Dave Chappelle Takes on Trump, Diddy and the Los Angeles Fires in ‘SNL’ Monologue

Dave Chappelle started Saturday evening liveThe first episode of 2025 brilliantly, tackling everything from the Los Angeles wildfires to the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump and the long list of allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Saturday marked Chappelle’s fourth time hosting, this time alongside musical guest GloRilla. The comedian has already appeared in notable post-election episodes, with his previous hosting stints taking place in November 2016, 2020 and 2022; this time, he joined the show just two days before Trump’s second inauguration.

Coming out on stage smoking a cigarette, Chappelle told the crowd: SNL Boss Lorne Michaels asked him to host the first episode after the 2024 election, but he said no because “Things are going well, I’m done with my Netflix deal, I have all this money and stuff “. After Michaels insisted, Chappelle told him to save the date as soon as January 6th. When the new date came up, the comedian said he still didn’t want to host, but ultimately agreed because “I can get rid of all these old Trump jokes.” and start from scratch so you know what, I’m going to do it.

“The moment I said yes, Los Angeles caught fire,” Chappelle joked, noting that it was “much too early to be making jokes about a disaster like that” to make the crowd laugh, adding that this one “hit close to home” like so many friends. lost their home.

“And then I go online and I watch these fire videos and I read the comment sections and everyone says, ‘Yeah, that serves these celebrities well, I hope their houses burn down,'” he said. -he reflected. “And you see that? That’s why I hate poor people, because they can’t see beyond their own pain. He also reflected on the theory that the fires were started by arsonists, acknowledging the high winds and dry hills of Los Angeles, but “if you’re a rational person, you have to at least consider the theory that God hates these people. Sodomites. And that’s natural, because West Hollywood is unscathed, because how can you burn what was already on fire?

Chappelle also brought up the Luigi Mangione affair and Trump claiming immigrants were eating dogs and cats in Ohio – where he lives – before launching into a conversation about Diddy’s arrest.

“I’ve had a lot of problems in my day, but that Puffy guy, oh man, that guy’s got an awful lot of problems; I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this,” he said, while explaining that his friends had asked him if he knew anything about Diddy’s weird parties. “They were like, ‘Well, how were all these people you know feeling panicked and you were the only one not panicking?’ And I thought about it for a minute and I said oh my God, I’m ugly. It was a difficult way to find out. Can you imagine if you were me reading the newspaper and found out that everyone in Hollywood was having an orgy behind your back? None of you called me?

Chappelle joked that he had “snitch energy, though.” I look like I can say it,” and added that since Diddy is 55 and “you have a thousand bottles of baby oil in the house, you can’t stop, you can’t stop Stop. You are committed to this lifestyle.

He then turned to politics, reflecting on the recent death of Jimmy Carter and how moved he was by Carter’s visiting Palestine with little security. “When I saw this photo, I had tears in my eyes. I said I don’t know if he’s a good president, but I’m sure he’s a great man. It made me very proud.

“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,” he continued. “Whether they like you or not, they’re all counting on you. The whole world is counting on you. And I mean it when I say this: good luck. Please do better next time. Please do better next time. Remember your humanity and have empathy for the displaced people, whether they are in the Palisades or in Palestine.

To continue SNL‘s historic 50th season – which will be celebrated with a three-hour prime-time special on February 16 – Timothée Chalamet will serve as both host and musical guest on the January 25 show, presumably performing Bob Dylan covers following his performance as the music legend in A complete stranger.