Ana Navarro switched up “The View” for “The Daily Show” to talk politics with guest host John Leguizamo Monday night — but not before dragging the Comedy Central series for taking 10 guest hosts before finally hiring a Latino.
“Let’s not f–k it up,” she quipped.
Leguizamo, most recently seen in hit feature films like “The Menu” and “Encanto” and next in “The Power” on Amazon’s Prime Video, began the interview by applauding the fact that “The Daily Show” was spotlighting a “Latina guest and a Latino host” side by side. He assured audiences, however, that they’re still watching “The Daily Show,” not Univision.
“Part of me wants you not to emphasize it because I’m afraid immigration might show up at any moment,” Navarro chimed in, jokingly. “And then again, and then I remember Donald Trump is no longer president. We ain’t getting deported!”
“I love that you start right at it, you go at it right out of the gate. I love that about you,” Leguizamo said. Navarro then continued coming in hot, targeting “The Daily Show” itself for needing more Latinos onscreen.
“Listen, it’s only taken 10 hosts for them to have a Latino host!” she said.
“Who’s counting?” Leguizamo said, laughing. “I wasn’t counting.” Prior to Leguizamo, “The Daily Show” indeed had nine guest hosts, including Chelsea Handler, Wanda Sykes, Leslie Jones, Hasan Minhaj, Sarah Silverman and former Democratic senator Al Franken.
“I’m really happy that you’re here and I’m always grateful to you because you are so consistent,” Navarro told Leguizamo. “You’ve been consistent your entire life and elevating voices that need to be elevated. So listen, it’s taken 10, let’s not f–k it up.”
Leguizamo responded, saying “there’s no way they can,” especially with the “great audience” they had live in the studio.
The “Moulin Rouge!” and “Romeo + Juliet” actor then opened the discussion to ask Navarro about why “Republicans are so good at coming after Latinos” and igniting a fervor in the community, using “trigger words” like socialism and authoritarianism. “Why are the Democrats falling behind?” he asked. “Why are the Democrats not coming after us?”
Navarro said that she thinks the Democrats take the Latino community for granted, thinking that they won’t vote for Donald Trump and others.
“I think a lot of people thought, you know, ‘They’re not gonna vote for Donald Trump! That’s the alternative? Of course they’re gonna vote for the Democrats.’ And that’s not the way to do it,” Navarro said. “And also, people need to understand, and I don’t know how long we have to say this: You can’t show up six weeks before an election. You have to show up – this is the same for African Americans, for Latinos, for any group. Don’t show up at the last minute and expect to gain [support]. And they have to fight hard against this socialism, communism type of label.”
Navarro then recounted President Joe Biden being asked about those labels at a Town Hall. “He laughed and said, ‘Do I look like a socialist?’”
“Now, I get where he’s coming from,” she continued, but emphasized that he Democrats in power need to denounce it more explicitly. “You know what we need him to say? ‘Let me tell you what socialists do. They attack the free press. They attack political opponents. They attack private businesses,’” Navarro said. “Guess who’s doing that in America today?”
The interview rounded out with Navarro and Leguizamo saying that alliances between minority groups will be essential in the fight for progress for all.
Watch the full “Daily Show” interview win the video above.
