Chinese state media have been sharing anti-Trump clips from comedian Trevor Noah’s The Daily Show with audiences eager to slam the United States during the coronavirus pandemic.
The New York Times reported the Communist Party of China is trying to keep a positive image of its handling of the outbreak by describing scenes in Spain and Italy with words such as “purgatory” and “apocalypse.” Britain and the U.S. were painted as places where healthcare workers must use trash bags a personal protective gear while treating patients — despite similar scenes in China that were dismissed as “rumors.”
The New York Times described Noah as “loved” by Chinese viewers for his comments bashing the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic. One clip from The Daily Show, which Noah took over after comedian Jon Stewart left in 2015, was shared on the Chinese-owned tabloid Global Times and featured conservative pundits and President Trump downplaying the coronavirus at its onset.
“Trevor has the correct value system,” read a comment on a social media article.
“I love this guy,” another reader commented in English.
“Is he ‘kissing the ass’ of China?” another social media blog post rhetorically asked. “No, he’s just telling the truth.”
The New York Times also reported that Noah was liked even more after Bill Gates spoke on his show.
“The Chinese official media and online commenters loved Mr. Noah even more after Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist, said on his show that the ebbing of cases in China was ‘very good news.’ Global Times subtitled a clip of the praise, which has been viewed nearly 18 million times and liked a quarter of million times on the tabloid’s official account on Weibo, a Twitter-like platform,” read the article.
Noah, who is originally from South Africa, has frequently bashed the president and his administration on his show, poking fun at Vice President Mike Pence when it was announced he’d lead the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
“I think this is great because Mike Pence has a lot of experience in this area,” the comedian joked. “He’s been quarantining himself from women his whole life.
“I still feel safer with him than with Trump,” he added. “Trump is great for jokes, but in times of crisis, Trump is the worst person to reassure the nation.”
Comedy Central, which airs Noah’s show, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
