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Dave Chappelle on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

When Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live just after the presidential election, the iconic comedian urged the audience during his monologue to give Trump a chance.

Fast-forward to Wednesday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and after six months in office, Trump’s chances have run out. Or have they?

“It’s not like I wanted to give him a chance that night,” Chappelle told Colbert.

“You know, listen, man. In the last six months, I think we’re all getting an education about the presidency. I don’t know that I’ve ever heard in just popular discourse, people discussing ethics this much, and I didn’t even realize how ethics were necessarily supposed to work at that level of government. And he’s putting all this stuff on the forefront.”

Colbert’s reply? “Well, nobody really talked about oxygen until someone’s got their hands around your throat.”

Chappelle laughed. “Very true.”

“But if you remember, in that monologue — in that Emmy-nominated monologue — just kidding. The episode was nominated. But it’s, what do they call it, the ugly Emmys? Where they just send it to you in the mail if you win.”

“But the beginning of the monologue, I contextualized, because I feel like a lot of white Americans finally got to see what an Election Night looks like for many black Americans, every cycle.”

Chappelle started an August residency at Radio City Music Hall that continues through Aug. 24 with special guests most nights, including performances by Lil Wayne, The Roots, Chris Rock, John Mayer, Ali Wong, Ice Cube, Common, Vince Staples, Trevor Noah, Usher, Arsenio Hall, Jeff Ross, Erykah Badu, Leslie Jones, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino, Lauryn Hill, Solange, Talib Kweli, Lil Jon and more surprises.

Chappelle even invited Colbert to drop by, calling the talk-show host one of America’s most important comedy voices today.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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