Jon Stewart’s monologue took an unexpected turn Monday night when Emmy-nominated former Daily Show correspondent Jessica Williams interrupted him—live from “Scotland”—with an exasperated plea.
Williams appeared just as Stewart was about to touch on Donald Trump calling for Beyoncé, Oprah, and Kamala Harris to be prosecuted. Her reason for dropping in? “I am here because I have had it with Trump. He’s got to come clean about Epstein. I am sick of this.”
As Stewart asked how long Trump could keep dodging the issue, Williams replied: “I mean, obviously it depends on how many Black people he has left.”
When Stewart asked, “Why do Black people matter?” Williams responded sharply: “Why do Black people matter, Jon? What the f*ck, dude? Wow, Jon, we still got a lot of work to do.”
She then laid out Trump’s pattern: “First, he released the Martin Luther King Jr. files. Then he accused Obama of treason. And now he wants to prosecute Oprah and Beyoncé. The nerve, Jon, the nerve. He’s coming after all of our greatest Black people. Who’s next? Michael Jordan, Michael B. Jordan? Michael C. Jordan?”
Later, when Stewart tried to reassure her that Trump wouldn’t come after her, Williams fired back: “Wait, wait, wait, wait. Excuse me. He won’t come after me. What? I’m not an exceptional enough Black person for Trump? I’m not famous enough to be publicly accused of treason or doing 9/11? You don’t know where I was that day. You don’t know me.”
Williams closed with a classic skewering of political pandering: “Trump is so desperate for Black approval. One compliment and we’re off the prosecution list and in the Oval Office, being named Secretary of HUD. Because if there’s one thing old white guys love, it’s getting a compliment from a Black person.”
When Stewart protested, Williams delivered the kill shot: “Oh my God, John I meant to say, I like, love your haircut.” And when he winced: “You know I asked for a fade… You proved your point, Williams.”
This marked Williams’ third surprise return to The Daily Show during Stewart’s current run, following previous appearances in April and October 2024.
The former correspondent sang Stewart’s praises in a 2023 interview with People Magazine in which she called him “one of the best bosses ever.”
“A lot of things made Jon a great boss, but he’s just a nice man and was always willing to bank on the unknown,” she explained. “And when he hired me, I was really green – I hadn’t had any real experience on late night, but he just hired me on raw talent and what I was capable of.”
Hired in 2012 at just 22 year old, Williams was the youngest-ever correspondent to join The Daily Show. She appeared in 141 episodes of the show over four years.
She’s gone on to appear in quite a few movies, including Booksmart, The Incredible Jessica James, two Fantastic Beasts films, and the Max series Love Life. She’s now earned two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in the Apple TV+ series Shrinking, in which she stars opposite Harrison Ford and Jason Segal.
Watch Williams’ complete Daily Show return in the clip below:
