Trevor Noah takes audience on ‘hilarious’ self-guided tour, following footsteps of pro-Trump rioters

THE IDEA of Trevor Noah doing a self-guided tour has me in stitches; we’re all aware of the comedian’s talents, which include laughing your butt off.

Well, local audio tour app, VoicelaughingMap, has partnered with “The Daily Show” and Trevor Noah, on a hilariously irreverent self-guided walking tour that leads visitors along the same route followed by the pro-Trump rioters who stormed Washington DC’s Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

The Johannesburg-born comedian, said the self-guided tour uses GPS to play audio automatically, and provides turn-by-turn directions for visitors.

“That's right, your phone knows where you are at all times!” says Noah, regarded as one of South Africa’s sharpest satirists.

As listeners begin retracing the “Freedomsurrection”, they soon realise that there’s a thin line between treasonous and hilarious, when comedians are leading the way.

Highlights along the route include the exact spot where Missouri Senator Josh Hawley raised his fist in solidarity with the rioters, minutes before they smashed their way through the Capitol’s windows with stolen police shields.

Visitors also stop at the National Mall, just south of the White House, where Trump told supporters that he would “never concede”.

It was also here that he tried to convince Secret Service agents to remove metal detectors so that people could bring weapons to the rally, saying, “They’re not here to hurt me!”

“It’s exciting to see VoiceMap used for more than just traditional walking tours, especially with a partner like ‘The Daily Show’,” said Iain Manley, VoiceMap’s founder, who started the company in Cape Town in 2014.

“We believe that a new perspective can change how visitors see unfamiliar places – and even how locals view their hometowns – and we expect ‘The Daily Show’ to reach new audiences by turning their incisive brand of satire into an immersive experience.”

Their approach is one that resonates with Noah’s own story. In his autobiography, “Born a Crime”, he reflects on his experiences as a young boy born to a Swiss-German father, raised by a Xhosa mother, and categorised as “coloured” under apartheid.

Describing himself as being “progressive” with “a global perspective”, the star has never been afraid to stand by his own distinctive and irreverent brand of comedy.

Until you find yourself in Washington, “The Daily Show" free tour is also available to listen to virtually, from the comfort of your couch, with photographs of locations along the route.

Simply go to voicemap.me/thedailyshow or download the VoiceMap app and select Washington DC from the list of available destinations.