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On the latest episode of “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart addressed Donald Trump’s inability to handle the press – after the president angrily left an interview on “Meet the Press” over the weekend.
Stewart played a clip in which Trump called NBC “corrupt,” declared he had “had enough” of it and abruptly ended the conversation with journalist Kristen Welker. “You could see this as the tantrum of an incredibly fragile man-baby whose paper-thin skin can’t bear to leave the saliva-licking womb of its yes-men,” Stewart said. “Or…actually, I can’t think of any other way to read it. It’s really just that. It’s sad.”
Regarding the president’s appearance, he added: “And since when does Trump go to his barber and say, ‘Hey, give me the Hugh Grant Oompa Loompa’?”
Trump’s worst nightmare
Stewart noted that Trump was initially “visibly in a good mood.” “Because the interview began like so many others for Trump: reasonable question, absurd answer,” he explained, playing a clip in which Trump claimed not to be thinking about war at all. The interview then quickly became Trump’s worst nightmare: “a woman who won’t stop asking relevant questions.”
The conversation escalated when Trump claimed – again – that the election had been rigged. “He got it out!” Stewart exclaimed. “The emergency glass-breaking-in-case-of-journalism. The EpiPen in case reality stung you. But this time, of all times, his universal get-out-of-the-interview card didn’t work.”
Welker responded that he never provided evidence that the 2020 election was rigged. Trump replied that the current election in California was also rigged. “Where is the evidence for this?” Welker asked.
Trump’s safety net is failing
Stewart repeated with relish: “Where is the evidence? Trump’s safety net has not held. Now he is left with two options: First, confront the fact that his claims of a stolen 2020 election have never withstood even the slightest legal scrutiny – and that, despite six years of time and his own Justice Department at his beck and call, he has never presented a single credible piece of evidence or even a plausible theory as to how this election was rigged. Or he chooses option two: smoke grenade.”
Trump chose the latter and left the interview halfway through. Stewart concluded: “Perhaps this moment will finally give journalists permission not to back down, not to just let it go and move on – and to finally be honest about Trump’s inability to be challenged in the situation.”
The host then played a clip of Welker saying she and Trump were distracted by the rain during the interview – which sparked Stewart’s anger. “Maybe it’s time we stop making excuses for this man just to continue to have access to his constant bullshit,” Stewart said.