The controversial comedian, whose stand-up specials have been called transphobic, specifically called out Lauren Boebert for comparing herself to him over their stances on transgender rights.

Dave Chappelle slams Republicans who ‘weaponized’ his transgender jokes: ‘That’s not what I was doing’

The controversial comedian, whose stand-up specials have been called transphobic, specifically called out Lauren Boebert for comparing herself to him over their stances on transgender rights.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Popsugar.

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April 15, 2026 2:54 p.m. ET

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Dave Chappelle in 2025. Credit:

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- Dave Chappelle said he resents members of the Republican Party who "weaponized" transgender jokes for their agenda: "That's not what I was doing."

- Chappelle's recent comedy specials have been slammed for their transphobic jokes.

- "I don't feel like anything I do is malicious or even harmful," the comedian said of his material.**

Dave Chappelle wants to be clear: His transphobic jokes are not meant for Republicans hoping to push their agendas.

The controversial comedian — who has been criticized for his transphobic material since 2021 — called out the party for using it to their advantage in a new interview.

"I did resent that the Republican Party ran on transgender jokes," the 52-year-old stand-up said on NPR’s *Newsmakers *podcast on Wednesday. "You know, I felt like they were doing a weaponized version of what I was doing. That's not what I was doing."

Elaborating on his perspective, Chappelle recalled an encounter he had with Lauren Boebert during a visit to Washington, D.C.

Dave Chappelle in 2025.

Arturo Holmes/Getty

"I was on Capitol Hill, and everybody ran up to take pictures with me from every congressional office, and I just take pictures with whoever asked. I didn't ask how they vote or what their voting record is," he recalled. "Then here comes [Republican representative] Lauren Boebert, and she said, 'Can I get a picture?' And I had already taken 40 pictures. I didn't want to say no in front of everybody, but I didn't know the phrase 'I respectfully decline.' So I just took the picture."

However, the comedian was offended later when Boebert used the photo of them to announce that they had similar values. "She posted the picture before I could even get from there to the show and says something to the effect of, 'Just two people that know that it's just two genders,'" the former *Chappelle Show *host explained. "Just instantly, like, weaponized or politicized [it]. So I got to the arena, and I lit her ass up for doing that. And she should never do that to a person like me. You do whatever it is you do, but don't — get me out of the splash zone..."

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After Chappelle's 2021 special, *The Closer*, aired on Netflix, he immediately faced backlash for his remarks about transgender people. In the controversial stand-up show, he proclaimed that he's "team TERF," referencing the trans-exclusionary radical feminist movement that had recently made headlines after *Harry Potter *author J.K. Rowling was accused of subscribing to the ideology in a controversial essay. He also declared that gender "is a fact" and made comments about trans women's genitalia while railing against cancel culture.

The special was roundly criticized by numerous writers and LGBTQ+ rights organizations, including GLAAD. Netflix also caught flack for platforming Chappelle's rhetoric, with the National Black Justice Coalition calling on the streamer to remove the special from its catalog.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended the special in two separate memos to Netflix staff. "We don't allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don't believe *The Closer* crosses that line," he said, adding that "content on screen doesn't directly translate to real-world harm."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Chappelle doubled down on his remarks in his 2023 special, *The Dreamer*. Around the time of its release, he said on an episode of his* *podcast, *The Midnight Miracle,* that he wasn't upset that people didn't like his jokes but that he did take issue with "the idea that because they don't like it, I'm not allowed to say it."**

Dave Chappelle performs in 2022.

Jason Mendez/Getty

Three years later, it seems his position on the matter hasn't changed. When asked on *Newsmakers* if he thinks his platform and popularity affect his "sense of responsibility for the work," he responded that it doesn't and that he remains dedicated to staying true to his act.

"If being 'big' informs me in such a way that I feel like I don't want to step on any hands or any blades of grass, I don't want to hurt anybody, then so be it — that's what I decide," he replied. "But I I have yet to make those types of decisions. I don't feel like anything I do is malicious or even harmful. And I think if I did hurt somebody with my work, boy, they would have been laid that at my feet. I'm just not doing that."

Watch Chappelle's appearance on NPR's *Newsmakers* podcast above.

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