Jon Stewart, former host of The Daily Show on the Comedy Central cable television channel, returned to the TV spotlight by “hijacking” Monday night's edition of The Late Show on CBS, which is hosted by Stewart protégé Stephen Colbert.
While he spent most of the segment claiming Donald Trump uses the phrase “Believe me” when the Republican president is lying, Stewart also reminded everyone of his own hatred for the CNN, then turned his fire on the media. “Take up a hobby,” he said. “I recommend journalism.”
Colbert began the segment by claiming that Trump hit a new low with the media when he didn't invite CNN, the New York Times, Politico, the Los Angeles Times and Buzzfeed to an informal press briefing last Friday.
“This came only a few hours after Trump stated: 'I love the First Amendment. Nobody loves it better than me,'” the CBS host stated. “And the root of all this conflict is that Donald Trump calls any story he doesn't like 'fake news.'”
Suddenly, Jon Stewart came out from under Colbert's desk to laughter and cheers from the audience.
Colbert then asked: “You miss it, don't you?” referring to commenting on current events on his own program.
“Yes,” Stewart replied. “I spend the whole day yelling about Trump to the animals.”
“If you want to get away from the farm,” Colbert stated, “you're always welcome here, obviously.”
After pulling out a chair for Stewart, the CBS host asked: “Jon, what do you think about Trump banning the mainstream media from that briefing and him not going to the Correspondents' Dinner?”
“I can't believe the guy's got the balls to get away with that,” Stewart replied. “Trump lies more in one press conference than CNN does in a year, and that's coming from a guy who, as you know, hates CNN.”
At that point, the comedians ran a video of Trump claiming: “I got 306 Electoral College votes. I guess it was the biggest Electoral College win since Ronald Reagan.”
“You guess wrong,” Stewart responded. “It was smaller than both of Barack Obama's wins and Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush.”
Next up was a clip in which Trump said: “The murder rate in the country is the highest it has been in 47 years. Did you know that? I'd say that in a speech, and everybody was surprised because the press doesn't tell it like it is.”
“No, they were surprised because it's not true!” Stewart indicated.
“Obviously,” Colbert noted, the president exaggerates, but you can't possibly know he's lying on purpose.”
“Yes, you can!” the liberal guest claimed, "because he constantly says the phrase 'Believe me.' Nobody says 'Believe me' unless they are lying.”
As an example, Stewart stated: “Honey, I was just helping Stacy test out her perfect sleep number, believe me.”
“What, Democrats in disarray?” he then asked. “No, they have a plan, believe me.”
“He doesn't say 'Believe me' that often,” the host claimed before they showed Trump using the phrase 18 times.
“So you agree with me that Trump banning any members of the press is not American?” Colbert asked.
“You know what I say?” Stewart asked. “Stop your whining, press!”
The guest then asked to “talk to the media for a moment” before stating:
Hey, media. So I heard Donald Trump broke up with you. Stings a little, doesn't it? You finally thought you'd met your perfect match, a blabbermouth who's as thin-skinned and narcissistic as you are.
Well, now it's over. Good riddance, I say. Kick him to the curb. It is time to get your groove back, media, because let's face facts, you kind of let yourself go a little bit these past few years. Put on a few pundits, obsessing 24 hours a day, seven days a week about this one guy.
“And the whole time you're chasing after 'Donny,'” the comedian claimed, “you tried to defend him. 'You'll see; we can change him! He'll get presidential.'”
“Yeah, how'd that work out?” Stewart asked. “It didn't, and you know why? Because 70-year-old men don't get less cranky or racist as time goes by.”
“Here's my point, media,” Stewart added. “This breakup with Donald Trump has given you ... an amazing opportunity for self-reflection and improvement. Take up a hobby. I recommend journalism.”
“So you really think the media is going to take this opportunity to self-examine and then get batter at their jobs?” Colbert asked.
“I really do,” Stewart replied. “Believe me.”
As NewsBusters previously reported, the mainstream media viewed Stewart's departure from The Daily Show as the loss of “America's satirical voice” who would no longer hold the powerful “accountable.” What will they say now that he's made a return appearance on a late-night comedy show?
