The Daily Show loves to hold politicians to account, speak truth to power. Right? Well, maybe if you’re a Republican. On Thursday, host Trevor Noah gushed over Hillary Clinton, wondering if the Democrat ever gets tired of all the “cheering” wherever she goes. Instead of hard-hitting satire, he offered this: “Does this ever get, like, tired, just walking around and people cheering for you when you walk into rooms?”
This was too much even for Clinton as she demurred. But Noah wouldn’t back down, hyping:
I’ve watched videos of you walking into restaurants together as a family. I’ve seen you walking in alone, there seems to be a feeling where you walk around the country and people go, it’s a little bit like “Oooh,” but it’s also “Yay!” That’s a cool feeling. I mean, it’s not the presidency, but it’s a cool consolation prize, right?
Talking to the former 2016 candidate and Chelsea Clinton, the host joked about her “killing Jeffrey Epstein.” He offered this softball: “What does it feel like being the boogeyman of the right?”
I have to ask you a question that has been plaguing me for a while. How did you kill Jeffrey Epstein? Because you're not in power but you have all the power. I really need to understand how you do what you do, because you seem to be behind everything nefarious, and yet you didn't use it to become president. What is the game plan?... What does it feel like being the boogeyman of the right?
Noah wondered if the country has come far enough for equality:
And now you have a plethora of women, you have six in the [2020] race, and you've seen how many women participated in the race in midterms and won as well. Do you feel like we are noticing a shift in society that is positively moving us to a place where there is equality? Not there yet, but just moving us there in that direction?
Finally, at the very end, came an attempt at an actual question:
How would you respond to a Trump supporter if they took the time to listen to you and said, “Hillary, I don't think it's fair that Trump is going to be impeached for getting information from Ukraine when your team engaged in Russian information through, you know, the team that worked on that side on the Steele Dossier." How do you respond to that person when they say you engaged on foreign information on a political rival. Trump did the same, what's the difference?
A partial transcript is below:
The Daily Show
10/31/19
11:17
TREVOR NOAH: Welcome back to The Daily Show. My guest tonight are two remarkable women who, together, have written a book called "The book of gutsy women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience. Please welcome former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton. Welcome back to the show. Does this ever get, like, tired, just walking around and people cheering for you when you walk into rooms?
...
HILLARY CLINTON: It is Halloween night so I think it's Halloween night so there's a lot of energy in the air.
NOAH: No, I think you get this — I’ve watched videos of you walking into restaurants together as a family. I’ve seen you walking in alone, there seems to be a feeling where you walk around the country and people go, it’s a little bit like “Oooh,” but it’s also “Yay!” That’s a cool feeling. I mean, it’s not the presidency, but it’s a cool consolation prize, right?
HILLARY CLINTON: Yeah, that’s true. It does make up for it a little bit.
...
NOAH: It's interesting, Chelsea, because you've said there was a time in your life when you watched your mom running for president and there were more women in space than running for president.
CLINTON: Two.
NOAH: And now you have a plethora of women, you have six in the race, and you've seen how many women participated in the race in midterms and won as well. Do you feel like we are noticing a shift in society that is positively moving us to a place where there is equality? Not there yet, but just moving us there in that direction?
...
1126
NOAH: We can back to The Daily Show. We're joined by secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton who co-wrote the book of The Book of Gutsy Women. Hillary, I have to ask you a question that has been plaguing me for a while. How did you kill Jeffrey Epstein? Because you're not in power but you have all the power. I really need to understand how you do what you do, because you seem to be behind everything nefarious, and yet you didn't use it to become president. What is the game plan?... What does it feel like being the boogeyman of the right?
11:30
NOAH: How would you respond to a Trump supporter if they took the time to listen to you and said, “Hillary, I don't think it's fair that Trump is going to be impeached for getting information from Ukraine when your team engaged in Russian information through, you know, the team that worked on that side on the Steele dossier. How do you respond to that person when they say you engaged on foreign information on a political rival.” Trump did the same, what's the difference?
