'Daily Show's' Trevor Noah Delivers Passionate Defense of John Fetterman
By: Matt Wilstein (The Daily Beast)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
'LET'S BE REAL'
The "Daily Show" host went off on anyone who is using Fetterman's ongoing stroke recovery to suggest that "people with disabilities can't be lawmakers."
Matt Wilstein
Senior Writer
Updated Oct. 13, 2022 4:46AM ET / Published Oct. 12, 2022 11:26PM ET
Comedy Central
On The Daily Show Wednesday night, Trevor Noah took on the John Fetterman interview that "has everyone talking" this week. And he made it very clear where he stands on the Democratic Senate candidate's ability to serve the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania despite still not having fully recovered from his stroke.
After playing an extended clip from the NBC News interview, in which Fetterman was open about the need to use a live closed captioning system to read the questions as the reporter was asking them and could be seen stumbling over the word "empathetic," Noah addressed those on the right—and elsewhere—who are saying this means he's "not fit" for the Senate.
While he understands that political figures will "jump on any weakness" of their opponent, Noah said, "Let's be real, people: If stumbling over a word every now and again disqualified you from politics, America wouldn't have had a president for the past six years." And while Fetterman stopped to correct himself, the host joked that Biden "wouldn't have noticed" and Trump "would have tried to convince us that he got the word right."
Noah also didn't find Fetterman's need to read captions a "deal breaker," saying, "I think America needs more people in politics who actually know how to read," as photos of Marjorie Taylor Greene and Herschel Walker appeared on the screen.
But the host's most impassioned argument came when he explored what the "questions" about Fetterman's health say about America's attitude toward disabilities more broadly.
"I'm not vouching for Fetterman over Dr. Oz or anything like that," he insisted, "but I do think that this whole debate is veering into the territory of saying that people with disabilities can't be lawmakers, which is trash."
And that is especially true, Noah added, because America has disabled lawmakers in Congress right now, pointing to both Republicans like Dan Crenshaw, who lost an eye, and Democrats like Tammy Duckworth, who lost both of her legs. "And Mitch McConnell, who's literally melting all the time," he joked. "But has he let that hold him back? No!"
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relevant segment starts at 4:20
Hey Trevor; why don't you dress in a black sweats with a hoodie pulled tight over your head; and run past Fetterman's house and see what happens? It didn't work out too well last time.
Fetterman is wrong on the economy; wrong on crime; and wrong on oil/energy. He is also a trust fund baby poser that never paid for anything until late in his 40's. Those are the reasons he is being opposed. His health is just a side bar issue.
It is funny how being physically able to do the job disappears when it is a Democrat in question- like Brandon or Fetterman. But I remember more than a few leftists calling for Trump's removal for dementia.
Funny how Trevor was silent for all of that.
I’m all for casual but his propensity towards black hoodies is disturbing on several levels. First, he can’t be bothered to put on a suit and tie. And second, what message is he trying to send? That he’s a slob, that he’s a hood, etc, etc it’s just a bad look for a person running to be a US Senator.
What’s next? No pants and only skivvies?
Scintillating analysis from another late night talk show host and liberal propagandist.
Yawn!
The Daily Show embarrasses itself covering for a democrat. In other news, water is wet.
The idea that Fetterman is not fit to serve because he reads closed captioning is absurd.
Bus, if Fetterman were blind it would not make him "unfit" for office.
FDR couldnt walk or even stand up very much. Was he unfit?
It's the 'why' he needs to read closed captioning that is important. It's been reported that during a recent interview (with NBC I believe) that Fetterman could not follow a conversation but required to be able to read the dialog in order to understand it. Just how effective would he be in Congress if he cannot partake in discussions because he cannot understand the conversation?
I've had two close friends who suffered strokes and dealt with several others and they all had some sort of cognitive / communication issues because of it. Recovery from a stroke can take weeks, months or even years, there's no firm timetable for recovery. Some people can recover fully, others never do and suffer long-term or lifelong disabilities.
Because Fetterman has refused to release any medical records that pertain to his stroke and his recovery, we are forced to just take his word for it. You wouldn't just take the word from a Republican, why are you willing to do so here?
Agree, he is not fit to serve because he is brain damaged, but democrats set a low cognitive standard with Biden, so he gets a pass.