Jon Stewart Strongly Criticizes Donald Trump’s Defense of ‘Victimless Crime'

During his Monday monologue, host Jon Stewart took a strong stance against the notion put forth by Donald Trump and his supporters that the financial fraud he committed in New York was a "victimless crime." Stewart criticized the arrogance of those who argue that Trump's alleged financial misdeeds did not harm anyone, as reported by Mediaite. He also weighed in on Trump's efforts to challenge the $454 million civil fraud judgment against him in New York. Stewart questioned, “What did Trump actually do to earn this penalty?"

He added, "Well it turns out that for a decade, whenever Trump wanted to get a loan or make a deal, he would illegally inflate the value of his real estate.” Stewart continued, “And the Attorney General of New York knew that Trump’s property values were inflated because when it came time to pay taxes, Trump undervalued the very same properties. It was all part of a very specific real estate practice known as lying.” According to The Independent, a judge has ruled that Trump must pay $464 million for his involvement in a decade-long scheme. Prosecutors claim that Trump falsely inflated the values of Trump Organization assets to secure loans.

Later, Stewart aired clips of Sean Hannity, Stuart Varney, and Kevin O'Leary asserting that no one was harmed by Trump's purported wrongdoings. He said, “I am surprised to hear this from Kevin O’Leary. I’m surprised to hear that he’s so chill about overvaluing something that he thinks is victimless because when someone tries to do that to him…” Stewart also highlighted a clip of O'Leary stating to CNN's Laura Coates that actions such as falsifying business records, issuing false financial statements, and committing insurance fraud were common among real estate developers and had never resulted in prosecution.

Stewart reacted to this by saying, “Leave it to Kevin O’Leary to be unaware enough to say the quiet part out loud. The fucking entitled arrogance! I don’t know if you know this, but most people just can’t commit fraud and expect to face no repercussions, even if everyone’s doing it." He added, "I will guarantee you there are not just financial consequences for those lies, but criminal ones. But don’t tell that to the investment community, because in their minds, in pursuit of profit, there is no rule that cannot be bent, there is no principle that cannot be undercut as long as you and your fucking friends are making money."

Stewart wrapped up by debunking the strange notion that committing fraud doesn't result in any consequences, especially when it harms others. He said, “And the only immoral practice, apparently, in the capitalist system is to use that money for people who may need it." He showcased instances where American citizens were in the spotlight for exploiting the system to provide for their families, including the use of food stamps. Meanwhile, on Monday, Trump received a temporary relief when an appeals court directed him to pay $175 million within ten days as part of his appeal bond.