Ta-Nehisi Coates with his first response since CBS interview. | What Now? with Trevor Noah Podcast

- But man, we haven't been able. to stop talking about the CBS interview. Why does Tan Hashi Coates leave out so much? Mm. Why leave out that Israel is surrounded by countries. that wanna eliminate it? - There is no shortage of. that perspective in American media. - I very seldom get - Angry on people's behalfs. - Mm. - But man, we haven't been able. to stop talking about the CBS interview. Wow. I don't think you understand the shockwave. that interview created, not because of what you said, but. because of the way people felt like you were treated.

- Mm mm. - Just, just the, the opening self of that conversation. And I'll never forget the question that you get asked. where I think it's Tony who says to you, - When I read the book, I imagine if I took your name out. of it, took away the awards. and the acclaim took the cover off the book, the publishing house goes away. The content of that section would not be outta place. in the backpack of an. - Extremist. Mm. - Yo I sat there. - I don't get flabbergasted by much. - Right. - I genuinely don't.

- I sat there and I was like, what? I've been trying to process why I wasn't so insulted. Like, I love all of those awards. and accolades, but they're not really me. So, okay. You take 'em away, it's fine. You know what I mean? I'm still, me. I have been in this, in terms of the research. and the writing, you know, from, you know, over a year now, and I guess how much, the extent. to which Palestinians have been pushed out of the frame. I really like, I I knew this was coming. - Okay. - And I figured at some. point it was gonna be a fight. You know, I didn't know it was gonna be right then, but I figured at some point it was gonna be a fight.

The thing that went wrong in that interview, more than anything, as far as I'm concerned, is, and I know she's getting a lot of stuff right now, so I really wanna say this. Gail King is a great journalist and a great interviewer. And Gail came behind the stage before we went. and she had gone through the book, and I'm not saying she like, agreed with the book. She was like, I'm gonna ask you about this. I'm gonna ask you about that. I want you, it was like Gary. - Was considered, - Oh my God. The. - Gay king is, it's considered, - Listen, - But she didn't speak.

- It was her handwritten notes, her handwritten notes with it. You know what I mean? She had all these things. and I think. while on the one hand he probably did me a service, you know. what I mean by just kind. of take commandeering that interview. Yeah. I don't think he did Nate and Gail a service, and I'm really, really sorry for them. I, more than anything, I can take care of myself, you know? I'm good, I'm good. Like I said, I've been hearing these arguments. I've been rehearsing, I've been so, you know, if this is. what you want to do, I, I'm okay doing it.

Like I'm good. I was okay. I left, shook his hand. I'm okay. I'd like to know from you, - Like maybe like why you think people do that? Why do they remove all context when speaking. about Israel Palestine? Like why do they, why do they say if we take this away. and if we take that away and if we take that away. and if we take that away and if we take that, then it's this, but we don't do that with many other issues. - To your point, removing the context I think. is actually essential. You know what I mean? Because if you start asking. why, you know what I mean?

Then you know what I mean? You really, really start to, to get into trouble.