Tragic strikes harder: for God sake jon stewart crys……
Joking that it was the “October surprise” he didn’t see coming, “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart blasted Elon Musk’s endorsement of Donald Trump and weekend rally with the former president, posing the question: “That’s not election interference because he’s for you?”
“Why do we never get a good October surprise or an October surprise that brings us together?” Stewart said to laughter on his show Monday night.The comedian launched into his opening monologue by raising various news stories that he suggested could have been this election year’s October surprises from hurricanes to raising gas prices before landing on Musk, the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla and X.
His October surprise is he’s come out MAGA,” Stewart said of Musk before playing a clip of the world’s richest man speaking alongside Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Notably, the rally took place at the site of Trump’s July assassination attempt.
Now you might think one of the world’s richest men controlling one of the world’s most influential platforms could be a recipe for some may consider election interference. You stupid, stupid people. You disgust me,” he quipped. “Election interference is what Mark Zuckerberg did!”He continued his opening segment by mocking Trump’s complaints that Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, will try to unlawfully influence the 2024 election.A movie Trump doesn’t like is going to get sued,” Stewart told his viewers. “A tech mogul he doesn’t like he wants to put in prison. It’s not free speech if only Trump’s admirers get to do it without consequence. That’s just not how it works, it doesn’t work that way.”
Stewart later ripped Musk for saying during Saturday’s rally that “the Second Amendment is there to ensure that we have the First Amendment.For God’s sake, you guys are in Butler, Pennsylvania. The whole reason you’re there is because some F— a— with an AR15 tried to permanently litigate his vision of this country’s free speech. That’s why you’re there. The whole point of a society is guns don’t decide it,” he said.Jon Stewart, known for his sharp wit and insightful political commentary, tackled the latest news surrounding Elon Musk and Donald Trump during his show. The host, visibly emotional yet maintaining his comedic flair, started his monologue by pointing out that the election season is often filled with “October surprises” — unexpected events or revelations that can sway the public’s opinion or impact the outcome of an election. However, this year’s October surprise, according to Stewart, hit a bit too close to home for comfort: Elon Musk, the tech mogul behind Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media platform X, openly endorsed Donald Trump and even appeared alongside him at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
With biting sarcasm, Stewart quipped, “That’s not election interference because he’s for you?” as he mocked the implications of Musk’s endorsement and how it contrasts with the ongoing debates about free speech and political influence. “Why do we never get a good October surprise, or at least one that brings us together?” Stewart mused, drawing laughter from his audience. He pointed out how past surprises like hurricanes or rising gas prices have been dramatic but never quite as troubling as a billionaire tech mogul throwing his weight behind a political figure like Trump.
Stewart then played a clip of Musk speaking at the rally alongside Trump, framing it as the shocking twist nobody saw coming. With Musk’s endorsement of Trump, Stewart couldn’t help but note how a man who controls some of the most influential companies and platforms in the world could potentially sway public opinion in dangerous ways. “Now 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 might consider election interference,” Stewart said, laying on the irony thick. “You stupid, stupid people. You disgust me. Election interference is what Mark Zuckerberg did!”
The comedian continued to skewer the ongoing narrative pushed by Trump and his supporters, who have long claimed that Zuckerberg and other tech CEOs have worked to unlawfully influence elections by controlling what is seen and shared on social media platforms. Stewart mocked Trump’s frequent complaints, saying, “A movie Trump doesn’t like is going to get sued. A tech mogul he doesn’t like, he wants to put in prison. It’s not free speech if only Trump’s admirers get to do it without consequence. That’s just not how it works, it doesn’t work that way.”
In his critique of Musk, Stewart zeroed in on a specific moment during the rally when Musk invoked the Second Amendment, saying it exists to ensure the First Amendment. For Stewart, the absurdity of Musk’s statement was amplified by the fact that the rally took place in Butler, Pennsylvania — the same location where a man had attempted to assassinate Trump in July. With passion and frustration in his voice, Stewart pointed out the hypocrisy and danger in such rhetoric: “For God’s sake, you guys are in Butler, Pennsylvania. The whole reason you’re there is because some f— a— with an AR-15 tried to permanently litigate his vision of this country’s free speech. That’s why you’re there. The whole point of a society is that guns don’t decide it.”
Stewart’s critique didn’t just target Musk and Trump, though. His remarks highlighted a broader issue with how political figures and influencers have warped the narrative around free speech, gun rights, and election interference. By endorsing Trump and promoting controversial ideas about gun rights and free speech, Musk, according to Stewart, was feeding into the very system of misinformation and fear-mongering that has plagued the political landscape for years.
Throughout the segment, Stewart managed to maintain his signature blend of humor and serious commentary, even as he expressed deep frustration with the state of affairs. His disbelief at Musk’s actions was palpable, and he conveyed a sense of urgency in calling out the dangerous path that such endorsements and political alliances could lead to. “We’re supposed to be better than this,” Stewart seemed to say, not just to his audience but to the nation at large.
Stewart’s monologue serves as a reminder of his unique ability to dissect complex political and cultural issues with clarity and humor. While his jokes had the audience laughing, the underlying message was clear: the stakes in this election, and in the broader political discourse, are higher than ever. And as billionaires like Musk step further into the political arena, the lines between free speech, influence, and interference become increasingly blurred. For Stewart, this October surprise was less about shock and more about concern — a concern for the future of democracy in a world where wealth and power continue to shape the conversation.
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