Comedy show hosts this week directed their focus on ex-President Donald Trump, lambasting his use of an derogatory term and what they described as unconvincing attempts to address public concerns about his cognitive health.
The Daily Show's Pointed Commentary
Kicking off the week, Jon Stewart focused on a controversial post in which Trump described Minnesota Governor Tim Walz using a highly offensive slur. "On the holiday?!" Stewart exclaimed. "Are you confusing that with your own personal grievance airing day?"
When asked later if he regretted the remark, Trump reportedly doubled down, stating there was "something seriously wrong" with the governor.
"Something wrong 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 initial instinct was to post an insult at Tim Walz? And there’s something wrong with him?"
The comedian then addressed Trump's peculiar account of a recently disclosed medical scan. In an effort to downplay worries, Trump claimed he had "no idea" what part of his body was examined, remarking it "wasn’t the brain" because he "took a cognitive test."
"That’s not physically possible," Stewart shot back. "To have no idea, it’s not possible. What would you say to the doctor? ‘Wait, stop, 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 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, ‘What a loud tanning bed’?"
Stewart further ridiculed Trump's assertion of a "flawless result" on the scan. "That’s how they score the MRIs," he joked. "You either get a big stamp, ‘Perfect,’ or you get in red ink, ‘We need to talk.’"
Stephen Colbert's Satirical Take
On his own program, Stephen Colbert highlighted growing discontent among some former supporters. "Maga folks are starting to notice that Trump treats them like meat animals," he said, citing anger about funding 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 also used the ableist slur against Governor Walz.
After Walz responded to "Release the MRI results," Trump promised release them, despite his stated unawareness of what was scanned.
"Uh, here’s a theory: maybe the part that’s malfunctioning 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 routine evaluation. "Alright, that's reasonable," Colbert said. "Men in his age group also benefit from retiring, so … can we get that ordered next?"
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. "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 is a problem" with Walz, Kimmel was blunt: "yet another profound insight from the president of the middle school."
Kimmel also addressed Trump's insistence of record-high approval ratings. "Which means it’s not just books he can’t read," Kimmel remarked, pointing to polling showing significant disapproval. "There are 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 convicted former Honduran president. "Now some have pointed out the staggering contradiction of Trump tough on drugs in one instance, while at the same time freeing a man who shipped a million pounds of cocaine to this country," said Kimmel. "Such individuals are just detractors, you know? Relax!"
"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. "Promises made, promises kept."
