Jon Stewart perfectly shuts down immigrant fearmongering in brilliant new video
He called out Democrats and Republicans alike.
Jon Stewart talks about the border crisis; Dr. Phil.
Jon Stewart is known for using humor to skewer politicians on both sides of the aisle, cleverly exposing their more ridiculous claims and inconsistencies with deft satire and mock incredulity. To the delight of The Daily Show viewers, he’s returned to the program after nine long years where he’ll sit in the hosting chair on Mondays throughout this year’s presidential election cycle.
This week, he fixed his gimlet eye on the migrant crisis at the border. He had plenty of criticism to go around and he even managed to zing Dr. Phil.
In a clip that’s now gone viral, titled, “Stewart Unpacks the GOP's ‘Migrant Crime’ Narrative,” the host makes the case that Republicans are using the crisis for political gain while Democrats are turning their backs on their core values.
After showing a series of alarmist clips (“Illegal invaders invading America!” warns one Fox News host), Stewart says, “Every two to four years, we are reminded we have a Southern border. And it is porous.”
More clips play, ratcheting up the levels of fear over the types of people who might be flowing through the border.
“Criminals, rapists, murderers, predators and God knows who else,” we see Marjorie Taylor Greene proclaim. “God knows who else? Statistically, a couple of them at least have to be podcasters,” Stewart quips.
Stewart goes on to show commentators and politicians discussing the countries where the people crossing the border are coming from, including Dr. Phil on "The Joe Rogan Experience," talking about all the fit, military-age men from China coming through the border.
“While it’s clear hyperbole,” says Stewart, after showing a clip where Donald Trump says Hannibal Lecter is one of the people crossing the border, “there does seem to be bipartisan agreement now that the border is a problem. There were 300,000 crossings in December alone. That’s an all-time high, and that is not sustainable.
“But Republicans turned down the chance to pass a strong border bill because of how confident they are that fearmongering will be an effective election-year strategy. It’s really all about branding,” Stewart said.
Trump again: “I call it Biden migrant crime, but it’s too long… Let’s call it Bigrant… Oh that’s good. That’s smart, Bigrant crime.”
“I’m not completely sold on Bigrant,” Stewart joked, stifling a laugh. It really just sounds like a migrant who’s open to crossing either border." Stewart then turned his attention to what he calls “a good old-fashioned border off,” where Trump and Biden both went to the Texas-Mexico border last week. Trump went to Eagle Pass, and Biden to Brownsville.
Biden suggests he and Trump should get together to pass a bipartisan border bill which Trump declines.
“When it comes to immigration, the Democrats hold to our country's cherished ideals, the eternal promise etched at the feet of lady liberty that speaks to our better angels," Stewart said. This is followed by a montage of clips showing politicians, including New York Mayor Eric Adams, speaking warmly about how our country is stronger because of immigrants.
“Unshakable bedrock American values of compassion and empathy and there is not a damn thing you can do to change that,” said Stewart. "And then busloads of migrants from Texas, seeking asylum in New York.“
Nice try, Texas, but you heard the mayor," Stewart continued. "We’re New York [bleeping] City!… You are never going to change our values because you’re afraid. So keep sending those busloads because we got plenty of room in our hearts and in this city.”
Adams again: “We have no more room in the city.”
Stewart stared at the camera in disbelief. “What about the yearnings and the tiredness and the tiredness of those who are doing the yearnings?”
Stewart then shows clips of Adams talking about the effect of 110,000 migrants coming to New York City. “This issue will destroy New York City,” he says.
“Yes, it turns out in the age old battle between values and fear, values never had a [bleeping] chance.
“So this is the terrible cycle America is caught in. Democrats whose high-minded values and principles did not survive a contact high with reality and Republicans whose desire to solve the problem isn’t nearly as strong as their desire to exploit it," Stewart concluded.
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"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Medusa image of giant squid in Gulf of Mexico off of Mississippi Gulf CoastPhoto credit: 
Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Mississippi Gulf Coast beach in BiloxiCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
2009 photo of giant squid caught in Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi GulfPhoto credit: 
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."