Alec Baldwin claims 'black people love me' after Donald Trump SNL parody

Comments sparked controversy on social media, with many questioning whether Baldwin had taken on his Trump role 'permanently'

Alec Baldwin says 'black people love me' for role as Donald Trump (Getty Images)

Alec Baldwin has been criticised on social media for claiming "black people love me" after his Saturday Night Live parody of Donald Trump.

The actor discussed his amusing Saturday Night Live role as Donald Trump in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, in which he mused about what the portrayal has meant in real life.

According to Baldwin, ever since he began doing the impression of the president in 2016, which has since won him an Emmy, “black people love me”.

Acknowledging that he doesn’t “know how to say this,” Baldwin prefaced his statement: “I don’t want to get it wrong either, because everything is a minefield of bombs going off, but ever since I played Trump, black people love me.”

The 30 Rock actor continued: “They love me. Everywhere I go, black people go crazy. I think it’s because they’re most afraid of Trump. I’m not going to paint every African-American person with the same brush, but a significant number of them are sitting there going: ‘This is going to be bad for black folks.’”

Baldwin's comments have been met with disbelief and concern by people on social media, who have questioned whether he's taken on his role as President Trump permanently.

"Is he still in character?" one person asked, while another said: "Does he realise he sounds as disgusting as Trump in this quote?"

Others took offence with the actor's suggestion that black people fear the president.

"Afraid of Trump? Really Alec?" one person wrote on Twitter.

Apart from his new "fans," the role, which he described as “this dopey thing I do that took off,” has also encouraged Baldwin to become involved in politics - after he realised that he’s “gotten people through something in our nation’s history.”

In addition to a new ABC talk show The Alec Baldwin Show, set to premiere soon, the 60-year-old has been dedicating his time to backing Democrats ahead of the congressional midterms, including Perry Gershon and Liuba Grechen Shirley, both of whom are running in Long Island where Baldwin grew up.

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As for his desired goal for the elections, Baldwin told THR he’s dreaming of taking down GOP candidate Peter King - because he “exemplifies everything I detest about Congress.”

“Anything you equate with leadership, they don’t have it,” he said.

In regards to his own role in the Trump era as a caricature of the president, Baldwin said he would be returning to the set “for some” but “not a lot” of SNL’s 44th season.

The Alec Baldwin Show will air on 10pm on Sundays beginning October 14.

You can read the full interview here.