Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show on Monday night (March 25) and took aim at Shark Tank‘s Kevin O’Leary, blasting the Canadian businessman for his hypocrisy.
The late-night host was referring to O’Leary’s comments on Donald Trump‘s New York $450 million civil fraud case, which he called a “victimless crime.” O’Leary also said the case against Trump didn’t “go over well within the investment community” because it meant anyone could be targeted next.
“I am surprised to hear this from Kevin O’Leary, the guy who’s such an a**hole that even the other people on Shark Tank think he’s an a**hole,” Stewart quipped.
He continued, “I’m surprised to hear he’s so chill about overvaluing something that he thinks is victimless because when someone tries to do that to him…” He then threw to a montage of O’Leary on Shark Tank tearing into entrepreneurs about their own company valuations.
“How is he not this mad about overvaluations in the real world? Because they are not victimless crimes,” Stewart continued. “Money isn’t infinite. A loan that goes to the liar doesn’t go to someone who’s giving a more honest evaluation. So the system becomes incentivized for corruption.”
“And this is part of a different Trump case, but avoiding taxes hurts all of us,” he added. “Donald Trump’s shenanigans cost the city of New York.”
“Let’s be honest, that is money the city of New York could have used to build more Walgreens,” Stewart joked. “Some blocks only have two of them.”
The comedian then showed a clip of O’Leary on CNN, where he was made aware that the case against Trump includes falsifying business records in the second degree, issuing false financial statements, insurance fraud, and conspiracy.
“Everything that you just listed off is done by every real estate developer everywhere on Earth in every city. This has never been prosecuted,” O’Leary responded.
Stewart joked, “There is a theory in law that if enough people commit a crime, it automatically becomes legal. You’re familiar with The Purge, are you not?”
The host called O’Leary’s response “f*****g entitled arrogance” and pointed out how everyday Americans would not go unpunished for knowingly committing fraud.
“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 f*****g friends are making money,” Stewart argued. “Apparently, the only immoral practice in the capitalist system is to use that money for people who may need it.”
The Daily Show, Weeknights, 11/10c, Comedy Central