Stewart returns to Daily Show to dissect Trump's CBS interview
The host mocked the former president's $3 billion net worth confusion and the show's editorial choices.
By Andrew Yang ·
Jon Stewart returned to the host desk of The Daily Show on Monday night, marking his first appearance since the midterm elections. His opening segment focused on President Donald Trump’s Sunday appearance on 60 Minutes, where he addressed the former president’s shifting account of his personal wealth.
Stewart played clips from the CBS interview, noting that the network has shifted its editorial stance. He identified the interviewer as Ross Douthat, a religious conservative who served as a new correspondent for the program. During the exchange, Douthat challenged Trump’s claim about his financial gains. Trump responded, "My net worth did not go up by $3 billion." Stewart described this interaction as an instance of the interviewer showing "sass" to the president.
The host contrasted Trump’s earlier statements in the same interview. Trump had previously described money and finance as his "best thing." Minutes later, he claimed ignorance regarding his total wealth, stating, "I guess it’s gone up. I don’t even know." Stewart used a pop culture comparison to illustrate this inconsistency, noting that Trump acted like Keanu Reeves in The Matrix when discussing global finance, but like Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted when discussing his own post-election windfall.
Stewart also critiqued the specific questions posed by Douthat. He pointed to a query asking Trump what he thinks happens when a person dies. Stewart joked that asking the president to answer a major philosophical question was a poor choice given his uncertainty about the origin of money. The monologue also addressed the editing of the broadcast. Stewart noted that 60 Minutes cut to a commercial break immediately after Trump said he could not forgive his enemies, including James Comey and Nancy Pelosi, even if that prevented him from entering heaven. He called this an "artistic choice" made for dramatic impact.
The segment included a bit with comedian Jordan Klepper, who helped Stewart mock Trump’s new Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller. Following the monologue, Stewart interviewed Rachel Maddow. He referred to the appearance as a "liberal’s wet dream." The broadcast aired on the same channel that produced the interview Stewart was critiquing.
The return followed the midterm elections held the previous week. Stewart acknowledged the political shift that occurred during that period before transitioning to his analysis of the Trump interview. The episode highlighted the changing dynamic between the White House and traditional media outlets, specifically CBS.
