Jon Stewart launched into a furious attack on President Donald Trump's newly announced 'anti-weaponization' fund during Wednesday's episode of his podcast, calling the nearly $1.8 billion agreement a direct insult to taxpayers. The talk show host argued that the fund was not only politically provocative but also part of what he described as Trump's long-running habit of 'trolling' the American public.
The Department of Justice recently confirmed the creation of the $1.78 billion fund after adeal between Trump and the Internal Revenue Serviceled to the dropping of his $10 billion lawsuit. The announcement has already sparked unease across Capitol Hill, with Democrats and even some Republican allies questioning where the money will come from and who ultimately benefits from it. Stewart's criticism quickly turned into a wider condemnation of the Trump administration, which he compared to a public 'smash and grab' carried out in plain sight while ordinary Americans are left watching in disbelief.
Stewart'sremarkscame after he was asked whether he would rather vote for former President Richard Nixon or Trump. The comedian said he would 'undoubtedly prefer Nixon,' partly because Nixon helped establish the Environmental Protection Agency. He then joked that such a view would probably make him look like 'a communist' to modern Republicans.
One of Stewart's co-hosts remarked that 'Watergate is cute now,' suggesting the scandal attached to Nixon's presidency looks relatively minor compared to the controversies surrounding Trump. Stewart responded by recalling what he described as a murky memory of a slush fund controversy linked to Nixon, before contrasting it with the scale of Trump's newly announced fund.
'But think about that in comparison to $1.8 billion of taxpayer money, at least I think Nixon's slush fund was donors!' Stewart said. 'This is f---ing OUR money. I mean, it's... do we even have a Congress or a court?'
The remark became the centrepiece of Stewart's criticism as he questioned how such a massive agreement could move forward amid growing concern from lawmakers. The DOJ's announcement of the $1.78 billion fund has already drawn scrutiny from both sides of the political aisle, particularly because of uncertainty surrounding how the money will be allocated and who stands to benefit from it.
Stewart also mocked what appeared to be the symbolic figure of $1.776 billion, which a co-host pointed out could reference the year 1776 and the founding of the United States. According to Stewart, the patriotic framing behind the fund only made the situation more cynical.
'It's all Orwell. It's all a "f--- you" troll. Everything they're doing is a "f--- you" troll to us,' Stewart said. 'This is against the weaponization of it, and it's patriotic. They're trolling us. His entire career is a troll.'
As the discussion continued, Stewart argued that the fund represented something bigger than a single political controversy. He accused the Trump administration of disguising corruption as patriotism while rewarding people connected to controversial actions.
'They're going to give it to people that sprayed MACE at police officers and pretend that they're rewarding patriotism,' he said.Stewart then compared the administration's behaviour to viral videos showing groups of teenagers storming shops and stealing goods while bystanders watch helplessly.
Source: International Business Times UK
