Trevor Noah marvels at Trump surrendering to Nancy Pelosi in the State of the Union fight


After 33 days of partial government shutdown, "the effects are piling up," Trevor Noah said on Wednesday's Daily Show. Low-income renters are losing housing aid, welfare is running low, the FBI is warning about not being able to pay informants, IRS employees are staying home, and the TSA is getting desperate. Basically, he joked, "the government is so broke, that they're selling ad space on the Constitution. And now, things seem to be moving in the wrong direction. Because instead of debating the wall or how to end the shutdown, politicians are arguing about a whole new issue: the State of the Union speech."
Noah ran through Wednesday's drama, from President Trump saying he still planned to give the State of the Union speech from the House next week to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) telling him no, not while the government is shut down. Trump can't speak in the House without an invitation and Pelosi isn't inviting him, but "at the same time, this is Donald Trump — you can't tell him where he can and can't go," Noah said. "This is the same guy who popped up in the dressing room of the Miss Teen USA pageant." He had some fun imagining a "congressional bouncer" keeping Trump out of the House chamber.
That won't be necessary, because "in a surprise move, the president surrendered," Noah said. He showed Trump's comments, which sounded like "he's choosing the next word on his predictive text," among other oddities. "I don't know if Nancy gave Trump a wedgie behind Congress one day, but she did something because she's the only person he hasn't given a nickname to," he noted. "Everyone else he's like: Cryin' Chuck Schumer, Liddle Marco Rubio, Pocahontas Elizabeth Warren, Lyin' Ted Ted. And he's like, 'Nancy Pelosi, or as I call her, Nancy.'" Noah also questioned whether the FBI is really out of cash, and you can watch below. Peter Weber
The Week
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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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