Jon Stewart sticks up for incoming ‘Daily Show’ host Trevor Noah

Trevor Noah, the recently announced new anchor for “The Daily Show,” has been the subject of Twitter controversy from the moment it was announced that he got the gig. But on Monday’s “Daily Show,” current host Jon Stewart stuck up for the new guy.

“I can say this, I think, without hesitation,” Stewart said. “Trevor Noah will earn your trust and respect ... or not. Just as I earned your trust and respect ... or did not.”

“The only thing I will say is that I do hope that you give him an opportunity to earn that trust and respect, because my experience with him is that he is an incredibly thoughtful and considerate and funny and smart individual and, man, I think if you give him that time, it’s going to be well worth it. I’m excited for where he’s going to take this thing.”

If there was any big take-away from Stewart’s message, besides his admiration for Noah, was his seeming glee at stepping away from the grind of hosting a daily comedy show.

“Finally, after 17... years, I’m going to record ‘The Daily Show,’” Stewart said.

Noah, who got his start in show business in South Africa, recently came under fire for a few joke tweets he sent that were offensive to women and Jews.

In a statement, Noah said, “To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.”

Comedy Central also stood by its hire with a statement calling him a “talented comedian with a bright future at Comedy Central.”

The short segment can be viewed here.

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