Trevor Noah mercilessly mocks the GOP's FBI 'secret society' conspiracy ploy
"From almost the beginning of the investigation, Republicans have tried to find any way to discredit Special Counsel Robert Mueller," Trevor Noah said on Thursday's Daily Show, and their latest fixation is a series of unkind text messages between two FBI officials formerly on Mueller's team. "I kind of get what Republicans are saying," Noah said. "If someone thinks Trump is an idiot, you don't want that person investigating him. On the other hand, if you don't think Trump's an idiot, then you're the idiot. Like, we don't want an idiot in charge of an investigation, we'll find him eating the evidence."
But since "even Republicans think that Trump is an idiot," they've moved on to new texts, including one mentioning a "secret society." "The FBI has a secret society — that they call the secret society?" Noah asked. "That's really sinister — and a little obvious. I mean, calling your secret society 'the secret society' is a weird way to keep a secret. That would be like if Batman's real name was Bruce Batman." Seriously, he added, "if you're in a secret society that controls the world you'd give it a boring name, like World Economic Forum, and you'd hold meetings in a Swiss mountain resort like a super-villain."
There's one part of the story that "does seem a little suspicious," he said, pointing to five months of (previously) missing text messages. "So you may want to dismiss this whole FBI conspiracy as Republican fan fiction, but for a change, maybe we should look at it from their point of view," he said, putting on spooky lights and music, then giving up. "Look, people, we all know what's happening here," he said. "Republicans are just trying to discredit the FBI and the Justice Department as much as possible so that when Robert Mueller comes out with his findings, you'll see them in a different light." Watch below. Peter Weber
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
The longest US government shutdown in historyThe Explainer Federal employees and low-income households have been particularly affected by ‘partisan standoffs’ in Washington
-
Jeremy Hunt picks his favourite booksThe Week Recommends The former chancellor shares works by Mishal Husain, Keach Hagey, and Johan Norberg
-
Is the UAE fuelling the slaughter in Sudan?Today’s Big Question Gulf state is accused of supplying money and advanced Chinese weaponry to RSF militia behind massacres of civilians
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
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
