The Daily Show host on Trump's Claim of Not Knowing Regarding His Own MRI: 'It's An Impossibility'.
Comedy show hosts this week trained their comedic fire on former President Donald Trump, lambasting his use of an ableist slur and what they described as unconvincing attempts to alleviate public concerns about his mental fitness.
The Daily Show's Pointed Commentary
Kicking off the week, Jon Stewart took aim at a controversial post in which Trump referred to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz with a highly offensive slur. "On the holiday?!" Stewart exclaimed. "Did you mix it up with your own personal grievance airing day?"
When questioned by reporters if he felt any remorse, Trump reportedly doubled down, insisting there was "a genuine problem" with the governor.
"The issue is with him? With him?" Stewart retorted. "You were sitting with your family at Thanksgiving, belly full of turkey and pie, surrounded by the love of your extended crime family, but your initial instinct was to Truth a slur at Tim Walz? And thereās something wrong with him?"
The comedian then addressed Trump's bizarre explanation of a recently disclosed medical scan. In an attempt to downplay worries, Trump claimed he had "no idea" what part of his body was even scanned, suggesting it "couldn't have been his brain" because he "aced a cognitive test."
"That is an impossibility," Stewart shot back. "Being completely unaware, itās not possible. What would you say to the doctor? āNo no no, donāt tell me. I want to find out at my MRI reveal party.ā"
He continued, "For Godās sakes, man, were you not curious at all? When they placed you in a tube for a half an hour, you didnāt want to know what they might be doing? Or did you just think to yourself, āThis is a noisy tanning bedā?"
Stewart further ridiculed Trump's boast of a "perfect score" on the scan. "Thatās how they score the MRIs," he quipped. "You either get a big stamp, āPerfect,ā or you get in red ink, āWe need to talk.ā"
The Late Show's Satirical Take
On his own program, Stephen Colbert pointed out growing discontent among some one-time allies. "Maga folks are starting to notice that Trump treats them like meat animals," he remarked, citing criticism over building a gilded event space over tackling economic issues.
"In other news, Trump celebrated Thanksgiving in his traditional way ā with racism," Colbert quipped, referring to an inflammatory post from the weekend. "Somewhere in all of that nonsense," he recapped, the president employed the offensive term against Governor Walz.
After Walz challenged him to "Release the MRI results," Trump promised do so, despite his stated unawareness of what was scanned.
"Well, here's an idea: maybe the part thatās malfunctioning is the part thatās meant to retain that information," Colbert noted.
He then mocked the follow-up official explanationāa doctor's letter stating the MRI was for preventative screening. "Alright, that's reasonable," Colbert said. "People his age also benefit from retiring, so ⦠can we get that ordered next?"
Kimmel's Direct Criticism
Jimmy Kimmel likewise condemned Trump's use of the slur. "Look, he is capable of being presidential when he wants to be!" he joked. "I wonder why he didnāt get that Nobel peace prize. It defies all logic."
Regarding Trump's follow-up comment that he thinks "thereās something wrong" with Walz, Kimmel was direct: "another bold statement from the president of the eighth grade."
Kimmel also touched on Trump's claims of record-high approval ratings. "Which means itās not just books he canāt read," Kimmel said, noting polling showing significant disapproval. "You can find gas station bathrooms on Yelp with better reviews than Donald Trump right now."
The host concluded by highlighting Trump's promise to grant clemency to a convicted international drug trafficker. "Critics have noted the staggering contradiction of Trump tough on drugs in one instance, while at the same time freeing a man who sent a massive quantity of cocaine to this country," said Kimmel. "But those people are just detractors, you know? Lighten up!"
"During his campaign, Trump made it perfectly obvious: his key goals were a) granting clemency to cartel leaders and b) constructing a venue to ballroom dance," he summarized. "Commitments stated, pledges fulfilled."