Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Entertainment
Guardian staff

Trevor Noah: ‘Whatever happens, Republicans want more cops’

Trevor Noah: ‘What is the plan? Just to keep hiring until the entire population is just cops’.
Trevor Noah: ‘What is the plan? Just to keep hiring until the entire population is just cops’. Photograph: YouTube

Trevor Noah took aim at Louisiana senator John Kennedy’s new campaign ad where he opposes defunding the police and suggests people would have to “call a crackhead” if they didn’t want to deal with cops.

The Daily Show host had a number of issues with this strategy. “First of all, nobody’s gonna call a crackhead,” he noted. “It’s 2022, I’m gonna text a crackhead.”

He called it “such a crazy way to frame things” while suggesting that there might be alternatives.

“The senator is acting like cop and crackhead are the only two options,” he said. “That’s it. What about social workers, what about mental health experts, what about heroin addicts? There’s a whole range of people!”

He also said that Kennedy’s argument unintentionally throws himself under the bus. “It’s also weird for a guy who has been in office for six years to complain about crime and then campaign on it,” he added.

Kennedy’s rhetoric ties into a broader picture of Republican obsession with law enforcement. “I don’t know where this logic goes because whatever happens, Republicans want more cops,” he said. “Crime is up, we need more cops, crime is down, we need more cops. What is the plan? Just to keep hiring until the entire population is just cops?”

But Noah came up with a different idea.

“Maybe the solution is just to hire crackheads as cops,” he suggested. “First of all, they’re always there when you need them and say what you will about cops vs crackheads but at least the crackhead isn’t going to plant crack on you, they’re keeping it for themselves. It works out!”

He added: “A crackhead detective show? That sounds like a great idea for a CSI spinoff.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.