Appearing on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers on Wednesday, aired early Thursday morning, Daily Show host Trevor Noah proceeded to compare President Trump to a killer asteroid hurtling toward Earth, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, and fictional monster Godzilla.
Early in the interview, Meyers fretted: “...it’s scary, obviously a lot of people are scared by Trump, but you do – you see some humor in it, as well.” Noah replied: “Like, a person is less frightening when you are laughing....On the one hand, I am terrified at the notion that he’s the president of the most powerful nation in the world. On the other hand, I know that I’m going to wake up and he’s going to make me laugh.”
The left-wing comedian then provided this graphic analogy: “I like to think of it like Donald Trump is basically – he’s an asteroid headed towards the Earth. And it’s an asteroid, but it’s shaped like a penis.” As the audience laughed and applauded, Meyers gushed: “That’s a very good way of putting it, yeah.”
Minutes later, Noah observed: “I do feel when traveling home to South Africa and to many countries, people almost enjoy that America’s going through Donald Trump.” He declared: “Like your president is basically like your dad, the dad of your country.... But then your new dad is Donald Trump and then Africans are, ‘Yeah, yeah, I mean there’s AIDS, but you guys got Donald Trump.’” “It balances out,” he added.
Wrapping up his Trump bashing, Noah proclaimed:
What’s fun is finding how people relate to Donald Trump, you know what I mean? Everyone has a different connection to him, everyone has a different idea of him. So you get to a country, and you’re like, “What’s your view on Donald Trump?” And then they tell you and you’re like, “Oh, this is a new way to see the same person.” You know what I mean? It’s like, “How do you see Godzilla, from the front or the back?"
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Here are excerpts of the September 7 exchange:
12:54 AM ET
(...)
SETH MEYERS: And there is – it’s scary, obviously a lot of people are scared by Trump, but you do – you see some humor in it, as well.
TREVOR NOAH: Well, here’s the tough thing. You know, people say to me, they go like, “Why would you guys laugh?” Why would you – two things, first of all, I’ve had the, you know, the pleasure and I guess I've been blessed enough to travel the world, see many countries. There are many countries I’ve been to where people don’t have free speech and one of biggest things that an authoritarian leader tries to remove from you is the ability to make jokes about them. You know, in South Africa you couldn’t tell jokes about the government during Apartheid and that's something that I cherish. Like, a person is less frightening when you are laughing. It doesn't diminish what they do, but it’s how we cope with these situations.
And so for me, you know, when I look at Donald Trump I go, he is a paradox for me emotionally. On the one hand, I am terrified at the notion that he’s the president of the most powerful nation in the world. On the other hand, I know that I’m going to wake up and he’s going to make me laugh. Like the two things, they co-exist.
[LAUGHTER]
MEYERS: Yeah.
NOAH: They co-exist.
[APPLAUSE]
NOAH: So, like, this is the way I put it. This is the way – I like to think of it like this. I like to think of it like Donald Trump is basically – he’s an asteroid headed towards the Earth. And it’s an asteroid, but it’s shaped like a penis.
[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
MEYERS: That’s a very good way of putting it, yeah.
(...)
1:01 AM ET
NOAH: I do feel when traveling home to South Africa and to many countries, people almost enjoy that America’s going through Donald Trump.
MEYERS: Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
NOAH: Like, I know it’s – but not in like a bad – not for the country, just for the idea. Because you must remember, America for a long time, has been the coolest kid and like just the richest kid in the world.
MEYERS: The only thing most people in the world have had over America is the presidents. So, when it was George Bush, people were like, “You got everything, but ha-ha.”
MEYERS: Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
NOAH: You get what I’m saying. And then Obama comes and then it’s like, “Well, this is not fair now.”
MEYERS: Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
NOAH: Like your president is basically like your dad, the dad of your country. And so your dad’s got to be quirky and funny, your friends make fun of you. Right, because you’re rich.
MEYERS: Yeah.
NOAH: And you’re famous. And then your dad is like this cool black guy who hangs out with rappers. We can’t make jokes about you. But then your new dad is Donald Trump and then Africans are, “Yeah, yeah, I mean there’s AIDS, but you guys got Donald Trump.”
[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
It balances out.
(...)
1:06 AM ET
NOAH: What’s fun is finding how people relate to Donald Trump, you know what I mean? Everyone has a different connection to him, everyone has a different idea of him. So you get to a country, and you’re like, “What’s your view on Donald Trump?” And then they tell you and you’re like, “Oh, this is a new way to see the same person.” You know what I mean? It’s like, “How do you see Godzilla, from the front or the back?"
MEYERS: Right.
[LAUGHTER]
(...)
