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Jon Stewart returns to The Daily Show and takes on October surprises
A comedic dive into past October surprises
Jon Stewart made a triumphant return to hosting The Daily Show on Monday night, immediately plunging into the potential “October surprises” that could shake up the final weeks of the presidential election campaign. Stewart, known for his incisive humor and pointed commentary, began the segment by reflecting on past surprises. The infamous Access Hollywood tape was just one example he cited, alongside a rundown of recent natural disasters and wars that could become the dreaded black swan events in these politically charged weeks.
Why can’t October surprises bring us together?
Stewart’s comedic genius shone as he mused, “Why are October surprises always so crappy? Why don’t we ever get a good October surprise that brings our country together?” he quipped. He even injected some light-hearted humor, suggesting that internet stars like Pesto, the adorable baby penguin, and Moo Deng, the mischievous baby pygmy hippo, should start dating, offering a whimsical contrast to the more grave surprises of the past.
The Republican advantage in October surprises
In his characteristic style, Stewart expanded on the concept of October surprises, suggesting that they invariably favor Republicans. “If monkeypox runs amok, I don’t see how we lose!” he said mockingly. Highlighting the grim reality, Stewart pointed out that a war, a strike, and a natural disaster all tend to work in favor of a party that capitalizes on death and misery to score election points.
Musk’s MAGA moment at Trump rally
The segment then turned to recent events, with Stewart revealing his own “October surprise”—seeing Elon Musk at a Donald Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. “Musk’s October surprise is that he’s come out MAGA,” Stewart remarked, voicing his disbelief at Musk’s public political stance.
Stewart jabbed at the crowd by saying, ”You might think one of the world’s richest men controlling one of the world’s most influential platforms could be a recipe for what some may consider election interference. You stupid, stupid people.“
A deeper dive into social media and election interference
Stewart revisited Trump’s allegations in the 2016 and 2020 elections, where Trump accused Mark Zuckerberg of election interference. Now, with Musk, the owner of the embattled X platform, publicly supporting Trump, Stewart pointed out the blatant double standards. He delved deeper into Trump’s threats to imprison or sue those he believed were interfering in the election, including the creators of the biopic The Apprentice.
Musk’s controversial speech on free speech
A key moment of the segment was a clip of Musk’s speech from the Trump rally, where he proclaimed, “The other side wants to take away your freedom of speech. You must have free speech in order to have democracy. That’s why it’s the First Amendment.“
Stewart retorted, “Elon, were you not watching the rest of the show? A movie Trump doesn’t like is going to get sued. A tech mogul he doesn’t like, he wants to imprison. It’s not free speech if only Trump’s admirers get to do it without consequence. That’s just not how it works.“
Guns and the First Amendment
Another clip of Musk played: “But at least the Constitution remains intact and is there to ensure that we have the First Amendment. The Second Amendment is there to ensure that we have the First Amendment.“
This comment ignited Stewart’s ire. He passionately countered, “Guns don’t protect our free speech. Our free speech is protected by the consent of the governed, laid out through the Constitution. It’s not based on the threat of violence.” He further emphasized that the social contract offers many avenues for addressing issues through elections, organizing referendums, and judicial systems.
The darker side of gun advocacy
Stewart did not hold back, highlighting the dark side of invoking guns as tools of intimidation. He referenced the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump, underscoring that guns are not the foundation of a civilized society. “The whole point of a society is that guns don’t decide it,” Stewart declared, stressing the importance of remedies within the governmental framework over a situation where rights are dictated by militia.
A plea for rationality
Softening his voice, Stewart concluded by addressing Musk directly, “The country isn’t perfect, and there’s a lot of issues we don’t agree on: choice, immigration, shrinkflation of snack chips, the unholy marriage of penguins and hippos. But, honestly, dude, a country that can adjudicate these complicated issues through a sometimes frustrating, overly bureaucratic constitutional system of checks and balances and peaceful transfer of power is the only kind of country that I want the children of Pesto and Moo Deng to grow up in.”
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