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Comedian Dave Chappelle said Friday that he understood why President Donald Trump “gets mad” at CNN during a live interview with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, as the network counted down to America’s 250th birthday in New York City’s Times Square.
During the segment, Cohen asked Chappelle why he was proud to be an American and how he viewed the country.
“Boy, that’s a loaded question,” Chappelle said. “Now I see why Trump gets mad at y’all all the time. Why would you ask me that?”
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Chappelle then answered the question by saying his pride in America came from the people who live in the country, not from every decision made by the government.
“I don’t agree with everything that our government does, but the one thing that I’ve really consistently believe in that I love about being an American is my countrymen,” Chappelle said.
Chappelle said he felt a connection with Americans when he encountered them abroad.
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“If I’m overseas or around the world, anytime I see an American over there, we just give each other the ‘Fight Club’ look, because we live in a madness that only we really understand what it’s all about,” he said.
The comedian also said he remained optimistic about the country despite its political divisions.
“And I have faith in my countrymen, no matter how crazy all of this will make it feel that the sun will rise and that I feel like I’m part of a very incredible community,” Chappelle said. “So God bless my countrymen and let us make this country absolutely great.”
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Chappelle closed the exchange with a direct message to Trump about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, after Cohen and Cooper raised a toast to him.
“Hey, give me a beer, would you?” Chappelle said. “And Mr. Trump, please leave those Haitians in Springfield alone. We love them. We love the Haitians.”
Springfield became a national political flashpoint during the 2024 campaign after Trump and others amplified claims about Haitian immigrants there.
Chappelle also spoke about his “summer camp” show in Yellow Springs, which he said began in 2020 after COVID-19 shut down entertainment venues and after George Floyd was killed.
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“What it is, is my neighbor’s cornfield was not in use,” Chappelle said. “Every great production person in the state of Ohio was out of work. So we all got together and we just started throwing shows.”
He said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine allowed the shows to proceed, and the comedian credited the series with becoming a local tradition.
“We could have got shut down any minute, but shout out to the governor, DeWine,” Chappelle said. “He gave us an opportunity to do these shows.”
Live Nation announced in June that “Dave Chappelle’s Summer Camp” would return to the Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs with shows in July and August. The company described the shows as a pandemic-era response that grew into a summer tradition in Chappelle’s hometown. Chappelle said the first night of the event came after he recorded a piece about Floyd that was released through Netflix’s YouTube channel.
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