Charlamagne tha God has built an influential career as a popular radio host, New York Times bestselling author and comedian — interviewing politicians and pop stars alike with a blend of charisma and blunt questions.
He was just as candid in a new interview on ABC News’ “This Week,” telling co-anchor Jonathan Karl on Sunday that “nobody is inspired” by the 2024 presidential election and “nobody wants to see” the likely rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Charlamagne (né Lenard McKelvey) has long been outspoken about U.S. politics. He’s a harsh critic of the Biden administration — calling for President Biden, an “uninspiring candidate,” to step aside to allow other Democrats to run — but he’s an even harsher critic of Trump, whom he calls “absolutely a threat to democracy.”
“This is the first time in my life when people say things like, you know, this person is a threat to democracy. It’s absolutely true,” Charlamagne told Karl. “And it’s mind-boggling to me that nobody is taking it as serious as I feel like they should.”
“The Breakfast Club” on iHeartRadio, which Charlamagne co-hosts, reaches some six million monthly listeners and has become a frequent campaign stop for politicians from both parties who seek to appeal to its younger, diverse audience.
Those appearances have a knack for creating viral moments and grabbing headlines, such as Hillary Clinton’s self-professed love of hot sauce in 2016 and then-presumptive Democratic nominee Biden’s 2020 comments about how Black voters should back him over Trump.
“My audience is America,” Charlamagne said on “This Week.”
He told Karl that he sees his role this year as speaking openly about the problems with both Democrats and Republicans, though he stressed that it’s Trump whom he feels poses the greater risk.
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