Dave Chappelle: “I Don’t Look at Trump Supporters as My Enemy”

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Jack Hadfield

In an interview in which he discussed his support for 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, the comedian Dave Chappelle said that he doesn’t look at Trump supporters as his enemy.

“I Understand Why People Voted for Trump”

“I like Andrew’s pragmatism,” Chappelle told reporters in Ames, Iowa.

“I don’t look at Trump supporters as my enemy at all. I understand why people voted for Trump. I understand people are desperate. And I think that Andrew is right you run against the reasons that Trump got elected,” Chappelle continued, going on to highlight that he has a broad appeal across the political spectrum, both professionally and personally.

“I got friends on both sides of the political aisle, I got fans on both sides of the political aisle,” Chappelle said.

Chappelle explained that he was backing Yang because he saw him as having a number of good ideas.

“A lot of people say professionally it’s not wise to support any candidate, but this idea is so good, that I think it should exist,” he explained. “And I think the fountainhead of many of the good ideas on the table this year are coming from a single source — Andrew Yang. And for some reason, no one’s paying attention. This guy is the origin of a platform that really does address where I think the country needs to go.”

Dave Chappelle says why he is supporting @AndrewYang.

“I don’t look at Trump supporters as my enemy at all. I understand why people voted for Trump I understand people are desperate. And I think that Andrew is right you run against the reasons that Trump got elected.” pic.twitter.com/jcAb1cDfPQ

— Armando Tonatiuh Torres-García (@GarciaReports) January 29, 2020

Chappelle Understands America

Chappelle endorsed Yang earlier this month, and pledged to do a number of shows in aid of his campaign. This should not come as a shock to anyone – Chappelle is really an old school liberal who likes to poke fun at everyone equally, and certainly doesn’t bow down to political correctness. His only two options on the Democrat field who are at least trying to reach across the aisle would be Yang or Sen. Tulsi Gabbard – everyone else constantly panders to the progressive left and outrage mob.

Both of them are also the only ones to have truly defended free speech, something that Chappelle holds dear in his heart. In his acceptance speech for the Mark Twain Award at the start of January, he fiercely defended the First Amendment, and declared stand-up comedy to be an “incredibly American genre”:

I don’t think any other country can produce this many comedians. Unbeknownst to many people in this audience, I don’t think there’s opinion that exists in this country that is not represented in a comedy club by somebody… I know comics that are very racist, and I watch ’em on stage, and everyone’s laughin’, I’m like, that motherf***** means it. Don’t get mad at ’em, don’t hate ’em, we go upstairs and have a beer and sometimes I even appreciate the artistry that they paint their racist opinions with. Man, it’s not that serious. The First Amendment is first for a reason. The Second Amendment is just in case the first one doesn’t work out.

If more of our comedians and entertainers were like Chappelle, who’s not afraid to poke fun at every issue, I think this country would be a lot more united politically than it is today. People are sick and tired of being ranted at by liberal elites who hate them for thinking differently. Dave Chappelle is a much needed breath of fresh air in this toxic environment.

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Dave Chapelle Defends Trump Supporters – Says He Doesn’t See Them ‘As My Enemy’

Posted on January 30, 2020 by LifeZette

By PopZette Staff | January 30, 2020

The liberal world of Hollywood is so vehemently anti-Donald Trump that it’s rare to see any entertainer say anything that humanizes the president’s supporters, as doing this can be considered risky to one’s career. That’s why it came as a refreshing surprise when comedian Dave Chappelle spoke out this week to defend Trump supporters, going so far as to say that he understands why people voted for him.

During a conversation with reporters in Iowa this week, Chappelle said that while he personally supporters the Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, he welcomes fans from all sides of the political spectrum, according to Daily Wire.

“I don’t look at Trump supporters as my enemy at all,” Chappelle explained. “I understand why people voted for Trump, I understand people are desperate. And I think that Andrew is right you run against the reasons that Trump got elected. I got friends on both sides of the political aisle, I got fans on both sides of the political aisle.”

Dave Chappelle says why he is supporting @AndrewYang.

“I don’t look at Trump supporters as my enemy at all. I understand why people voted for Trump I understand people are desperate. And I think that Andrew is right you run against the reasons that Trump got elected.” pic.twitter.com/jcAb1cDfPQ

— Armando Tonatiuh Torres-García (@GarciaReports) January 29, 2020

Though Chappelle does not identify as conservative, he has teamed up with those on the right in the past to combat cancel culture, something that he despises. After he was given the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor back in October, Chappelle gave an acceptance speech that was widely praised by conservatives in which he defended free speech.

“I like not knowin’ what’s going to happen. I like makin’ memories. Sometimes I do all this crazy s*** around my colleagues just so they can tell their friends I did it,” Chappelle said at the time. “Rather than talk about myself, just briefly, I want to just talk about my genre. Stand-up comedy is an incredibly American genre. I don’t think any other country can produce this many comedians. Unbeknownst to many people in this audience, I don’t think there’s opinion that exists in this country that is not represented in a comedy club by somebody. Each and every one of you has a chance of bein’ in the room.”

“We watch you guys fight, but when we’re together, we talk it out. I know comics that are very racist, and I watch ‘em on stage, and everyone’s laughin’, I’m like, that motherf***** means it,” the renowned comedian continued. “Don’t get mad at ‘em, don’t hate ‘em, we go upstairs and have a beer and sometimes I even appreciate the artistry that they paint their racist opinions with. Man, it’s not that serious. The First Amendment is first for a reason. The Second Amendment is just in case the first one doesn’t work out.”

Most entertainers avoid conservatives like the plague these days, so it’s nice to see someone as famous as Chappelle humanizing Trump supporters and saying that they have some good points of view. If only more celebrities would do the same thing.

This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Dave Chapelle Defends Trump Supporters – Says He Doesn’t See Them ‘As My Enemy’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

A week before Iowa caucuses, which 2020 Democrats are resonating most?

Posted on January 27, 2020 by PBS NewsHour

As Iowa's Democratic caucuses approach, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' message seems to be resonating with voters, though he still faces concerns he is too liberal to defeat President Trump. Along with Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, he dashed to Iowa to campaign during a break from Trump's impeachment trial. Also there was Pete Buttigieg, who touted his electability. John Yang reports.

Iowa’s Des Moines Register Endorses Elizabeth Warren as the Democrat Candidate

Posted on January 27, 2020 by LifeZette

By PoliZette Staff | January 27, 2020

While Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has surged to the tops of the polls in New Hampshire, a much tighter race abounds in Iowa. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sanders have battled for the lead with Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg remaining relevant parties in the polls.

Those latest polls have the Massachusetts Senator in fourth place with 15 percent support, trailing South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg by 4 points. Biden and Sanders share the lead and are in a statistical dead heat at 22 percent.

However, despite recent figures, the big news this week was the Des Moines Register’s endorsement of Elizabeth Warren.

After interviewing nine Democrat presidential candidates, the editorial board at Iowa’s top newspaper chose Warren, stating she is “the best leader for these times.”

While describing the reasoning behind their choice they stated, “the senior U.S. senator from Massachusetts is not the radical some perceive her to be. She was a registered Republican until 1996. She is a capitalist.”

However, despite a mostly glowing review and ultimately their prized endorsement. The Register did qualify some of their statements and pushback against some of Warren’s ideas.

A qualification: Some of her ideas for “big, structural change” go too far. This board could not endorse the wholesale overhaul of corporate governance or cumulative levels of taxation she proposes. While the board has long supported single-payer health insurance, it believes a gradual transition is the more realistic approach. But Warren is pushing in the right direction. [Des Moines Register]

Still, despite the endorsement, as indicated with the aforementioned poll numbers, Warren has a long way to go in order to be more statistically relevant in Iowa. However, such a climb – though unlikely – is not out of the realm of possibility.

As reported by Geoffrey Skelley at FiveThirtyEight, a great deal of Iowans have not made up their minds and new data from a New York Times Upshot/ Siena College poll found that 39 percent would be willing to change candidates. Time, however, is not on Warren’s side though as the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses will take place on February 3, 2020.

This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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