Of all the late night comedians to react on Monday to former President Donald Trump’s conviction in New York, Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart was the only one to invite someone on to disagree with him about the appropriateness of the trial. That somebody was former Rep. Ken Buck, who, despite not being a Trump fan, pointed to several reasons why the trial was inappropriate and debunked Stewart’s arguments that Trump’s reactions make him a hypocrite as The Daily Show audience showered him with boos.
Stewart asked, “You do have a frustration and complaints about the process of this Donald Trump trial. I think you called it shameful precedent? No. Shameful precedent? Is that correct?”
Quibbling over details, Buck called it a “bad precedent,” which led Stewart to again ask, “Why do you think it is a precedent?”
Buck argued that Trump was targeted, and that is wrong, “It is a bad precedent because Lady Justice, blindfold, scale, sword, the image of Lady Justice… In this case, the blindfold came off. The blindfold was on because people shouldn’t be targeted, and the system is flawed. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen. People shouldn’t be targeted because they are white or black, man or woman, Republican or Democrat, rich, poor. The blindfold came off and Donald Trump was targeted.”
Stewart sought clarification, “Now how was he — I’m curious how he was targeted.”
Buck recalled, “So, Cyrus Vance was the previous D.A., declined this case. Alvin Bragg brought a case where the misdemeanor had that – the statute of limitations had expired. Found a felony to extend that statute of limitations and brought the case.”
Stewart interrupted, “Found a felony or there was a felony?”
After Buck reiterated that Vance didn’t think there was, an unconvinced Stewart followed up, “I mean, many times, district attorneys will say, ‘I don’t think the evidence gets to that standard’ but another district attorney might say, ‘Oh no, that’s a felony.’ He is doing that in order to manipulate an election. That’s a felony.
Buck then directed Stewart’s memory to the fact that Vance was not alone, “So, this district attorney declined the case, Alvin Bragg declined the case and then brought the case. And there were significant political pressure to bring the case and that’s something that our justice system needs to be insulated from.”
Later in the 25-minute interview, Stewart alleged that given Trump’s history of wanting to put Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in jail, he is being hypocritical and raised his voice in annoyance that Buck wasn’t seeing it that way, “I understand!, but do you get my point? The point is, this guy ran on Hillary is crooked and I’m going to put her in jail. And then with Biden, he said the Biden crime family is crooked and I’m going to put them in jail. And then a prosecutor in New York said, I have evidence you have committed a felony so we are going to put you on trial and he is like, ‘what? How dare you, sir!’”
Buck claimed the two examples were “apples and oranges,” and after Stewart asked him to explain why, Buck did, to a stream of boos, “Because you’ve got someone in the political system and how many people in America believe what a politician says?”
After Stewart told the audience to stop booing the guest, Buck continued, “A prosecutor walks into a courtroom and tells a lie, and that prosecutor loses a law license and probably goes to prison, so the difference between Alvin Bragg saying, ‘I’m going after that person’ and Donald Trump saying, ‘that person should go to prison’ is two different forums.”
Stewart still wasn’t buying it, “Who has the more power? … No, the president! And someone running for president. This is kind of a crazy argument you are making.”
It was good that Stewart had someone on to disagree with him and that he rebuked the audience for booing, but he still could not appreciate that despite what he said on the campaign trail against Hillary Clinton, he did not actually do anything to her as president.
Here is a transcript for the June 3 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
6/3/2024
11:27 PM ET
JON STEWART: You do have a frustration and complaints about the process of this Donald Trump trial. I think you called it shameful precedent? No. Shameful precedent? Is that correct?
KEN BUCK: A what?
STEWART: A shameful precedent?
BUCK: I think it is a bad precedent.
STEWART: Okay.
BUCK: I was a prosecutor for 25 years.
STEWART: Why do you think it is a precedent?
BUCK: It is a bad precedent because Lady Justice, blindfold, scale, sword, the image of Lady Justice –
STEWART: We went out in the ’70s. I’m very familiar.
BUCK Okay. In this case, the blindfold came off. The blindfold was on because people shouldn’t be targeted, and the system is flawed. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen. People shouldn’t be targeted because they are white or black, man or woman, Republican or Democrat, rich, poor.
STEWART: Right.
BUCK: The blindfold came off and Donald Trump was targeted.
STEWART: Now how was he — I’m curious how he was targeted.
BUCK: So, Cyrus Vance was the previous D.A., declined this case.
STEWART: Okay.
BUCK: Alvin Bragg brought a case where the misdemeanor had that – the statute of limitations had expired.
STEWART: Right.
BUCK: Found a felony to extend that statute of limitations and brought the case.
STEWART: Found a felony or there was a felony?
BUCK: Well, there wasn’t a felony for the previous district attorney.
STEWART: I mean, many times, district attorneys will say “I don’t think the evidence gets to that standard” but another district attorney might say, “Oh no, that’s a felony.” He is doing that in order to manipulate an election. That’s a felony.
BUCK: So, this district attorney declined the case, Alvin Bragg—
STEWART: Yes.
BUCK: — declined the case and then brought the case.
STEWART: Right.
BUCK: And there were significant political pressure to bring the case and that’s something that our justice system needs to be insulated from.
…
STEWART: I understand!, but do you get my point? The point is, this guy ran on Hillary is crooked and I’m going to put her in jail. And then with Biden, he said the Biden crime family is crooked and I’m going to put them in jail. And then a prosecutor in New York said, I have evidence you have committed a felony so we are going to put you on trial and he is like, “what? How dare you, sir!”
What are we talking about? What is this? What are we doing? I’m about to go to jail, aren’t I, sir?
BUCK: Respectfully.
STEWART: Please.
BUCK: Apples and Oranges.
STEWART: Why?
BUCK: Because you’ve got someone in the political system and how many people in America believe what a politician says?
STEWART: Sir,– no, no, hey, hey, tickets are free. I will throw you out of here, respectfully. We’re having a conversation. This is not Rome.
BUCK: A prosecutor walks into a courtroom and tells a lie, and that prosecutor loses a law license and probably goes to prison.
STEWART: Exactly.
BUCK: So, the difference between Alvin Bragg saying, “I’m going after that person” and Donald Trump saying, “that person should go to prison” is two different forums.
STEWART: Who has the more power?
BUCK: A candidate?
STEWART: No, the president! And someone running for president. This is kind of a crazy argument you are making.
BUCK: No, no, no. Let me finish. Bill Barr, great attorney general. Merrick Garland, great attorney general. Merrick Garland appointed special counsel and then puts the report out that says that Joe Biden should not be prosecuted because he is a kind gentleman with a bad memory, something to that effect.
STEWART: Right. That’s not what he said, but okay.
BUCK: Well, it’s close.
STEWART: What he said was, he would present to the jury as a kind old gentleman, which means, I don’t think we can win this case because I think he is too sympathetic a figure.