Jon Stewart delivered a passionate monologue on The Daily Show, criticizing Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the Trump administration’s handling of federal workers and government spending. Stewart mocked Musk and President Trump for laying off tens of thousands of federal workers across nearly a dozen agencies, with little regard for their livelihoods. “How about we just take the $3 billion in subsidies we give to oil and gas companies that already turned billions in profits?” Stewart suggested.
“How about we close down the carried interest loophole on hedge funds that’s worth $1.3 billion a year? Or stop the $2 trillion we’ve given to defense contractors to build a fighter jet that blows?”
Stewart also took aim at former President Joe Biden’s administration for their modest efforts to negotiate prescription drug prices. “Ten is all of them, right?
Because it would be embarrassing if it was a small drop in the bucket and the American people didn’t expect that we should negotiate for all their drugs because we’ve already paid for it with our subsidies,” Stewart declared before smashing a “World’s Most Dad” mug into pieces and shouting, “Come on!
In a shocking turn of events, Stewart revealed a bloodied hand hidden under the desk, stating, “I’ll be going to the hospital soon.” He laughed off the incident and continued his breakdown of Musk’s misguided attack on government spending.
Stewart blasts Musk’s federal cuts
“We live in the upside down,” Stewart remarked, emphasizing that while corporations are motivated by profit, taxpayers should not subsidize their greed.
“That’s the waste, fraud, and abuse in our system,” he said. “That’s what we should be going after, not the fantastical, over-generous.”
Tensions have escalated between federal workers and the Trump administration as Musk has led a purge of the federal government under the guise of rooting out fraud and financial waste. Layoffs have affected employees across various agencies, including the Forest Service and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Experts predict that expected massive cuts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development will cause disruptions in the housing market, making homes less affordable and upending mortgage transactions. Before wrapping up, Stewart reassured the audience about his injury, showing his fingers covered in a bloody cloth. “It’s fine!” he assured them.
