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---
description: The new host of &quot;The Daily Show&quot; has been accused of anit-Semitism and sexism over his past jokes
title: New &#x27;Daily Show&#x27; Host Faces Backlash Over Twitter History
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---

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# Trevor Noah Faces Backlash Over Twitter History


by 

[Megan Gibson](/author/megan-gibson/)


## Megan Gibson


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Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:04 PM CUTPublished: Mar 31, 2015 11:16 AM CUT

![Trevor Noah](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9179a979eceba16c/6987861435ba6f3bedc07d36/trevor-noah5.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Trevor Noah

Trevor NoahByron L. Keulemans—GQ South Africa/Comedy Central

by 

[Megan Gibson](/author/megan-gibson/)


## Megan Gibson


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Updated: Dec 13, 2023 2:04 PM CUTPublished: Mar 31, 2015 11:16 AM CUT

Less than 24 hours after comedian Trevor Noah was named as Jon Stewart’s replacement as host of _The Daily Show_, people have taken issue with some of the South African’s past jokes.

Noah, who has previously appeared on the show as an international correspondent, has been acting and doing stand-up comedy for years. Though he has a large following internationally, he hasn’t been a household name in the U.S. But it appears that as Americans began acquainting themselves with 31-year-old Noah, they also discovered a few jokes that were quickly deemed “anti-Semitic” and “sexist.”

For his part, Noah broke his silence Tuesday in a [tweet](https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/583019964556152832 "undefined").

> [](https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/583019964556152832)

**MORE**: [Comedy Central Calls Criticism of Trevor Noah ‘Unfair’](http://time.com/3766019/trevor-noah-daily-show-tweets-comedy-central/ "undefined")

Many of the jokes in question were in the form of old tweets from Noah’s account:

> [](https://twitter.com/efredman/status/582718587195908097)

> [](https://twitter.com/DAVIDMDRAIMAN/status/582735008986570753)

> [](https://twitter.com/YeahThatsKosher/status/582652492237930496)

> [](https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/4081446354)

> [](https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/141229204829249536)


> [](https://twitter.com/Trevornoah/status/124793524095950848)

As more of Noah’s old tweets were dug up and retweeted, a number of people expressed their disgust on social media. Several even tweeted at Comedy Central and called for Noah to be fired:

> [](https://twitter.com/AriDavidUSA/status/582769346482585600)

> [](https://twitter.com/ArianaGicPerry/status/582759023474167808)


> [](https://twitter.com/therealroseanne/status/582727771350142977)

> [](https://twitter.com/benoitbruneau/status/582759657095069696)

Others felt the need to defend the comedian, even pointing to his background (he’s the son of a black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father):

> [](https://twitter.com/hybridchick/status/582855467409473537)


> [](https://twitter.com/Thee%5FMotso/status/582797947684929536)

> [](https://twitter.com/Minz789/status/582851160303902720)

**MORE**: [Abe Foxman Says ‘Let’s Not Pre-Judge Trevor Noah](http://time.com/3765989/abe-foxman-lets-not-prejudge-trevor-noah/ "undefined")

Then there were the people who seemed to expect a backlash of some sort:

> [](https://twitter.com/Mobute/status/582731611101388800)


> [](https://twitter.com/tomgara/status/582730634252144640)

> [](https://twitter.com/mousterpiece/status/582750020904062977)

> [](https://twitter.com/kevinroose/status/582759189283368960)


_Read next:_ [_Watch Trevor Noah’s 3 Appearances on_ ](http://time.com/3763174/trevor-noah-daily-show-clips/?iid=time%5Freadnext "undefined")[The Daily Show](http://time.com/3763174/trevor-noah-daily-show-clips/?iid=time%5Freadnext "undefined")

[_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article "undefined")

### See Jon Stewart's Career Over the Years

![THE DAILY SHOW, 1996-present, Jon Stewart 1999-present](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf9d931c1bb512033/69877e960b72e3161b6dd9cb/jon-stewart-03.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jon Stewart takes the reins as anchor of The Daily Show in 1999. Comedy Central/Everett

![Stewart gets a cameo as Kevin Gerrity in the 1999 Adam Sandler movie <i>Big Daddy</i>.](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4ab3c6a9ce2caaad/69877e97a988ca0a5a6ac658/jon-stewart-11.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Stewart gets a cameo as Kevin Gerrity in the 1999 Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy. Columbia

![The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Season 9](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb0e4a71e909ff538/69877e983c16392c3c451b04/jon-stewart-09.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jay Leno interviews Jon Stewart on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in 2000. NBC/Getty Images


![MCDDETO EC011](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt101845572153c229/69877e97e53aba053c4d7833/jon-stewart-19.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Stewart plays Marion Frank Stokes in the 2002 black comedy Death to Smoochy Warner Bros.

![55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - Press Room](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3ebb0f70f0cbc0bd/69877e9806f2c1dd28333e6c/jon-stewart-10.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jon Stewart and his team win the first of many Emmys for The Daily Show in 2003. Chris Weeks—FilmMagic/Getty Images

![The 78th Annual Academy Awards - Jon Stewart Portraits](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb13abde2ad2fe3bb/69877e96f887dc2e14e8a09c/jon-stewart-14.jpg?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jon Stewart hosts the 78th Academy Awards in 2006. Academy of Motion Picture Arts—WireImage/Getty Images


![Stewart has a cameo as himself on <i>The Simpsons</i> in 2008 in the episode "E Pluribus Wiggum."](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9501ba65429e4247/69877e9635ba6fb5d2c07000/jon-stewart-13.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Stewart has a cameo as himself on The Simpsons in 2008 in the episode "E Pluribus Wiggum." Fox

![Jon Stewart And Stephen Colbert Hold Rally On National Mall](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7bc261d6c5a6ea15/69877e993c1639e291451b0a/jon-stewart-06.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Steven Colbert and Jon Stewart host the Rally To Restore Sanity And/Or Fear on the National Mall on Oct. 30, 2010 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee—Getty Images

![US President Barack Obama \(L\) tapes an i](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcbafc61671d96131/69877e9535ba6f6b9ac06ffc/jon-stewart-15.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jon Stewart interviews President Barack Obama on The Daily Show at the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, DC, Oct. 26, 2010. Jim Watson—AFP/Getty Images


![51st USO Armed Forces Gala &amp; Gold Medal Dinner - Inside](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltda8ed7667dcaeae7/69877e950b72e305346dd9c6/jon-stewart-16.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jon Stewart speaks at the 51st USO Armed Forces Gala & Gold Medal Dinner on Dec. 13, 2012 in New York City. Michael Loccisano—Getty Images

![ROSEWATER, front, from left: Gael Garcia Bernal, Jon Stewart, on set, 2014. ©Open Road](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt03e17a641593f92f/69877e95e20a8772fca85084/jon-stewart-17.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp)

Stewart makes his directorial debut in the 2014 drama Rosewater. Open Road Films

![Jon Stewart announces his retirement for the end of 2015.](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta2a72076a8f3665f/69877e943c16390ae4451aff/jon-stewart-18.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp)

Jon Stewart announces his retirement for the end of 2015. Comedy Central

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