Jon Stewart on Trump's Assertion of Not Knowing About His Personal MRI: 'That’s Not Physically Possible'.
Comedy show hosts recently directed their focus on ex-President Donald Trump, criticizing his employment of a ableist slur and portrayed as feeble efforts to address growing questions about his cognitive health.
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 widely condemned slur. "On Thanksgiving?!" Stewart exclaimed. "Are you confusing that with Festivus?"
When asked later if he regretted the remark, Trump is said to have doubled down, insisting 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, belly full of turkey and pie, enveloped in the love of your extended crime family, but your first thought was to post an insult at Tim Walz? And there’s something wrong with him?"
The host then turned to Trump's peculiar account of a recently revealed medical scan. In an attempt to downplay worries, Trump stated he had "no idea" what part of his body was examined, remarking it "couldn't have been his brain" because he "took a cognitive test."
"That’s not physically possible," Stewart shot back. "Being completely unaware, it’s not possible. What would you say to the doctor? ‘No no no, don’t tell me. I want to find out at my MRI reveal party.’"
He continued, "Good grief, man, were you not the least bit interested? When they laid you down 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, ‘What a loud tanning bed’?"
Stewart also mocked Trump's boast of a "perfect score" 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.’"
The Late Show's Satirical Take
On his own program, Stephen Colbert pointed out increasing frustration among some former supporters. "Certain supporters are starting to notice that Trump views them like livestock," he said, referencing anger about funding a luxury ballroom over tackling economic issues.
"Elsewhere, Trump celebrated Thanksgiving in his traditional way – with racism," Colbert noted, alluding 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 "Release the MRI results," 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 supposed to know," Colbert suggested.
He then poked fun at the subsequent official explanation—a medical note stating the MRI was for preventative screening. "Alright, that's reasonable," Colbert conceded. "Men in his age group also benefit from retiring, so … can we get that ordered next?"
Jimmy Kimmel's Direct Criticism
Jimmy Kimmel likewise condemned Trump's choice of words. "Look, he is capable of being presidential when he wants to be!" he joked. "It's puzzling why he didn’t get that Nobel peace prize. It defies all logic."
Regarding Trump's subsequent statement that he thinks "there is a problem" with Walz, Kimmel was direct: "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 remarked, pointing to polling showing high negative ratings. "You can find gas station bathrooms on Yelp with better reviews than Donald Trump right now."
The host finished by highlighting Trump's promise to grant clemency to a imprisoned international drug trafficker. "Now some have pointed out the unbelievable hypocrisy of Trump tough on drugs in one instance, while simultaneously pardoning a man who shipped 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) pardoning drug kingpins and b) constructing a venue to ballroom dance," he summarized. "Commitments stated, promises kept."