“They did the same thing with the African-American players who were kneeling, trying to make it into an anti-American thing, an anti-patriotic thing, and an anti-military thing,” Lee continued. “But no one’s going for that.”
On Sunday, Lee took the stage to accept his first-ever competitive Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for “BlacKkKlansman” with several pages of prepared remarks. He honored Black History Month and thanked his grandmother — who he said saved up 50 years of Social Security checks to help put him through film school — before turning to politics and the upcoming presidential election.
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BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 29: Donald Trump and Melania Knauss attend the 2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Mortons on February 29, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 29: (L-R) Teresa Barrick, Steven Tyler, Melania Knauss and Donald Trump attend the 2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party (Exclusive Inside Coverage) at Mortons on February 29, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Donald Trump during 2004 Vanity Fair Oscar Party - Arrivals at Mortons in Beverly Hills, California, United States. (Photo by Tony Barson Archive/WireImage)
Sharon Osbourne, Donald Trump and Melania Knauss during 12th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Party Co-hosted by In Style - Inside at Pearl in West Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)
Donald Trump and Melania Knauss during Elton John AIDS Foundation's 12th Annual Oscar party co-hosted by In Style - Arrivals at Pearl in West Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by J. Merritt/FilmMagic)
386900 83: Donald Trump and his girlfriend, model Melania Knauss arrive for the 73rd Annual Academy Awards March 25, 2001 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Weeks/Getty Images)
386900 171: Donald Trump and his girlfriend, model Melania Knauss arrive for the 73rd Annual Academy Awards March 25, 2001 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Weeks/Getty Images)
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Donald Trump & Samuel L. Jackson during The 73rd Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)
(Original Caption) Donald Trump with a friend. (Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 27: (L-R) Donald Trump, Melania Knauss Trump, Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale attend Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Morton's Restaurant on February 27, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 27: Donald Trump and Melania Knauss Trump attend Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Morton's Restaurant on February 27, 2005 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
Real estate mogul and Reality TV star and executive producer ('The Apprentice') Donald J. Trump (R) and new wife model Melania Knauss Trump arrive at the Vanity Fair Academy Awards® party at Mortons restaurant. (Photo by Chris Farina/Corbis via Getty Images)
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WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - FEBRUARY 27: Donald Trump and Melania Trump arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party 2011, February 27, 2011 at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic)
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“The 2020 presidential election is around the corner,” Lee said. “Let’s all mobilize, let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing!”
Trump responded to Lee in a Monday morning tweet, saying 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, who has done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts,etc.) than almost any other Pres!”
Lee did not did not specifically reference the president or the administration. But he has long been critical of Trump, whom he often refers to as “Agent Orange.”
In 2018, the director used his promotional tour for “BlacKkKlansman” in part as a platform to blast the president over his response to the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., the year before.
“The president of the United States had a chance to denounce hate,” Lee said on CNN last summer. “The whole world saw what happened, and he didn’t do it.”
Lee said that Trump has given the “green light” to racists through his rhetoric.
“Since [Trump] has gotten into the White House it is not even a dog whistle, it’s a bullhorn,” he said.
Lee couldn’t hide his disgust, throwing his hands up in the air as the winner was announced, but he was more tempered when asked about it by BBC reporters as he arrived at the Vanity Fair after party.
“Let me give you a British answer,” Lee said. “It wasn’t my cup of tea.”
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