Jon Stewart has slammed Democrats for using Chuck Schumer as their mouthpiece in a brutal critique of the Senate Minority Leader’s response to President Donald Trump’s potential trade war with Mexico and Canada.
Schumer, before Trump negotiated weekslong pauses on tariffs he sought to impose on the country’s North American neighbors, tried to offer the American people a relatable explanation as to how they would be impacted by the move.
Citing the upcoming Super Bowl, the veteran Democrat argued the tariffs would increase the price of beloved gameday snacks and said ‘everything you were promised during the election is out the window if these tariffs go through.’
‘It’s going to affect beer,’ Schumer said as he held up a can of Corona Extra. ‘Most of it, Corona here, comes from Mexico.
‘It’s going to affect your guac – because what is guacamole made of? Avocados,’ he continued, displaying the fruit in his hand, before adding: ‘If you have pizza, it’s going to affect the cost of cheese.’
But Schumer’s remarks misfired, prompting ridicule from conservatives and liberals alike, including left-leaning Stewart who blasted the Senator on his Daily Show program.
‘Your response to the trade war is to f***ing tell us guacamole is made of avocados?’ the comedian, sporting a dumbfounded expression said, before begging the party to appoint a new spokesperson.
‘Democrats, can you please stop f***ing trotting Schumer out there every time Trump traverses into the unreal,’ Stewart said, dropping his voice to a whisper: ‘He’s not good at this.’
Stewart, whose remarks prompted the crowd to erupt in applause, further accused Schumer of not being an appropriate opponent to combat ‘manipulator’ Trump.
‘What is the decision making process here?’ he asked, before mocking Democratic leadership with a hilarious impersonation.
‘”Hey! Who should we get out there to effectively battle one of the most savvy presidential media manipulators in history?'”
‘”I don’t know, how about Schumer? He’s uninteresting but at least he’s monotone,”‘ he quipped. ‘”Oh wait! Chuck, before you go out there, you look too young! Put on these readers and lower them on your nose. Perfect.”‘
No longer speaking in character as a party member, he joked: ‘Honestly, listening to Chuck Schumer speak on almost any topic makes me wanna bomb Canada.’
Republicans have also taken aim at Schumer’s commentary, as well as his skills at hosting a gameday party.
‘Senator Schumer may want to stick to politics and leave beer (and cooking burgers) to the rest of us,’ Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp wrote on X, referencing a now-deleted picture that Schumer posted of himself in front of a grill with raw burger patties topped with cheese.
Kemp, who shared a photo of himself holding a beer, added: ‘This [Coors] was brewed in the great state of Georgia, by the way!’
‘Chuck Schumer claims that “most Beer comes from Mexico.” Almost no beer comes from Mexico,’ echoed conservative commentator Matt Walsh.
‘Corona is one of the few exceptions, and it tastes like dish water. All of the good beer is brewed right here in America.’
One X user added: ‘He’s too dumb to take on Trump and to stupid to realize it. Anyone who puts cheese on a raw hamburger patty should be in an asylum.’
‘This is the burger grilling moment all over again,’ echoed another.
Some X users even mocked Schumer’s taste in beer and urged him to try some American brews, including Budweiser, Yuengling and Milwaukee’s Best.
Trump on Saturday announced sweeping measures against the United States’ three biggest trading partners: Canada, China and Mexico.
Its immediate neighbors were to face a tariff of 25 per cent, the president said, and China an additional 10 per cent on top of existing duties.
Canada and Mexico announced plans for reciprocal levies before both countries’ presidents managed to strike a deal with Trump on Monday that saw him delay the tariffs by a month.
Markets had slumped Monday after the weekend threats sparked fears of a global trade war.
Hundreds of Mexican soldiers were mobilized on Tuesday to the northern border as part of a 10,000-member deployment that President Claudia Sheinbaum promised Trump in exchange for a delay of his tariffs.
Under the agreement, the United States has also promised to work to stop the flow of high-powered weapons into Mexico from the US.