Fifteen years ago, Dave Chappelle was considered defeated by the gatekeepers of the entertainment industry only to make his return to the on-screen and on-stage to become . Coming off of an  and , the Half Baked actor has  and is now participating in the philanthropist/lawyer’s campaign trail.  

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Chappelle originally became a member of the “Yang Gang” after reading the candidate’s book, The War on Normal People and learning of Yang’s universal basic income proposal also referred to as “freedom dividends.” This past Tuesday, the world-renowned comedian revealed why he chose to endorse Andrew Yang for president during an impromptu discussion with local media. Dave stated:

“If people listen to me, so be it, if they don’t, so be it, but I know I’m doing my civic duty by just saying the thing I believe in. This is without irony or a punchline, I’m just telling you – this guy’s got some great ideas, you should check it out,” according to the Des Moines Register. 

Chappelle then went on to discuss how disappointed he is in the wealthy disparity he witnesses throughout his daily interactions saying:

“The wealth disparity between me and my neighbors is immense. It’s heartbreaking. And if you know a third of the people up the street can’t buy groceries, then you start to feel an imperative concern. It’s not the kind of thing I could just see and hope for the best, I should probably say something.”

Dave Chappelle even sympathized with Trump voters hoping for a Head of State with new, innovative ideas to move society forward stating:

“I don’t look at Trump supporters as my enemy at all,” Chappelle said. “I understand why people voted for Trump, I understand people are desperate. And I think that Andrew is right you run against the reasons that Trump got elected. I got friends on both sides of the political aisle, I got fans on both sides of the political aisle. A lot of people say professionally it’s not wise to support any candidate, but this idea is so good, that I think it should exist.”

The Grammy Award-winning comedian then closed out his statement, praising Andrew Yang:

“And I think the fountainhead of many of the good ideas on the table this year are coming from a single source — Andrew Yang. And for some reason, no one’s paying attention. This guy is the origin of a platform that really does address where I think the country needs to go.”

With the Iowa caucuses taking place on Feb.3, Dave Chappelle might have the influence to swing voters in the direction democratic candidate, Andrew Yang. 

Check out the clip of Dave Chappelle explaining his endorsement of Andrew Yang in the video provided below.