Trump knocks Spike Lee over ‘racist hit on your president’ in director’s Oscars speech

President Trump on Monday lashed out at Spike Lee after the director used his acceptance speech at the Academy Awards to urge viewers and attendees to choose “love versus hate” in the 2020 election.

“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!” Trump tweeted.

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

Lee, who won the Oscar for best adapted screenplay for his work on “BlacKkKlansman,” did not explicitly mention Trump in his acceptance speech on Sunday night. 

{mosads}He praised “our ancestors who helped build this country” after invoking the history of slavery and thanked his grandmother, who helped put him through college.

“The 2020 presidential election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize,” Lee said to cheers. “Let’s all be in the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate.”

“Let’s do the right thing!” said Lee, a reference to the name of his 1989 film of the same name.

Trump has drawn repeated criticism for his rhetoric toward minority groups, with some progressive lawmakers and critics labeling him racist.

He has reportedly referred to Haiti, El Salvador and some African nations as “shithole countries”; he said “both sides” were to blame for violence at the 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va.; and for many years he pushed the false “birther” conspiracy theory that former President Obama was not born in the U.S.

Footage of the 2017 white nationalist rally appears in “BlacKkKlansman.”

In response to criticism over his handling of race issues, Trump often touts historically low unemployment numbers for African-Americans, Hispanics and other minority groups.