Jon Stewart Comments on Trump’s Bold Approach to Skipping Congressional War Approval
Jon Stewart, addressing the latest developments in U.S.-Iran relations, humorously reflected on his absence from the recent Met Gala during Monday’s episode of The Daily Show.
“Is it a war? Is it a ceasefire? Are we friends with bomb-ifits? I don’t know,” Stewart joked at the start of his monologue. “Friday marked the expiration of the 60-day free-trial period presidents get to do wars. After 60 days, the president must ask Congress, who then decides: Are we subscribing? Or, are we just going to use Israel’s password?”
In a recent address in Florida, President Donald Trump asserted that he did not require congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution, labeling the situation as a military operation.
Stewart commented, “You almost have to admire the brazenness of a president just casually explaining … how to get around our pesky, uh, laws. Just not a care in the world. It’s like going up to a McDonald’s cashier: Yeah, I’m going to get a cup of water. Well, I say water because I don’t like to use the word ‘soda.’ If I say ‘water,’ I get it for free, but to be clear, I will be drinking soda.”
Watch on Deadline
He added, “Of course, Trump’s plan only works if he has the discipline to maintain his assertion that we are, in fact, not in a war.” This comment transitioned into a clip of Trump declaring, “You know, we’re in a war.”
Stewart further likened Trump’s actions to filling a cup with soda while assuring the cashier, saying, “I’m just going to get a little Mountain Dew, a little Pepsi, little Hi-C — I’m going around the fucking world.”
The late-night host remarked that Trump’s “royal ambitions” were so concerning that “an actual king born of the lineage of kings we fought to establish our constitutional republic [Charles III] had to come back here to remind us to wake the fuck up.”
Stewart concluded with a dire assessment: “The Congress isn’t coming to save us. The judiciary isn’t coming to save us. The voters are being gerrymandered out of being able to save us. We’ve only got one last card to play — our beautiful fourth estate.”
“Democracy dies in darkness, so we look to the free press, the newsies,” he proclaimed. His voice rose as he emphasized, “the ink-stained wretches, the masters of muckrake, the clickety-clack brigade, tappers, rappers, Wolf Blitzers, titty twisters. We the people depend on the news media to bring the tough questions that hold the politicians accountable.”
Reflecting on a moment when reporters on the White House lawn missed a follow-up question to Trump, he expressed, “We’re so fucked. And by the way, what is the point of having to shout your questions if you’re not gonna listen to the answers? We need you to help us litigate the boundaries of our reality.”
“If the strongest defender of American democracy is the King of England,” he concluded, “we are [exaggerating Charles III’s Received Pronunciation] really fucked.”
