Comedian Nate Bargatze (Wiki Commons)
The Daily Beast reports Emmy Award-winning host W. Kamau Bell fears fellow comedian Nate Bargatze is going to take a financial hit for his alliance to President Donald Trump.
Bell recently called out Bargatze in a Substack post as one of the many “nice white guy” celebrities who suddenly act “confused when they are judged for their own actions.”
Bargatze recently got himself photographed with MAGA campions Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cheryl Hines, among others. A source close to the comedian told the Daily Beast that there was nothing “political” about being at the event “that he is merely a big UFC fan.” But Bell told Obsessed: The Podcast that he doesn’t believe that — and neither will many of Bargatze’s fans.
“I’ll say this, his accountant doesn’t want him to be a MAGA comedian,” said Bell, predicting that Bargatze emerging right-wing product will ultimately “hurt Nate’s bottom line, because he’s bigger than every MAGA comedian.”
“There’s nothing he’s going to gain from losing people who are like, I just think that guy’s funny,” Bell said. “He cuts across race and ethnicity and religion and socioeconomic background and politics. So why would you suddenly put that in a box?”
But there’s likely no coming back from this, Bell admitted, and Bargatze is already going to lose the fan base he’s destined to lose.
“Throughout the history of the White House, going to the White House is a political decision. But now it is not only a political decision, but it is a caustic and toxic decision based on what this administration is doing,” said Bell. “… when you put it at the White House, at Donald Trump’s house, there is no way I’m going.”
Daily Beast reports Trump has inextricably tied himself to the sport with MAGA enthusiasts like Joe Rogan and UFC boss Dana White both helping Trump reach young male voters in 2024. It also did not help that former football player Josh Hokit spat a racist insult at former First Lady Michelle Obama by shouting: "… Michelle Obama is a man! Am I right, America?" during an interview with Rogan.
Bell said he probably wouldn’t even attend a regular UFC match now.
Bell then offered a word of assistance: “If anything, Nate, this is me trying to help you. Who are the people around you who are supposed to say, don’t do that? Whether that’s your politics or not, that’s not a good business decision for you, Nate. It’s not good. It doesn’t help your brand in any way.”