As The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah put it on Tuesday night, Democrats “would rather release Obama’s original Kenyan birth certificate” than give Donald Trump the money he wants for his border wall. That’s why the president’s impromptu public meeting with Democratic leaders turned into an “absolute mess.”
Noah had a lot to unpack from the dramatic display, from Chuck Schumer turning to the camera to crack jokes about Trump like he was Jim from The Office to Mike Pence sitting “motionless” in the background “like a guy whose edibles just kicked in.”
“Honestly, watching these three go at it for 20 minutes,” he said of Trump, Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, “it felt like being in the TV room of a nursing home with just old people fighting.”
“Needless to say, no politician wants to take the blame for a government shutdown,” Noah added later. “But Donald Trump is not a politician. Donald Trump is a moron.”
As the president told Schumer at the end of the televised meeting, “I am proud to shut down the government for border security. I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I’m not going to blame you for it.”
“Do you realize how monumental this moment is?” Noah asked. “Donald Trump just agreed to take blame for something. This is the same guy who keeps Mike Pence around just to blame farts on.”
The host said he’s “proud” of Trump, “because taking blame shows some personal growth on his part.” Although, he added, “if we’re being honest, he probably just thinks that if the government shuts down there will be nobody there to impeach him.”