Headlines exploded over the weekend after conservative publication Observer ran a story claiming Dave Chappelle had defended the Republican presidential nominee while "slamming" Hillary Clinton. These headlines failed to mention the obvious (i.e. Chappelle is consistently one of the most subversive comedians of our time), all while fueling speculation that Chappelle himself was surprisingly down with the GOP establishment in the 2016 election. But according to the man himself, that's pure bullshit.
When approached by TMZ Monday and asked for some clarification on the headlines, Chappelle was visibly (and understandably) annoyed by the very notion of having to explain. "Jesus Christ," Chappelle said. "I'm not a Trump supporter. Unequivocally no. I'm not going to elaborate on it. Hell no. Just everybody vote, for whoever you wanna vote for."
Another important factor regarding those nefarious headlines, Chappelle reminded fans, is the source. The New York Observer is owned by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law via Ivanka. "It was from the Observer," Chappelle said while delivering an enviably masterful eye roll. "Just come see my shows for yourself and not listen to conservative paper reviews."
In a statement to Variety Monday, Chappelle's rep confirmed the comedian had already voted for Clinton. "Dave is disgusted by the tone of the election and especially by the idea that his comedy would be misconstrued to defend [Trump]," the rep said. "His comedy show blasted both candidates. By the way, he voted for Hillary [Clinton]."
Thankfully, we won't have to wait very long to hear more of Chappelle's thoughts on the 2016 shitshow. Chappelle is hosting the next episode of Saturday Night Live alongside equally legendary musical guests A Tribe Called Quest.
