Jon Stewart used this week’s instalment of The Daily Show to mock Donald Trump’s new nickname for those concerned about his trade tariffs which are causing economic chaos around the world.
The comedian began his monologue by describing the US economy as being in “the midst of a beautiful metamorphosis” as it transforms from a “beautiful caterpillar” into a “dead caterpillar”.
Branding Trump’s economic gambling as “Trade Wars,” Stewart addressed Trump by bizarrely calling those worried about the economy as a “Panican (A new party based on Weak and Stupid people!)”.
“The genius who gave us classics like Sleepy Joe and Crooked Hillary, just s*** out, ‘You’re a Panican’? How about Hysterocrats? Repussicans? How about Cryontologists? Did the overseas factory you had been sourcing your nicknames from get shut down during the tariff war?” quipped Stewart.
Trump ended his strange Twitter rant by saying “ONLY THE WEAK WILL FAIL!” which Stewart said was the “same tagline as season 3 of Squid Game”.
Stewart then turned his attention to those backing the rollouts and attempting to downplay the uncertainty it has created. “How much White Lotus did you people watch? ‘What is permanence in this negotiated life we live?’ Have a piña colada,” said Stewart in reference to the HBO show’s season finale.
“[The GOP’s] best argument so far for any of this is the same one that we got about Tinker Bell being able to fly – You have to believe,” he added.
Stewart ended the segment by using several prominent Republicans’ own words against them as they attempted to sugarcoat the controversial policy.
A clip was then played of Oklahoma senator Markwayne Mullin telling Fox News: “Luckily, we have a businessman in the White House right now.”
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This was followed by footage of National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett saying: “The president did write the book, The Art of the Deal.”
Stewart responded to this by producing a copy of The Art of the Deal and flipping to chapter nine where Trump championed the casino that he built in Atlantic City. “Whatever happened to the casino, Donald?” asked Stewart. Footage is then shown of the casino being imploded in 2021.
Last week, Trump imposed the steepest American tariffs on imports in over a century, levying rates as high as 50 per cent on some countries in a move described by the EU as a “major blow” to the world economy.
