Jon Stewart didn’t hold back — calling Trump’s latest excuse over his MRI ‘physically impossible.’ As long holiday weekends ended and the political chatter resumed, late-night hosts took turns dismantling Donald Trump’s new controversies, ranging from a Thanksgiving insult to a questionable health claim that raised eyebrows across the country.
Jon Stewart’s Take: Thanksgiving Meltdown
Jon Stewart, returning to The Daily Show after Thanksgiving, slammed the president for using an ableist slur to describe Minnesota governor Tim Walz. Trump had posted on Truth Social referring to Walz, who ran as Kamala Harris’s running mate in the previous election, as “seriously retarded.” Stewart fired back: “On Thanksgiving?! Are you confusing that with Festivus?”
When reporters later asked Trump if he regretted the comment, he doubled down, claiming “there’s something seriously wrong” with Walz. Stewart erupted. “Something wrong with him? You’re sitting at Thanksgiving surrounded by family, with turkey and pie, and your first thought is to post a slur about Tim Walz? And he’s the one with a problem?”
The comedian noted that reporters had to waste their holiday shadowing Trump at Mar-a-Lago. “They couldn’t even leave,” he joked. “They had to fly back with this nut and ask him to clarify his nonsense.”
The MRI Confusion
Things got even stranger when Trump tried to silence concerns about his mental fitness by discussing a recent MRI. He insisted he didn’t know which part of his body was scanned: “It wasn’t the brain because I took a cognitive test — and I aced it.” Stewart was baffled: “That’s not physically possible! How could you not know? What’d you tell the doctor — ‘Don’t ruin the surprise; I want to find out at the MRI reveal party’?”
Stewart continued mocking Trump’s apparent indifference: “You’re in a noisy metal tube for 45 minutes, and it never occurred to you to ask what they were scanning? Or did you think it was the world’s loudest tanning bed?” And when Trump boasted of getting a “perfect score” on his MRI, Stewart quipped, “Right, that’s how it works — they stamp it ‘Perfect’ or write ‘See me’ in red ink.”
Stephen Colbert Weighs In: ‘Trump Treats MAGA Like Livestock’
Stephen Colbert joined in on The Late Show, arguing that Trump’s own supporters are waking up to how little he cares about them. “Some MAGA folks are realizing Trump treats them like meat animals,” he said, referencing interviews with disillusioned former backers angry over the construction of a glittering ballroom. “He claims it’s to serve the poor — and they will be delicious.”
Colbert then turned to Trump’s Thanksgiving behavior. “Trump celebrated the holiday in his usual way — with racism,” he said, citing the former president’s rant about immigration and yet another ableist slur toward Walz.
When Walz fired back on social media demanding the release of Trump’s MRI results, Trump replied he’d share them but didn’t know what part was scanned. Colbert mused, “Maybe the broken part is the one that’s supposed to know.”
Later, Trump’s staff tried to explain that the MRI was a “routine checkup for cardiovascular and abdominal health.” Colbert shrugged: “Fair enough. Men his age could also benefit from retiring — can we write that prescription next?”
Jimmy Kimmel’s Take: ‘The President of Eighth Grade’
Jimmy Kimmel Live! also joined the pile-on. “See? Trump can be presidential when he wants to be!” Kimmel joked about the slur. “Still can’t figure out why he didn’t win that Nobel Peace Prize.”
When Trump reiterated aboard Air Force One that “something’s wrong” with Walz, Kimmel deadpanned: “Another bold statement from the president of the eighth grade.” He then mocked Trump’s claim that his approval numbers were “higher than ever.” “With a 60% disapproval rating, there are gas station bathrooms on Yelp with better reviews,” Kimmel said.
Kimmel saved one of his sharpest barbs for Trump’s promise to pardon Juan Orlando Hernández, the former Honduran president sentenced to 45 years for building a “cocaine superhighway” into the U.S. “Critics point out the hypocrisy: bombing alleged drug boats while pardoning a kingpin who trafficked tons of cocaine,” Kimmel said. “But Trump’s defenders call them haters and losers. Lighten up!” He concluded, “When Trump ran for president, he promised two things: pardon drug lords and build a ballroom. You’ve got to admit — promises made, promises kept.”
And here’s where it gets interesting: Do you think these late-night takedowns actually change how voters see Trump — or do they just strengthen his support among those who love his defiance? Which side do you fall on — satire as accountability, or comedy as noise? Share your thoughts below.
