WATCH: Trevor Noah Rips Apart Trump’s Response To Anti-Semitism

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By Jeffrey Boxer February 17, 2017

“We had a really nice show planned for you,” Trevor Noah began last night’s “The Daily Show.” “Very civil, very calm. And then, in the middle of the day, Hurricane Trump happened.”

The “hurricane” in question took place at The White House press conference on Thursday, when the president had a particularly volatile response to an ultra-Orthodox reporter’s question.

Jake Turx, a journalist with Ami Magazine, asked Trump how he planned to combat the uptick in anti-Semitism in the United States, but only after carefully telling the President that nobody believes he is personally anti-Semitic. Instead of responding, Trump slammed Turx for asking him a difficult question, while also clarifying that he is the “least anti-Semitic person you have ever seen in your entire life.”

Noah’s problem was not with Trump’s response. Instead, he criticized the President for complaining that Turx had asked him a question that was, according to him, neither simple nor fair.

“What’s even more striking in that interaction is you have a president of a democracy who thinks press is only valid when they ask him easy questions, questions that he likes,” Noah said. “In fact, in his mind, he deserves it.”

Besides, “The Daily Show” host noted, the answer was handed to the President on a silver platter.

“It’s an easy question,” Noah said. “What are you going to do about anti-Semitism?’ ‘We’re going to stamp it out.’ Done. That’s all you have to say. That was the softest ball possible. A matzo ball, if you will.”

The segment starts at 3:37, but the whole clip is worth watching.

Jeffrey Boxer is the Deputy Digital at the Forward. Contact him at boxer@forward.com, or follow him on Twitter @jeffboxer.

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