Trump praises Kanye West for 'leading the charge' after anti-Democrat speech on 'SNL'
President Trump criticized “Saturday Night Live” on Sunday afternoon for allegedly losing its humor and charm but praised musical guest Kanye West — who delivered an impromptu pro-Trump speech to awkward silence and a scattered mixture of boos and applause.
On Twitter, Trump accused the show of becoming a big political advertisement for the Democrats with its routine lampooning of conservative figures. The 44th season’s premiere on Saturday opened with a sketch of Matt Damon playing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh screaming at the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Trump said he does not watch the popular late-night comedy show despite having hosted it in the past. However, he did catch wind of West sporting his “Make America Great Again” hat and praising Trump to the mostly liberal audience inside NBC’s Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.
Like many, I don’t watch Saturday Night Live (even though I past hosted it) – no longer funny, no talent or charm. It is just a political ad for the Dems. Word is that Kanye West, who put on a MAGA hat after the show (despite being told “no”), was great. He’s leading the charge!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2018
During a performance of “Ghost Town,” a song off his latest studio album, “Ye,” West was agitated by audience members laughing at him and launched into a pro-Trump monologue with the “SNL” cast standing behind him on stage, after the broadcast had ended.
KANYE SNL TALK THAT GOT CUT OFF FREEDOM OF SPEECH SHOULD HAVE EXTENDED pic.twitter.com/IpULoEJxsN
— MIKE DEAN! #MWA (@therealmikedean) September 30, 2018
“You see they laughing at me. You heard them. They scream at me. They bully me. They bullied me backstage. They said, ‘Don’t go out there with that hat on.’ They bullied me backstage. They bullied me. And then they say I’m in a sunken place,” West said. “You want to see the sunken place? OK, I’m going to listen to y’all now… or I’m going to put my Superman cape on because this means you can’t tell me what to do.”
West urged the audience to follow their hearts and to stop “following [their] minds” because “that’s how we’re controlled, that’s how we’re programed.” He thanked “SNL” for giving him a platform to speak his mind and acknowledged that many cast members don’t agree with him, but said their attacks against Trump “aren’t that helpful.”
“I think the universe has balance. Ninety percent of news are liberal. Ninety percent of TV, L.A., New York, writers, rappers, musicians, so it’s easy to make it seem so, so, so one-sided,” West said before returning to the song.
SNL alumnus Chris Rock was in the audience and posted portions of West’s speech on Instagram. In these video clips, West said “the Democratic plan” has been to remove fathers from black homes and promote welfare.
West has delivered similarly impromptu speeches about politics at his concerts and received tremendous backlash from prominent figures in hip-hop for his support of Trump.
had so much fun at SNL. Lorne agreed that I would host before the year is out. Need to set a date. Gonna be sooooooooo lit. In the words of Lil Pump …Esskeetit !
— ye (@kanyewest) September 30, 2018
this represents good and America becoming whole again. We will no longer outsource to other countries. We build factories here in America and create jobs. We will provide jobs for all who are free from prisons as we abolish the 13th amendment. Message sent with love pic.twitter.com/a15WqI8zgu
— ye (@kanyewest) September 30, 2018
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