Daily Show host Trevor Noah turned serious on Monday night, weighing in on the acquittal of Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez. The comic argued that the National Rifle Association should have been more outspoken in the shooting death of a legal gun owner.
“In a story of a man being shot because he was lawfully armed…for some strange reason, in this particular case, they’ve (the NRA) been completely silent,” Noah says (around 4:10 in the video).
He added: “It’s interesting how the one group of people who define themselves by one fundamental American right, the right to bear arms, show that once race is involved, the only right that they believe in is their right to remain silent.”
Yanez was charged with second-degree manslaughter charges in the infamous 2016 shooting death of Philando Castile. The case made national headlines after Castile’s girlfriend live-streamed the graphic aftermath of the killing, which took place after Yanez pulled Castile over for a faulty brake light and asked to see his license and proof of insurance.
According to court transcripts, after Castile informed Yanez that he was carrying a firearm, and as he was reaching for his license, Yanez fired seven shots at close range, killing the man.
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