Comedian Jon Stewart addresses claims that compared the sale of his New York apartment to Donald Trump’s financial dealings following Monday’s episode of “The Daily Show,” during which Mr. Stewart discussed the $454 million judgment against former President Donald Trump.
In a legal maneuver initiated in September 2022, New York Attorney General Letitia James took legal action against Donald Trump, targeting not only the former president but also his two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, alongside The Trump Organization and two high-ranking executives, Allen Weisselberg and Jeff McConney. Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the proceedings, ruled that President Trump had artificially inflated his assets to secure more advantageous business loans.
Subsequently, from late last year through early January, a trial unfolded to deliberate the extent of financial restitution demanded from the ex-president and his associates.
Earlier this week, a five-judge panel in the New York appeals court granted a postponement in the collection process, stipulating that Mr. Trump must promptly pay a reduced $175 million bond within the next ten days.
During the “The Daily Show” segment, recent snippets from Fox News were played, featuring several hosts and contributors downplaying the significance of Mr. Trump’s New York civil fraud case. Mr. Stewart showed a recent CNN interview featuring Kevin O‘Leary from Shark Tank, where the Canadian entrepreneur voiced dissatisfaction with the ruling, stating it didn’t sit well with the investment community. “We’re all asking each other, who’s next?” Mr. O’Leary remarked in the footage, to which Mr. Stewart retorted, “Ah, who’s next? The persecuted minority of the investment community.”
Following this, a series of Shark Tank clips rolled in, showcasing Mr. O'Leary’s criticisms of entrepreneurs for potentially overvaluing their businesses. “Avoiding taxes hurts all of us,” Mr. Stewart lamented, adding that “Donald Trump’s shenanigans cost the city of New York.”
In a document obtained by
The New York Post, which was published following the show, Mr. Stewart’s property history reveals that his New York City penthouse fetched a staggering 829 percent above its assessed value. Although the exact property’s asking price remains undisclosed for that time, Mr. Stewart concluded the sale of his 6,280-square-foot Tribeca duplex to financier Parag Pande for $17.5 million. The 2013–14 records obtained by The Post show that the property was valued at a mere $1.882 million.
In response to the discovery, Mr Stewart took to X (formerly Twitter),
posting, “OMG!! I’ve been caught doing something not remotely similar to Trump!” He continued his post by listing accusations made against the former president, “I guess all I need to do now is start a fraud college, steal classified docs, bankrupt casinos, pay hush money, grab pussies, discriminate in housing, cheat at golf and foment insurrection and you'll revere me!”
Founder and CEO of Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk
posted: “After railing against Trump’s civil fraud case, it turns out Jon Stewart overvalued his own NYC home by 829%. People who live in overvalued glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, Jon.”
“You reduced your taxes by using a lower assessment and sold at a much higher than assessed value. That’s more than not remotely similar…that’s even worse!” noted
one user on X.
However, others were quick to come to Mr. Stewart’s defense.
“Stop saying that Jon Stewart did the same thing as Trump did when he ‘over valued his property.’ He did not. Not even close. Jon Stewart simply sold his property for much more than it was assessed at. That’s it,”
wrote political commentator Ed Krassenstein, pointing out the differences in the situations. He continued his lengthy post by stating: “It’s not fraud to sell a property for more than the city says it’s worth. It is fraud to knowingly inflate the value of your property on paper in order to maximize loans you could obtain, while also deflating the value in order to save money elsewhere.”
Additionally, going to bat for Mr. Stewart was author Seth Abramson, who
posted: “Boy, I’ve hunted through this article and literally can’t find any correlation between Stewart and Trump. None at all. Stewart sold a property for what someone was willing to pay and paid taxes based on assessor value.”
The Epoch Times was unable to reach Mr. Stewart for a statement. Requests for comment were not immediately returned by Comedy Central.
