Late-night hosts Jon Stewart and Seth Meyers tackled the advanced age of Congress and former President Donald Trump's bizarre reactions following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham. Stewart, on The Daily Show, expressed outrage over the aging government and Trump's insensitive comments, while Meyers, returning from vacation on Late Night, mocked Trump's handling of international affairs and his personal financial benefits.
Jon Stewart on Lindsey Graham's Death and Congressional Frailty
Stewart opened by discussing Graham's recent death and Trump's odd TV appearances in response. He played footage of Trump telling Fox hosts that Graham called him too much and that he told him to stop. Stewart joked, 'I'll never forget the way I always let him go to voicemail.' The host said he 'zoomed through the first five stages of grief and went straight to number six: fuck that guy.'
Stewart also complained about Graham's talkativeness, noting that it 'takes a lot of balls for Donald Trump to gently roast someone for yapping too much.' Trump also claimed he gave Graham a 99 out of 100 for his response to the January 6 riot. Stewart quipped, 'My favourite part of any eulogy is when they announce the person's life score,' adding that Trump spoke 'like it's Portnoy doing a pizza review.'
According to reports, Graham said he didn't have time to die because he needed to fix the situation in Iran. Stewart remarked, 'Middle East peace is about as ambitious as a bucket-list item can get.' He expressed surprise that Graham died before Mitch McConnell, given McConnell's more publicized health issues, exclaiming, 'How the fuck is that possible?' Stewart then showed a viral photo of McConnell looking happy in a hospital, calling it 'totally believable evidence' that he was still alive.
Congressional Death Toll and Systemic Issues
Stewart noted that Graham is the sixth member of Congress to die this term, saying, 'If this were any other business they would shut it down to find out what the fuck is going on.' He argued that Congress is 'falling apart due to a lack of not just political will but bone density' and asked, 'Why are we tolerating this level of national frailty in our lawmaking?'
Stewart criticized the system for rewarding incumbency, calling it unproductive. 'These people aren't brilliant, they're fucking barnacles,' he said, adding that 'this is not right, the stakes are too high.' He believes 'advanced age is just one more way in which our government is at a remove from the needs of the people they purport to serve.'
Seth Meyers on Trump's Bizarre Responses and Financial Gains
After a three-week vacation, Seth Meyers returned, saying things have been 'normal and chill' in his absence. He played footage of Trump being asked by Jake Tapper about the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, to which Trump said he didn't want to talk about it. Meyers called it 'not a reassuring answer,' adding, 'You can't treat access to a key international waterway that controls the world's oil supply like a mystery, you're the president not some magical bridge troll.'
Meyers also discussed calls for decency after Graham's death, reminding viewers how Trump responded to the death of Robert Mueller by saying he was glad. He then showed footage of Nancy Mace, who is tipped to replace Graham, being asked about posting a Godfather clip with the line 'just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.' Meyers believes we should 'ban politicians from posting memes.'
Explosive Diarrhea Bug and NATO Summit
Meyers made multiple jokes about a bug causing explosive diarrhea, comparing it to Trump's poll numbers, saying they are 'in the shit.' He also covered Trump's attendance at a NATO summit in Turkey, where Trump called Iranian leaders 'scum' and 'sick people.' Meyers said we are 'back to square one, although maybe it's square zero,' before reminding viewers that the last few weeks revealed Trump made $2bn in 2025. 'This is the one through-line of the Trump presidency: three weeks of constant tumult, disruption and chaos and the only person who benefits is Trump,' he concluded.
