologue following Trump’s win, ‘I’m going to give him a chance, and we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one too.”
The comedian’s return to SNL for post-election episodes has cemented his role as a cultural commentator during pivotal political moments.
MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Dave Chappelle Issues Plea to Donald Trump Before Inauguration on ‘SNL’: ‘Please, Do Better Next Time’ | WATCH
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