Trevor Noah has only been the host of The Daily Show for a week, but he has already had to open an episode with a reaction to a tragic event. On Thursday, the comedian briefly touched on the tragedy in Roseburg, Oregon.
The shooting took place at the Umpqua Community College campus. Authorities identified the shooter as 26-year-old Chris Harper Mercer, who shot and killed nine people before he exchanged fire with police. Mercer was shot and killed during and his motive is still unknown.
Noah opened the Daily Show with a short statement on the shooting.
“By now, as you may have heard, a few hours ago, there was a tragic event that took place in Oregon. Normally in one of these situations, I just speak from the heart, but honestly, this isn’t a normal situation for me,” Noah said. “I haven’t had the time to feel, let alone think about everything that’s happening and I’m sure that’s true for many people out there.”
He continued, “So, right now, we can only express our grief for the people who were lost and, I guess, I can do what I can do best, which is try and make people laugh. So, let’s do our show.”
Noah’s predecessor, Jon Stewart, also opened The Daily Show with a similar statement in June after the shooting at a Charleston, South Carolina shooting that killed nine people.
Noah only began hosting the Daily Show on Monday. His guest Friday night was singer Ryan Adams. You can watch the entirety of Friday’s episode here.
screenshot from Comedy Central video