Jon Stewart opened The Daily Show on Monday by launching into criticism of President Donald Trump‘s attack on Iran.
During his opening monologue (below), the comedy host mocked what the show dubbed “Mess O’Potamia: America’s Next Top Muddle.”
Letting the f-bombs fly, Stewart laid into Trump’s inconsistent communication and lack of congressional approval on the issue.
At one point, Stewart played clips that aired during the 2024 election of some on the right saying that Trump would be a “peace through strength” president who would keep the United States out of war. This was followed by clips collected since Friday of Trump supporters praising the strike.
“How quickly the right has gone from ‘peace through strength’ to ‘peace through war,’” Stewart said. “And we’re all just along for the ride in a war with no clear purpose, no end in sight, all at the whims of Donald Trump.”
Stewart mocked…
— The name “Operation Epic Fury”: “Epic Fury?! Did the Paul Brothers launch another energy drink?”
— On Trump’s video announcing the attack from Mar-a-Lago while wearing a white baseball cap: “This is how we’re doing this? Mar-a-Lago basement? No lighting? You don’t even have one of those influencer halo lights? And this is what we’re wearing? Blazer, no tie, shirt unbuttoned? Looking more like the father of the bride settling up with the caterer? Not to nitpick, obviously, but baseball hat? We’re going with a baseball hat for a war of choice? Oh, I’m gonna go down and make my war announcement. ‘Don’t forget the HAT I got you that’s bigger than your head.’ … We should at least be thankful that the hat is forwards.”
— On 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei being killed in a U.S. airstrike: “I doubt he’s anywhere near a location that obvious, given the advance surveillance he’s been under … He stayed in his house?! Old people are so fucking stubborn. America apparently had to start an entire war to kill an 86-year-old in ill health and not wait, I don’t know, three weeks to let saturated fat do its thing.” (Stewart also ripped into sympathetic studio audience noises for Khamenei — “Sorry, am I going too hard on Khamenei? A murderous dictator … who mowed down his own people?”)
— On the House being set to vote on the war powers resolution on Thursday: “This coming Thursday?! The war already fucking happened! This is Trump’s whole presidency, he does whatever the fuck he wants and then a few days later, Congress is like: ‘Excuse me! Roll your window down. Excuse me, sir?! You’re not allowed to knock down the East Wing without a permit from the homeowner’s association. We’re going to let it slide this time.’ The U.S. Congress is like male nipples. Why do you exist? What do you do? Nothing! You do nothing!”
— On Iran launching strikes at other countries in the Middle East: “So let me get this straight: America and Israel attack Iran. And Iran’s answer is to just attack everybody. You know, having been in a bar fight, I’m pretty sure the worst thing to do in a two-on-one beat down is to slap everybody else.”
— After showing a clip of Trump rambling about random topics during a press briefing about the war: “I can’t believe our bombs are now smarter than our President.”
On Friday, Trump launched “Operation Epic Fury” targeting Iran to destroy its missile production, navy and nuclear capabilities following alleged “imminent threats.” The conflict has resulted in the death of many senior Iranian officials, significant infrastructure damage in Iran and four U.S. service member deaths. Trump has said the campaign could last weeks and hasn’t ruled out the use of U.S. troops on the ground.
