In the wake of President Donald Trump calling Rep. Elijah Cummings’ majority-black district in Baltimore a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” during a Saturday morning Twitter tirade, Trevor Noah is speaking out in defense of the city.
During Monday’s episode of The Daily Show, Noah argued that Trump’s attack on Baltimore doesn’t actually have anything to do with its rats.
“I’m not saying Baltimore doesn’t have rats. Of course it has rats,” he said. “But you know which other cities have rats? All the best cities in the world, all of them. Paris, London, New York — they all have a rat problem. In fact, I’m starting to think that if your city doesn’t have rats, it’s because you live in a boring-a— city and your food sucks.”
Noah went on to weigh in on Trump’s role in the escalating debate over race in the United States.
“Once again, America is stuck in another debate,” he said. “Many people say Trump’s words are clearly racist, but Trump says it’s the black people who are the true racists because they keep bringing up race every time someone says something racist.”
Noah then brought on his alter-ego, Trevor Noah Racism Detective, to solve the case.
Watch the full clip below.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com