It’s been years in the making, but Dave Chappelle finally stepped foot on the stage in Studio 8H to host Saturday Night Live. And of course it came in the most dramatic of fashion, as we’re on the heels of one of the most volatile Presidential elections representing a turning point for many social issues in the United States.
Like most comedians who host SNL, Chappelle took the opportunity to deliver stand-up as his monologue. Chappelle delivered timely jokes about the election and race. Opening by noting, “I didn’t know that Donald Trump was gonna win the election — I did suspect it. 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.”
Chappelle continued, “America’s done it, we’ve actually elected an internet troll as our President. The whites are furious… I haven’t seen white people this mad since the O.J. verdict.” He declared that the whites are so mad he saw them protesting in Portland.
Chappelle ended the monologue with a story about a recent visit to the White House where he saw many black folks enjoying themselves in a place where they’d been “historically disenfranchised.” Adding that it made him feel “very happy about the prospects of our country.” He ended by stating, “So, in that spirit, I’m wishing Donald Trump luck. I’m going to give him a chance, and we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one too.”
