Jon Stewart’s bosses at Skydance celebrated his two-year Daily Show renewal last week, but he may have put some sweat on their brows Monday night as he made clear that his new contract won’t stop him from taking shots at the company that signs his checks—or its investors.
Stewart, whose new deal will keep him hosting and executive producing The Daily Show through December 2028, ended a midterms-themed monologue Monday by taking aim at Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his country’s massive new investment in Skydance.
The joke came as Stewart argued that Donald Trump’s 2024 election promise to be “for you” had, in practice, benefited a much narrower group of wealthy and well-connected people.
“There were plenty of yous that he was never going to be for,” he said. “Like if you’re a Muslim named Mohammed.”
“Well, I’m sorry, unless this is you,” Stewart corrected himself as a photo of bin Salman appeared onscreen. “And he has a lot of weapons and nuclear deals!”
“By the way, Your Highness, thank you for your investment in Skydance,” Stewart said as the audience reacted with laughter and applause. “We will make you proud.”
Skydance has owned Comedy Central since its 2025 merger with Paramount, but Saudi Arabia became one of its biggest investors through Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, which closed Oct. 6. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, chaired by bin Salman, put roughly $10 billion into the deal, part of nearly $24 billion invested by sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.
Bin Salman’s investment strategy has long drawn scrutiny from human rights groups, which have accused Saudi Arabia of using high-profile investments in sports, entertainment, and other industries to rehabilitate the crown prince’s international reputation.
Watch Stewart’s complete Monday night monologue below:
