Jon Stewart slammed former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for labeling Donald Trump a “truth teller” on “The Daily Show” on Monday. Supporters of the former president said they were imagining a ‘grotesque’ version of him.
The comedian played footage of Trump supporters saying why they are in his camp, including that they support workers and free speech, then contrasted it with Trump’s own comments undercutting them. Then he turned to the claim that Trump, who has made baseless and unsubstantiated claims throughout his political career, was saying such things.
“Are you kidding me?” Stewart exclaimed after a preview appeared on screen of Ramaswami calling Trump a “truth teller” in a previous Fox News interview.
“Is he telling the truth?” Stuart asked incredulously.
“The Daily Show” then aired a segment during last month’s presidential debate that included Trump’s false claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, were eating residents’ pets.
“We’re not in a dilemma, we’re in a bit of a conundrum: The qualities and policies that people profess to admire and love about former President Trump do not seem to accurately reflect that former president.” Stuart said. “It’s as if they’ve created this grotesque fictional character called Trump.”
“I wonder what kind of country Donald Trump thinks he is running to lead?” the steward asked.
Reached for comment, the Trump campaign called Stewart “an old man who has no idea what he’s talking about.”
The Hill has reached out to Ramaswamy’s former campaign for further comment.
