Jon Stewart on Trump's Assertion of Not Knowing Regarding His Personal MRI: 'It's Not Physically Possible'.
Comedy show hosts recently trained their comedic fire on ex-President Donald Trump, criticizing his use of an ableist slur and what they described as unconvincing attempts to alleviate public concerns about his cognitive health.
Jon Stewart's Scathing Critique
Kicking off the week, Jon Stewart focused on a controversial post in which Trump described Minnesota Governor Tim Walz using a widely condemned slur. "On the holiday?!" Stewart exclaimed. "Are you confusing that with Festivus?"
When asked later if he felt any remorse, Trump is said to have intensified his attack, stating there was "a genuine problem" with the governor.
"The issue is with him? With him?" Stewart responded. "You sat with your family at Thanksgiving, stomach full of turkey and pie, surrounded by the love of your notorious associates, 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 bizarre explanation of a recently revealed MRI. In an attempt to downplay worries, Trump stated he had "zero knowledge" what part of his body was examined, remarking it "couldn't have been his brain" because he "aced a cognitive test."
"That’s not physically possible," Stewart countered. "To have no idea, 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 the least bit interested? 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, ‘This is a noisy tanning bed’?"
Stewart further ridiculed Trump's assertion of a "flawless result" on the scan. "Apparently, that's the way they score the MRIs," he quipped. "You either get a big stamp, ‘Perfect,’ or you get in red ink, ‘We need to talk.’"
Stephen Colbert's Witty Observations
On his own program, Stephen Colbert highlighted growing discontent among some one-time allies. "Certain supporters are starting to notice that Trump treats them like meat animals," he said, referencing anger about building a gilded event space over addressing economic issues.
"Elsewhere, Trump celebrated Thanksgiving in his traditional way – with racism," Colbert quipped, referring to an anti-immigrant rant from the weekend. "Somewhere in all of that nonsense," he summarized, the president employed the offensive term against Governor Walz.
After Walz responded to "Make the scan public," Trump said he would release them, despite his claimed ignorance of what was scanned.
"Uh, here’s a theory: maybe the part that’s broken is the part that’s supposed to know," Colbert noted.
He then poked fun at the subsequent White House justification—a 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 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 addressed Trump's claims of unprecedented approval ratings. "Which means it’s not just books he can’t read," Kimmel remarked, pointing to survey data showing high negative ratings. "You can find gas station bathrooms on Yelp with better reviews than Donald Trump right now."
The host concluded by criticizing Trump's pledge to pardon a convicted former Honduran president. "Now some have pointed out the staggering contradiction of Trump tough on drugs elsewhere, while at the same time freeing a man who sent a massive quantity of cocaine to this country," said Kimmel. "Such individuals are just detractors, you know? Lighten up!"
"When he was running, Trump made it perfectly obvious: his top priorities were a) granting clemency to cartel leaders and b) building a place to ballroom dance," he summarized. "Promises made, promises kept."