Jon Stewart uses the solar eclipse to talk about the war in Gaza on 'The Daily Show'

"What the **** are we doing here?"
 By 
Sam Haysom
 on 
A man sits at a talk show desk while Israel is shown on a map in the top-left corner.
Watch Next

The solar eclipse was the big event on Monday, but Jon Stewart had other things on his mind.

After joking about it at the start of his Daily Show monologue, the host used the event to segue into another milestone — the fact the war in Gaza is now six months old.

"As the war has grinded on, justice is beginning to seem more like cruelty," says Stewart in the clip above. "But not to worry: America, shining city on a hill, is on the case with our universal values."

Stewart proceeds to play clips of various U.S. politicians condemning the weaponisation of food, the repression of journalists, and the taking of land by Russia in Ukraine, before using completely different language to describe similar things happening in Gaza.

"The verbal gymnastics that the American government must undertake so as not to offend the delicate sensibilities of a country we provide most of the weapons for is...gah!" says Stewart. "What the **** are we doing here? The subtext of all this is America knows this is wrong, but it apparently doesn't have the courage to say it in a straightforward manner."

Mashable Image
Sam Haysom

Sam Haysom is the Deputy UK Editor for Mashable. He covers entertainment and online culture, and writes horror fiction in his spare time.


Latest Videos

Stephen Colbert reacts to the Artemis II moon mission
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, gesturing.


'The Daily Show' reacts to judge halting Trump's White House ballroom
Desi Lydic presents "The Daily Show" beside an image of Donald Trump.


A24's 'Mother Mary' trailer is worth it for the FKA twigs track
Anne Hathway is dressed in a red pop star outfit with religious overtones in a film still from "Mother Mary."

Jon Stewart has a brutal reaction to Trump waffling about pens
A man in a suit sitting behind a talk show desk looks angry. In the top left is an image of the president holding up a pen.

Stephen Colbert gleefully recaps the best signs at the 'No Kings' protest
A man in a suit stands on a talk show stage, smiling. The caption at the bottom reads, "I like that one."

Riz Ahmed is troublingly intense in new 'SNL UK' promo
A close-up of a man grinning in a slightly creepy way.


The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!