Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

The Daily Show stops the jokes to talk Trump: “this is the scariest shit I have ever come across”

On the eve of Election Day, Trevor Noah follows Jon Stewart’s tradition of serious talk during serious times.

On his final show before Election Day, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah switched to a serious tone to talk about the possibility of President Donald Trump.

“We spend a lot of time writing jokes on the show, thinking of the funniest way to share the news and talk to you, but honestly, for this segment I just wanted to be straight-up,” Noah said. “I see people online, I see people on TV, I hear people in the streets talking about how they don’t feel like they want to vote. And I understand that. It’s not always exciting to vote. Some people go, ‘Hey, there’s no need to vote, Hillary’s up in the polls.’ Now if you are one of those people, I would urge you to reconsider.”

Noah pointed out that Hillary Clinton was up 20 points in Michigan during the Democratic primaries — only for Bernie Sanders to pull off a stunning upset. Although it’s unlikely, something similar, Noah argued, could happen with the general election polls, which are much closer than Michigan was.

Noah argued now is simply not the time to take it easy, because the possibility of Trump becoming president is too terrifying.

“This is not one of the times to rest,” Noah said. “And the most important reason I say that to you is because the people on Donald Trump’s side are really, really enthusiastic voters. He has the KKK voting for him. Like, if ever there was a reason to vote, it’s because on the other side the KKK sees an opportunity to come back into the mainstream. That is the scariest shit I have ever come across in my life.”

He added, “Even if Hillary is a bad president, America has had bad presidents. You can impeach a bad president. You can vote out a bad president. You’ve never had a Donald Trump. Nobody’s had a Donald Trump. No one even knows what that thing is. People go, ‘He’s an outsider. He’s not in the establishment.’ Yeah, he’s not part of the human race establishment. We don’t know what that is.

“And so I urge you to go out and vote. Do not be in a situation where you lose your democracy before you appreciate it.”


Watch: This election isn’t just Democrat vs. Republican. It’s normal vs. abnormal.

More in Politics

Politics
The real reason Americans hate the economy so muchThe real reason Americans hate the economy so much
Politics

Did decades of low inflation make the public far more unforgiving when it finally did surge?

By Andrew Prokop
Podcasts
The Supreme Court abortion pills case, explainedThe Supreme Court abortion pills case, explained
Podcast
Podcasts

How Louisiana brought mifepristone back to SCOTUS.

By Peter Balonon-Rosen and Sean Rameswaram
Politics
Trump’s China policy is nearly the exact opposite of what everyone expectedTrump’s China policy is nearly the exact opposite of what everyone expected
Politics

As Trump heads to China, attention and resources are being shifted from Asia to yet another war in the Middle East.

By Joshua Keating
Politics
Are far-right politics just the new normal?Are far-right politics just the new normal?
Politics

Liberals are preparing for a longer war with right-wing populists than they once expected.

By Zack Beauchamp
The Logoff
Flavored vapes doomed Trump’s FDA headFlavored vapes doomed Trump’s FDA head
The Logoff

Why Marty Makary is out at the FDA, briefly explained.

By Cameron Peters
Politics
Virginia Democrats’ irresponsible new plan to save their gerrymanderVirginia Democrats’ irresponsible new plan to save their gerrymander
Politics

Democrats just handed the Supreme Court’s Republicans a loaded weapon.

By Ian Millhiser