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Jon Stewart slices his hand on prop during ‘Daily Show’ rant about DOGE

BBG News

On a Monday, Jon Stewart accidentally cut his hand while performing a comedy sketch, following an angry outburst at the inefficiency of the government, which resulted in him shattering a prop mug.

This week, the long-time “Daily Show” host, who resumed hosting duties on Mondays approximately a year ago, established a temporary Department of Government Efficiency workspace on his well-known news desk. His aim was to identify the true locations of “inefficiencies, corruption, and misuse” within our system.

In a tweet about the episode, Stewart stated, “This is a top-notch episode…particularly the ‘top-notch’ part… I must be a fool.” (Emphasis added to convey original tone and intent.)

We’re back! New Daily Show tonight! It’s a bloody good episode…emphasis on bloody…I’m an idiot…

— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) February 25, 2025

During a large portion of his 21-minute speech at the Emmy Awards, the award-winning comedian built up to his DOGE office joke. Using his distinctive sharp political satire, Stewart expressed interest in DOGE (Dogecoin) and its potential to streamline government operations and provide more effective assistance to citizens. He emphasized that he doesn’t advocate for reckless layoffs of federal employees or negative portrayals of civil servants who are merely following the directives of Congress.

After reaching this point, he opted to delve into government spending on his own. He grabbed his “amateur accountant essentials,” which consisted of a green visor, desk lamp, calculator, and mug labeled “World’s Most Dad” – a playful dig at Elon Musk, who he referred to as “the Nick Cannon of white people.

He criticized the agency founded by Donald Trump for harshly reducing the federal workforce and pointed out that Elon Musk’s “bureaucracy-cutting tool” wasn’t effectively identifying the actual waste within the system. Despite sharing a desire for the contentious program to succeed, he expressed frustration that we’re experiencing “sharp emotional fluctuations” as we search for inefficiencies in the wrong areas.

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We’re considering ways to reduce taxpayer expenses. Could we perhaps reconsider the $3 billion in subsidies we give to oil and gas companies who already make billions in profits? How quickly did it take us to arrive at this idea?” Stewart exclaimed, making animated gestures as he presented his suggestions with a sense of urgency. “Let me add a couple more suggestions: How about closing the carried interest loophole for hedge funds, which would save around $1.3 billion annually? And what if we stopped giving $2 trillion to defense contractors for building fighter jets that are known to malfunction, when it’s widely accepted that future wars will likely be fought with drones and blockchain technology?

Wow, unbelievable! In just 11 short seconds, I’ve potentially saved us billions,” he exclaimed, further noting, “This is where the significant funds lie – the money that our somewhat free-market system utilizes to bolster corporate earnings, often at the cost of taxpayers.

Later on, Stewart passionately criticized pharmaceutical companies for receiving significant tax reductions, research funding, and patent extensions valued in billions. This, he argued, results in Americans paying the highest drug prices across the Western Hemisphere and becoming desensitized to it. He also pointed out that the Biden administration is celebrating minor improvements in this exploitation as a triumph.

Following his playback of Biden praising how Medicare had negotiated drug prices, which Stewart claimed were “already covered by our subsidies,” the show’s host angrily slammed a mug labeled “World’s Most Dad” onto the table in exasperation.

Television

During his live election-night show, Jon Stewart let out a torrent of expletives and raised his voice, targeting both pollsters and commentators with his criticism.

Stewart mentioned he would visit the hospital shortly after discovering he was bleeding. He concealed his bloodied right hand behind his desk and spoke further for another four minutes, leaving the broken mug on the desk untouched. A brief while later, he exposed his wounded and haphazardly bandaged hand, chuckling as he claimed “it’s all good”. Continuing with his discussion, he moved forward with his main points. (The Daily Show representatives declined to comment when contacted by The Times on Tuesday.)

We’re living in a world where corporations prioritize profits over people, by demanding low wages and cheap resources. Yet, we taxpayers end up supporting their ruthless behavior. This is the corruption and misuse of funds in our system that needs to be addressed.

In a slightly softer tone, Stewart expressed: “Capitalism inherently involves exploitation, which is its nature. However, it’s acceptable. But the government’s job should be to mitigate the harmful effects of this exploitation on American citizens, not fund such deceit with our tax money. It’s like being taken advantage of at a Diddy party while they make us pay for the lubricant.

I aim for DOGE to thrive and improve efficiency. I’d like to eliminate alphabet agencies that don’t contribute enough. Let’s ensure the Pentagon passes an audit. However, we’re focusing on DOGE in the wrong areas if our goal is to truly transform the system. … We’re supporting a system that makes workers’ lives more difficult initially, under the guise of freedom and liberty. But the most significant obstacle to freedom in this nation isn’t diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) or pressure about pronouns; it’s poverty and hardship. The government should be working tirelessly to eradicate the corruption that fuels exploitation. That’s what the Democrats should be concentrating on every day.

A post shared by jon stewart daily (@jonstewartdaily)

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2025-02-25 21:31

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