The daily program Host Jon Stewart, in a special live episode following the presidential debate between former US President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night, was left in disbelief.
“What the hell just happened?” he exclaimed.
The bewildered late night host mocked Trump’s commentswhich he presented without any evidence, about immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.
“We are a nation in decline,” Trump said. “In Springfield, they are eating the dogs, the people who came here. They are eating the cats. They are eating the pets of the people who live there.”
Stewart responded, “Having spent some time in Springfield myself, I think I know what’s going on here. I think Trump himself may be becoming one of Springfield’s most famous residents,” before cutting to an old clip of Grandpa Simpson on The Simpsons.
She also issued a public service message to viewers: “A quick reminder to all pet owners: always remember to keep your dogs on a leash. It’s an important way to prevent your dog from getting into fights with other dogs or getting hit by a car or eaten by your immigrant neighbors.”
Trump’s claims were challenged by David Muir, the debate moderator and host of the ABC show. World news tonightwhile interrupting the debate to say that the Springfield city manager has already clarified that there is no evidence to suggest that immigrants are eating dogs.
When Trump responded by claiming that “people on TV say their dog was eaten by the people who went there,” Muir corrected him once again: “Once again, the city manager of Springfield says there is no evidence of that.”
Trump’s comments echoed claims made by his campaign, including his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and other Republicans.
On Monday, Vance posted on X: “Reports show people’s pets have been kidnapped and eaten by people who should not be in this country. Where is our border czar?” The next day, Vance posted on X again about Springfield, saying his office had received inquiries from residents who said “their neighbors’ pets or local wildlife have been kidnapped by Haitian immigrants. It is possible, of course, that all of these rumors turn out to be false.”
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Other Republicans shared similar messages, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who posted a photo of kittens with a caption saying people should vote for Trump “so Haitian immigrants don’t eat us.”
Hours before Trump’s debate with Harris, he posted two related AI-generated photos on his social media site. One Truth Social post was a photo of Trump surrounded by cats and geese. Another showed armed cats wearing MAGA hats.
In her summary, Stewart also highlighted several other moments from the debate, including Trump and Harris’ stances on abortion.
Contrasting clips were played of the two nominees’ responses to the abortion issue, including the former president saying “we got what everyone wanted” after the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
“I’ve talked to women all over the country. Do you want to talk about what people wanted?” Harris responded. “Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term, who have a miscarriage, who are denied care in an emergency room because the health care professionals are afraid they might go to jail, and she’s bleeding to death in a car in the parking lot? She didn’t want that.”
Stewart’s reaction was downright gleeful, telling viewers: “Holy crap, she crushed that.”
“This is like one of those Groundhog Day movies where you can go back and fix the bad things that happened before to fix it in a good way,” he continued.
Later in the show, Stewart’s tone turned serious.
In criticizing Trump’s response to the Jan. 6 riots, where the former president repeatedly claimed Nancy Pelosi was responsible because she “didn’t do her job,” Stewart did not mince words.
“You spent two months infuriating your base by telling them our country had literally been stolen from them by fraudulent means, which you could never even hear about in a court of law, and you allowed yourself to just abuse them,” he said. “You moved on. You abused their trust. You showed up for a speech? You tweeted, ‘Join me on January 6th, it’s going to be crazy.’”
The host continued: “One thing will always be true, and that is the quality of the former president that I respect the least: whenever he is cornered and forced to face even the slightest consequence for his own mendacity and intrigues, he resorts to the greatest refuge of scoundrels.”
Stewart then spoke directly to Trump supporters: “This man, who constantly professes to be your champion, who says you’re going to have to go through him to get to you, will always, when the ship is sinking, be the first one in the lifeboats, because at that point, he will always say the same thing: ‘I knew nothing about it. ’”
“In any other country,” Stewart said, “that lack of responsibility would be disqualifying.”
‘The Daily Show’ airs Monday through Friday at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Slice.
— With a file from The Associated Press
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