The Daily Show host on Trump's Assertion of Not Knowing About His Own MRI: 'That’s An Impossibility'.
Late-night television hosts recently directed their focus on ex-President Donald Trump, lambasting his use of an ableist slur and what they described as unconvincing attempts to alleviate growing questions about his mental fitness.
Jon Stewart's Scathing Critique
Beginning his monologue, Jon Stewart focused on a controversial post in which Trump referred to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz using a widely condemned slur. "On Thanksgiving?!" Stewart exclaimed. "Are you confusing that with Festivus?"
When asked later if he felt any remorse, Trump reportedly doubled down, insisting there was "something seriously wrong" with the governor.
"The issue is with him? With him?" Stewart retorted. "You were sitting with your family at Thanksgiving, stomach full of turkey and pie, enveloped in the love of your extended crime family, but your initial instinct was to post an insult at Tim Walz? And there’s something wrong with him?"
The comedian then turned to Trump's bizarre explanation of a recently disclosed MRI. In an attempt to downplay worries, Trump stated he had "no idea" what part of his body was even scanned, remarking it "wasn’t the brain" because he "aced a cognitive test."
"That’s not physically possible," Stewart shot back. "Being completely unaware, it’s not possible. What could you possibly say to the doctor? ‘Wait, stop, don’t tell me. I want to find out at my MRI reveal party.’"
He continued, "For God’s sakes, man, were you not curious at all? When they laid you down 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. "That’s how they score the MRIs," he quipped. "It's either a big stamp, ‘Perfect,’ or you get in red ink, ‘See me.’"
Stephen Colbert's Satirical Take
On his own program, Stephen Colbert pointed out increasing frustration among some one-time allies. "Maga folks are starting to notice that Trump treats them like livestock," he said, referencing anger about building a gilded event space over addressing economic issues.
"Elsewhere, Trump celebrated Thanksgiving in his customary fashion – with racism," Colbert noted, referring to an anti-immigrant rant from the weekend. "Somewhere in all of that nonsense," he recapped, the president also used the ableist slur against Governor Walz.
After Walz challenged him to "Make the scan public," Trump said he would release them, despite his claimed ignorance of what was scanned.
"Well, here's an idea: maybe the part that’s broken is the part that’s supposed to know," Colbert suggested.
He then poked fun at the subsequent official explanation—a medical note stating the MRI was for preventative screening. "OK, fair enough," Colbert said. "Men in his age group also benefit from retiring, so … can we write that prescription next?"
Kimmel's Blunt Assessment
Jimmy Kimmel likewise condemned Trump's use of the slur. "Look, he is capable of being presidential when he wants to be!" he remarked sarcastically. "I wonder why he didn’t get that Nobel peace prize. It makes no sense."
Regarding Trump's subsequent statement that he thinks "there’s something wrong" with Walz, Kimmel was direct: "another bold statement 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 remarked, pointing to survey data showing significant disapproval. "You can find gas station bathrooms on Yelp with higher approval ratings than Donald Trump right now."
The host finished by highlighting Trump's promise to grant clemency to a imprisoned former Honduran president. "Now some have pointed out the unbelievable hypocrisy of Trump taking a hard line elsewhere, while simultaneously pardoning a man who shipped a massive quantity of cocaine to this country," said Kimmel. "Such individuals are just haters and losers, you know? Lighten up!"
"When he was running, Trump made it very clear: his top priorities were a) granting clemency to cartel leaders and b) building a place to ballroom dance," he added. "Promises made, pledges fulfilled."