Don’t count Trevor Noah among those giving “thoughts and prayers” to the victims of Sunday’s Las Vegas mass shooting. No, the “Daily Show” host avoided what he finds to be an empty and predictable offer.
“I almost know how it’s going to play out,” the Comedy Central personality said of our nation’s response to the heinous slaughter. “‘We’re shocked,’ ‘We’re sad,’ ‘Thoughts and prayers,’ and then, almost on cue, people are going to come out saying, ‘Whatever you do, when speaking about the shootings, don’t talk about guns.’”
Roll exactly that footage from Fox Business Network and White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
“When a plane crashes, we talk about plane safety immediately,” Noah reasoned. “When a bridge collapses, we talk about infrastructure immediately… we seem to do everything to avoid talking about guns.”
With that in mind, lawmakers can keep their thoughts and their prayers, the South-African comic said.
“To the people of Las Vegas, I can’t give you ‘Thoughts and prayers,’” Noah concluded. “I can only say that I’m sorry — sorry that we live in a world where there are people that will put a gun before your lives.”
On Sunday, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire from his 32nd floor hotel room at the Mandalay Bay casino, shooting down at the Harvest 91 country music festival during Jason Aldean’s headlining set. At least 59 people were killed, and more than 500 wounded.
When police breached the room, they found Paddock dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gun wound. More than 10 rifles were found in the room, and almost twice as many more guns in Paddock’s home. Las Vegas cops also discovered explosives in the retiree’s 2,000 square-foot house. There is currently no known motive for the massacre.
Watch Noah’s response via the video above.