Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show on Monday night to lampoon several Trump administration blunders, including a bungled paint job that turned the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool an alarming shade of green, a controversial peace deal with Iran, and Vice President JD Vance's awkward diplomatic snub.
Reflecting Pool Turns 'Mountain Dew Green'
Stewart opened by mocking the state of the iconic reflecting pool, which had turned green due to algae growth after a botched paint job. "This is really fucking green," Stewart said. "Did they replace the water with Mountain Dew?" The host drew attention to the company hired for the fix, Greenwater Services, owned by Republican donor John J Cafaro. "I'm sure Greenwater Services is a very reputable company that fairly won the reflecting pool contract because of their expertise and track record," Stewart said sarcastically. He noted that Cafaro was convicted of bribing a member of Congress in 2001. "The pool guy bribed the congressman and now he gets the pool contract? That tracks," Stewart added, impersonating a gangster: "What do I do? Let's just say I'm in the chlorine management business."
JD Vance Snubbed by World Leaders
Stewart then turned to a viral video of Vice President JD Vance being ignored by Qatari leaders during peace talks in Switzerland. "Well, that is awkward," Stewart said, playing the footage. "JD Vance really answers the question, 'What if a middle school dance were a person?'" The host continued: "Things just went from bad to wallflower with Vance getting more and more exasperated, as the mean girls just couldn't see that he has a lot to offer too." Stewart joked that Vance's role was merely to "pick up the white flag, get it signed, hand out a couple of orange slices, call it a game."
Iran Peace Deal Under Fire
The main focus of Stewart's criticism was the Trump administration's peace deal with Iran. The US has pledged a $300bn reconstruction fund for Iran, unfrozen its assets, and allowed it to resume oil sales. "So the 'hard line, extremist regime' of Iran gets a nuclear stockpile, missiles and money?" Stewart asked. "Iran is a circumcision away from becoming Israel." Vance claimed the deal was a success because Iran allowed IAEA inspectors back, calling it "a major milestone for the American people." Stewart retorted: "Oh yeah, that's a big milestone. We haven't had nuclear inspectors in Iran since, oh, when you started bombing them last year. The Iran inspectors only went in there after the JCPOA, which Obama negotiated, and they only left when we attacked Iran." Trump had previously called Obama's deal "the worst deal ever negotiated of any kind." Stewart quipped: "I guess the theory is: why would you trade smaller concessions to Iran for peace, when we could instead lose a war with them and make bigger concessions?" He added: "Well, I hope you learned your lesson, Iran. There's plenty more concessions where that came from!"
'Classic Trump Deal'
Vance argued that unfrozen Iranian assets would benefit the US because they would be spent on American soy, wheat, and corn, calling it a "classic Trump deal." Stewart mocked the logic: "Announce a bold action with grandiose ambition, and then shit the bed and then state confidently that bed shit was the goal all along. And finally, name the bed after Trump."
