Jon Stewart’s return to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” took an unexpected turn Monday night, when his fiery monologue on government budget cuts ended with spilled blood.
During a segment on the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its approach to pharmaceutical subsidies, Mr. Stewart’s frustration boiled over.
As he criticized the government’s limited ability to negotiate drug prices, Mr. Stewart slammed his “World’s Most Dad” coffee mug onto his desk, shattering it and injuring his hand.
“The companies we subsidize with billions of dollars are allowing us the privilege to negotiate the price of 10 of their drugs,” he said. “And 10 is all of them, right? It would be embarrassing if it was a small drop in the bucket, and the American people didn’t expect that we should negotiate for all their f——— drugs, because we have already paid for them with our subsidies!”
As he hit the desk on the word “subsidies,” the mug shattered, prompting an audible gasp from the studio audience.
“Come on! It is f——— insane!” he shouted, seemingly unfazed by the shards littering his desk. But as the applause roared, Mr. Stewart glanced at his right hand and quickly tucked it beneath the desk. “I’ll be going to the hospital soon,” he added.
For the rest of the segment, Mr. Stewart kept his injured hand out of view. About four minutes later, he lifted it briefly, revealing a bloodied palm, shocking the audience.
“Oh, wow, this thing’s really coming out,” he said, glancing at his finger. “In the commercial break, I had a lightsaber battle with one of the crew members, and that’s how that happened.”
Mr. Stewart later reassured fans on X that the injury hadn’t dampened his spirits. “We’re back! New Daily Show tonight! It’s a bloody good episode … emphasis on bloody … I’m an idiot.”
Despite the injury, Mr. Stewart completed the show, even returning after the commercial break to interview Georgetown Law’s Rupa Bhattacharyya. His hand was bandaged but still visibly bleeding.
• Emma Ayers can be reached at eayers@washingtontimes.com.