Jon Stewart revealed the strangest detail of President Trump’s constantly-changing Freedom 250 lineup.
The concert, designed as a 15-day celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, is set to feature C+C Music Factory, Vanilla Ice, and Flo Rida. The majority of the artists—including Martina McBride, the Commodores, and Young MC—have since backed out of the event.
Stewart on Monday night was startled by the familiar name of the booking agent shared by several musicians performing at the concert.
CNN reported on Sunday that several of the musicians had the same booking agent: Jeff Epstein of Universal Attractions Agency.
Stewart shared CNN’s reporting in his Monday monologue and responded incredulously, “What the f---?!”
Stewart described the reveal as “the weirdest thing about how this concert is coming together.”
“Jeff Epstein of Universal Attractions is in charge of, forgive me, recruiting talent for a Donald Trump party? That’s what you’re telling me?" Stewart said.
The Daily Show host continued, “In planning our country’s 250th birthday, somebody had to go into Donald Trump’s office and say, ‘I know just the guy.’”
Despite the similar names, there is zero evidence that Jeff Epstein has anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein, the infamous sex trafficker who was convicted in 2019 and who died by apparent suicide in his jail cell weeks later.
Jeff Epstein is the co-owner and president of Universal Attractions Agency, and he’s described on the agency’s website leadership page as “a driving force in the music industry for nearly three decades.”
“As owner, Epstein has been credited with co-creating mega-successful tours such as the decade-long-running ‘I Love The 90s Tour,’” the UAA website reads, adding that Epstein “oversees 18 agents in five departments.”
CNN noted that Epstein “did not respond” to their requests for comment.
The UAA represents Freedom 250 performer Vanilla Ice and Morris Day, the latter of whom has backed out of the event. The agency appears to specialize in representing artists who were popular in the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early ’00s.
“How bad do you feel for that guy?” Stewart said about Jeff. “After years of being Epstein—not that Epstein—he finally gets all of his acts booked."
Stewart joked that Jeff thought he was “going to get his happy ending” before his acts pulled out of the event: “Once again they leave him hanging.”
