Chelsea Handler Talks Politics

The Hollywood Reporter recently caught up with Chelsea Handler to talk politics. Here's what she had to say:

What were your highlights from the first night of the DNC?

"Michelle Obama is always a highlight. The last eight years have been great for this country — from my perspective, anyway. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are people who are thoughtful and have long-term thinking in place and have the right kind of thinking in terms of thinking about the country or the world as a whole. I think a lot of people are so singular in their thinking in about the United States of America that they don’t have a broader scope of things. If you’re going to hang on to something that makes you feel good, I’d like to hang on to those two."

Do you sympathize or identify with Hillary Clinton in terms of being a woman in a vastly male-dominated field?

"I think the time is right. There’s no other better time for a woman to be dominating. Or not even necessarily dominating — but to be of equal measure. Women are making strides every day. We all need to work together. Bernie supporters who are like, “We aren’t going to support Hillary.” Well, really? Then you’re supporting Donald Trump. That’s not an option. He’s not an option. He’s a child that is in love with himself and that is not anything that’s going to be representative to the international community or represented historically."

Are there specific issues that are dear to your heart?

"Obviously, it’s an important election and every one is important. Getting Barack Obama was an amazing moment in history that I think most people will never forget. That was such an amazing experience. Not that I would take credit for getting Obama in the White House, but I think he would probably give me a lot of credit for it.

But not exercising your right to vote is not acceptable. After everything that people went through to get us the right to vote, everything that women sacrificed, after all that has happened historically, it is our duty to get out and vote. To research what is on the ballot every single time we vote. This is our responsibility. There is no excuse to me for not voting."

How has the experience of making your new show changed for you since it began?

"We started May 11 and I got off to a rocky start not having been on TV for a while. So there were a couple weeks where I was like, “What the fuck am I doing?” Then I made the adjustment and was up and running and got the train on the track. And now it’s great. It’s exactly what I wanted to do. I get to talk about all different topics. I get to talk to interview people I’m interested in. I’m glad that I have this responsibility. I feel a lot more adult-like and I’ve definitely stepped up in a way that I haven’t in the past."