Chris Rock says Trump was ‘right’ about ‘fake’ news, ‘doesn’t want to say something mean and get canceled’

In an interview with Variety, Rock explained that while he was not a supporter of Trump, he believes the president got his criticisms of the mainstream media correct.

“I’m not a fan. But it’s weird when somebody gets one thing right, and the one thing almost clears them of all their other sins. The news is fake. He got that right,” Rock said.

The comedian has previously expressed support for Democratic politicians, including former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In a 2020 interview, he called former President Barack Obama’s election “progress for white people.” Rock had publicly predicted that Trump would win the 2016 presidential election.

Rock also discussed concerns about cancel culture during his Variety interview, joking about his urge to be careful about what he says publicly and not speaking with an empty stomach.

“I don’t want to say something mean and get canceled,” Rock remarked. This sentiment comes after fellow comedian Dave Chappelle faced significant backlash over jokes concerning the LGBT community in his Netflix special “The Closer.” Chappelle’s remarks sparked controversy, with activists calling on Netflix to remove the special.

Rock's interview comes as he promotes his upcoming comedy-drama film "Misty Green." Rock directed, wrote, and stars in the film, alongside actress Rosalind Eleazar.

At one point, Rock was also asked about the viral 2022 Oscars incident in which actor Will Smith slapped him onstage after a joke about Smith’s wife.

“Hey, man. You know, to answer your question a little bit, I wish nothing would have happened,” Rock said. “And also, I don’t want to say anything that takes any attention away from Rosalind and how good she is in this movie. It’s a crazy world. We walk by homeless people. There’s all sorts of sh*t going on right now. Me having a bad day is not the biggest — it’s not that important.”