Oscars: Trump slams Spike Lee for ‘racist hit’ during acceptance speech
President Trump wasted no time on Monday morning weighing in on the Academy Awards, taking aim at “BlacKkKlansman” director Spike Lee, who won his first competitive Oscar on Sunday and delivered one of the evening’s most pointed criticisms of Trump’s administration.
The president said it would “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.” Trump claimed he’s done more for African Americans “than almost any other Pres” and cited his efforts on criminal justice reform, unemployment and tax cuts.
POTUS wasn’t a fan of Lee’s prepared words, which touched on slavery in America and urged viewers to “be on the right side of history” and “make the moral choice between love versus hate” in the upcoming 2020 presidential election.
Lee has not yet responded to Trump’s tweet.
The veteran filmmaker won his Oscar on Sunday for adapting the screenplay of “BlacKkKlansman,” about a black detective infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan, which ended with contemporary video from the white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., which Trump did not initially denounce. The film was up for six awards, including best picture and directing, but won only the Oscar for adapted screenplay.
Additionally, the director was markedly upset later that night when the race-based drama “Green Book” took the best-picture prize, reportedly walking out of the ceremony and telling reporters backstage that he was “snake-bit” over losing.
But at least he finally got to meet Barbra Streisand later in the evening.
Follow me: @NardineSaad
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
