Trevor Noah: Democratic National Convention is a "momentous occasion"
Hillary Clinton will make history Tuesday as the first woman to become the nominee of a major party. In another political first and a major role reversal for her husband, former President Bill Clinton will take on the role of supportive spouse as he makes the case for his wife at the Democratic National Convention.
For comedian Trevor Noah, it's about time this happened.
"In my head, I'm thinking, 'Why did it take you so long?' The rest of the world has always looked to America as a leader in not just politics, but in the free world, and to only now getting to a point where you're electing a female nominee..." the host of "The Daily Show" told "CBS This Morning" Tuesday.
Noah also expressed frustration that this historic moment has been overshadowed by other headlines, most recently the hacking of the Democratic National Committee's emails - another headache for the Clinton camp, which has yet to successful quiet the noise surrounding her use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state.
"How is it that the media and, I guess, the narrative, has gotten us to the point where we've forgotten that Hillary is the first female nominee? People treat it like it is not a momentous occasion," Noah said.
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Some of the emails released by Wikileaks on Friday reveal Democratic party leaders' favoritism towards Clinton over Bernie Sanders. But Noah said his team found only seven of the 19,000 leaked emails actually contained "salacious" material, and those comments generally weren't acted upon.
"It was salacious, but then people were turning it down, people were going, 'I don't think we should do that.' And no one talks about that," Noah said.
More importantly, he said, "This is one of the most momentous occasions in American history and Michelle Obama said it best - to have her daughters look and say that is something that's possible."
Noah was quick to react to what he described as the first lady's "electric" speech, which roused praise on social media. Speaking passionately about the future of her own kids and all American children, Michelle Obama rallied support around her husband's former political rival, even playing peacemaker for the Democratic Party.
"It was goosebumps for everybody... She was electric. I mean, her command of the audience, the ride she took everybody on - it was truly one of the most amazing things I've ever seen," Noah said. "I even said yesterday, 'I would steal her speech as well.'"
Michelle Obama's speech at least temporarily hushed the die-hard Bernie Sanders supporters, who "booed" at the mere mention of Clinton throughout the night. Even Sanders himself couldn't quell his supporters' anger.
"Even early in the day with his delegation, they were booing Bernie and in my head, I went, 'but you are here for Bernie,'" Noah said. "People shouting, 'boo, that's not what Bernie would do' to Bernie Sanders! It's a very strange thing to have happened."
Comedian Sarah Silverman, a longtime Sanders supporter who's now backing Clinton, also made one of night's most memorable comments to those who have not come around: "To the 'Bernie or Bust' people: You're being ridiculous."
Noah commended Silverman for "saying what she needed to say."
"I think as a comedian, you're in a position where you're trying to joke about what what's happening. At the same time, Sarah Silverman and I didn't want to go 'full comedian' at Hillary's convention," Noah said. "You don't want to make the story about you. You have to be measured at that point."
Still, Noah observed that the Democratic convention was not as "extreme" as last week's Republican National Convention.
Coming from a nation that found its way to democracy through "unrest" and "political struggle," the South African native said he had a natural interest in politics. But it was only after arriving in the U.S. that he realized "how political I was."
"I realized what I consider low-level political is what's considered militant by U.S. standards," he said.
"The Daily Show" is originating from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts - in the convention's host city - from Tuesday to Friday this week. Noah expressed excitement to be cover his first American convention from the "inside."
"People take this for granted. They go, 'you're from South Africa, why do you care?' I go, 'because we go where you go. We fight the wars you fight,'" Noah said. "That's why NATO is so frightening - Donald Trump is not saying this just for America. Everyone that is part of NATO is now a part of that conversation. So basically, America is your friend who's starting fights outside the club and you have to get involved. If that fight breaks out, you can't back away..."
On Thursday, "The Daily Show" will broadcast live after Hillary Clinton gives her speech.
"I think the room will be so electric, the balloons won't drop - they'll go up," Noah said of the traditional balloon drop at the end of political conventions. "They won't be able to stay down."