Jon Stewart has officially extended an invitation to Elon Musk to appear on The Daily Show, following Musk’s recent statement on X (formerly Twitter). In his post, the Tesla founder expressed willingness to sit down with Stewart for an interview—under the condition that it airs “unedited,” without any cuts or alterations. Stewart, known for his sharp wit and irreverent humor, wasted no time responding to Musk’s challenge, and the invitation to join him on the late-night show was quickly made.
During his opening monologue, Stewart took the opportunity to address the ongoing back-and-forth between himself and Musk. He began by reminding the audience that in the previous week’s episode, he had “made a bit of a critique” of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, a topic that had sparked some online discussions. As the monologue continued, Stewart took a playful jab at Musk’s personal life, particularly his family dynamics, before turning his attention to the matter at hand—the unedited interview request.
Stewart, with his characteristic humor, reflected on Musk’s offer, stating, “After a prayerful week with my family—well, a family. It’s a family hall pass situation,” before adding, “But after thinking about his offer, I thought, ‘You know, hey, that’s actually how the in-studio interviews normally air. Unedited.’” With that, Stewart enthusiastically agreed to Musk’s terms, stating, “Sure. We’d be delighted. As a matter of fact, let me sweeten or unsweeten the pot. The interview can be 15 minutes, an hour, two hours—whatever. I’ll be honest, I don’t think this network makes any other programming. So we can do whatever the heck we want.”
Stewart didn’t stop there, however. He addressed Musk’s follow-up tweets, in which Musk had referred to Stewart as a “propagandist” and claimed that the comedian-turned-commentator “used to be more bipartisan.” This prompted Stewart to respond with a sharp retort. “You give me too little credit,” Stewart quipped. He then sarcastically referenced Musk’s own political involvement, saying, “Again, the guy who custom-made his own dark MAGA hat that he wears to opine in the Oval Office with the president who he spent $270 million to elect thinks I’m just too partisan. I’m really not sure what he thinks bipartisan means.”
Stewart didn’t stop there. Continuing with his characteristic biting commentary, he added, “Elon, if you want to do the show, great. I support, in general, the idea of efficiency and delivering better services to the American public in cheaper and more efficient ways, and if you want to come in and talk about it on the show, great. If you don’t want to, sure. But can we just drop the pretense that you won’t do it because I don’t measure up to the standards of neutral discourse that you demand and display at all times?”
In this response, Stewart both accepted Musk’s terms for the interview and called out the contradictions in Musk’s public persona. His remarks highlighted the contrast between Musk’s political positioning and the expectations he places on others. Stewart’s invitation for Musk to appear unedited was not just an offer to discuss Musk’s views on government efficiency, but also an opportunity for the two to engage in a candid, no-holds-barred conversation.
As of now, it remains to be seen whether Musk will take Stewart up on his invitation to appear on The Daily Show. However, with Stewart’s blend of humor and sharp analysis, the potential conversation promises to be one filled with both levity and pointed commentary. Whether or not Musk agrees to the unedited interview, Stewart’s quick-witted response continues to keep the spotlight on this high-profile exchange between two of the most outspoken figures in the public sphere.
