Rob Schneider Dragged Over MAGA Event Speech

Rob Schneider is facing criticism and derision on social media after delivering a speech geared toward MAGA (Make America Great) supporters about the state of the U.S. as he sees it.

The actor and comedian was one of a number of conservative public figures who last weekend made an appearance at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, a four-day event taking place until December 20 in Phoenix, Arizona, that the group has billed “the largest celebration of our constitutional rights and freedoms.”

During his speech, the Saturday Night Live alum introduced himself to the crowd as “a traditional liberal, which apparently makes me a right-winger these days. Traditional liberalism, women’s rights, gay rights, civil rights, not judging the person by the color of their skin, free speech, these are now conservative values.”

Taking aim at transgender people, he went on: “So much has changed so rapidly. It’s only been a couple of years since we’ve learned that women could have d****.” The comment raised laughs from the crowd gathered at the event.

The Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo star also said that he “just got back from an LGBTQ+ rally for Hamas. I invited them all to a KKK [Ku Klux Klan] rally for Black Lives Matter and then to an underage minors’ fundraiser for pedophiles.”

Later in his speech, the outspoken conservative also told the audience that if he “had a dime for every gender, I would have 20 cents.”

In his wide-ranging speech on social and political issues in the U.S. and California, Schneider said that the Golden State paying slavery reparations was akin to “paying child support for a child you never had to a woman you never f*****.”

While those elements of Schneider’s speech appeared to largely escape much scrutiny on social media, his comments about those who he saw as trying to silence others they disagreed with sparked a reaction online.

“When you don’t have ideas worth defending, when your argument lacks logic and rational thinking, you yell, shout down and demonize your opponent,” he told the crowd, in reference to the “illiberal liberals” running U.S. universities.

“Instead of having the opportunity to improve your understanding and your foundational thinking by allowing it to be questioned and challenged you add nothing to knowledge by silencing those who disagree with you. It is the poorest form of debate,” he added.

Footage of part of the speech was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Ron Filipkowski, editor-in-chief of media outlet MeidasTouch. He wrote: “I wasn’t sure how Charlie Kirk was going to be able to get an A-list celebrity to top Roseanne Barr on Day 1, but somehow he pulled it off.”

The clip sparked a strong reaction from X users, one of whom wrote: “So they’re up there just yelping about how the other side is silencing them by not letting them disagree while they don’t have anyone from the other side up there to debate? Do I have this right?”

“Who’s getting silenced? Dude is on a stage with a microphone,” one detractor quipped, while another asked: “Um… is this a parody?”

“Imagine thinking that listening to MAGAs call everything woke and cultural Marxism improves ones ‘foundational thinking,'” another chimed in. “No thanks, Deuce Bigalow.”

Others mocked Schneider having been booked to speak at the event in the first place, with one commenting: “Rob’s ‘career’ was dead. MAGA was his only hope.”

Podcast host Joanne Carducci, better known as JoJoFromJerz, asked: “Serious question—does anyone under the age of 35 even know who Rob Schneider is?”

“Does anyone over 36 remember who he is?” read one response to Carducci.

“The MAGA party: Where comedy careers go to die,” said one detractor, with another branding AmericaFest a “has been convention.”

While many X users took swipes at Schneider, a number showed support for the comedian, including Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Sharing a clip of part of Schneider’s speech, Kirk added a flame emoji to show his support.

“This speech make me feel so good inside, thank you Rob Schneider,” said one X user in response to the clip.

“Comedy speaks truth. Mostly,” wrote another. “Excellent talent Rob Schneider is.”

“Schneider has been telling the truth for conservatives through his comedy,” another commented. “He reaches many and that’s a good thing.”

“When you are firm in your beliefs, you’re willing to debate anyone,” said another. “Jesus never stopped someone from speaking their mind.”

Schneider’s comments on those who “demonize” others with opposing views, came as he discussed “a threat to freedom that is not just coming from government. But the threat is from non-elected plutocrats who run social media empires.”

“They now have the power to decide what speech is allowed and who is allowed to say it,” he went on. “These companies who now employ fact-checking social justice warriors, who act on behalf of these left-leaning multi-billion dollar companies, who profit from selling our data to advertisers. They care nothing about speech that doesn’t agree with them. They aren’t and can never be our moral stewards.”

“I have faith in America, but make no mistake—our institutions are under assault,” he continued. “Our universities have been captured. Illiberal liberals who no longer teach students how to think critically, but rather they teach them to be advocates for an illiberal agenda that doesn’t seek the truth, it seeks only power.”

After touching upon a number of other subjects, including his Christian faith, Schneider used the closing moments of his speech to ask attendees to watch his 2022 movie Daddy Daughter Trip.

Comedian Roseanne Barr’s speech at AmericaFest over the weekend, during which she predicated that she would be placed “in a gulag” should Donald Trump fail in his bid for reelection at next year’s presidential election, also became a social media talking point.