Don Cheadle stood up for trans kids on 'SNL' and the internet took notice

The 'Saturday Night Live' host used his platform to deliver some fashion statements.
By Adam Rosenberg  on 
Don Cheadle stood up for trans kids on 'SNL' and the internet took notice
Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Don Cheadle, acclaimed actor and true-blue mensch.

The man behind Marvel's War Machine mask brought his politics to the Saturday Night Live stage on Feb. 16. He used fashion to make a statement, at one point introducing Gary Clark, Jr., the night's musical guest, while wearing a simple t-shirt adorned with the words "PROTECT TRANS KIDS."

It was a well-received fashion choice, to say the least.

Sunday morning Twitter is flooded with support for Cheadle under the #ProtectTransKids hashtag.

It wasn't Cheadle's only fashion statement of the night, however. Later on, during the full cast outro at the end of the show, the guest host stepped onto the stage wearing a red and white jersey adorned with the letters "CCCP," the Russian abbreviation for the former Soviet Union.

The puzzling show of pro-Russia nationalism made sense only after Cheadle turned around. The number on the back of the jersey? 45. The name? Trump.

The crowd went wild.

Good on Cheadle for his efforts to make the name "Don" great again. His fashion statements didn't land with everyone though. Another notable Don took issue with the latest Saturday Night Live's creative choices.

It's not clear if it was Cheadle that got to him or Alec Baldwin's cold open, or both. Not that it matters. Trump's having a bad Sunday either way. That's a win no matter what.

Topics SNL

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Adam Rosenberg

Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.


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