Jon Stewart is standing by his man. The Daily Show host, 52, took a moment out of his show on Monday, April 6, to defend Trevor Noah after a talked-about controversy.
"They have hired a new Daily Show host, Mr. Trevor Noah — he's going to be hosting the show," Stewart began, naming his successor, who was announced as the next host of the comedy show last month. "I'm very excited about it."
While Stewart is excited, some Daily Show viewers were less enthused. After news broke of Noah's big gig, Twitter users looked into the comedian's social media history, uncovering tweets and jokes that were seen by some as misogynist and anti-Semitic.
"I know there was a large kerfuffle on Twitter, but I can say this, I think, without hesitation: Trevor Noah will earn your trust and respect… or not," Stewart continued. "Just as I earned your trust and respect… or did not… Or sometimes earned it and then lost it and then kind of got it back but then it was like 'F–k that guy,' and then it was, 'Oh that rally was so stupid, I'm never… Oh! I hate him!'"
"It kinda just goes that way," he added of the ever-changing public opinion. "The only thing I would say is, I do hope you give him an opportunity to earn that trust and respect, because my experience with him is that he is an incredibly thoughtful and considerate and funny and smart individual."
Before he booked the coveted role as The Daily Show host, Noah, 31, appeared on the Comedy Central news show a handful of times in 2014. The South African funnyman is expected to take over the show later this year, despite outcry from some critics who suggested that the network give him the boot.
"Man, I think you give him that time and it's gonna be well worth it," Stewart said of Noah on The Daily Show. "I'm excited for where he's gonna take this thing. I'm gonna watch! I'm gonna set my DVR to finally, after 17 f–king years, I'm gonna record The Daily Show!"
