Jon Stewart’s recent comments about Elon Musk leaving the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) have gotten a lot of attention. Stewart’s segment focused mostly on Musk’s appearance at his final press conference, giving a humorous but critical take on Musk’s time working for the Trump administration.
Musk’s short role as a “special government employee,” which lasted 128 days, ended because these appointments are limited to 130 days. Stewart’s observations mostly centered on how Musk looked and acted at the press conference. As found by Variety, Stewart pointed out Musk’s black eye and described his overall behavior as exhausted and confused.
Stewart compared this to how energetic and excited Musk had been during his early public appearances for the administration. He suggested that this big change in Musk’s appearance was because of his time working under Trump’s leadership. Stewart said, “This dude has seen some s***, I’d like to know at least how that happened.”
Jon Stewart targets Elon Musk after black eye incident
Stewart also talked about the relationship between Musk and Trump. He argued that Trump’s lack of real interest in policy and his focus on making himself look good and making money had a bad effect on Musk. Stewart’s point was that Trump mostly cared about getting attention, boosting his ego, and increasing his wealth. This, Stewart implied, made Musk feel used and unimportant.
The comedian also emphasized the difference between Musk’s original goals for improving efficiency and what actually happened. He described Musk’s change as going from a motivated tech leader to someone who seemed discouraged, implying that working under Trump was harmful to Musk’s mental state. Musk’s explanation for the black eye, which happened while playing with his son, was seen by Stewart as weak and just another sign of Musk’s overall condition.
Stewart continued, “Look, I believe things sometimes do happen when you’re roughhousing with your kid… But I’m also sure the one sentence no parent has ever uttered to their child is, ‘Go ahead, punch me in the face.’”
Stewart’s commentary also looked at Trump’s goodbye gift to Musk: a ceremonial golden key. Stewart’s sarcastic remarks pointed out how fake and overly flashy the gesture seemed. According to Stewart, giving the key was more about Trump making himself look good than actually honoring Musk. He suggested that the whole thing was just another example of Trump treating relationships like transactions.
Stewart said, “you couldn’t just give him the fucking key? You had to make sure everybody knows you give them to a lot of people. You know, I’ve got a bunch of these. I give them to special people like… Who’s the guy who brings me my Diet Cokes? I give him one for every Diet Coke. Anyway, enjoy your useless key.’”
Stewart’s segment didn’t hold back in criticizing Trump’s leadership style and how it affected people around him. While his comments were strong, they were delivered in his usual funny and satirical way, using humor to point out the problems in Musk’s experience and the political situation.
