Russia is holding its own presidential election in nine months, and President Vladimir Putin suspects U.S. interference of the most devious kind, Trevor Noah said on Wednesday's Daily Show: fidget spinners. Because of Putin's fears that fidget spinners are a U.S. ploy to undermine him, "Russia is banning fidget spinners," Noah said. "And just like that, there goes Russia's reputation as a fun country." Putin was apparently tipped off to this nefarious plot when people passed out the faddish gizmos at an anti-Putin rally, he explained, Putin's opponents ran with it, and now, "according to Vladimir Putin, everyone in the world with a fidget spinner opposes him."
"This is genius," Noah said. "Every other resistance movement should do the same thing. You just tie yourself to a popular fad, and make it look like it's bigger than it is." As an example, he suggested that Nelson Mandela should have co-opted Pokeman. "But it turns out, fidget spinners aren't the only thing Russia is toying with," Noah said, leading into President Trump's second, undisclosed meeting with Putin at the G-20 summit. He said he just didn't understand why Trump, under investigation for colluding with Russia, would have a private conversation with the president of Russia.
"Maybe this is our fault," Noah said. "Maybe we've been parenting Trump the wrong way. Because clearly, if we tell him to stay away from that bad boy Vlad, we're going to push him right into his arms." He elaborated, then pointed out the salient point that Putin himself mischievously hinted at: Trump is an open book, and Russia's good a reading. "Right now, the best we can hope for is that Trump is so full of B.S. that he's too unreliable to be spied on," he said. Watch below. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
August 24 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Putin at Donald Trump's circus, gallons of whitewash, and a foldable cartoon
-
5 Post Office-approved cartoons about mail-in votingCartoons Artists take on reverse logic, Putin's election advice, and more
-
The battle of the weight-loss drugsTalking Point Can Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly regain their former stock market glory? A lot is riding on next year's pills
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
