Randy Rainbow Addresses His Own Twitter Controversy in New Video

Comedian Randy Rainbow released a new video Sunday that addresses his Twitter scandal, urges people to vote out Donald Trump, and raises money for a voting rights nonprofit.

Rainbow faced backlash after tweets of his from 2010 and 2011 surfaced, which included jokes targeting trans people and Black people and drew on offensive stereotypes. After much criticism online, Rainbow apologized, telling The Advocate, "In light of issues that are now at the forefront, which I'm passionate about and have spoken up about over the years, these tweets just sound racist and awful. I'm embarrassed by them. They make me sick to my stomach, in fact, and I deeply apologize to anyone I offended."

His new video -- somewhat oddly set to the tune of Peter Pan's "I Won't Grow Up" -- is called "I Won't Vote Trump!" and begins with one of his usual (fake) sit-downs with the president. Describing Trump's recently drain-circling campaign and his increasingly desperate attempts to justify a second term, Rainbow says, "Listen, I get it. I was once an aspiring comedian just like you. I posted offensive things for shock value -- the difference was I was doing it satirically; using irony and exaggeration to point out absurdities. Saying and doing things through a persona I wasn't actually saying and doing ... I changed my act when I realized there were actually awful things being said and done by actual awful people -- just like you.

"Once I had an actual platform I vowed I would only use it for good. Aren't I great? With November so close there's one more vow I've taken. Would you like to hear it?"

Cue the music and the message to send Trump packing.

The video also serves as a fundraiser, with Rainbow collecting donations for HeadCount, "a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy."