The Daily Show host on Trump's Claim of Not Knowing About His Own MRI: 'It's An Impossibility'.
Late-night television hosts this week directed their focus on former President Donald Trump, criticizing his employment of a ableist slur and what they described as feeble efforts to address public concerns about his mental fitness.
Jon Stewart's Pointed Commentary
Beginning his monologue, Jon Stewart focused on a controversial post in which Trump described Minnesota Governor Tim Walz using a widely condemned ableist term. "On Thanksgiving?!" Stewart remarked. "Are you confusing that with Festivus?"
When questioned by reporters if he felt any remorse, Trump reportedly doubled down, stating there was "something seriously wrong" with the governor.
"Something wrong with him? With him?" Stewart retorted. "You sat with your family at Thanksgiving, stomach full of turkey and pie, enveloped in the love of your notorious associates, but your initial instinct was to post an insult at Tim Walz? And there’s something wrong with him?"
The host then addressed Trump's bizarre explanation of a recently disclosed medical scan. In an effort to dismiss concerns, Trump claimed he had "zero knowledge" what part of his body was even scanned, remarking it "wasn’t the brain" because he "aced a cognitive test."
"That is an impossibility," Stewart shot back. "Being completely unaware, it’s not possible. What would you say to the doctor? ‘Wait, stop, don’t tell me. I want to find out at my scan unveiling celebration.’"
He continued, "Good grief, man, were you not the least bit interested? When they placed you in a tube for a half an hour, you didn’t want to know what they might be doing? Or did you just think to yourself, ‘What a loud tanning bed’?"
Stewart further ridiculed Trump's boast of a "flawless result" on the scan. "Apparently, that's the way they score the MRIs," he quipped. "It's either a big stamp, ‘Perfect,’ or you get in red ink, ‘See me.’"
Stephen Colbert's Witty Observations
On his own program, Stephen Colbert highlighted growing discontent among some one-time allies. "Maga folks are starting to notice that Trump treats them like livestock," he remarked, citing criticism over funding a gilded event space over addressing economic issues.
"Elsewhere, Trump celebrated Thanksgiving in his traditional way – with racism," Colbert quipped, referring to an inflammatory post from the weekend. "Somewhere in all of that nonsense," he summarized, the president also used the offensive term against Governor Walz.
After Walz responded to "Release the MRI results," Trump promised release them, despite his stated unawareness of what was scanned.
"Well, here's an idea: maybe the part that’s malfunctioning is the part that’s supposed to know," Colbert suggested.
He then mocked the subsequent official explanation—a doctor's letter stating the MRI was for preventative screening. "OK, fair enough," Colbert said. "Men in his age group also benefit from retiring, so … can we get that ordered next?"
Jimmy Kimmel's Direct Criticism
Jimmy Kimmel likewise blasted Trump's choice of words. "See, he can be presidential when he wants to be!" he remarked sarcastically. "It's puzzling why he didn’t get that Nobel peace prize. It makes no sense."
Regarding Trump's subsequent statement that he thinks "there is a problem" with Walz, Kimmel was blunt: "yet another profound insight from the president of the middle school."
Kimmel also addressed Trump's claims of record-high approval ratings. "Which means it’s not just books he can’t read," Kimmel said, noting survey data showing high negative ratings. "There are gas station bathrooms on Yelp with higher approval ratings than Donald Trump right now."
The host finished by criticizing Trump's pledge to pardon a convicted international drug trafficker. "Now some have pointed out the unbelievable hypocrisy of Trump tough on drugs elsewhere, while at the same time freeing a man who shipped a million pounds of cocaine to this country," said Kimmel. "Such individuals are just haters and losers, you know? Relax!"
"During his campaign, Trump made it perfectly obvious: his key goals were a) granting clemency to cartel leaders and b) building a place to host formal dances," he summarized. "Promises made, promises kept."