Jon Stewart on Trump's Assertion of Not Knowing About His Own MRI: 'That’s Not Physically Possible'.
Comedy show hosts recently directed their focus on former President Donald Trump, criticizing his employment of a derogatory term and portrayed as unconvincing attempts to address growing questions about his mental fitness.
The Daily Show's Scathing Critique
Beginning his monologue, Jon Stewart took aim at a controversial post in which Trump described Minnesota Governor Tim Walz using a highly offensive ableist term. "On the holiday?!" Stewart exclaimed. "Did you mix it up with Festivus?"
When asked later if he regretted the remark, Trump is said to have doubled down, stating there was "a genuine problem" with the Democratic governor.
"The issue is 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 extended crime family, but your first thought was to Truth a slur at Tim Walz? And there’s something wrong with him?"
The comedian then addressed Trump's peculiar account of a recently disclosed MRI. In an effort to downplay worries, Trump claimed 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 countered. "Being completely unaware, it’s not possible. What could you possibly say to the doctor? ‘No no no, 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 30 to 45 minutes, you didn’t want to know what they might be doing? Or did you just think to yourself, ‘This is a noisy tanning bed’?"
Stewart also mocked Trump's boast of a "perfect score" on the scan. "Apparently, that's the way they score the MRIs," he joked. "You either get a big stamp, ‘Perfect,’ or you get in red ink, ‘We need to talk.’"
The Late Show's Witty Observations
On his own program, Stephen Colbert highlighted growing discontent among some former supporters. "Certain supporters are starting to notice that Trump views them like livestock," he remarked, citing criticism over building 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. "Amidst all of that nonsense," he recapped, the president employed the offensive term against Governor Walz.
After Walz challenged him to "Make the scan public," Trump said he would do so, despite his claimed ignorance of what was scanned.
"Uh, here’s a theory: maybe the part that’s broken is the part that’s meant to retain that information," Colbert noted.
He then mocked the follow-up White House justification—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?"
Kimmel's Direct Criticism
Jimmy Kimmel also blasted 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 defies all logic."
Regarding Trump's follow-up comment that he thinks "there’s something wrong" with Walz, Kimmel was blunt: "yet another profound insight from the president of the eighth grade."
Kimmel also touched on Trump's insistence of unprecedented approval ratings. "This indicates it’s not just books he can’t read," Kimmel remarked, 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. "Now some have pointed out the staggering contradiction of Trump tough on drugs in one instance, while simultaneously pardoning a man who sent a massive quantity of cocaine to this country," said Kimmel. "But those people are just haters and losers, you know? Lighten up!"
"During his campaign, Trump made it very clear: his top priorities were a) granting clemency to cartel leaders and b) constructing a venue to ballroom dance," he summarized. "Promises made, promises kept."