Monday night’s episode of The Daily Show gave host Jon Stewart plenty to work with. He dove into Donald Trump’s latest controversy involving the pope and an AI-generated image that quickly spiraled into ridicule.
Stewart opened the segment by focusing on Trump’s decision to publicly attack the head of the Catholic Church following a message centered on peace. The Daily Show host framed the situation as baffling, emphasizing just how unusual it is for anyone to take issue with that kind of message ... let alone a sitting president.
“It does not come into my brain that anyone in the world hearing the Pope’s message of peace will have some kind of weird problem with it,” the host noted. But apparently, President Trump is the exception as he took to social media to call Pope Leo “weak” and a “loser." These are the types of insults Trump usually reserves for late-night hosts, putting the religious leader in unique company.
But as Stewart pointed out, the situation didn’t end with a war of words. Instead, it escalated into something even stranger when Trump shared an AI-generated image that appeared to depict himself in a Christ-like role. The image quickly drew backlash online, with critics and allies alike questioning both the taste and intent behind the post.
First, Stewart had some punchlines at his own expense. The 63-year-old comedian joked that the patient in Trump's image bore a striking resemblance to himself. However, it's unlikely that Trump would reach out with a healing touch toward the Daily Show host.
Things then turned back to the controversy. After facing criticism, the president claimed he believed the image showed him as a doctor, not Jesus. It was an argument that Stewart clearly found impossible to take seriously.
“That’s you as a doctor? Why don’t you own it, you big puss bag?” Stewart retorted. “Do you even care about lying to us any more? Is it over? Has this relationship gone still? Your lies used to have a real spark: ‘They’re eating the cats and dogs,’ ‘Venezuela stole the 2020 election.’ And now the best you’ve got is: ‘Oh, it wasn’t Jesus. I’m a doctor.’ You need to find your happy place, and fast. We expect better lies, sir.”
Stewart’s frustration wasn’t just about the image itself, but what he framed as a noticeable drop-off in the creativity behind Trump’s claims. By comparing this explanation to some of Trump’s past statements, Stewart suggested that even the spectacle has lost some of its edge.
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