Dave Chappelle is a lightning rod. Whether he’s walking away from $50 million or cracking jokes that set the internet on fire, people are obsessed with what he thinks. And since we live in a world where everything is a culture war, fans and haters alike are constantly asking one specific question: who did dave chappelle vote for?
Honestly, trying to pin down Dave’s politics is like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands. He’s not your typical Hollywood liberal who retweets every DNC talking point, but he’s definitely not a MAGA hat-wearing conservative either. He occupies this weird, grumpy, brilliant middle ground that confuses everyone.
The 2020 Pivot: When Dave Went Yang Gang
If you want to know who did dave chappelle vote for in the 2020 primaries, we actually have a concrete answer. He wasn’t quiet about it. Chappelle officially endorsed Andrew Yang.
He didn’t just send a tweet. He went to South Carolina and Iowa. He performed shows to raise money for the guy. He even appeared in campaign videos saying, "I’m Yang Gang!" It was a massive deal because Dave rarely endorses anyone.
Why Yang? Dave talked about being a parent. He liked the idea of Universal Basic Income (UBI) because he’s seen how poverty kills creativity and spirit in the communities he cares about. He called Yang a "visionary." It was a rare moment where Dave’s political cards were face-up on the table.
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But then Yang dropped out.
The General Election Mystery: Biden or...?
Once the 2020 general election rolled around, things got murkier. Did he pull the lever for Joe Biden? He never came out and said "I voted for Joe."
However, we can look at the clues. On the weekend of the 2020 election, Dave hosted Saturday Night Live. His monologue was legendary. He poked fun at Trump, sure, but he also took shots at the "woke" left. He told a story about his great-grandfather who was a slave and how that shaped his view of freedom.
If you listen to his stand-up from that era, like 8:46, it’s clear he was deeply moved by the George Floyd protests. He was angry at the system. Usually, that anger translates to a vote against the incumbent. But Dave is unpredictable. He’s criticized the Democratic party for being out of touch just as much as he’s slammed the GOP.
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What Really Happened with Ben Jealous and Maryland
Before the presidential madness, Dave got his feet wet in local politics. This is a detail a lot of people miss. In 2018, he endorsed Ben Jealous for Governor of Maryland.
This was personal. Dave and Ben are actual friends. They grew up together. Dave told Ari Melber on MSNBC that he "really believes in the product" when referring to Jealous. It showed that Dave’s loyalty often lies with people he trusts rather than a party platform. He wants to see "the real deal" in office.
Addressing the Trump "Supporter" Rumors
There’s a persistent rumor that Dave is a secret Trump supporter. Where did this come from?
Mostly, it’s because he refuses to join the "Trump is the devil" chorus in the way most celebrities do. In his Equanimity special, he talked about how he actually felt sorry for some of the poor white people he saw voting for Trump, saying they were being lied to.
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He also caught flak in 2016 for suggesting we should "give Trump a chance" during an SNL monologue—a comment he later apologized for on the same stage four years later. Basically, Dave values the "right to be wrong" and hates cancel culture. That makes some people think he’s leaning right, but his actual policy interests—like criminal justice reform and economic equality—usually lean left.
The "Genocide" Comments and 2024
Fast forward to late 2024 and early 2025. Dave has been vocal about the war in Gaza, reportedly calling it a "genocide" during a show. This has alienated some of his old-school Democratic supporters and made him a hero to the progressive left, even while he continues to feud with other parts of the progressive movement over his jokes about the LGBTQ+ community.
He also showed up to support Hill Harper’s Senate run in Michigan recently. Hill is a Democrat. So, if you’re looking for a pattern, Dave almost exclusively puts his weight behind Democratic or Independent candidates, even if he hates the "establishment" part of the party.
Actionable Insights: Decoding a Celebrity's Ballot
It's tempting to want our favorite stars to be our political twins. But Dave Chappelle shows us that's rarely the case. If you're trying to figure out a public figure's voting record, keep these things in mind:
- Look at the money: Follow the benefit shows. If an artist is performing for free to raise money for a candidate (like Dave did for Yang and Harper), that’s the strongest signal you’ll get.
- Context matters: A joke isn't a policy stance. Comedians often take the "wrong" side of an argument just to see if they can make it funny.
- Local over National: Often, celebrities care way more about who is running their home state or city than who is in the Oval Office.
Ultimately, who did dave chappelle vote for remains a private act behind a curtain, but his track record suggests a man who votes for outsiders, friends, and anyone he thinks might actually shake up a system he clearly finds broken. He's a registered voter in Ohio, a swing state, so his vote actually carries some weight—and he seems to know it.
Don't expect a "Dave for President" endorsement anytime soon unless the candidate is willing to sit down and talk about the world for three hours over a pack of American Spirits.