Seeking to crack a few jokes and draw a moral equivalency and lump together Islamophobia and liberal stereotypes of conservatives, Tuesday’s Daily Show featured host Trevor Noah and correspondent Hasan Minhaj quipping that “Donald Trump is white ISIS” and, because of that, we "should not allow any conservatives into the White House."
Referring to Trump’s call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, Minhaj observed that Trump’s become “an extremist leader who came out of nowhere” by being “self-financed, recruits through social media, attracts his followers with a radical ideology to take over the world and is actively trying to promote a war between Islam and the West.”
It was at that moment Noah burst out screaming to thunderous applause from the audience: “Oh, my god, Hasan — he's white ISIS!” Piggybacking on that analyogy, Minhaj added: “That's right, Trevor! Donald Trump is white ISIS! WhISIS!”
Noah asked Minhaj what exactly the best plan would be to address “WhISIS” and the Daily Show contributor mocked those questioning the motivations of Muslims by projecting those questions on conservatives: “Where are all the moderate white conservatives? I mean, come on! They've got a responsibility to step up and speak out against WhISIS is because I'm sick of this!”
After Noah showed a few clips of those on the right who have widely criticized Trump’s Muslim ban, Minhaj admitted that he was unconvinced:
I don't know, Trevor, I don't buy it. I still don't feel safe. So, look, I know there is a lot of nuance to the situation and every conservative is not the same, I know. But it's just easier on my brain to be irrationally afraid of an entire group of people! [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] So, until we can figure out what's going on here, I, Hasan J. Minhaj, say we should not allow any conservatives into the White House!
One of the most notable ploys used by former host Jon Stewart to smear conservatives was trying to draw moral equivalences between various causes and paint conservatives arguments and principles as straw men. Needless to say, it appears as though that’s continuing under Trevor Noah.
The relevant portion of the transcript from Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on December 8 can be found below.
Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
December 8, 2015
11:07 p.m. EasternHASAN MINHAJ: But, I have a second theory, and I think this is where the evidence points. Donald Trump is an extremist leader who came out of nowhere. He’s self-financed, recruits through social media, attracts his followers with a radical ideology to take over the world and is actively trying to promote a war between Islam and the West!
TREVOR NOAH: Oh, my god, Hasan — he's white ISIS! [APPLAUSE]
MINHAJ: That's right, Trevor! Donald Trump is white ISIS! WhISIS!
NOAH: That's catchy. I like that. The big question is what do we do to combat WhISIS?
MINHAJ: Very simple. Can I be real, Trevor?
NOAH: Be real. Just be you, man. Be real.
MINHAJ: Where are all the moderate white conservatives? I mean, come on! They've got a responsibility to step up and speak out against WhISIS is because I'm sick of this!
NOAH: Yeah, but Hasan, in fairness, conservatives have already spoken out against Trump. Here it is.
CBS’s MAJOR GARRETT: Jeb Bush called it “unhinged.” Chris Christie “ridiculous,” John Kasich “divisive,” Marco Rubio “offensive.”
CARLY FIORINA [on FNC’s The O’Reilly Factor, 12/07/15]: We're now going to violate the constitutional rights of citizens because of Donald Trump? I don't think so.
SPEAKER PAUL RYAN: I do not comment on what's going on in the presidential election. I will take an exception today. [SCREEN WIPE] This is not conservatism, [SCREEN WIPE] not what this party stands for [SCREEN WIPE] and, more importantly, it's not what this country stands for.
NOAH: You say, Hasan, conservatives don't stand behind Wh-ISIS.
MINHAJ: I don't know, Trevor, I don't buy it. I still don't feel safe. So, look, I know there is a lot of nuance to the situation and every conservative is not the same, I know. But it's just easier on my brain to be irrationally afraid of an entire group of people! [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] So, until we can figure out what's going on here, I, Hasan J. Minhaj, say we should not allow any conservatives into the White House!
NOAH: Thank you, Hasan!
