Lee Daniels Says People Got My 'White People' Comment all Wrong

Lee Daniels was super introspective Friday night when he elaborated on a comment that triggered a lot of hate ... "I wanted white people to feel good about being white people because right now, there's a lot of hatred going on."

We got Lee leaving Estrella restrauant on the Sunset Strip when he explained his comment. It's not a "pro-white" thing ... it's much deeper.