For a brief moment at least, the Jon Stewart of his glory Days hosting The Daily Show made an appearance. And he tore Trump a new one. Raked Trumpty over the coals the way he should have done when Trump became an actual threat to win the GOP nomination back in 2016. Trump makes it easy for comedians of course, but a segment mocking Trump for the ever increasing amount of “Bling” in the Oval Office was the kind of satirical mocking that fifteen to twenty years ago made Stewart such a favorite.
In this article from The Daily Beast in which the headline talks about Stewart ‘Nailing’ problems with Trump’s ‘Moderation’ talk the kind of biting observations that made me watch Stewart long, long ago are discussed. Stewart did a segment of old, mixing satire with some serious questions seasoned with a healthy dose of outright mockery. There is so much with Trump (besides the fact HE PAINTS HIS FACE ORANGE) but Stewart delved into the way Trumpty has Blinged Out the Oval Office. I think it’s as ghastly as the Trump Tower apartment up in NYC.
Stewart got into that interview Agent Orange had with Kristen Welker and he’s had plenty of serious stuff to say while trying to make us laugh through the tears. What the linked article talks about is the contradiction between what Trumpty things Americans should have to limit themselves to vs. the excesses HE flaunts as if they are his divine birthright. And in the way he was once famous for doing he massively trolled Trump on all that ever increasing gold crap he’s cramming into every available space in the Oval. With a special quip about ‘Cherubs’, something Trump made a point of talking to Fox’s Laura Ingraham about a while back:
Trump’s own need for extravagance, Stewart said, “gets us really to the crux of how f—ing wrongheaded” his ideas are. “He sees no value in moderation for himself…He is not leading through the exemplar of a dignified and less consumerist life. As you can see, every time there is another press conference within the Oval Office, another gold cherub gets its wings. Another gold cherub and another gold leaf frame, until there is no wall space left in the Oval Office.”
Stewart wasn’t done, and in the old-school fake news show he always said he was on posed a question ‘real news’ outlets should be shouting to the rooftops:
Stewart slammed the hypocrisy of Trump’s opulence and his “not for thee” attitude toward the rest of the country on his show Thursday: “F— that, f— you for telling the American people, ‘Oh, you know what? Your kids have to go without.’ Why don’t billionaires? Why doesn’t he ever say, ‘Hey, you know what? Maybe you don’t need $350 billion. Maybe you just need $10 to $12 billion. Maybe, maybe you don’t need any of those things.’”
“Why isn’t his scolding of excess in any way self-reflective and turned around to the people who have bought and sold this country to all the interests that are making it more difficult for people to live better lives?” he went on. Trump is finger-wagging at “people who are buying pencils for their kids,” he said, referring to the president’s Meet the Press comments that kids “don’t need to have 250 pencils. They can have five.”
It’s not new, but another sad commentary on news in this country that a fake news show points out things and asks question real, major news outlets should be making hay about. Why DON’T major outlets start over and over asking ‘Why should most Americans have to sacrifice when the billionaire class that has manipulated the system to accumulate most of this country’s wealth get a pass. Hell, Trump wants them all to have MORE. Why can’t THEY do with a a few, or even ten or twenty billion less. Or in some cases one or two hundred billion less. Really, once you’re at ten or fifteen billion of net worth how much more do you need? Your heirs will never have to work a day in their lives, or their heirs either!
As for Trump himself Stewart saved a particularly biting last shot, harking back to the 3 dolls instead of thirty or only five pencils:
“Why not say the same thing to the profits of the insurance companies and to the banks?” Stewart went on. “That’s what’s out of control, those people,” he added sarcastically, “not him in his Saddam-like palace, saying ‘You know what? What if you had 10 golden toilets instead of 20?’ Or the font on the giant Trump sign was slightly smaller?”
What’s even worse, Stewart concluded, is that “Congress just stands slack-jawed as it all goes down.”
That crack about the gold toilets will hit Trump where it hurts. Too bad Stewart did call them FAKE GOLD toilets which they surely are. Put Trump on the spot. Either he’d have to admit they were fake or allow some on camera, live testing. Well, that’s funny but not the most important points I want to make. I had a flashback to 2004 and the infamous ‘Swift Boat’ ad campaign that tarred John Kerry. If you recall (and you can look it up on YouTube) it starts off with a retired guy identified as former Navy Lt. George Elliott (no relation!) mournfully intoning that he was there that day and Kerry was lying about his actions. The creators only had to do a small buy. Major media played it OVER, and OVER countless times giving Bush 43 probably a hundred million or more in free (negative) advertising. With precious little pushback on Bush’s dubious Air National Guard record.
That Daily Show of old, the fake news show with a limited budget did some checking. They found plenty of campaign appearances where members of Kerry’s Swift Boat crew appeared on stage with him to praise him and his actions on that fateful day. Sometimes some extra folks were on hand, as in people who’d served on other Swift Boats and who happened to be there. The Daily Show found a clip of a campaign event on the banks of Boston Harbor during Kerry’s last Senate campaign with his crew present. And one other guy who made a point of touting Kerry’s heroism. It was none other than the very same former Lt. George Elliott! So it begs the question of whether Elliott was lying when he’d campaign for Kerry (I gathered this wasn’t the only time) or for that commercial? Perhaps for a nice payoff?
My point is that it was the FAKE news show that with minimal staff did some basic research and uncovered what should have been a major story after the Swift Boat ad aired. And putting Elliott and the others involved under a spotlight so bright and hot it would melt them. Maybe the “REAL” news outlets were too f**king embarrassed to admit how badly they’d blown it. It never turned into a ‘We should take a closer look at the Swift Boat ad’ story.
I fear that now, like then the COWARDICE of major news outlets and most journalists will be a case of ‘deja vu all over again.’ They don’t have the guts to flat-out ask why people already struggling should have to make do with less, while Trump and the billionaire class should get MORE. Hell, I don’t even see Lincoln Project coming out with a series of short ads mocking “Billionaires under SIEGE” video clips! WTF?
Well, I’ve had my issue with Stewart especially with his return in which he was IMHO flat out lame. However IF he keeps this kind of thing up we should pay attention. And for those adept with use of social media start posing this type of thing on the feeds of big-name journalists and news outlets. Pointedly ask why a FAKE news anchor is saying these things and asking these questions and they are NOT. Same thing for Democratic politicians. They could and should be hammering this theme in floor speeches and in hearings. So let’s encourage them, shall we?
****** Zoomers, we would happily accept a small donation to defray expenses as we trek through cyberspace. It’s going to get a lot crazier, that much we can guarantee you. Thanks. Ursula ******
I suggest you tune in Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC. Chris Hayes too, and Rachel Maddow. There are people in mainstream media gamely trying to fight the Trumpian flood of shit, day after day, night after night. Thus far, their billionaire bosses haven’t fired them but as Brian Tyler Cohen observed recently, that could occur at any time.
I wouldn’t say you’re wrong. And there are others besides who you cited who offer pointed criticism SOME of the time. Alas, it’s nowhere near “critical mass.” Even Maddow is dropping back to just one night a week, and taking part in some special drop in the bucket program highlighting some even/issue. I think Psaki could become what Maddow once was BUT it’s going to take time which she might not get. O’Donnell is powerful but even he only goes on four nights a week and he takes his share of breaks because he has other things he wants to spend time working on. As for the subject of my article, Stewart has a loooooog way to go before I’d say he’s the Jon Stewart of olden days. And HE only goes on one night a week himself!
What we need is a massive chorus of journalists ‘telling the truth on Trump’ but instead we’ve got some awfully good street musicians. Oh, they are camped out doing their thing at the right subway stations but it’s not nearly enough.