🔗 Share this article

Comedy show hosts recently trained their comedic fire on ex-President Donald Trump, criticizing his use of an ableist slur and what they described as feeble efforts to alleviate public concerns about his cognitive health.

The Daily Show's Pointed Commentary

Beginning his monologue, Jon Stewart took aim at a controversial post in which Trump described Minnesota Governor Tim Walz with a highly offensive slur. "On Thanksgiving?!" Stewart remarked. "Are you confusing that with Festivus?"

When questioned by reporters if he felt any remorse, Trump reportedly doubled down, stating there was "something seriously wrong" with the governor.

"Something wrong with him? With him?" Stewart responded. "You sat with your family at Thanksgiving, belly full of turkey and pie, enveloped in the love of your notorious associates, but your initial instinct was to post an insult at Tim Walz? And there’s something wrong with him?"

The host then addressed Trump's peculiar account of a recently revealed medical scan. In an effort to dismiss concerns, Trump stated he had "no idea" what part of his body was examined, suggesting it "wasn’t the brain" because he "aced a cognitive test."

"That’s not physically possible," Stewart countered. "Being completely unaware, it’s not possible. What could you possibly say to the doctor? ‘Wait, stop, don’t tell me. I want to find out at my scan unveiling celebration.’"

He added, "For God’s sakes, man, were you not curious at all? When they laid you down in a tube for 30 to 45 minutes, you didn’t want to know what they might be doing? Or did you just think to yourself, ‘What a loud tanning bed’?"

Stewart also mocked Trump's assertion of a "perfect score" on the scan. "Apparently, that's the way they score the MRIs," he joked. "You either get a big stamp, ‘Perfect,’ or you get in red ink, ‘We need to talk.’"

The Late Show's Satirical Take

On his own program, Stephen Colbert highlighted growing discontent among some former supporters. "Maga folks are starting to notice that Trump treats them like meat animals," he remarked, referencing criticism over funding a luxury ballroom over addressing economic issues.

"Elsewhere, Trump celebrated Thanksgiving in his customary fashion – with racism," Colbert quipped, alluding to an inflammatory post from the weekend. "Somewhere in all of that nonsense," he recapped, the president employed the offensive term against Governor Walz.

After Walz challenged him to "Release the MRI results," Trump said he would do so, despite his stated unawareness of what was scanned.

"Uh, here’s a theory: maybe the part that’s malfunctioning is the part that’s meant to retain that information," Colbert suggested.

He then poked fun at the follow-up White House justification—a medical note stating the MRI was for preventative screening. "Alright, that's reasonable," Colbert conceded. "People his age also benefit from retiring, so … can we get that ordered next?"

Jimmy Kimmel's Blunt Assessment

Jimmy Kimmel likewise condemned Trump's choice of words. "Look, he is capable of being presidential when he wants to be!" he remarked sarcastically. "It's puzzling why he didn’t get that Nobel peace prize. It makes no sense."

Regarding Trump's follow-up comment that he thinks "there is a problem" with Walz, Kimmel was direct: "another bold statement from the president of the middle school."

Kimmel also addressed Trump's claims of unprecedented approval ratings. "This indicates it’s not just books he can’t read," Kimmel said, noting survey data showing significant disapproval. "There are gas station bathrooms on Yelp with higher approval ratings than Donald Trump right now."

The host finished by highlighting Trump's promise to grant clemency to a convicted former Honduran president. "Now some have pointed out the unbelievable hypocrisy of Trump tough on drugs elsewhere, while simultaneously pardoning a man who sent a million pounds of cocaine to this country," said Kimmel. "But those people are just haters and losers, you know? Lighten up!"

"When he was running, Trump made it perfectly obvious: his top priorities were a) pardoning drug kingpins and b) building a place to ballroom dance," he added. "Commitments stated, pledges fulfilled."