In an interview with Comedy Central's Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore on Friday's CBS This Morning, co-host Gayle King wondered if the controversy swirling around newly-named Daily Show host Trevor Noah was racially motivated: "So keep it a hundred about Trevor Noah....do you think this would have happened if he was white?...Because first he's, you know, 'Trevor Noah, Trevor Noah,' and then there's this controversy about his tweets."
Wilmore rejected the notion: "Gayle, let's be clear, the young Jon Stewart would have difficulty following the present-day Jon Stewart. Anybody would have had difficulty, you know? And of course people don't know who Trevor is. I haven't even met Trevor yet."
Moments later, Wilmore added: "But anyone's gonna have a tough time following Jon. Because people don't know him [Noah] you have to try to paint a picture of him so people are using, you know, whatever they have. But I think once he's doing the show, you know, I think some of those things will go away."
Noah, who once joked that the United States was worse than Apartheid South Africa, was also criticized for a series of anti-Semitic tweets. The networks rushed to defend the left-wing comedian after the controversy erupted.
Earlier in the exchange on This Morning, King praised Wilmore for his willingness to push racial issues: "Larry, what's so exciting about your show, so many people are afraid to talk about race and you go all the way in."
Wilmore replied: "Yes, that's true. Well, it is that third rail. You know, it is a conversation. People say they want to have that dialogue....Why not just start talking and have people, you know, come in and join it and it's fun, too. You can have fun and still have the conversation at the same time."
At the end of segment, King also touted that Wilmore's "dream interview" would be Pope Francis. Wilmore explained: "Well, I'm Catholic and I think the Pope is one of the most fascinating persons of our day."
After fellow co-host Charlie Rose asked what questions Wilmore would pose to the Pontiff, the fake news host replied: "Should priests get married? I think is an important question....I think they should."
Here are excerpts of the April 10 exchange:
8:34 AM ET
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GAYLE KING: Larry, what's so exciting about your show, so many people are afraid to talk about race and you go all the way in. All the way in, my beige brother, why?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: World of Wilmore; Nightly Show Host on Comedy & Juggling Controversy]
LARRY WILMORE: Yes, that's true. Well, it is that third rail. You know, it is a conversation. People say they want to have that dialogue. And you know, I always feel, well, dialogue is just one theatrical convention. Why not have a soliloquy first, you know? Why not just start talking and have people, you know, come in and join it and it's fun, too. You can have fun and still have the conversation at the same time.
KING: Yes. Yes you can.
(...)
WILMORE: Thank God I had Jon Stewart, who's – it was his idea to do the show in the first place. And he wanted to do a show to give a platform to voices that don't always get to be heard and take the point of the view of the underdog. And the underdog can take on any form. It can be race, class, gender, it could be ideological. It could be all sorts of things.
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KING: I thought this was interesting, you grew up watching Walter Cronkite.
WILMORE: Yes.
KING: So we're sitting in the studio where Walter Cronkite's map is.
NORAH O'DONNELL: That's it, right here.
KING: And when you won a Peabody, when you won a Peabody, Walter Cronkite presented it to you. What was that like for you?
WILMORE: One of the highlights of my career. I was a news junkie, Walter Cronkite's one of my heroes. I couldn't believe he gave me the award. And then of course I had to do an impression of him when he gave it to me.
KING: Let's hear it.
WILMORE: And I made – I said, you know, I never imagined Walter Cronkite would say my name. You know, in my wildest dreams it would be "Larry Wilmore was arrested yesterday." And I always wanted to be an astronaut. You know, I thought it would be, "Astronaut Larry Wilmore blasted off yesterday." Or maybe it would be, "Former astronaut Larry Wilmore was arrested yesterday." You know, it was a silly thing, but he laughed and it was fun. And it was just an honor for all of that.
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O'DONNELL: How much news do you consume? What do you watch?
WILMORE: I consume a ridiculous amount of news. I consume way too much than the average person should, you know? I need to watch.
O'DONNELL: Because it's the heart of what you do.
WILMORE: Exactly.
O'DONNELL: I mean, you know, the comedy.
WILMORE: But I'm interested in it, too. I do like it a lot. But I watch mainly news and sports. So that's me.
O'DONNELL: Any shows in particular?
KING: What's you're morning show?
WILMORE: My morning show is this one right here. I have to tell you, though, I switched to this show. I like you guys a lot. You guys keep it real here.
O'DONNELL: Who'd you switch from?
WILMORE: I switched from-
KING: We're going to take a break and come with more. Larry, can you stay? Can you stay?
WILMORE: Oh, of course. Are you kidding me? I have other people watching your show now, too.
KING: We'll be right back.
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KING: Let's talk about your Keepin' it 100 segment because I love that. Because you put people on the spot where you say, "I want you to answer this question." So keep it a hundred about Trevor Noah.
WILMORE: Keep it a hundred? Okay. What do you want to know?
KING: Yeah, I'm asking you, do you think this would have happened if he was white?
WILMORE: If what would have happened?
KING: Well, the controversy.
WILMORE: Would he have gotten a late-night job? Yes, that would have happened if he were white. Very difficult Keep it 100 question you're asking me here.
KING: Alright, Larry, okay. Fair enough, fair enough. The criticism.
CHARLIE ROSE: Might have had a chance.
KING: Because first he's, you know, Trevor Noah, Trevor Noah and then there's this controversy about his tweets.
WILMORE: Gayle, let's be clear, the young Jon Stewart would have difficultly following the present-day Jon Stewart. Anybody would have had difficulty, you know? And of course people don't know who Trevor is. I haven't even met Trevor yet.
KING: Do you know him?
WILMORE: No, I haven't even met him yet.
KING: But all black people know each other.
WILMORE: Well, but not South African brothers. Because it's that time difference.
KING: I got you.
WILMORE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So once you cut out the time difference, I probably do know him. But you know, because of that time line.
But anyone's gonna have a tough time following Jon. Because people don't know him you have to try to paint a picture of him so people are using, you know, whatever they have. But I think once he's doing the show, you know, I think some of those things will go away.
KING: And his dream interview, guys, is the Pope.
WILMORE: It is the Pope.
KING: Because?
WILMORE: Well, I'm Catholic and I think the Pope is one of the most fascinating persons of our day.
KING: We all do.
ROSE: So what would you ask him first?
WILMORE: That's a really good question. Should popes get married – I mean, should popes get married, yeah, absolutely – should priests get married? I think is an important question and – I don't know what I would ask him second. But I-
O'DONNELL: That suggests you have an opinion on that as a Catholic.
WILMORE: I think they should.
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