Chris Rock on racism, Trump and why Obama's presidency was 'progress for white people'

“This is the second great civil rights movement,” the comedian declared.

Rock recently performed a standup set for a socially distant audience as part of Dave Chappelle’s outdoor comedy series where he talked about “our political whatever.”

“America,” he explained to the Times. “Part of the reason we’re in the predicament we’re in is, the president’s a landlord. No one has less compassion for humans than a landlord. And we’re shocked he’s not engaged.”

Chris Rock calls out President Trump and Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, for their role in the pandemic. (Photo: AFP via Getty Images)

Rock likened the president to a child but equally blasted Democrats.

“Did you ever see that movie The Last Emperor, where like a 5-year-old is the emperor of China? There’s a kid and he’s the king. So I’m like, it’s all the Democrats’ fault. Because you knew that the emperor was 5 years old. And when the emperor’s 5 years old, they only lead in theory. There’s usually an adult who’s like, ‘OK, this is what we’re really going to do.’

And it was totally up to [Nancy] Pelosi and the Democrats,” he said. “Their thing was, ‘We’re going to get him impeached,’ which was never going to happen. You let the pandemic come in. Yes, we can blame Trump, but he’s really the 5-year-old.”

Rock added, “Put it this way: Republicans tell outright lies. Democrats leave out key pieces of the truth that would lead to a more nuanced argument. In a sense, it’s all fake news.”

As for the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the country, Rock noted there’s a key difference from what’s happening now versus the civil rights movement in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s.

“Dr. King and those guys were amazing. But they knew nothing about money. They didn’t ask for anything. At the end of the day, the things we got — it was just, hey, can you guys be humane? All we got was, like, humanity. If they had it to do all over again, in hindsight, there would be some attention paid to the financial disparity of all the years of — let’s not even count slavery, let’s just count Jim Crow,” Rock explained.

“You’re talking about a system that really didn’t end until about 1973. And I’m born in ’65 in South Carolina. I’m probably in a segregated wing of a hospital — there’s no way in the world I was next to a white baby. Even if the hospital wasn’t segregated, I was in a whole other room and that room didn’t have the good milk and the good sheets. My parents couldn’t own property in certain neighborhoods when I was born. There was an economic disparity there, and that was not addressed in the original civil rights movement. It was a huge oversight. So there’s no money and there’s no land. If you don’t have either one of those, you don’t really have much.”

Rock has talked about racism and police brutality throughout his career, certainly before 2020. So when asked if he feels like he’s seen “circumstances” improve at all, Rock had a poignant response.

“[Racism] is real. It’s not going away. I said this before, but Obama becoming the president, it’s progress for white people. It’s not progress for Black people,” Rock replied.

“It’s the Jackie Robinson thing. It’s written like he broke a barrier, as if there weren’t Black people that could play before him. And that’s how white people have learned about racism,” he shared. “They think, when these people work hard enough, they’ll be like Jackie.

And the real narrative should be that these people, the Black people, are being abused by a group of people that are mentally handicapped. And we’re trying to get them past their mental handicaps to see that all people are equal.”

Rock continued, “Humanity isn’t progress — it’s only progress for the person that’s taking your humanity. If a woman’s in an abusive relationship and her husband stops beating her, you wouldn’t say she’s made progress, right? But that’s what we do with Black people. We’re constantly told that we’re making progress. The relationship we’re in — the arranged marriage that we’re in — it’s that we’re getting beat less.”

You can read Rock’s full interview here:

Barack Obama becoming President was progress for everyone.

🙄 🙄

This man made a movie ridiculing black women's hair and sat there and laughed when Louis CK used a racial slur.

R4 Chris actually did not make a movie making fun of black women's hair. He made a film about their hair and the business of black afro hair.

You should go and actually watch the film.

He’s hot

I'm glad they're asking comedians for their in-depth views on politics. Only comedians can solve the country's problems.

Fuck anyone who blames the Democrats. Fuck anyone who doesn’t know what the word ‘impeached’ means.

And he’s wrong about the black lives matter movement. It’s this year’s MORAL PANIC—it’s not another great civil rights movement. What exactly does he think is going to be accomplished?

Obama was a terrible president. Not as bad as Trump but bad nonetheless.

r7 I was going to make a snarky comment, but I agree. If we're obligated to disregard shitty things comedians say because 'hey, they're commedians... don't take it so seriously,' people shouldn't be expected to take them seriously whenever comedians give their opinions.

R9 Obama was bad for whom, and why?

He's 55? He's an idiot.

R11, For anyone but the 1%. In his first term he did the following.

Obama and Joe did the following during their first term in

Opposed gay marriage in 2009 and reaffirmed his position in 2010. When he finally flipped on his position in 2011 he stated that he was still "grappling" with his personal views on gay marriage.

Signed the NDAA - an indefinite detention bill - into law.

Gave $535,000,000 of our money to a company which he knew (or at least should) have was going to go bankrupt.

Placed Sanctions on Iran that will likely lead to war.

Increased the TSA’s budget and allowed the scope of their authority to increase

Gave Blackwater a quarter of a billion dollars.

Approved of a more draconian Patriot Act.

Assassinated three American Citizens 1 2 3.

Continued the Drug War. Including pushing for a fiver year mandated sentence for Charles C. Lynch the owner of a licensed medical marijuana dispensary.

Wins right to deny habeas review from detainees.

Protected Bush officials from charges relating to torture

Protected Bush officials from charges relating to torture.

Waged war on Libya without congressional approval

Waives health care coverage for employees of 29 companies including McDonald's.

Deports record number of immigrants.

Continued and escalated a covert, drone war in Yemen.

Takes the hardest stance in American history against government whistle blowers.

Escalated the proxy war in Somalia.

Pushes harder for warrantless wire taps than Bush did.

Escalated the CIA drone war in Pakistan including attacking first responders and funerals.

And what about the Children?

Promises more transparent government denies more FOIA request than Bush.

Gives BP and other big oil companies exemption from EPA laws.

Will maintain a presence in Iraq even after "ending" war

Sharply escalated the war in Afghanistan.

Secretly made deal to kill health care public option while secretly meeting with health care executives and provided an exemption for abortion.

Secretly deployed US special forces to 75 countries.

Sold $30 billion of weapons to the dictatorship in Saudi Arabia.

Signed an agreement for 7 military bases in Colombia

Appoints multiple lobbyist while signing an executive order limiting this practice. This included lobbyist from Goldman Sachs , Raytheon and Monsanto.

Continued Bush's rendition program

Trump is a genius president. Flawless leadership. Super human leadership. There is nothing bad you can say about the guy so Democrats make up crazy stuff like he works for Putin. He's hated by the media because he is white.

Oh look everyone Vlad is here. I've been seeing a lot of r13 / r14s talking points on social media. In fact, if you look at how R13 repeats it's open sentences... I'd say we're looking at a cut and paste job.

R16

R17...

Goodness, R13! Link(s) please?

R19, Why don’t you research the facts yourself? We’re on the internet, aren’t we?

Or are you one of those fools that refuses to believe anything unless CNN or whatever nonsense Obama asskissing publication you get your news from, says it?

^^^ So that's a, "No, it can't be done, mostly because I'm full of FUX News shit?"

R18( that child with his hands over his ears represents you hearing some facts about Obama you don’t want to hear.

R22...r18 (Roger Stone looking like the super villan he is) represents you posting on DL.

"And what about the Children?"

The ones Trump put in cages?

I realize that conversing with you over the internet is a waste of time. But there's a reason little shits like you get dragged out stores for not wearing masks and have their businesses closed down after collaborating with Fox News to "get" a liberal politician.

Your bullshit isn't playing real life anymore.

You're whistling in a graveyard, dumbass.

R24, Obama and Joe were the first to put kids in cages. One reason democratic administrations are dangerous. They can do as much evil shit as they want but the press won’t call it out. Trump just continued doing it.

[quote] The ones Trump put in cages?

That was a Obama admin policy.

Obama and Joe were the first to put kids in cages.

Nope.

"The ones Trump put in cages? That was a Obama admin policy."

The article you linked to is about how Trump blames Obama for what Trump did.

Wow, you are a half-assed crappy troll.

Well, I guess you know what's going to happen now.

Will someone just push the lying fascist traitor (R13) into the grease fire it so richly deserves? Thanks, I owe you a solid…how do these retards get in here?!? Smfh

Regarding Obama: I still have a hard time accepting what happened to Trayvon Martin and the open season on Black men.

r28 Arguments, refutals, as always, - crickets -

Lol@R30. Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference. Mark Twain.

R28 Spewing invective rather than engaging in reasoned exchange is what fascists to. You are as deplorable as those you condemn.

Okay.

Hey R32, try to read R31. You lying fascist traitors (R13 ring a bell?) are incapable of any reasoned exchanges. Arguing with the followers of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Peron, Castro, Trump et al. is pointless. Bye now…

So we're not supposed to believe Snopes now?

R13/R14, what is your point? That Republicans are better? That Trump is better?

In 2008-2016, who do you think would have been a better choice? Someone available, someone a viable choice. Who?

A lot of the issues you've listed are not even particularly the work of Obama/Biden, but of the Republican Congress, Joint Chiefs, and other lobbyists, corporations and policymakers, which O/B possibly could not have prevented, even had they wanted to.

Of course they weren't perfect. No administration is. That doesn't mean they weren't the best of what was available under the circumstances.

Putting kids in cages? Thank God Trump guards our border.

[quote] "The ones Trump put in cages? That was a Obama admin policy.” The article you linked to is about how Trump blames Obama for what Trump did.

Then you didn’t read it. Here’s Politifact.

Imagine being as willfully stupid as R27. You’re the same as any pigshit ignorant deplorable— just another screeching useful idiot.

I guess he still thinks folks have forgotten about this routine.

R38

Why are you pretending that it’s even remotely the same thing? Those cages were built during the Obama administration to temporarily hold unaccompanied children, because they had no where to hold them, before transferring them to HHS.

You know damn well that’s not how Trump is using cages.

So no links r13? I mean aside from where you cut and pasted that.

Imagine our surprise.

Keep moving the goal posts r40.

“B-b-b-but when the Obama admin did it, it was for unaccompanied children!”

I thought it was housing children in locked cages period that mattered. Not whether they were accompanied by parents or guardians when crossing into the US. Some of those kids were in their for months, not a day or two.

*there not their

Well I find it strange people are criticizing Rock. I thought a lot of what he said in the interview made sense. He is smart. It’s his personal perspective on the democrats, but he was also very critical of Trump. But discussion can’t happen in America at the moment. There is so much at stake. The idiot up thread criticizing Obama? You can not compare what Trump has done with Obama. No one without an agenda would dare.

I have nothing to add to the previous posts. I just want to point out that the dumb ass Yahoo writer decided that Chris Rock is best known for being on "Fargo."

R45, I notice that increasingly publications are doing that as a form of subtle advertisement. That used to be reserved for an entertainers signature or popular work. Now its just petty publicity of the latest project they have going on.

R45 I gave that a side eye myself 🤨

R42, if anyone is "moving goal posts", it is YOU. You complain side stepped answering what the alternatives to Obama should've been. It's one thing to critize Obama, but fuck off with playing the "both sides are equally bad" card. He had shit to work with and did save this country after the Bush/ Republican made recession, regardless of your criticism of how he went about it.

Notice every Republican cycle, the 80% end up fucked economically. You can bitch and moan about bail outs, but don't you dare gloss over how for 4 decades, Republicans have chipped away at the 80%, not allowing any wiggle room during hardships.

Where are people like you when Republicans gave a tax cut to corporations on par with small businesses? Walmart can pay the same tax rate as the barbershop, pizzeria, mechanic, handyman, etcetera, up the street. How about the way they recently gave away $600 bil+ for "small businesses", but won't tell us where it fucking went. How about hiding the virus until they traded their stocks?

What's your thoughts on Trump charging us every time the white White House isn't good enough? His wife costing a million+ PER DAY for 6 or more months because she wanted to stay in NYC? What about that wall $, when it was never ever feesible due to private property? Where's that money?

You *completely* side stepped

What the hell is he doing in Fargo, do the Dakotas even have black people?

Fuck Chris Rock!

Trump himself said the impeachment didn't distract him and that he wouldn't change a thing about his response.

How happy will r42 be when his taxes go back up under the trump plan? Don't worry about the corporations. Unlike you, their tax cut was permanent.

He obviously lives in some shithole and doesn't have to worry about losing the state tax offset. He probably rents.

R44, we need to start acknowledging flaws in the Democratic Party. The whataboutism is pointless. These are glaring issues to a lot of people. Pretending they aren’t there isn’t working. Acknowledge there are problems, but that they can be worked on and there would be bigger problems if Republicans were in power.

It’s as simple as fucking that. The purity test isn’t working, Dems fail it constantly, and the hypocrisy is glaring.

Some of those kids were in their for months, not a day or two.

Nice English. If you think that tearing children away from their parents and housing unaccompanied children is the same thing, then there really is no hope for you.

Did Obama sign some order that put those cages into place?

What are these flaws R54? And what is the hypocrisy you are citing?

Hey, I like you. But

"These are glaring issues to a lot of people." is a total trump line. Not owning what you are saying, It is the speech of a coward and a liar.

R56, if you think the Democratic Party is perfect and there isn’t anything to work on, you’re just as delusional as the worst Trump supporter.

Hey,, Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon, Kanye West, etc.etc. WTF. These opinion leaders are like...so smart. I'm waiting to see what they tell us and I will do it. Wow. They have so much influence.....

Please note the sarcasm.

Rock was making his own observations and stating his own opinions. As my granny used to say, "Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one."

Of course Democrats have stuff to work on. But republicans at this point are basically evil. Usually the word evil is too extreme.. But in this case it fits. Look at them!

I don’t agree with all of what Rock said. Some is off base- him saying Dems contributed to covid is wrong I believe-but I wish to believe this was a mistake. Oh and the impeachment thing. Ok...so I like Rock. Saying Dems need to step up and use this as an opportunity to destroy Repugs forever should be a given though.

No r57, I have my criticisms. But your post was useless ranting without examples. Oh, wait, maybe some "people have been saying" or "I heard" is your flimsy reference. Asshole.

Put it out there.

Rock is like most ordinary mortals....many of them clueless as to what the role or the government can do. Blaming Pelosi? Really? It seems like this is in tandem with a lot of the current propaganda out here. Apparently the Trump gang have decided to shift focus from Biden to Pelosi. They're attacking her and spreading all kinds of misinformation about what she did or did not do or should have done. Rock needs to study up on issues before he jumoy out here.

Another person who thinks they’re smarter than some politicians. COVID and the protests were unprecedented so there no perfect responses and lots of mistakes. You live and learn.

Girls! Topic is Chris Rock. Try to stay focused. We all know Trump is an asshole, this doesn’t need more discussion.

[quote]I thought it was housing children in locked cages period that mattered. Not whether they were accompanied by parents or guardians when crossing into the US. Some of those kids were in their for months, not a day or two.

No, what matters is separating children from their families. The Obama admin did not do that, the Trump admin did do that and still does. That is horrible and those kids will be damaged for life because of it. It is absolutely cruel.

R27 contards believe they will go to heaven if they lie to or about a liberal.