Comedy Central host Jon Stewart lambasted Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York on Monday night over a joke Schumer made during a press conference regarding a government shutdown.
The federal government entered a partial shutdown at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Oct. 1 after the Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster after the House of Representatives passed the short-term funding bill on Sept. 19.
Stewart played a video on “The Daily Show” of Schumer defending the Democratic filibuster of the measure, before providing a commentary on the Senate minority leader’s performance.
READ: Louisiana Sen. Kennedy Says ‘Schumer Is Boned,’ Will Be Forced To Engineer Off-Ramp To End Shutdown
“Democrats are adamant that we must protect the health care of the American people,” Schumer said in the first bit Stewart played, with the “Daily Show” host saying, “Uh… Good points. Not crazy about this. Solid framing, delivered with clarity. Really could have done without the ‘Americans demand’ — but if you had stopped there, that would be great. But you are going to keep talking, aren’t you? Aren’t you?”
“New data came out today from KFF — and that is not Kentucky fried French fries. KFF, could be Kentucky French fries, hmm? Yeah. I know,” Schumer said, making a joke while referring to the Kaiser Family Foundation, prompting Stewart to respond, “Who is that joke even for? Six-year-olds that watch C-SPAN? What the f**k are you doing? Chuck Schumer is a human flat tire.”
Democrats demanded over $1 trillion in funding for various priorities, including continuing enhanced payouts for Obamacare enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic and restoring funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CBP), which will shut down after its funding was clawed back in a rescissions package passed in July.
READ: Senate Leader Thune Slams Democrats On Fox News Over ‘Schumer Shutdown’
“‘Kentucky fried French fries.’ Look at poor Klobuchar!” Stewart erupted. “That is the face of someone who talked to their dad, who said, ‘Just please don’t do your Indian accent in the restaurant, that’s all I’m asking,’ but then dad was like, ‘A chicken tikka masala,’ and he looks at her and he’s like, ‘I’m killin’!’”
Schumer came under fire from left-wing media figures and Democrats in Congress over his decision to help pass a GOP-backed spending bill to prevent a government shutdown in March.
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