Jon Stewart highlighted the hypocrisy of the Trump administration in the wake of the White House’s dismissal of the Signal group chat scandal.
Focusing on the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the weeks since the Trump administration’s takeover, Stewart showed an NBC News clip Monday detailing how President Trump would not be firing any of the Cabinet members involved with the Signal group chat that leaked military information to a journalist.
“Is there any corner, no matter how small, of our current government that is safe from Musk’s chainsaw of efficiency?” Stewart asked. “Yes!” Stewart sarcastically replied. “Veterans Affairs, Department of Education, USAID, f--k you, f--k you, f--k you! Because all is right at the Department of Accidentally Texting War Stuff to Reporters.”
Stewart mocked the explanations that have come from the Trump administration about the group chat, particularly the ones trying to shift blame on Joe Biden or Hillary Clinton.
Jokingly offering advice to federal workers trying not to get fired, Stewart said, “Blaming Biden gets you 80 percent home. Hillary drives you the rest of the way in the trunk of her car shouting ‘Benghazi!‘”
He joked about the shifting of responsibility among the Trump administration for the leaked group chat, zeroing in on a recent press conference from Vice President JD Vance.
“Members of the administration, including my dear friend Mike [Waltz], have taken responsibility for it,” Vance said at the U.S. Pituffik Space Base during his brief trip to Greenland.
Stewart replied, “That is the coldest ‘my dear friend Mike’ I have ever heard. ‘Anyway, Brutus, you were saying about your dear friend Caesar?‘”
Stewart also ripped into Trump’s recent comments about him “considering his options” for serving a third presidential term.
“I’m sorry, ‘considering the option?‘” Stewart replied. “What, are you trying to order off-menu from the Constitution?”
The Daily Show host jokingly speculated on how Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer would respond to Trump unconstitutionally staying for a third term:
“Uh, I will allow it,” Stewart said in a Schumer impression. His voice grew slower and more tired. “Because in the third term, we think his popularity will go down to the 30s...” Stewart mimed falling asleep.
Stewart showed a quote from Trump speculating that “there are methods” he could use to get a third term.
“Yes, there are other methods,” Stewart replied. “And you tried one a few years ago,” he concluded, referring to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
