Jon Stewart Lays Into Investment Community Over Trump’s ‘Victimless’ Fraud: ‘Hold on, I’m Not Done!’
Jon Stewart could not contain his contempt for the investment community on Monday’s episode of “The Daily Show” when tackling the hypocrisy with which financial experts have been calling Donald Trump’s fraud case a “victimless” crime.
In the opening salvo of the show, Stewart played series of clips, largely from Fox News and Fox Business, in which pundits criticized the New York civil fraud case against Donald Trump to the tune of $454 million for crimes that are “victimless” and, according to “Shark Tank” alum Kevin O’Leary, “done by every real estate developer on earth in every city” (to which Stewart shot back, “There is a theory in law that if enough people commit a crime, it automatically becomes legal.”)
The host then took aim at the financial community as a whole.
“The f–king entitled arrogance. I don’t know if you know this, but most people just can’t commit fraud and expect to face no repercussions even if everyone’s doing it,” Stewart said. “Try getting a car loan by saying you make 10 times as much money as you really do, or claim 20 dependents when you have no children, or say you make slightly less money to qualify for food assistance. I guarantee you there are not just financial consequences for those lies, but criminal ones. But don’t tell that to the investment community, because in their eyes there is no rule that cannot be bent, there is no principle that cannot be undercut as long as you and your friends are making money.”
At this, the “Daily Show” audience broke out into applause and a riled-up Stewart told them to settle down because he wasn’t finished: “Hold on, I’m not done! If I could raise my chair up I would.”
Stewart then concluded, “Apparently the only immoral practice in the capitalist system is to use that money for people who may need it.” At this, he played more clips from Fox News and Fox Business in which hosts like Sean Hannity went after welfare abusers and shoplifters stealing food.
Earlier in the segment, Stewart took aim at the claim that Trump’s financial crimes are not, in fact, victimless.
“First, the banks got paid back at lower interest rates, although to be honest who gives a shit? But second, money isn’t infinite,” Stewart said. “A loan that goes to the liar doesn’t go to someone who’s giving a more honest valuation, so the system becomes incentivized for corruption. And this is part of a different Trump fraud case, but avoiding taxes hurts all of us. Donald Trump shenanigans cost the city of New York, and let’s be frank here that is money that the city of New York could have used to build more Walgreen’s.”
Watch the full segment in the video above.
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