Hasan Minhaj was Trevor Noah’s ‘Daily Show’ replacement — then was dumped: report

Jon Stewart is returning to host “The Daily Show,” but a new report alleges that Hasan Minhaj had the job in the bag, before losing it. 

According to a Thursday report in The Hollywood Reporter, Minhaj’s deal to take over “The Daily Show” after Trevor Noah’s departure was “all but done by late summer.” 

However, after The New Yorker published an article alleging that Minhaj, 38, exaggerated – and lied about – some of his autobiographical stories told in his comedy, he lost this “all but done” gig. 

Stewart, 61, was the host of the Comedy Central satirical news show from 1999 until 2015. Noah 39, then took over the gig in 2015 before leaving in 2022. 

There’s been a rotating line up of hosts such as Minhaj, Chelsea Handler and Leslie Jones ever since. However, it was widely believed that Minhaj – who started as a correspondent on “The Daily Show” before hosting his own similar show, “Patriot Act” on Netflix from 2018-2020 – would be the final choice as Noah’s permanent successor. 

In the New Yorker article published Sept. 15, 2023, reporter Clare Malone broke down the details of his biographical comedy around his experience growing up as a Muslim American and an Asian American.

In his 2022 stand-up special “The King’s Jester,” he alleged that he once opened a letter filled with white powder that fell on his daughter. He and his wife, Beena Patel, took their daughter to the hospital and were told hours later it was not anthrax, as they initially feared.

The New Yorker reported that this anecdote — among other stories he told about experiencing racial discrimination — had some fudged facts. 

“The Daily Show” alum, who admitted in the profile to embellishing details for his stand-up sets, including the 2022 Netflix special, did what he called a “deep dive on my own scandal” nearly six weeks after the magazine published its article.

In the video, Minhaj confirmed The New Yorker’s reporting that he did not take his daughter to a hospital. He said that she was nearby when he opened an envelope with white powder — and the fabrication was meant to highlight and emphasize the “shock and fear” that he and his wife felt that day.

“Being accused of fake racism is not trivial. It is very serious, and it demands an explanation,” Minhaj said in response.

“Is Hasan Minhaj just a con artist who uses fake racism and Islamaphobia to advance his career? Because after reading that article, I would also think that,” he went on, adding that he comes off as a “psycho” in the story.

In a statement to The Post shortly after the article was published, Minhaj said: “I use the tools of standup comedy — hyperbole, changing names and locations, and compressing timelines to tell entertaining stories.”

“That’s inherent to the art form,” he continued. “You wouldn’t go to a Haunted House and say ‘Why are these people lying to me?’—The point is the ride. Standup is the same.”

In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Malone and The New Yorker said that they “stand by” the article, noting that it was carefully reported with over 20 interviews, was fact-checked and included the comedian’s “perspective at length.”

On Wednesday, Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios announced that Stewart will return to host “The Daily Show,” starting Feb. 12, to host only on Mondays, with guests doing the hosting job Tuesdays through Thursdays. 

“Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honored to have him return to Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ to help us all make sense of the insanity and division roiling the country as we enter the election season,” Chris McCarthy, chief executive of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement.

According to THR, Minhaj was “seen as a liability” amid the scandal. So, the deal for him to take over “The Daily Show” — that was “all but done” — fell apart. 

The Post reached out to reps for Minhaj, “The Daily Show” and reporter Malone for comment.