President Donald Trump is not happy with BlacKkKlansman director Spike Lee‘s Oscars speech, in which Lee urged viewers and attendees to choose “love versus hate” in the 2020 election.
Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes, or better yet not have to use notes at all, when doing his racist hit on your President, who has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts,etc.) than almost any other Pres!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2019
“Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes, or better yet not have to use notes at all, when doing his racist hit on your President, who has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts,etc.) than almost any other Pres!” Trump tweeted on Monday morning.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Lee, who won Best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman, did not explicitly mention Trump in his speech. He praised “our ancestors who helped build this country” after invoking the history of slavery, then spoke about the upcoming presidential election.
“The 2020 presidential election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize,” Lee said. “Let’s all be in the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate.”
“Let’s do the right thing,” he said, referencing his 1989 film of the same name.
At the very top of his speech, Lee was bleeped almost instantly. New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan tweeted that Lee yelled, “Do not turn that motherf—ing clock on!” Producers apparently listened to the first-time Oscar winner, as he was given all the time he needed to finish his lengthy speech, which he read from folded pieces of notebook paper.
The speech was not something Lee had planned, although some pundits predicted he would finally win an Oscar this year. The Daily Show anchor Tevor Noah shared an Instagram photo of Lee at the Oscars, watching him scribble down his speech at the last minute.
“While walking around backstage, I noticed a small figure hunched in a corner writing something,” Noah captioned the photo. “I got closer and realized it was Spike Lee writing an acceptance speech for his Oscar nominations. I asked him if I could take this picture to remember the moment and he said yes and ‘I hope I get to use this.’”
Lee co-wrote BlacKkKlansman with Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott. The film is based on the memoir by Ron Stallworth, a black Colorado Springs detective who infiltrated a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan with Jewish colleague Flip Zimmerman. In the film, John David Washington plays Stallworth, while Adam Driver plays Zimmerman.
The film was also nominated for five other categories, including Best Picture, which it lost to Green Book. According to several journalists who attended the event, Lee was visibly angry at Green Book‘s win, flailing his arms at the announcement and attempting to storm out of the Dolby Theatre until he was stopped at the doors. He returned to his seat when the acceptance speeches ended.
Most Viewed
-

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band. The guests for Tuesday, June 10 included Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes ("SmartLess"), Bella Ramsey ("The Last of Us"), and musical guest HARDY. (Disney/Randy Holmes) SEAN HAYES, JASON BATEMAN, WILL ARNETT (Photo by Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images) -

L-R: Todd Lasance as AFP Liaison Officer Sergeant Jim 'JD' Dempsey, Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Captain Michelle Mackey, Sean Sagar as NCIS Special Agent DeShawn Jackson, Tuuli Narkle as AFP Liaison Officer Constable Evie Cooper and William McInnes as Forensic Pathologist Dr. Roy Penrose in NCIS: Sydney episode 9, season 3 streaming on Paramount+, 2025. Photo Credit: Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+ -

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 16: Greg Biffle, driver of the #44 Grambling State University Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)





