Historically, Stewart said, America would come up with a high-minded pretense for intervening in other countries. He wondered what moral foundation the Trump administration would use to frame Saturday’s military operation that killed at least 80 people. He then tossed to clips of Trump claiming that the U.S. would have a presence in Venezuela… so we can obtain its oil.
“Is this your first war? I mean, what the fuck?!?” Stewart exclaimed.
Stewart turned to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and urged him to give Trump a casus belli that didn’t involve oil.
“There are going to be Americans alive today because he shut down a narco-terrorist state called Venezuela. This is a good thing, not a bad thing,” Graham said while aboard Air Force One.
That’s when Trump jumped in to mention that U.S. oil companies would rebuild the country’s infrastructure.
“Goddamn it! What?!?” said Stewart as he ripped up a stack of papers. “We can’t even be conspiracy theorists now!”
Stewart also played a clip of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasizing to reporters that Venezuela possesses steel, aluminum and “critical minerals” as well.
“These motherfuckers are going full conquistador in front of our eyes!” quipped Stewart, before launching into an impression of Lutnick. ”‘I mean, they got oil, steel, minerals. And oh, don’t forget about the spices, spices! We’ll load our ships with cinnamon and cardamom, oil and everything bagels, you’ll see!’”
Watch more of Stewart’s Monday monologue on “The Daily Show.”
