Rob Schneider gets trolled on Twitter after John Lewis tweet backfires
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, most celebrities stick to posting messages and photos supporting King’s movement, and all that he was able to accomplish during the civil rights era.
But comedian and actor Rob Schneider threw his hat into the recent feud between President-elect Donald Trump and Rep. John Lewis -- and it didn’t go over very well.
After Lewis told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” he doesn’t see Trump as a “legitimate” president, Trump responded claiming Lewis -- a civil rights pioneer who was beaten in Selma on Bloody Sunday and fought alongside Dr. King himself -- is all “talk,” no action. The resulting media storm left celebrities and politicians, both red and blue, defending Lewis. Dozens of lawmakers are boycotting Trump’s inauguration in a show of support, while some have taken the president-elect’s side.
Schneider, who is arguably best known for being Adam Sandler’s movie sidekick in the early to mid-2000s, was the latest to get involved when he voiced his opinion Monday. In a tweet, he explained to Lewis how he thinks King would have behaved in the current political climate.
Rep. Lewis. You are a great person. But Dr. King didn't give in to his anger or his hurt. That is how he accomplished & won Civil Rights.
— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) January 16, 2017
Twitter users didn’t take well to Schneider’s message, and were quick to call him on it. The actor, they say, has no right to lecture Lewis of all people on how to fight for civil rights.
.@RobSchneider don't whitesplain mlk to the man who literally sat at the table with mlk pic.twitter.com/oAg4VqlEb4
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) January 16, 2017
Rob Schneider is lecturing John Lewis, JOHN FRIGGIN LEWIS, on what Martin Luther King Jr. would have done. This planet is too ridiculous bye
— Emanuel Zbeda (@therealezway) January 16, 2017
@RobSchneider shouts to you for making The Hot Chick but maybe don't explain the struggle for civil rights to people who were actually in it
— Richard Lawler (@rjcc) January 16, 2017
@KaraRBrown IMAGINE BEING ROB SCHNEIDER AND THINKING YOU CAN LECTURE JOHN LEWIS ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
— KB (@KaraRBrown) January 16, 2017
Rob Schneider and Piers Morgan trying to explain to John Lewis what MLK believed is ... something.
— Justin McGuire (@JMcGuireMLB) January 16, 2017
Many also pointed out Schneider’s numerous stereotypical and often offensive portrayals of minorities in his movies.
Rob Schneider in “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry” (2007) pic.twitter.com/HGdLNGMJde
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) January 16, 2017
Rob Schneider: known for his hot takes on racial justice pic.twitter.com/rqdVFregHJ
— Eliza Skinner (@elizaskinner) January 16, 2017
Schneider has yet to address the criticism -- and seems to be looking forward to the next four years.
These next four years are going to be good for comedy. If we all end up living in caves, I'll be living in one of the nicer caves.
— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) January 17, 2017