Fresh off a new stand-up special in which he railed against cancel culture, comedian Chris Rock is sharing another opinion that might not go over well among Hollywood leftists.
Referencing recent news reports suggesting that former President Donald Trump will likely be indicted in connection with the New York case involving an alleged hush money payment he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, Rock blasted those who are celebrating Trump’s potential arrest.
During a speech at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., he predicted that criminal charges against the former president would likely achieve the opposite of what his critics are hoping.
“Are you stupid?” he asked those in the crowd who are in favor of a Trump indictment. “Are you guys really going to arrest Trump? Do you know this is only going to make him more popular?”
Comparing the former president’s situation to that of an iconic rapper, Rock said: “It’s like arresting Tupac. He’s just going to sell more records.”
Trump predicted his own arrest in a cryptic all-caps social media post on Saturday, writing that the “leading Republican candidate and former president of the United States will be arrested on Tuesday of next week,” going on to call for his supporters to “protest” and “take our nation back.”
🚨 Trumps says he expects to be arrested Tuesday pic.twitter.com/lcmXlMscfq
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) March 18, 2023
Trump attorney Joe Tacopina subsequently clarified that the Truth Social post was not based on any direct communication from the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
“No one tells us anything, which is very frustrating,” Tacopina added. “President Trump is basing his response on press reports.”
Rock’s jokes on the topic continued, including some faint praise for Trump’s alleged efforts to cover up an affair with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.
“We’ve all been cheated on,” he said. “Don’t you wish that the person that cheated on you paid off somebody so you wouldn’t find out? That’s romantic!”
Trump has repeatedly denied having any sexual relationship with Daniels.
Of course, Rock proved to be an equal-opportunity offender with punchlines at the expense of Trump and his successor.
“Trump was so bad as a president … that Joe Biden had to burst off a monument,” the comic said. “Biden was dead for 16 years.”
