Ellen DeGeneres Slams Immigration Ban, Responds to ‘Finding Dory’ White House Screening
Ellen DeGeneres didn't dance around the issue of Donald Trump's immigration ban on her talk show this week.
Joining a list of stars who are against the ban, including Sia, Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, the comedian addressed the controversial executive order signed into action by the business tycoon on Friday (January 27)—a day before, amidst a number of nationwide airport protests, the president and his family reportedly took in a screening of Finding Dory at the White House.
"If you haven’t heard, this is what happened over the weekend on Friday. The President gave an order banning people from seven countries from entering the United States, including people with green cards. Then on Saturday, the President screened Finding Dory at the White House," DeGeneres, who lends her voice to the titular Disney character, explained to her audience. "I don’t get political, but I will say that I am against one of those two things."
While the lighthearted talk show host didn't dive too much deeper into specific politics, she did illuminate the irony of Trump's film of choice by drawing a parallel between Dory's story and that of a refugee, or someone who has been marginalized and separated from her family.
"Finding Dory is about a fish named Dory. Dory lives in Australia and these are her parents, and they live in America. And I don’t know what religion they are, but her dad sounds a little Jewish. It doesn't matter," she shared, adding, "Dory arrives in America with her friends Marlin and Nemo. She ends up at the Marine Life Institute behind a large wall. They all have to get over the wall and you won’t believe it, but that wall has almost no effect in keeping them out."
"Even though Dory gets into America, she ends up separated from her family, but the other animals help Dory. Animals that don’t even need her. Animals that don't have anything in common with her," she continued. "They help her, even though they’re completely different colors. Because that’s what you do when you see someone in need — you help them."
The LGBT icon concluded by hoping that everyone who watches the Disney-Pixar film will open their hearts to the lessons Dory teaches, before joking that viewers can "tune in next week when I explain women's rights [while] talking about the movie Mr. Wrong!"
Watch a clip of her monologue, airing Tuesday (January 31), below:
Celebrities Against Trump's Immigration Ban: