Jon Stewart on ‘schmear-y’ Twitter feud with Donald Trump
Ex-Daily Show Presenter returned to the spotlight for his take on the coming election
As the polls tighten and the election draws to a close, one ray of light shone bright this Tuesday night for Jewish liberals: Jon Stewart came back for one last opportunity to take a stab at Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president.
At a Stand Up For Heroes benefit in New York City this Tuesday, the beloved former host of “The Daily Show” took the stage to tell an expletive-laden tale of the Republican nominee, Twitter feuds and Jewish dog-whistles.
“Let me tell you the story about, about something I’ve entitled, ‘The day I woke up to find out someone was tweeting weird shit about me,’” Stewart told the cheering crowd.
He went on to retell the story of a Trump Twitter tirade that took place in April 2013, in which Trump denigrated the Jewish comedian and brought up his birth-name, Jonathan Lebowitz, in a way that some thought sounded, well, a little anti-Semitic.
I promise you that I'm much smarter than Jonathan Leibowitz – I mean Jon Stewart @TheDailyShow. Who, by the way, is totally overrated.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2013
If Jon Stewart is so above it all & legit, why did he change his name from Jonathan Leibowitz? He should be proud of his heritage!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2013
Stewart heard the alleged dog-whistle loud and clear.
“So I start to think to myself, ‘oh, I think this guy is trying to let people know I’m a Jew,’” the comedian chuckled as he continued his story. “And I think to myself, ‘doesn’t my face do that?’ Honestly, like, where have you seen this face other than a poster for ‘Yentl’?”
(And honestly, who wouldn’t want to see Stewart in a remake of the Barbra Streisand film?)
“In what world are people like, ‘Stewart, that’s a Scottish name, but there’s something about that name that looks a little schmear-y,’” Stewart asked the crowd incredulously, coining my new favorite adjective.
Stewart then tells the crowd about the not-so-safe-for-work nickname he made up for the former “Apprentice” star:
"Did you know Donald Trump's birth name is F**kface Von Clownstick? … That's all over Twitter… I hope." http://t.co/C4Rropggqr
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 2, 2013
A hashtag of Trump’s new nickname promptly went viral. Trump then called the name not funny, and alleged that Stewart stole the nickname “from a moron on Twitter.” Stewart replied with a quip, tweeting, “We seem to have hit a F**kface Von Nervestick.”
That tweet was followed by four days of radio silence from the business tycoon.
Finally, Trump ended their feud at 1:30 a.m. on a Saturday, grabbing Stewart’s attention with an expletive that has tarnished Trump’s own reputation this election cycle. At Tuesday’s benefit, Stewart doubled over laughing as he read the last tweet:
"Did you know Donald Trump's birth name is F**kface Von Clownstick? … That's all over Twitter… I hope." http://t.co/C4Rropggqr
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 2, 2013
“Vote wisely this November 8th,” Stewart concluded his tale.
Watch the full video bellow:
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
