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Michael Che of ‘Saturday Night Live’ stands by Boston comment

Michael Che (right) and Colin Jost during Weekend Update on “Saturday Night Live.”Will Heath/NBC/AP

Michael Che, half of the Weekend Update duo on “Saturday Night Live,” had some strong words about Boston — and, of course, President Trump — during an appearance at Boston University Thursday.

Sitting on a stool, Che was relaxed, sometimes pausing mid-sentence to laugh at one of his own jokes. Che told the crowd he stands by a comment he made on “SNL” the night before the Super Bowl: Boston is “the most racist city” he’s ever been to.

Che said he received a lot of angry messages on social media after making the statement, including one from a woman who was particularly upset. But rather than explaining himself, Che said, he responded with this: “Talk to your closest black friend and ask them to explain it to you.” To which she responded: “Touche.”

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Che and his Weekend Update coanchor Colin Jost have been telling Trump jokes for months, so it’s no surprise Che had a lot to say about the president Thursday. He said he actually enjoys Trump, if only for his entertainment value. But Che went on to say it’d be nice if Trump was leading some other country instead of being “our own little slice of crazy.”

Che said he never apologizes for his language or controversial statements because “I’m just trying to be more presidential.”


Lexi Peery can be reached at lexi.peery@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @LexiFP.