Trevor Noah Calls Out Republican Hypocrisy With Obama’s Supreme Court Nominee

Impact

The GOP's decision to block President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee — announced on Wednesday as Judge Merrick Garland — was inevitable, but Trevor Noah still believes it makes no sense whatsoever. In a segment on the Daily Show Thursday night, Noah detailed the hypocrisy of the Republican party and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for wanting to boycott Garland's nomination. 

Noah noted that Garland is a good candidate because he has been praised by Democrats and Republicans alike. "Everyone likes Merrick Garland," Noah said. "He's like the Paul Rudd of federal judges ... Why won't the Republicans even consider him?"

Read more: Here Are All the Times Republicans Praised Merrick Garland, Obama's Supreme Court Nominee

McConnell's and other conservatives' logic for preventing Garland's confirmation comes from the aptly-named "Biden rule," in reference to Vice President (then Senator) Joe Biden's 1992 speech where he said he didn't believe a president should nominate a Supreme Court member in an election year. However, as Noah points out, it's not an actual rule. 

"Just because you propose something doesn't make it a rule," Noah said. "And just, by the way, since when do Republicans have any respect for what Joe Biden says," he added, before citing numerous incidents of Republicans poking fun at Biden, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz saying you just have to say Biden's name at a party to make people laugh. 

Ultimately, though, if Garland's appointment is blocked, it would likely leave the next Supreme Court member in the hands of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or real estate mogul-turned-presidential candidate Donald Trump — the latter of which could make a disastrous choice, Noah said. "What if Hillary Clinton becomes president and she picks Garland or someone more liberal?" he said. "Or, God forbid, Donald Trump becomes president, and who knows what he'd do? He could do anything. He could pick Judge Judy, just because he's heard of her. You don't know what he'd do."

Noah ended the takedown with a reminder to McConnell, who has said he wants to give the people a voice by letting the next president choose. Of course, the people did make a choice that extends till 2017: the second term of Obama. 

Check out the full bit from Thursday's Daily Show below.