Comedian calls Trump ‘White Obama’ in resurfaced clip, explains why critics keep underestimating his appeal

Comedian Josh Johnson compared President Donald Trump’s appeal to former President Barack Obama’s in a resurfaced video clip posted to Facebook by Trevor Noah on July 4, arguing that Trump connects with some White Americans who see themselves as having overcome hardship.

The discussion comes from a previously released episode of Noah’s "What Now?" podcast, during which Johnson calls Trump "White Obama" because he speaks to the experience of having overcome hardship that some White people feel is overlooked by society due to their race.

"He's Obama for White people who hated the idea of Obama," Johnson said. "That, to me, is why I think people keep underestimating [Trump]."

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The comic went on to explain his view that there is a certain narrative "baked into America's understanding of the experience of a Black person," regardless of how true it may be for any given individual.

That narrative tells of a triumph over adversity that Johnson suggests is Oscar-worthy: "Your ancestors were slaves, you have to struggle, but you always make it through, and like, you had to avoid crime and drugs and getting somebody pregnant," just to reach the level of a White peer, Johnson said.

But today, there are "so many cracks" in that story, according to Johnson. Not only are there Black people who are raised in stable, suburban homes — but there are plenty of White people "who literally are that story, but no one tells it in that way."

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"They're like, 'My great-great-grandparents were these Irish immigrants. They got spit on when they came here...' 'I have a lot of drugs and crime where I'm from...' 'My family was on food stamps,'" the comedian said. "All the stuff like that — as a White person — which is never really talked about. And so then, this person had to overcome a lot just to be next to this other White person, right?"

Trump speaks to this experience "the way that Obama spoke to Black people who may or may have not been having that stereotypical experience," said Johnson, making the case that White people don't all understand one another.

"White people who are the living embodiment of everything we've been told Black people go through," Johnson said, may take to Trump in a way that he says is "so powerful" as a result.

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment but did not immediately receive a response.