Jon Stewart surprised Jimmy Kimmel Live! fans by appearing for a sketch poking fun at the Trump administration’s apparent free speech crackdown attempts against late-night TV.
The sketch implicitly referenced Kimmel’s temporary suspension in September and CBS’s cancellation of Late Night with Stephen Colbert in July. Both events were widely speculated to be the result of the Trump administration’s influence, and were cheered on by even Trump himself.
Stewart interrupted Kimmel’s monologue by walking up to the stage dressed as a Grubhub delivery driver.
When Kimmel asked him what he was doing there, Stewart replied awkwardly, “On Thursdays I deliver for Grubhub.”
Stewart elaborated, “I’ve got some side hustles... On Mondays I host The Daily Show. Tuesdays, I am a nanny for a lovely family right out here in Brooklyn... On Fridays I am a New York City police horse."
Kimmel asked why such a wealthy man would need to work so many side jobs. Stewart replied, “In case you haven’t heard the news: late-night talk show host, the job security’s not really there right now.”
The joke comes exactly two weeks after Stewart, hosting a rare Thursday episode for The Daily Show, delivered a 23-minute “government-approved” monologue to protest Kimmel’s suspension.
Although Kimmel’s show was allowed back on air by Tuesday of the following week, fans are still uneasy about the future of late-night TV.
Further comments from MAGA figures, like JD Vance’s assertion that networks should be “having a conversation” over whether shows like Kimmel’s “serve the public interest,” have only raised concerns that networks are making late-night TV decisions based on political, not financial, grounds.
Stewart’s appearance on Kimmel’s show Thursday ended with Kimmel asking him to get off the stage so he could complete his monologue.
Stewart jokingly responded, “Oh I’m sorry, Mr. Free Speech! I forgot free speech, it’s only for Mr. Free Speech, I’m sorry!”
Before leaving to join the audience, Stewart gave Kimmel a quick hug and told him, “I love you.”
