Leave it to filmmaker Spike Lee to prioritize a political costume over a historic moment of athletic achievement.
As the NBA descended upon the Intuit Dome in Southern California for the 2026 All-Star Game, the headlines could have belonged to Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdijam, who made history as the first Israeli-born player to appear in an NBA All-Star Game. Representing the World All-Stars on Team Stars, Avdija wore the Israeli flag on his jersey, a silent but powerful nod to his homeland.
&#8220;I feel like when I come to play, I come with the entire nation,&#8221; Avdija remarked, celebrating a journey that saw him rise from a 16-year-old prodigy at Maccabi Tel Aviv to an NBA powerhouse averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists per game, one of only three players this season (alongside Nikola Jokić and Luka Dončić) to average a 25/7/6 stat line.
But while Avdija was joining the elite company of Jokić and Dončić on the stat sheet, Lee was busy making a statement. The Oscar winner arrived courtside decked out in pro-Palestinian attire, a move clearly designed to counter the presence of the Israeli star.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The NBA has their first Israeli All-Star (Deni Avdija) &amp; Spike Lee decided to wear a “Free Palestine” outfit… <a href="https://t.co/jwky5s0Q4K">pic.twitter.com/jwky5s0Q4K</a>
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonnyRoot_/status/2023197033348370568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It is a familiar script for Lee, whose career has been peppered with controversies regarding the Jewish community.
In 1990, Lee was forced to pen a New York Times op-ed titled &#8220;I Am Not an Anti-Semite&#8221; following the <a href="https://www.jta.org/archive/adl-criticizes-filmmaker-spike-lee-for-stereotyping-jewish-characters">backlash</a> over his stereotypical portrayal of Jewish businessmen in &#8220;Mo&#8217; Better Blues.&#8221; More recently, in 2021, Lee was caught in a firestorm for <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/spike-lee-to-re-edit-documentary-featuring-antisemitic-9-11-conspiracy-theorist/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">featuring</a> 9/11 conspiracy theorists—including those who have entertained antisemitic tropes and blamed Israel for the terror attacks—in his HBO documentary series. He eventually retreated to the editing room to scrub the segment after intense public pressure.
The contrast in Southern California was stark. While Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun, who is Turkish, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/spike-lee-wears-pro-palestinian-outfit-nba-all-star-game-israeli-born-player-competing">offered</a> a class act by praising his &#8220;good friend&#8221; Avdija and calling for &#8220;peace in all world,&#8221; Lee chose the path of the provocateur.
As the league attempted to showcase a global game of &#8220;love and staying together,&#8221; Lee’s wardrobe choice served as a reminder that for some, the narrative of grievance always trumps the merit of the individual.

MixCollage-16-Feb-2026-10-23-AM-2454

Spike Lee Chooses ‘Free Palestine’ Stunt Over Celebrating NBA’s First Israeli All-Star

Celebrities

Israel

Palestinians

Politics

Spike Lee

In March 2020, HBO aired a Brian Stelter-produced documentary, &#8220;After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News,&#8221; which typically focused on how a &#8220;mainstream media&#8221; dedicated to truth had to expose and defeat pro-Trump kooks and grifters, such as InfoWars, which claimed the Sandy Hook school shooting was faked.
New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik celebrated Stelter, a Times alumnus, for his focus: &#8220;Its strongest animating idea is that fake news is not simply a political abstraction. It&#8217;s a real offense that harms real people.&#8221;
It&#8217;s different for pro-Obama kooks and grifters. In August and September 2021, HBO will air a Spike Lee-produced documentary, &#8220;NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021 1/2.&#8221; Roughly half of the eight-hour project is about the pandemic; the other half is on 9/11. At the end of an interview, New York Times pop culture reporter Reggie Ugwu noted: &#8220;You interview several members of the conspiracy group Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth. Why did you want to include their perspective?&#8221;
Lee replied, &#8220;I got questions,&#8221; and he wants a new congressional hearing into the origins of 9/11. Like Rosie O&#8217;Donnell, he is implying that the collapse of the twin towers was due to a nefarious Bush-Cheney controlled demolition rather than the impact of the passenger jets. But he claimed, &#8220;My approach is (to) put the information in the movie and let people decide for themselves. I respect the intelligence of the audience.&#8221;
Ugwu attempted a pushback. &#8220;You don&#8217;t say &#8216;make up your own mind&#8217; about whether or not the vaccine is poison, or &#8216;make up your own mind&#8217; about whether Joe Biden was legitimately elected.&#8221;
Lee wasn&#8217;t going to be shamed with the pro-Trump conspiracies: &#8220;People are going to think what they think, regardless. I&#8217;m not dancing around your question.&#8221; He absolutely was. &#8220;People are going to just think what they think. And you know what? I&#8217;m still here, going on four decades of filmmaking.&#8221;
Ultimately, Ugwu and the Times granted Lee the opportunity to promote his spectacle and his career. When anti-abortion advocates made the movie &#8220;Unplanned,&#8221; Ugwu insisted, &#8220;Of course, no film is entitled to media exposure.&#8221; But progressive black filmmakers can count on sympathetic exposure in The New York Times, despite their slogan, &#8220;Truth. It&#8217;s more important now than ever.&#8221;
This isn&#8217;t the first time HBO has signed up Spike Lee to promote nutball conspiracy theories. In 2006, they aired Lee&#8217;s film on Hurricane Katrina, &#8220;When the Levees Broke.&#8221; Lee entertained the conspiracy theory that the government blew up the levees. Then-HBO Documentary Films President Sheila Nevins made excuses to NPR: &#8220;He&#8217;s not reporting, he&#8217;s not on camera, he doesn&#8217;t have the responsibility to interpret for them. He only has the responsibility to present for them their disillusionment and maybe their slight inaccuracies.&#8221;
The government blowing up levees in some kind of racist plot? That&#8217;s a &#8220;slight inaccuracy&#8221;?
Dani Di Placido at Forbes underlined both of these Lee HBO films &#8220;have been heavily praised by critics and audiences; neither of the documentaries are defined by their conspiratorial leanings.&#8221;
Lee also mangles reality outside of his films. In 2012, he had to pay a couple of terrified senior citizens in Sanford, Florida, for inaccurately retweeting their address in the belief it was the home of George Zimmerman, the vigilante who shot black teenager Trayvon Martin after a violent scuffle.
In effect, Lee resembles a cinematic Al Sharpton — it doesn&#8217;t matter what kind of unproven conspiracy theories he&#8217;s pushing, or who that hurts. He&#8217;s a wealthy black celebrity &#8220;down with the struggle,&#8221; so all is forgiven over and over again.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

GRAHAM: Spike Lee And HBO Push Kooky Conspiracies

In a video played for his acceptance of an award from the New York Film Critics Circle, filmmaker Spike Lee stated that former President Trump would “go down in history with the likes of Hitler.”
The video was created on January 6, the day of the U.S. Capitol breach, and played over the weekend at the virtual awards ceremony where Lee won an award for his new short film “New York, New York.”
Lee stated in the video, “We&#8217;re at a crossroads now, and everybody please be safe. This is not a game. These people got guns with ammunition,” <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/media/535667-spike-lee-trump-will-go-down-in-history-with-the-likes-of-hitler">The Hill</a> reported.
“I hope to God that I&#8217;m wrong, but people are gonna get killed behind this bulls***. This president, President Agent Orange, will go down in history with the likes of Hitler. These guys — all his boys — they&#8217;re going down on the wrong side of history.&#8221;
When he won an Academy Award in 2019, Lee spoke out against Trump, saying, “The 2020 presidential election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize. Let’s all be in the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate.&#8221;
Trump responded by tweeting, &#8220;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.&#8221;
In June 2020, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spike-lee-some-negroes-will-be-drinking-trumps-orange-kool-aid-in-november/">speaking with Gayle King</a> of CBS about his movie &#8220;Da 5 Bloods,&#8221; Lee was asked, &#8220;In the movie you include a black Trump supporter complete with a Make America Great Again hat on. Now knowing how vocal you&#8217;ve been against the President, I think many people were surprised that you made that decision. How come?&#8221;
Lee answered, &#8220;Well, there are some negroes that have drunk or will drink the Orange Kool-Aid that&#8217;s coming in November, but it&#8217;s a very, very small percentage and I needed — we needed that, my co-writer Ken Wilmott and I — to put some tension in the group.”
Prior to that, in March 2020, Lee published an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9NWfxuHQuT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">Instagram post</a> featuring several of Trump&#8217;s supporters in the black community, including YouTube stars Diamond &amp; Silk, praying over him in the Oval Office. Lee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-love-you-massa-spike-lee-likens-trump-supporters-to-uncle-toms/">wrote</a>, &#8220;Massa, We Love You, Massa. We Gonna Pray Fo’ You Massa. Singing- &#8216;Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.'&#8221;
In February 2020, Lee told MSNBC&#8217;s Al Sharpton that senators would &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-spike-lee-tells-al-sharpton-senators-will-burn-in-hell-for-acquitting-trump/">burn in hell</a>&#8221; if they acquitted Trump.
“Let me ask you a question,” Lee said, as reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/spike-lee-al-sharpton-msnbc-senators-will-burn-in-hell-impeachment">Fox News</a>. “Did they have to put their hands on the Bible when they took the vow?” “I don’t know if they had a Bible out there but I think that they had the Bible up on the podium,” Sharpton responded. “Why do you ask?” Lee answered, &#8220;They’re going to burn in hell if they put their hand on that Bible.&#8221;
Lee continued, “I wouldn’t want to be standing [next] to none of those guys because they’re gonna be struck by lightning. History will say they were on the wrong side of history. The wrong side, the wrong side. So everybody — here’s the thing. I’m not speaking for anybody but myself. This is me speaking, everybody. Whoever comes out of the Democratic convention I’m voting for, because we cannot have another four years of Agent Orange.”

92nd Annual Academy Awards – Backstage

‘Go Down In History With The Likes Of Hitler’: Spike Lee Attacks Trump

Donald Trump

Hollywood

Filmmaker Spike Lee has joined the chorus of those calling for the end of Confederate statues and monuments.
Speaking on the Luminary’s Black List <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/spike-lee-confederate-statues-black-list-podcast-1234694958/">Podcast</a>, hosted by Black List co-founder Franklin Leonard and Black List community director Kate Hagen, Spike Lee said in no uncertain terms that the monuments dedicated to Confederate leaders need to come down.
“F**k that flag,” Lee said, as reported by <a href="https://variety.com/2020/film/news/spike-lee-confederate-statues-black-list-podcast-1234694958/">Variety</a>. “That flag, to me, [makes me feel] the same way my Jewish brothers and sisters feel about the swastika… And them motherf***ing Confederate statues need to come the f*** down.”
The conversation then segued into the Black Lives Matter movement and how it relates to Spike Lee&#8217;s Academy Award-nominated movie &#8220;Do the Right Thing,&#8221; which ends in a riot after police officers strangle an unarmed black man in a situation similar to that of George Floyd.
“It’s like the film was made yesterday,” Lee said. “So, there are two ways to think about it. That it’s still unique. It’s still new. And then also, Black people are still being murdered [and] dying. If you’ve seen ‘Do the Right Thing,’ how can you not automatically think of Eric Garner, and then king George Floyd?”
Lee also admired the fact that white people have been joining the Black Lives Matter movement and protesting in cities where there are few black people.
“It’s never been about how [Black people] respond to it,” Lee continued. “It’s been about how our white sisters and brothers respond to it. And have you been watching CNN like I have? People are marching all over God’s Earth chanting, yelling [and] screaming ‘Black lives matter,’ and they’re not Black… That’s the big difference. You see a young generation of my white brothers and sisters [and] they are out there in full effect. I mean, forget about the rest of the world for a second. White folks are marching in Salt Lake City [and] Des Moines, Iowa, where there ain’t no Black folks for a minute.”
Critical eyes toward Confederate imagery have been directed from both the Left and the Right. In GOP-led Mississippi for instance, the state legislature recently voted to remove the Confederate symbol from its state flag.
&#8220;The Mississippi state House of Representatives voted 85-34 to move forward with a plan that would allow for the changing of the state flag, which was adopted in 1894 and features the Confederate battle emblem prominently displayed in the top left corner,&#8221; The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mississippi-house-clears-hurdle-to-redesigning-state-flag-governor-says-he-will-sign-potential-flag-bill">reported</a>. &#8220;The legislation, which received bipartisan support, narrowly exceeded the necessary two-thirds majority that is required to suspend the legislative session’s deadline in order to proceed with the flag change, which itself would only require a majority vote.&#8221;
NASCAR has also banned the presence of Confederate flags at all sporting events.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> member</a>.

US-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-STAR WARS

Spike Lee: ‘Them Motherf***ing Confederate Statues Need To Come The F**k Down’; ‘F*** That Flag’

Even the shamers can get shamed.
Film director Spike Lee was forced to apologize over the weekend for supporting his friend and fellow director Woody Allen, who has been accused by his adopted daughter of molesting her when she was seven years old.
&#8220;I Deeply Apologize. My Words Were WRONG,&#8221; Lee wrote on Twitter. &#8220;I Do Not And Will Not Tolerate Sexual Harassment, Assault, Or Violence. Such Treatment Causes Real Damage That Can&#8217;t Be Minimized. &#8211; Truly, Spike Lee.&#8221;
The director of &#8220;Do The Right Thing,&#8221; whose real name is Shelton Jackson Lee, had defended Allen in an <a class="x5l" href="https://710wor.iheart.com/featured/len-berman-and-michael-riedel-in-the-morning/content/2020-06-12-spike-lee-tells-wors-len-michael-woody-allen-is-a-great-filmmaker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener external noreferrer">interview</a> Friday on the New York radio station WOR 710, calling Allen “a great, great filmmaker.”
“This cancel thing is not just Woody. And I think that when we look back on it, (we’re) gonna see that, short of killing somebody, I don’t if you can just erase somebody like they never existed. Woody’s a friend of mine,” Lee said. “I know he’s going through it right now.”
Allen has been accused over the years of molesting his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow in the early 1990s. Allen has always denied the allegation, at one point saying “I never molested my daughter – as all investigations concluded a quarter of a century ago.”
During Allen’s messy divorce from actress Mia Farrow, Dylan alleged that she was abused. While Allen was never criminally charged, presiding Justice Elliott Wilk wrote about the case that “credible testimony … prove[s] that Mr. Allen’s behavior toward Dylan was grossly inappropriate and that measures must be taken to protect her.”
After Allen, now 84, dated Farrow for a decade, the actress found nude pictures of her 21-year-old adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, taken by Allen. The couple split, and Previn, 49, and Allen are now married.
In 2017, when film producer Harvey Weinstein was accused by numerous women of rape and sexual assault, Allen came to his defense, saying he was  “sad” for Weinstein.
“The whole Harvey Weinstein thing is very sad for everybody involved,” he added. “Tragic for the poor women that were involved, sad for Harvey that his life is so messed up,” Allen said, according to the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41626750">BBC</a>.
In a weird coincidence, Allen’s own son, Ronan Farrow, is one of the reporters who investigated Weinstein, speaking to 13 women who said the Hollywood producer had sexually harassed or assaulted them and breaking a major story.
Allen said he had no idea about Weinstein, despite working with him on several films.
<blockquote>“No one ever came to me or told me horror stories with any real seriousness,” Allen told the BBC. “And they wouldn’t, because you are not interested in it. You are interested in making your movie.”
“But you do hear a million fanciful rumours all the time. And some turn out to be true and some — many — are just stories about this actress, or that actor.” …
Allen said he hoped the revelations, which emerged after an investigation by the New York Times, would lead to “some amelioration,&#8221; but said: “You also don’t want it to lead to a witch hunt atmosphere, a Salem atmosphere, where every guy in an office who winks at a woman is suddenly having to call a lawyer to defend himself. That’s not right either.”</blockquote>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

91st Annual Academy Awards – Red Carpet

‘My Words Were Wrong’: Spike Lee Sorry for Defending Woody Allen

Woody Allen

Director Spike Lee referred to &#8220;some negroes&#8221; that will be drinking President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;orange kool-aid&#8221; this coming November, dismissing them as a small percentage.
Speaking with Gayle King of CBS on Tuesday, Spike Lee discussed his upcoming movie &#8220;Da 5 Bloods&#8221; and his decision to feature a black Trump supporter as one of the main characters. Though he said the film will treat the character with dignity, Lee&#8217;s rhetoric about such people was less dignified.
&#8220;In the movie you include a black Trump supporter complete with a Make America Great Again hat on. Now knowing how vocal you&#8217;ve been against the President I think many people were surprised that you made that decision. How come?&#8221; Gayle King asked Lee, as reported by <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/scott-whitlock/2020/06/09/cbs-spike-lee-mocks-some-negroes-who-will-drink-orange-kool-aid">Newsbusters</a>.
&#8220;Well, there are some negroes that have drunk or will drink the Orange Kool-Aid that&#8217;s coming in November, but it&#8217;s a very, very small percentage and I needed &#8212; we needed that – my co-writer Ken Wilmott and I to put some tension in the group,&#8221; he said.
Spike Lee asserted that the character, played by acclaimed actor Delroy Lindo, will be treated sympathetically.
&#8220;These four brothers who grew up, who fought side-by-side in the Vietnam War and are coming back 40 some years later,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So everybody can&#8217;t be &#8212; everybody went off after they came back from the war, so people went their different ways and – I would like to add, played by the great actor Delroy Lindo, he really makes you understand why he&#8217;s wearing that hat and you have sympathy for him.&#8221;
Speaking with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/jun/03/delroy-lindo-george-floyd-protests-da-5-bloods-spike-lee-british-racism-america">The Guardian</a>, actor Delroy Lindo said that he had a difficult time accepting the role of a black Trump supporter when Spike Lee first approached him.
“I remember saying to Spike, ‘I’ve got a 17-year-old son, man. I don’t want him seeing me representing this person,'&#8221; Lindo said of the experience. “It had to do with my values, as a parent and as a being on the planet, feeling that I would be representing an individual who is &#8230; I don’t have the words to discuss this individual.”
Lindo just suggested that the character be an arch-conservative, but Spike Lee insisted he be a Trump supporter. &#8220;Spike thought about it for a few days, then said, ‘Yeah, I really need him to be a Trump supporter,'&#8221; said Lindo.
In an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9NWfxuHQuT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">Instagram post</a> in March, the director shared a photo of several of Trump’s supporters in the black community, including YouTube stars Diamond &amp; Silk, praying over him in the Oval Office. Employing deeply racist language recalling that of a submissive southern house slave, Spike Lee wrote, “Massa, We Love You, Massa. We Gonna Pray Fo’ You Massa. Singing- ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.’”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Spike Lee even suggested that the world was suffering the earth&#8217;s wrath.
“Before Corona, after Corona, this is changing everything,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spike-lee-on-covid-19-earth-was-angry-at-us">Lee said</a>. “But you know why, the reason, I read an article about it, how pollution is clearing up, skies are clear, animals are coming out. I mean, you know, the Earth was angry at us. People may think I’m crazy that I believe it in my heart and soul, that we had gone too far and Earth said, ‘Hold up, we gotta change this.’”
“We were killing this planet,” Lee continued. “And this time that everything was shut down, the Earth has come alive. Water is clear. … And the other day I read in The New York Times, LA had the clearest air in the world. Los Angeles! There was one day last week they had the cleanest air in the world, LA.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Spike Lee: ‘Some Negroes’ Will Be Drinking Trump’s ‘Orange Kool-Aid’ In November

Filmmaker Spike Lee has his own take on the COVID-19 pandemic, in that it may have been the earth lashing out in anger at humanity for our pollution of it.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s “The Joe Madison Show,” the &#8220;Do the Right Thing&#8221; director said that one of the pandemic&#8217;s benefits is the clearing up of pollution.
“Before Corona, after Corona, this is changing everything,” Lee said. “But you know why, the reason, I read an article about it, how pollution is clearing up, skies are clear, animals are coming out. I mean, you know, the Earth was angry at us. People may think I’m crazy that I believe it in my heart and soul, that we had gone too far and Earth said, ‘Hold up, we gotta change this.&#8217;”
“We were killing this planet,” Lee continued. “And this time that everything was shut down, the Earth has come alive. Water is clear. … And the other day I read in The New York Times, LA had the clearest air in the world. Los Angeles! There was one day last week they had the cleanest air in the world, LA.”
Though Lee has been under self-quarantine in Brooklyn, he said that he does not know how much longer he can take the self-isolation.
“I know I can’t stay in long, but I made a movie called ‘Do the Right Thing,&#8217;” Lee said. “On the hottest day in the summer, and I prayed to the almighty God this can’t be happening still in New York in July and August. I’m telling you. Eight and a half people, eight and a half million and we’re still inside in July and August. Oh my God. I don’t know how that’s going to work.”
Spike Lee has been making the headlines for a variety of reasons these past months, usually for outlandish left-wing statement no different than what he said about COVID-19. In an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9NWfxuHQuT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">Instagram post</a> in March, the director shared a photo of several of Trump’s supporters in the black community, including YouTube stars Diamond &amp; Silk, praying over him in the Oval Office. Employing deeply racist language recalling that of a submissive southern house slave, Spike Lee wrote, “Massa, We Love You, Massa. We Gonna Pray Fo’ You Massa. Singing- ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.&#8217;”
Spike Lee’s post came during the same week in which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/on-air-tantrum-spike-lee-goes-on-espn-to-complain-he-cant-use-employee-entrance-is-being-harassed-knicks-rip-him-apart-in-statement">he had a public meltdown</a> for not being allowed to enter the employee entrance at Madison Square Garden in New York City with his VIP Access pass, prompting a public rebuke from the New York Knicks.
“The idea that Spike Lee is a victim because we have repeatedly asked him to not use our employee entrance and instead use a dedicated VIP entrance — which is used by every other celebrity who enters The Garden — is laughable,” the Knicks said in a statement. “It’s disappointing that Spike would create this false controversy to perpetuate drama. He is welcome to come to The Garden anytime via the VIP or general entrance; just not through our employee entrance, which is what he and Jim agreed to last night when they shook hands.”
Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-spike-lee-tells-al-sharpton-senators-will-burn-in-hell-for-acquitting-trump">Spike Lee said</a> that Republican Senators who helped to acquit President Trump during the impeachment trial will “burn in hell” if they swore on the Holy Bible.
“I wouldn’t want to be standing [next] to none of those guys because they’re gonna be struck by lightning,” Lee said.  “History will say they were on the wrong side of history. The wrong side, the wrong side. So everybody — here’s the thing. I’m not speaking for anybody but myself. This is me speaking, everybody. Whoever comes out of the Democratic convention I’m voting for, because we cannot have another four years of Agent Orange.”

Spike Lee On COVID-19: ‘Earth Was Angry At Us’

COVID

Environmentalism

Filmmaker Spike Lee, a frequent and devout critic of President Trump, compared the president’s black supporters to house slaves, essentially calling them Uncle Toms.
In an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9NWfxuHQuT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">Instagram post</a> earlier this week, the &#8220;Do the Right Thing&#8221; director shared a photo of several of Trump&#8217;s supporters in the black community, including YouTube stars Diamond &amp; Silk, praying over him in the Oval Office.
Employing deeply racist language recalling that of a submissive southern house slave, Spike Lee wrote, &#8220;Massa, We Love You, Massa. We Gonna Pray Fo’ You Massa. Singing- &#8216;Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.'&#8221;
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9NWfxuHQuT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">https://www.instagram.com/p/B9NWfxuHQuT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link</a>
Reactions to Spike Lee&#8217;s post were mixed, with some celebrating it and others condemning it.
&#8220;Lee loses his mind anytime another black person wanders off the plantation,&#8221; commented one internet user.
&#8220;Let people be. If they want to pray over him, let them,&#8221; said another user. &#8220;The bible even says to pray for your leaders. Some may pray for him to be removed, some may pray for God to save his soul, some may pray for God to save every person in the White House. People need Jesus that is the truth. My allegiance is to Jesus, not man. I can care less about Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;When will we ever learn that tap dancing for massa has no value or brings nothing to our community,&#8221; said another. &#8220;This picture is appalling in more ways than one. We need to unite on the front of getting this clown out of office. Simple and plain!&#8221;
Spike Lee&#8217;s post came during the same week in which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/on-air-tantrum-spike-lee-goes-on-espn-to-complain-he-cant-use-employee-entrance-is-being-harassed-knicks-rip-him-apart-in-statement">he had a public meltdown</a> for not being allowed to enter the employee entrance at Madison Square Garden in New York City with his VIP Access pass, prompting a public rebuke from the New York Knicks.
“The idea that Spike Lee is a victim because we have repeatedly asked him to not use our employee entrance and instead use a dedicated VIP entrance — which is used by every other celebrity who enters The Garden — is laughable,” the Knicks said in a statement. “It’s disappointing that Spike would create this false controversy to perpetuate drama. He is welcome to come to The Garden anytime via the VIP or general entrance; just not through our employee entrance, which is what he and Jim agreed to last night when they shook hands.”
Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-spike-lee-tells-al-sharpton-senators-will-burn-in-hell-for-acquitting-trump">Spike Lee said</a> that Republican Senators who helped to acquit President Trump during the impeachment trial will &#8220;burn in hell&#8221; if they swore on the Holy Bible.
“I wouldn’t want to be standing [next] to none of those guys because they’re gonna be struck by lightning,” Lee said.  “History will say they were on the wrong side of history. The wrong side, the wrong side. So everybody — here’s the thing. I’m not speaking for anybody but myself. This is me speaking, everybody. Whoever comes out of the Democratic convention I’m voting for, because we cannot have another four years of Agent Orange.”
Prior to that, Lee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-snakebit-sore-loser-spike-lee-furious-green-paul-bois">used his Oscar acceptance speech</a> after winning an award for screenwriting last year as a call to oust President Trump from office.
“The 2020 presidential election is around the corner,” said Lee. “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!”
President Trump ripped Lee on Twitter for his “racist hit,” mocking the director for being barely able to read his notes.
“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!” he wrote.

SpikeTrump

‘We Love You, Massa’: Spike Lee Likens Trump Supporters To Uncle Toms

Racism

Appearing on ESPN&#8217;s &#8220;First Take&#8221; on Tuesday afternoon, director and racial activist Spike Lee complained that he is no longer allowed to use the employee entrance (he can use the VIP or general entrance) at Madison Square Garden and said he was being &#8220;harassed&#8221; by New York Knicks owner James Dolan.
Lee went on the show to talk about his treatment from the Knicks before Monday night&#8217;s game. The longtime Knicks fan, during the 18-plus minute segment, said he was asked to re-enter the Garden after he used the employee entrance, which, Lee later admitted, he has been asked to avoid for at least a month.
&#8220;Before the Knicks&#8217; 125-123 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday, a <a href="https://twitter.com/BroTalkLivePod/status/1234640956135235587" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">viral video</a> showed Lee arguing with security as he tried to enter Madison Square Garden through the employee entrance,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spike-lee-knicks-james-dolan-director-says-harassed-by-owner-madison-square-garden/">CBS News</a> noted in a Tuesday report, adding: &#8220;Lee said his ticket was scanned before he was told to leave the stadium and re-enter from another entrance. Instead of going outside, Lee said he was escorted to his seat.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m being harassed by James Dolan and I don&#8217;t know why,&#8221; Lee said on &#8220;First Take.&#8221;
&#8220;I said, &#8216;Mr. Dolan, I don&#8217;t wanna talk about nothing! I have been coming through this entrance for 28 years,&#8221; the famed director recalled his conversation with Dolan, which took place at halftime.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Spike Lee told us this today. <a href="https://t.co/dwjh6ZWyre">pic.twitter.com/dwjh6ZWyre</a>
&mdash; Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/1234900810024333315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
During the ESPN appearance, Lee said he refused to re-enter the stadium and told Knicks personnel that they would have to &#8220;arrest&#8221; him like Charles Oakley.
As noted by <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2878998-spike-lee-says-im-being-harassed-by-james-dolan-wont-attend-remaining-games">Bleacher Report</a>, Oakley, a former Knicks player, was escorted out of the Garden and arrested on three counts of third-degree assault after an incident three years ago.
&#8220;Dolan then banned Oakley from MSG, but the ban was eventually lifted. Oakley has <a href="https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2877385-report-james-dolan-knicks-lift-charles-oakley-msg-ban-after-dismissed-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">been permitted</a> to enter MSG since 2018 but has chosen not to,&#8221; the report noted.
Lee said he was done attending Knicks games for the season, but plans on returning next season. &#8220;I&#8217;m coming back next year, but I&#8217;m done for the season,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I&#8217;m done.&#8221;
The Knicks responded to Lee&#8217;s on-air tantrum by releasing a fiery statement, hitting the die-hard Knicks fan for stirring up &#8220;drama&#8221; and playing a &#8220;victim,&#8221; which the team called &#8220;laughable.&#8221;
“The idea that Spike Lee is a victim because we have repeatedly asked him to not use our employee entrance and instead use a dedicated VIP entrance — which is used by every other celebrity who enters The Garden — is laughable,” the statement said.
“It’s disappointing that Spike would create this false controversy to perpetuate drama. He is welcome to come to The Garden anytime via the VIP or general entrance; just not through our employee entrance, which is what he and Jim agreed to last night when they shook hands.”
The team tweeted out two photos along with their statement, <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/03/03/knicks-hit-back-at-laughable-spike-lee-complaint-with-handshake-photo/">The New York Post</a> noted. &#8220;One photo included Dolan and Lee shaking hands, and another was a photo of the Garden entrance at 8 Penn Plaza, which says, &#8216;Entrance for employees, media and patrons with disabilities only.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
New York Knicks Statement on Spike Lee <a href="https://t.co/19JcvhFKO7">pic.twitter.com/19JcvhFKO7</a>
&mdash; NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NY_KnicksPR/status/1234898716076789761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Spike Lee joined <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@firsttake</a> to explain last night&#39;s incident at MSG. <a href="https://t.co/xsjGHApDqH">pic.twitter.com/xsjGHApDqH</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1234874075434115072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Below is the full segment with Lee:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Spike Lee explains the incident at Madison Square Garden | First Take" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yNf2fbBJbs0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Spike Lee: &#039;I&#039;m being harassed&#039; by James Dolan, &#039;I&#039;m done&#039; with the Knicks this season | First Take" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DinyLPaM1U0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&#039;I look stupid&#039; for spending $10 million on Knicks tickets - Spike Lee to Stephen A. | First Take" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vcw_KB4eKHU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

ON-AIR TANTRUM: Spike Lee Goes On ESPN To Complain He Can’t Use Employee Entrance, Is Being ‘Harassed.’ Knicks Rip Him Apart In Statement.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker and far-left activist Spike Lee told MSNBC&#8217;s Al Sharpton that senators will &#8220;burn in hell&#8221; if they acquit Trump.
“Let me ask you a question,” Lee said, as reported by <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/spike-lee-al-sharpton-msnbc-senators-will-burn-in-hell-impeachment">Fox News</a>. “Did they have to put their hands on the Bible when they took the vow?”
“I don’t know if they had a Bible out there but I think that they had the Bible up on the podium,” Sharpton responded. “Why do you ask?”
Erupting into laughter, Lee answered, &#8220;They’re going to burn in hell if they put their hand on that Bible.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Film Director and Activist Spike Lee shares his thoughts on impeachment and the importance of voting in the 2020 election live on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PoliticsNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PoliticsNation</a> <a href="https://t.co/fDhd2GFToc">pic.twitter.com/fDhd2GFToc</a>
&mdash; Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRevAl/status/1224109538305101827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As Lee went on, he said that Republicans will be &#8220;struck by lightning,&#8221; arguing that history will judge them harshly.
“I wouldn’t want to be standing [next] to none of those guys because they’re gonna be struck by lightning,” Lee said.  “History will say they were on the wrong side of history. The wrong side, the wrong side. So everybody — here&#8217;s the thing. I&#8217;m not speaking for anybody but myself. This is me speaking, everybody. Whoever comes out of the Democratic convention I’m voting for, because we cannot have another four years of Agent Orange.”
Spike Lee, who has called President Trump a &#8220;white supremacist,&#8221; has previously played the &#8220;wrong side of history&#8221; card when referencing the president and his supporters.
“I think that people out there really look in their heart and I truly believe people know what’s right and what’s wrong. You know that.” Lee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spike-lee-trump-white-supremacist-supporters-wrong-paul-bois">said in 2019</a>. “And a lot of these people getting behind this guy … they’re gonna be on the wrong side of history with him. … For money? What are you doing it for? I mean … you kneel down before the altar of the almighty dollar, then I guess all bets are off.”
Prior to that, Lee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-snakebit-sore-loser-spike-lee-furious-green-paul-bois">used his Oscar acceptance speech</a> after winning an award for screenwriting last year as a call to oust President Trump from office.
“The 2020 presidential election is around the corner,” said Lee. “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!”
President Trump ripped Lee on Twitter for his “racist hit,” mocking the director for being barely able to read his notes.
“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!” he wrote.
When Lee&#8217;s &#8220;BlacKkKlansman&#8221; lost Best Picture to &#8220;Green Book,&#8221; he responded <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-snakebit-sore-loser-spike-lee-furious-green-paul-bois">like a sore loser</a> and nearly stormed out of the Dolby Theater.
“After presenter Julia Roberts announced ‘<a href="https://variety.com/2019/film/news/green-book-wins-oscar-best-picture-1203146929/" data-tag="green-book">Green Book</a>‘ as Best Picture, AP reporter Andrew Dalton was one of several journalists who <a href="https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton/status/1099889513537536000" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noticed</a> Lee wave his arms in anger before storming out of the theater,” reported Variety last year. “However, before he could leave, he was stopped at the doors and was forced to return to his seat once the speeches had stopped.”

WATCH: Spike Lee Tells Al Sharpton Senators Will ‘Burn In Hell’ For Acquitting Trump

Al Sharpton

Impeachment

MSNBC

U.S. Senate

Academy Award winner Spike Lee says that President Trump&#8217;s white supremacy is &#8220;not even a question anymore&#8221; while also denouncing Trump supporters as greedy.
Speaking on CNN with Anderson Cooper to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first slaves arriving on North American soil, Lee expressed puzzlement over the fact that people still do not consider President Trump a white supremacist.
&#8220;Why are we still asking, &#8216;Is this guy a white supremacist?'&#8221; Lee asked on Tuesday. &#8220;It&#8217;s not even a question anymore. I mean, the Muslim ban, all Mexicans are rapists, murderers, and drug dealers &#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;Do you think he&#8217;s going to be re-elected?&#8221; Cooper asked.
&#8220;Can I get on my knees now and pray?&#8221; Lee responded.
Lee then directed his attention toward Trump supporters — who he said do not know what&#8217;s right and what&#8217;s wrong and lamented, would be found &#8220;on the wrong side of history.&#8221;
&#8220;I think that people out there really look in their heart and I truly believe people know what&#8217;s right and what&#8217;s wrong. You know that.&#8221; Lee said. &#8220;And a lot of these people getting behind this guy &#8230; they&#8217;re gonna be on the wrong side of history with him &#8230; For money? What are you doing it for? I mean &#8230; you kneel down before the altar of the almighty dollar, then I guess all bets are off.&#8221;
As for Spike Lee himself, he has previously admitted to staring &#8220;<a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a20809/spike-lee-1092/">daggers</a>&#8221; at interracial couples on the street. Spike Lee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/48155/spike-lee-calls-georgia-boycott-compares-it-civil-paul-bois">openly endorsed</a> the boycotts against the states of Georgia and Alabama for enacting strict anti-abortion laws.
&#8220;They got to shut it down, you know?&#8221; Spike Lee said of the boycotts. &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry — I&#8217;m not sorry — but I know it&#8217;s going to affect people&#8217;s livelihood, but that&#8217;s how things change.&#8221;
&#8220;There were black bus drivers in Montgomery and they were affected by the boycott but so be it,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;You&#8217;ve got to be on the right side of history, and the state of Georgia and those other states, they&#8217;re wrong.&#8221;
Lee&#8217;s endorsement of the boycott came shortly after he acted like a sore loser when his film &#8220;BlacKkKlansman&#8221; lost the Best Picture Oscar to &#8220;Green Book.&#8221;
&#8220;After presenter Julia Roberts announced &#8216;Green Book&#8217; as Best Picture, AP reporter Andrew Dalton was one of several journalists who noticed Lee wave his arms in anger before storming out of the theater,&#8221; reported Variety at the time. &#8220;However, before he could leave, he was stopped at the doors and was forced to return to his seat once the speeches had stopped.&#8221;
Speaking with reporters backstage, the director said he felt &#8220;snakebit&#8221; by the loss.
&#8220;I&#8217;m snakebit. Every time someone&#8217;s driving somebody, I lose,&#8221; Spike Lee told reporters. &#8220;I thought I was courtside at the Garden and the refs made a bad call.&#8221;
Spike Lee was referencing the Best Picture win of &#8220;Driving Miss Daisy&#8221; in 1990, a year which many Hollywood insiders believe Lee was snubbed of a Best Director award for &#8220;Do The Right Thing.&#8221;

Spike Lee: Trump A ‘White Supremacist,’ Supporters ‘On The Wrong Side Of History’

Leftism

Trump Supporters

Filmmaker Spike Lee has made much of his career featuring race as an issue and earned the first Oscar of his career with a film that compared President Trump to the Ku Klux Klan. It seems, however, that it means little to him that millions of black babies have been aborted since Roe v. Wade or the fact that Democrats support an organization <a href="https://studentsforlife.org/high-school/planned-parenthood-and-racism/">founded by a racist eugenicist</a> who once spoke at a Klan rally.
Speaking with reporters outside of the American Film Institute&#8217;s lifetime achievement tribute to actor Denzel Washington this week, Spike Lee said Hollywood should commit to boycotting the state of Georgia for protecting unborn children through the passing of the fetal heartbeat bill. He even compared the movement to the civil rights movement&#8217;s famous Montgomery bus boycott.
&#8220;They got to shut it down, you know?&#8221; Spike Lee said, according to the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/7a6057d36bcf4f55b767ba5fd98eae65">Associated Press</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry &#8212; I&#8217;m not sorry &#8212; but I know it&#8217;s going to affect people&#8217;s livelihood, but that&#8217;s how things change.&#8221;
&#8220;There were black bus drivers in Montgomery and they were affected by the boycott but so be it,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;You&#8217;ve got to be on the right side of history, and the state of Georgia and those other states, they&#8217;re wrong.&#8221;
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe loading="lazy" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Yc1s-D19s8" width="560"></iframe></div>
Ironically, Spike Lee is not the only black activist to mention the Montgomery bus boycott as a precedent for forcing Georgia to kill unborn children (black and white alike). Most recently, former basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/47653/kareem-abdul-jabbar-banning-abortions-turns-women-paul-bois">penned a scathing op-ed</a> in The Hollywood Reporter where he denounced the Georgia and Alabama laws as tools of control by white supremacists.
&#8220;Right now the stains include Georgia, Alabama, Missouri and other states passing restrictive abortion legislation that reduces women to baby incubators,&#8221; wrote the former NBA star. &#8220;The time has come for Americans to defend the principles of the Constitution &#8230; For now, one of the best ways to do that is through boycotting the offending states.&#8221;
&#8220;A boycott is a clear statement that we value conscience over commerce,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It means stop doing business with or in these states. For Hollywood, stop making films there. For businesses, stop buying their products or holding conventions or building there. For the average person, don&#8217;t visit. No tourism dollars. And we continue this practice until legislators reverse the policies or are removed from office. When the Writers Guild of America, of which I am a member, is willing to boycott talent agencies over packaging practices, certainly they would endorse boycotting states that demean many of their members.&#8221;
Jordan Peele, another social justice activist, has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/47077/jordan-peele-jj-abrams-vow-fight-georgia-over-paul-bois">endorsed the Georgia boycott</a>. Yet even failed gubernatorial candidate Stacy Abrams <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-stacey-abrams-abortion-film-boycott-georgia-california-20180515-story.html">said that</a> people protesting the heartbeat bill in Georgia should do so by other means, not boycotts.
&#8220;While I understand the calls for a boycott in Georgia, I&#8217;m going to follow a different path,&#8221; Abrams told the Los Angeles Times. &#8220;I think the superior opportunity for Georgia, in the specific, is to actually use the entertainment industry&#8217;s energy to support and fund the work that we need to do on the ground because Georgia is on the cusp of being able to transform our political system.&#8221;

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