Jon Stewart, host of "The Daily Show," reacted with astonishment to reports that former President Donald Trump offered to sell U.S. arms to Chinese President Xi Jinping. The alleged offer came to light amid ongoing reports of China supplying weapons, intelligence, and oil deals to Iran.
Stewart voiced his disbelief on his show, exclaiming, "What the fuck?" He questioned the implications of such a proposal, wondering how the U.S. "stay[s] on the map sometimes."
The report, recounted by U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue, suggests the offer was made during Xi Jinping's visit to Washington, D.C. Stewart initially expressed skepticism, stating he would not believe it "until the president himself" confirmed it.
When presented with Trump's own remarks on the matter, where he stated, "I never heard of that one. I’m gonna have to ask him... Now, they’d probably like to buy it because we do make better equipment than them. So maybe it’s a good idea," Stewart found confirmation.
Stewart interpreted Trump's response as an admission, humorously speculating on the former president's thought process. "He totally fucking offered them weapons," Stewart said. "You can almost see Trump trying to do the math in his head: ‘Well, if Iran beats us with weapons that we make, it’s kind of like we won the war. I’m in.’"
The report also details China's ongoing supply of arms and intelligence to Iran, a situation that has drawn international attention.