Jon Stewart was back behind the desk of “The Daily Show” Monday night and went all in on Vice President JD Vance, President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron — but not before cracking a joke about his recent renewal.
Kicking off the show, Stewart introduced guest David Corn, “who you know the Native Americans used to refer to as David Maize,” he said. “And they’ve just pulled our renewal! I’m sorry.”
Vance, or “Vice President Jeffrey Dahmer Vance,” as Stewart referred to him, was up first, with the host cutting to a recent clip of Vance apologizing to a woman for using “imperfect” rhetoric. “Sometimes you incite violence against vulnerable communities, and then later on you apologize,” said Stewart. “So the dehumanizing rhetoric against immigrants, which all of us thought was a cornerstone and intentional strategy of both Donald Trump and JD Vance’s rise to power… actually, that wasn’t intentional. It was all just sloppy word choice. That was all on him.”
Stewart then moved on to France — “where Paris is burning, and not in the not in that way, not in the good, fun way,” said the host — where riots exploded in the past weekend, which French officials have said had nothing to do with immigration, Islam, or Muslim communities. However, that didn’t stop Vance from tweeting that “western liberals imported the third world into France.” “Are you seriously suggesting that immigrants have brought a culture of revolution and protest to France? What are you talking about? Have you ever been to the theater? Can you not hear the people sing?” said Stewart.
And yet, despite the riots in France, Emmanuel Macron attended a Celine Dion concert with his wife, a decision Stewart called out. “First of all, who goes to a concert with their actual wife?” joked Stewart, referencing the viral Coldplay cheating scandal. “And second of all, Celine Dion concert — a little on the metaphorical nose, yeah, Mr. President? As your country falls apart, you stand on the deck, enjoying the dulcet tones of the theme song from ‘Titanic.’”
Stewart went on to explain that people in France were rioting over the rising cost of living and fuel prices, a result of the conflict in the Persian Gulf. “Holy shit! In France, they’ve burned down an entire city because of a war they didn’t start and aren’t even any part of,” he joked. “And here in the country that started the war, we’re not even sure we’re going to get to take back the house… I mean, we’re so mad about this war, we might vote,” he said. “Our country happens to be flame retardant. Or one of those two,” he continued, laughing. “Even I would cancel me for that one.”
He then got into Trump, calling out the president for saying that high gas prices are the result of the war in “Ukraine that Russia started” and joking about his instated and then promptly waived sanctions on Russian fuel sales. “We will not waver, but we will waive,” said Stewart. The host went on to have a fake phone call with Trump, during which he asked if he knew who cut off Ukraine’s access to “Starlink or Star Shield, whatever it’s called.” “I didn’t do that,” Trump said. “No, we didn’t do that at all. In fact, I don’t know where it is. I don’t even think it was slowed down.”
Ahead of Stewart’s Monday show, it was announced that he would remain the host of “The Daily Show” through 2028. Stewart’s contract was set to end at the end of 2026 after signing a one-year renewal in November 2025. Stewart made his hosting debut on “The Daily Show” in 1999, left in 2015, and returned in February 2024. Upon his return, “The Daily Show” ratings went up.
“Jon Stewart is a generational talent and ‘The Daily Show’ continues to be one of the most influential franchises on television and a cornerstone of Comedy Central. We are excited to continue our partnership with Jon and his award-winning news team,” said George Cheeks, co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance TV.
Check out the entire monologue below.