Jon Stewart mocks Trump's pardon spree: ‘I used to think crime doesn’t pay’

Jon Stewart mocked Donald Trump’s pardon spree on 'The Weekly Show,' saying he 'kind of digs' it and joking that crime doesn’t pay
PUBLISHED DEC 5, 2025
Jon Stewart mocked Donald Trump’s sweeping pardons for high-profile offenders, contrasting them with the long struggle for even minor reforms (Screengrab/@weeklyshowpod/X, Getty Images)
Jon Stewart mocked Donald Trump’s sweeping pardons for high-profile offenders, contrasting them with the long struggle for even minor reforms (Screengrab/@weeklyshowpod/X, Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Jon Stewart sarcastically criticized President Donald Trump for his use of pardon power to forgive high-profile criminals. 

The comedian contrasted how difficult it once was for people to achieve even minor reforms, such as mari***na legalization, with Trump’s sweeping pardons for major criminal offenses.



Jon Stewart mocks Trump’s sweeping pardons

During his Comedy Central podcast, 'The Weekly Show,' on Thursday, December 4, Jon Stewart expressed sarcastic approval of President Trump’s pardoning spree, stating, “I kind of dig what he’s doing,” when asked whether the power should be revoked due to apparent abuse.

Stewart further stated, "I used to think crime doesn't pay, but now I'm getting a whole other head on this."

Jon Stewart talks about Trump's pardoning power on 'The Weekly Show' (Screengrab/@weeklyshowpod/X)
Jon Stewart talks about Donald Trump's pardoning power on 'The Weekly Show' (Screengrab/@weeklyshowpod/X)

He went on to explain the stark contrast between the long struggle for non-threatening rights and the pardons now being granted for extreme criminal activity.  

Stewart highlighted the absurdity of Trump's pardons by referring to the case of Juan Orlando Hernandez, the former president of Honduras, who was involved in a massive d**g trafficking scheme.

He imagined Trump easily signing off on such acts, saying, “He’s just out there with pens like ‘legalize international d**g trafficking.’”

Stewart added, “Like, with the stroke of a pen, he’s like, this guy was convicted for, they literally said mountains of c*****e, and he’s like, ‘But a mountain, it’s not too much to have a mountain.’” 

Jon Stewart calls out congressional silence

As for the lack of response from Congress over these pardons, Stewart said, “They’re scared s**tless” of Trump.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 11: Former Daily Show Host Jon Stewart testifies during a House Judiciary Comm
Jon Stewart testifies during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on reauthorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund on Capitol Hill on June 11, 2019 in Washington, DC (Zach Gibson/Getty Images)      

He then returned to his central point about the hypocrisy of dg enforcement, recalling how difficult it was for Americans to gain freedom for recreational or medicinal ma***na use.

He sarcastically compared the cautious path to c*****is dispensaries, often dictated by rules such as “Well, if you had two joints, you’d be cool, as long as it didn’t seem like distribution”, to Trump’s actions.

Stewart pointed out the irony: while Trump is “obviously droning boats to fight the d**g war, he decriminalized a mountain of c**e, you can’t do more than a mountain.”

He concluded by saying, “Bribery is legal, state-sponsored d**g trafficking is legal. I don’t even know what to make of this.”

In a final assessment of Trump's behavior, Stewart compared it to that of a child, asserting, "What a 6-year-old he is," and "Whenever he gets confronted, his responses are either 'I don't know' or 'You're stupid.'" He added, “I have children. I’m very familiar with these dodges.” 

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