Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang just got a big comedy endorsement. In a press release, Yang’s campaign announced today that stand-up comedian and most recent recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Dave Chappelle, has officially endorsed Yang. Chappelle will be campaigning for Yang later this month in South Carolina, where Chappelle will perform two benefit shows on the 29th and 30th. Chappelle’s quote in the press release was a short one: “I’m Yang Gang!â€
Yang’s quote, however, went into a little more detail. “Dave is one of the most important voices in our country today and I’m thrilled he has thrown his support behind this campaign,†he said in the release. “He and I share similar concerns about the future and hopes for what it could be. We are also parents who see the world that we are leaving to our kids and believe they deserve better.â€
Chappelle is not the first high-profile comedian to give Yang a bump. In December, Donald Glover hosted a fundraising event for the candidate and became the campaign’s official “creative consultant†just a few days later. Other celebrities who have endorsed Yang or reportedly donated to his campaign include Ken Jeong, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, and Nicolas Cage.
Yang is also one of the only Democratic candidates to discuss major comedy dramas. Last year he commented on the Shane Gillis controversy at SNL, noting that he didn’t think the comedian should lose his job and adding that people “would benefit from being more forgiving rather than punitive. We are all human.†But we can’t forget the time Bernie Sanders went on the record about paying comedy podcast guests during his interview with James Adomian (as Bernie Sanders). Note to Elizabeth Warren: The time to come out strong against @FuckJerry is now.