Spike Lee scooped up his first Oscar on Sunday night (February 24) during the 91st Academy Awards in Hollywood. The celebrated director took home the gilded trophy in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for his film BlacKkKlansman.
Fellow Oscar winner Jamie Foxx couldn’t have been happier for his longtime friend. He told TMZ it was “wonderful moment” to see Samuel L. Jackson hand Lee the Oscar.
But Donald Trump wasn’t so impressed. Toward the end of Lee’s acceptance speech, he referenced his 1989 film Do The Right Thing and applied it to the 2020 election. Anyone reading between the lines immediately recognized it was a slight aimed at the current POTUS.
Par for the course, Trump took to Twitter on Monday (February 25) to condemn Lee’s actions and pat himself on the back.
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“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.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2019
Despite Lee’s Oscar win, the Brooklyn native was noticeably upset when Green Book won Best Picture, beating out BlacKkKlansman, Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, Roma, Vice, A Star Is Born and The Favourite.
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Once the winner was announced, Lee reportedly threw his hands up and tried to exit the venue. In the press room, he later explained he was frustrated that he lost to Driving Miss Daisy in 1989, although Do The Right Thing wasn’t even nominated that year.
“This is my sixth glass [of champagne] and you know why,” he told reporters. “I’m snake-bit. Every time someone is driving somebody I lose. But in ’89 I didn’t get nominated, so.”
He added, “I thought I was courtside at the Garden and the ref made a bad call.”
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Check out Lee’s full press room speech below.
