Trevor Noah explains how Donald Trump is eerily like an African dictator


The big political news of the day is Donald Trump's decision to skip out on Thursday night's Fox News Republican presidential debate, and Trevor Noah dove in on Wednesday's Daily Show. He started with the obvious point that Trump's stated reason — he doesn't think Fox News moderator Megyn Kelly treats him fairly — doesn't make much sense. "If he thinks Megyn Kelly is such a lightweight, then why is he so scared of her?" Noah asked. "I mean, seeing Trump pull out of the debates is like watching one of those YouTube videos where the huge dogs are too scared to walk past the cat."
But while Noah might think Trump's actions are cowardly, that doesn't make them dumb. "From one perspective, Trump dropping out seems like the act of a petulant child," he said. "But I think, honestly, he's a complete genius. Because once again, ladies and gentlemen, Donald Trump has won the only fight that matters to him: the fight for attention."
And then Noah offered a third perspective: Trump as a petty tyrant. "The giant ego, the crazy sentiments, the huge and questionable fortune, the extremely casual relationship with facts — Donald Trump is basically an African dictator," he said, with doctored photo to shore up his point. And if that description doesn't convince you, Noah noted some strong similarities between Trump's actions this week and those last week by longtime autocratic Ugandan leader Yowri Museveni. "Welcome, America," the South African comedian said. "Welcome to my world." There is some mildly NSFW language. Watch below. Peter Weber
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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