Donald Trump has accused director Spike Lee of launching a "racist hit on his president" during his Oscar speech in an early morning Twitter tirade.
America's leader took to social media today to blast the 61-year-old after he called on the audience to "regain our humanity" at the next US election in his acceptance speech for BlacKkKlansman.
In his tweet, Trump advised Lee to "read his notes", writing: "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!"
The filmmaker was accepting the award for Best Adapted Screenplay with co-writers David Rabinowitz, Charlie Wachtel and Kevin Willmott when he urged audiences to "make the moral choice between love versus hate".
"The word today is irony. The date, the 24th," he said. "The month, February, which also happens to be the shortest month of the year. Which also happens to be Black History Month. The year, 2019. The year, 1619. History, herstory. 1619, 2019. 400 years. 400 years our ancestors were stolen from mother Africa and brought to Jamestown, Virginia enslaved. Our ancestors worked the land from can’t-see-at-morning to can’t-see-at-night."
He continued: "My grandmother Zimmie Shelton Reatha, who lived 100 years young, who was a Spellman College graduate even though her mother was a slave. My grandmother who saved 50 years of social security checks to put me through college. She called me Spikey-poo. She put me through Morehouse College and NYU grad film. NYU!
"Before the world tonight, I give praise to my ancestors who built our country, along with the genocide of our native people. We all connect with our ancestors. We will have love, wisdom, we’ll regain our humanity. It will be a powerful moment.
"The 2020 presidential election is around the corner. Let’s all mobilize, let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing! You know I had to get that in there."
He wasn't the only guest to use their time on stage to call out Trump's policies without directly naming him.
"There’s no host, there won’t be a popular movie category, and Mexico is not paying for the wall," said Maya Rudolph in her opening skit alongside Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
In addition, Javier Bardem asserted that there were "no borders or walls that can restrain ingenuity and talent" as he presented the award for Best Foreign-Language Film.
His angering of President Trump wasn't Lee's only controversial moment in the ceremony. He also made headlines when he furiously attempted to storm out of the Dolby Theatre after Green Book won Best Picture.
