When it comes to MSNBC’s constant cries of impending fascism under President Donald Trump, even Jon Stewart had to laugh. On Monday’s edition of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, Stewart had to ask “Do I not understand what fascism is?”
That wasn’t to say Stewart has become a fan of Trump, but he was concerned his fellow liberals were at risk of crying wolf, “Look, we are facing a deluge of these executive actions and certainly, we must be prepared for those most vulnerable to the consequences of these actions. But the "This is all fascist" argument has become almost a reflex for the left.”
Stewart then played a quartet of clips, three of which were from MSNBC, the only exception was Rep. Jason Crow on CBS’s Face The Nation:
NORM EISEN: Donald Trump promised to be a dictator on day one, and he's carried that forward through the entire week.
REP. JASON CROW: Five days into this administration, the abuse is already rampant.
JEN RUBIN: Throughout the rest of the week, shredding the Constitution as he went.
KATIE PHANG: On a fascism scale of one to ten, with ten being peak fascism, how would you rate Trump's first week?
Katie Phang is an MSNBC legal analyst and Saturday host. On this occasional, she was guest-hosting The Beat and it was she, who Stewart focused on. After taking a moment to laugh at the clip, he mocked Phang’s eagerness, “On a scale of Mussolini to the Holocaust. You know, I would say it is not fascism. Do I not understand what fascism is?”
Continuing to mock the idea of fascist analogies, Stewart then mocked Phang’s guest, former Clinton operative James Carville, “And also, if I may -- this may be petty -- why are we asking someone who, at the end of January, still has his [bleep] Christmas tree up? Why are we asking him anything? You know who used to leave their Christmas tree up all the time? Hitler!”
Whatever Carville’s other sins, a love for Christmas trees isn’t one of them. As for Katie Phang, when Jon Stewart thinks you’ve gone too far, maybe it is time to reevaluate your life.
Here is a transcript for the January 27 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
11:12 PM ET
1/27/2025
JON STEWART: Look, we are facing a deluge of these executive actions, and certainly, we must be prepared for those most vulnerable to the consequences of these actions. But the "This is all fascist" argument has become almost a reflex for the left.
NORM EISEN: Donald Trump promised to be a dictator on day one, and he's carried that forward through the entire week.
REP. JASON CROW: Five days into this administration, the abuse is already rampant.
JEN RUBIN: Throughout the rest of the week, shredding the Constitution as he went.
KATIE PHANG: On a fascism scale of one to ten, with ten being peak fascism, how would you rate Trump's first week?
STEWART: On a scale of Mussolini to the Holocaust. You know, I would say it is not fascism. Do I not understand what fascism is? And also, if I may — this may be petty — why are we asking someone who, at the end of January, still has his [bleep] Christmas tree up? Why are we asking him anything? You know who used to leave their Christmas tree up all the time? Hitler!
