Fact check: Is viral video of Snoop Dogg calling Donald Trump supporters racist real?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A video featuring Snoop Dogg making bold statements about Donald Trump and his supporters has been making the rounds of social media platforms ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

The clip shows the rapper calling Trump supporters "racist" during what appears to be a radio interview.

While the viral video is real, it’s important to understand the full context behind it. Here's what was actually said and how it ties back to past events.

Video of Snoop Dogg calling out Donald Trump's supporters dates back to September 2018

The video in question originates from a 2018 interview between Snoop Dogg and DJ Suss and is not a recent video as it is being made out on social media. 

In the resurfaced clip, Snoop doesn’t hold back his opinions on then-President Trump and those who supported him. The conversation is candid, with both DJ Suss and Snoop touching on the polarizing nature of the GOP nominee's presidency.

DJ Suss begins by discussing how his fans might react to his political opinions: "Alright, politics real quick. I don't really apologize man, cause a lot of my fans get mad at me when I talk bad about him, but I don't -- I think it's safe to say most people in our culture do not rock with Donald Trump."

Snoop responds bluntly, pointing out what he believes is an inherent truth about Trump's followers: "You need to know a lot of your fans are racist. I don't give a f**k. I tell them straight up. If you like that [N-word], you m**********g racist. Before him, there were no lines. Everybody was everybody, we respected everything. We didn't trip."

Snoop further criticized Trump, accusing him of creating divisions among Americans.

He blamed the former president for "drawing lines" and targeting specific groups, stating that Trump "began pointing m*********ers out" and "singling them out."

This interview occurred in a political climate where Trump’s policies and rhetoric had polarized the nation, especially among cultural figures like Snoop, who felt his stance on issues like race and immigration was damaging to the unity of the country.

Snoop also brought Kanye West into the conversation, criticizing his public support for Trump, saying, "Kanye too. Don't forget about him too. F**k you too. Throw him in the bag too, cause he right with them m*********ers."

At the time, West was one of the few celebrities who openly backed Trump, a stance that was controversial within the entertainment industry.

Snoop’s criticism of both Trump and West drew significant attention when the interview was initially released, and the clip continues to spark discussion.

Snoop Dogg and Donald Trump share a long, complicated relationship

While the clip is indeed real, dating back to September 2018, many netizens seem to believe it’s recent, given its current virality. Some, like X (formerly Twitter) user Dom Lucre, have used the clip to insinuate that Snoop is ungrateful to Donald Trump, despite the former president's pardon of his longtime friend Michael "Harry O" Harris.

Such claims aren't true as the particular interview was conducted in 2018 and Trump granted Harris clemency just before leaving office. 

The Republican issued 73 pardons and 70 sentence commutations during his final days in office, including those for Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez, Lil Wayne, and Kodak Black.

Despite their history of conflict, Snoop at the time publicly thanked Trump for his role in freeing Harris.

He once again thanked him for the pardon in a January 2024 interview, saying, "I have nothing but love and respect for Donald Trump." 

So, while the viral clip portrays Snoop's intense criticisms of Trump and his supporters, it’s essential to note that these comments were made before Trump’s act of clemency.

Snoop and Trump have a long, complicated relationship. Interestingly, before the 2016 election and the heated political battles that followed, the two seemed to be on friendly terms, as per Salon.

Back in 2007, Snoop appeared on Season 6 of Trump’s reality show, 'The Apprentice', where the real estate mogul praised the rapper, saying: "You know Snoop Dogg? He's the greatest. One of the nation's bestselling hip-hop artists."

However, this cordiality didn’t last long. When Trump announced his run for President in 2016, Snoop was one of his earliest and most vocal critics.

The rapper made it clear that he opposed his political stance, choosing to back Hillary Clinton instead.

During an appearance on Bravo’s 'Watch What Happens Live', Snoop shared his thoughts on Clinton: "And just to have a woman speaking from a global perspective as far as representing America, I'd love to see that. So I'll be voting for Mrs Clinton."