Dave Chappelle sends a pointed message to Trump in ‘SNL’ monologue

Comedian Dave Chappelle delivered an impassioned message to President-elect Donald Trump during the opening monologue of the first Saturday Night Live episode from 2025, urging him to “not forget your humanity.”

Newsweek has reached out to Trump’s transition team for comment by email outside regular business hours.

Why it matters

Saturday Night Live has regularly mocked and criticized Trump in his skits over the years. The Republican is believed to occasionally watch the show and has previously suggested it should be cancelled.

What to know

Chappelle hosted the latest SNL episode and delivered a monologue touches on a variety of topics, including Trump’s return to the White House, the legacy of former President Jimmy Carter, the Los Angeles wildfires and accusations against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Chappelle described Carter, who died on December 29 at the age of 100, as a “great man”. He recalled how the former president visited Palestine, despite warnings from the Israeli government that it was “too dangerous” to go. Carter’s visit coincided with the publication of his 2006 book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

During his monologue, Chappelle said, “The presidency is no place for petty people,” and urged Trump to have empathy for people, “whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.”

Chappelle also commented on the recent devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and discussed how celebrity homes were affected. While addressing theories that the fires were started by arsonists, Chappelle joked, “You should also consider the theory that God hates these people.”

This is Chappelle’s fourth time as host SNL. He previously hosted post-election episodes in November 2016 and 2020 and returned for a third hosting appearance in November 2022.

Dave Chappelle on ‘Diddy’ claims

Chappelle also addressed the allegations against Combs during his monologue, humorously lamenting that he wasn’t invited to alleged orgies at the hip-hop mogul’s home, suggesting it could be because he’s “ugly” or has “talkative energy.”

Combs has denied charges of sex trafficking, extortion and other crimes. Several lawsuits against him include allegations of sexual abuse of minors. Officers raided his Los Angeles mansion in March and reportedly seized thousands of bottles of baby oil allegedly used at gatherings known as “freak offs.”

Newsweek has reached out to Combs’ legal team for comment via email.

What people say

Dave Chappelle said below Saturday Night Live monologue: “The presidency is not a 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, are they counting on you.And I mean this: Good luck, please do better next time empathy for displaced people, whether they are in the Palisades or Palestine.

“I’ve been in a lot of trouble in my day, but man, let me tell you something. This guy Puffy, this guy is in huge trouble. I’ve never seen anything like it. They got this guy in a RICO case by himself asked my friends me: ‘Dave, did you know anything about the freak offs?’ I say, ‘no, I didn’t know anything about those freak offs.’ And they all look at me as (skeptical).

“And they say, ‘Well, how come all these people you know were at freak offs, but you’re the only one who wasn’t at freak offs?’ And I thought about it for a minute, I said, ‘Oh God, I’m ugly.’ It’s a hard way to find out. I read a newspaper and found out that everyone in Hollywood was having an orgy behind your back.

“No, look at my face. This isn’t necessarily a pretty face, but it’s not an ugly face. But if you really study my face, it’s clear that I have spunk of energy.

“There’s nothing wrong with getting older. But if you’re 55 and you’ve got 1,000 bottles of baby oil in the house, ‘can’t stop, won’t stop’.” You’re committed to the lifestyle Because I’m 51 and I’m telling you, I can’t remember a single time I’ve ever thrown an empty bottle of baby oil in the oil bin in my life.”

What happens next

Next episode of Saturday Night Live will be hosted by actor Timothée Chalamet.

Trump will be sworn in as president for the second time on Monday, January 20.