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Donald Trump Weighs In on Oscars 2016 Boycott: ‘The Whites Don’t Get’ BET Nominations

Yikes. Donald Trump expressed his opinion on Wednesday, January 20, about celebrities boycotting the 2016 Oscars over the lack of minority nominees — and the presidential hopeful has only riled up more scandal with his latest remarks.

Trump, 69, followed Stacey Dash‘s lead on Fox & Friends, where both guests were asked about the Academy Awards brouhaha. Dash, a Fox contributor, called out Black Entertainment Television (BET) for giving awards largely to black people. “I think it’s ludicrous, because we have to make up our minds,” the Clueless alum, 49, told Steve Doocy. “Either we want to have segregation or integration. If we don’t want segregation, then we need to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards, where you’re only awarded if you’re black. If it were the other way around, we would be up in arms. It’s a double standard.”

Donald Trump
Donald Trump speaks during a Liberty University Convocation in Lynchburg, Virginia on January 18, 2016. Drew Angerer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Related: PHOTOS: Oscars 2016 Best Picture Nominations: See the Complete List

Later in the show, Trump weighed in. “I saw somebody on your show today say, ‘Well, what do we do with BET?'” said the real estate mogul, who called into the program the morning after Sarah Palin endorsed him for president. “The whites don’t get any nominations, and I thought it was an amazing interview, actually. I’ve never even thought of it from that standpoint.”

He continued: “I mean, I’ve watched over the years where African Americans have in fact received Academy Awards and have in fact been represented,” Trump said. “And this is not one of those years, but over the years I’ve seen numerous black actors and African American actors receive awards and I think that’s great. This doesn’t happen to be one of those years. … It’s a difficult situation.”

The Oscars uproar started last Thursday, January 14, after the 2016 nominees were announced and none of the actors represented in the major categories were nonwhite. Host Chris Rock also joked that this year’s show is the “white BET Awards.” Then, on Monday, the situation escalated when both Jada Pinkett Smith and director Spike Lee said they were not attending the show.

Chris Rock
Chris Rock speaks on stage during the 2014 BET Awards at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on June 29, 2014, in Los Angeles. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Related: PHOTOS: Oscar Snubs: Most Overlooked Films, Stars and Shocking Losses in Academy Awards History

In response, Will Smith’s former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air costar Janet Hubert slammed the Concussion actor and his wife in a video message about their reactions to the nominees.

“Maybe you didn’t deserve a nomination,” Hubert, 60, who played Aunt Vivian on the sitcom from 1990 to 1993, said to the actor. “I didn’t think, frankly, you deserved a Golden Globe nomination. … Y’all need to get over yourselves. … You are a part of Hollywood. You are a part of the system that is unfair to other actors.” 

The 2016 Oscars will air on Sunday, February 28, at 7 p.m. EST on ABC. Watch the video above for more details about the controversy.

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