Trevor Noah: Why Trump's Antics Remind Him of Home
*By Max Godnick*
Late-night talk show hosts regularly express their [shock] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrKUewEzOxM) and [outrage] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDQ0f4n9aAo) over President Trump's latest antics.
Not Trevor Noah, the host of "The Daily Show."
"If you come from the African continent or the Middle East, Donald Trump is all too familiar," said Noah, who is from South Africa. "What he's doing is completely reminiscent of home. Michael Cohen getting payments from corporations in exchange for access to he presidency is African politics 101."
Noah's rise on "The Daily Show" coincides with Trump's political ascent. Noah took over from Jon Stewart as host of the long-running Comedy Central talk show in September 2015, three months after Trump announced his presidential campaign.
"Donald Trump has given the show a focus," Noah said in an interview with Cheddar's Baker Machado. "We are going through something together, so for better or worse, 'The Daily Show' is here to explore that."
He credits his diverse team of "Daily Show" correspondents, including Hasan Minhaj, Desi Lydic, and Ronny Chieng, with being able to mine the Trump administration for humor in a way that other late-night shows won't or can't.
Before Trump's election, Noah said there was a "certain level of complacency." Since Trump took office, the White House's policies and actions have inspired a collective awakening in political engagement.
"People are protesting, people are marching, people are engaging, people are running for office in ways that they never were before," Noah said.
Over the years, appearing on "The Daily Show" has become a rite of passage for politicians from both parties. Barack Obama granted interviews to [Stewart] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L88H2HWEXrw) and [Noah] (http://www.cc.com/video-clips/zwlq5r/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-exclusive---barack-obama-full-interview). [John McCain] (http://www.cc.com/video-clips/2fkvld/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-john-mccain-pt--1) sat down with Stewart at the height of the 2008 campaign.
But, Noah is not surprised or bothered that Trump has steered clear of the late-night circuit.
"If this is a president who won't go to California, then how can I be angry that he won't come to 'The Daily Show?'"
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/why-trevor-noah-feels-at-home-in-trumps-america).
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