Jon Stewart returned to the desk on Monday’s episode of “The Daily Show,” opening with a celebration of Democratic gains in the previous week’s midterm elections before turning to President Donald Trump’s Sunday appearance on “60 Minutes.” The interview supplied material for jokes about Trump’s finances, his answers to religious questions and the program’s editing.
Introducing the segment, Stewart described CBS as newly aligned with Trump’s MAGA movement and suggested the president had gone to the network for reassurance. He identified interviewer Ross Douthat as a religious conservative and one of the program’s new correspondents. But the clips Stewart played showed Douthat challenging Trump, a development the host greeted with amused surprise.
One exchange concerned the increase in Trump’s net worth since his return to the White House. Douthat pushed back by noting that his own wealth had not risen by $3 billion. Stewart responded by jokingly asking whether the correspondent had just shown the president some attitude. He said the confrontation had made the interview more entertaining than he had expected it to be.
Stewart also highlighted the contrast between Trump’s confidence about his financial abilities and his response to questions about his personal fortune. Earlier in the interview, Trump had presented money and finance as his strongest area. Later, when discussing his wealth, he said, “I guess it’s gone up. I don’t even know.” Stewart turned that contrast into a joke comparing Keanu Reeves’ roles in “The Matrix” and “Bill and Ted.”
The monologue then moved to Douthat’s questions about religion and mortality, including what Trump believed happens after death. Stewart questioned the decision to ask the president to address such a broad philosophical subject, tying the joke back to Trump’s earlier comments about his money.
Another sequence involved Trump saying he could not forgive enemies such as James Comey and Nancy Pelosi, even if forgiveness were necessary to enter heaven. Stewart singled out the decision to follow that answer with a commercial break, mockingly praising the timing for its dramatic effect.
Stewart also targeted Trump’s new chief of staff, Stephen Miller, with assistance from comedian Jordan Klepper. After the monologue, Rachel Maddow joined Stewart on the Monday broadcast, a pairing he joked would particularly appeal to liberal viewers.
