Late-night TV always seems to find something hypocritical coming from President Donald Trump. But one recent example is sticking with Jon Stewart to the point where the Daily Show host just can't let it go.
Stewart is fixated on President Trump's interview with Kristen Welker on Meet the Press in which the president repeated his line that Americans have too much. Trump echoed his sentiment that perhaps American children should have two dolls instead of 30, as his tariff plans threaten to raise prices on a number of consumer goods.
“[Trump] continues to float this idea that Americans just have too much—that in this new world order that he is creating, that it is important for children to learn gratitude and simplicity,” Stewart said on his Weekly Show podcast.
The problem with that is Trump doesn't practice what he preaches, says Stewart. The late-night TV host called out Trump's lack of moderation for himself:
"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 there. He questioned why Trump hasn't applied the same calls for moderation to American businesses. If American children are meant to cut back, why can't corporations? For Stewart, it's a logical question but not one he truly expected Trump to consider.
“F*** that, f*** you for telling the American people, ‘Oh, you know what? Your kids have to go without.’ Why don’t billionaires?" Stewart said. "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."
Insurance companies and banks were among the entities Stewart ripped as examples of who "bought and sold" the country through their excess. And the comedian sees no end in sight, arguing that Congress can't, or won't, do anything to improve these conditions.
Donald Trump isn't going to give up his love of all things gold anytime soon. Nor is Jon Stewart going to give up his crusade to call out what he sees as an excess of hypocrisy coming from the White House.