Late-night hosts have reacted with dismay to Donald Trump’s decision to launch US and Israeli military strikes on Iran, which killed the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Jon Stewart opened The Daily Show by describing the conflict as a war with no clear purpose and no end in sight, criticising the president’s lack of direct justification to the American people.
Stewart mocked Trump’s announcement of the so-called “Operation Epic Fury” from his Mar-a-Lago golf course, wearing a baseball hat and casual attire. The host wondered why the president did not address the nation from the White House in a suit, calling the presentation “dismissive and arrogant”. He also noted the irony of rightwing media figures who once opposed regime change now rationalising the strikes.
Jimmy Kimmel, meanwhile, described the operation as a “weapons of mass distraction” amid Trump’s falling poll numbers and legal troubles. He pointed out that no congressional approval was sought, and even Republican Ted Cruz admitted there was no indication Iran was close to obtaining nuclear weapons. Kimmel also highlighted that Trump had previously promised to avoid new wars, but now called for the Iranian people to rise up.
Seth Meyers questioned what happens next in Iran following the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. He noted Trump’s contradictory statements about how long the campaign would last, and remarked on a bizarre White House press conference where the president complained about construction noise while bombs were falling across the Middle East.
The hosts agreed that the strikes lacked a coherent strategy, with Stewart summing up the mood: “We’re all just along for the ride, in a war with no clear purpose, no end in sight.”
