Jon Stewart recalls Twitter feud with Donald Trump
Comedian says businessman repeatedly brought up his very Jewish birth-name Lebowitz as an apparent insult
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JTA — As the polls tighten and the election draws to a close, one ray of light shone bright this Tuesday night for Jewish liberals: Jon Stewart came back for one last opportunity to take a stab at Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president.
At a Stand Up For Heroes benefit in New York City this Tuesday, the beloved former host of “The Daily Show” took the stage to tell an expletive-laden tale of the Republican nominee, Twitter feuds and Jewish dog-whistles.
“Let me tell you the story about, about something I’ve entitled, ‘The day I woke up to find out someone was tweeting weird shit about me,’” Stewart told the cheering crowd.
He went on to retell the story of a Trump Twitter tirade that took place in April 2013, in which Trump denigrated the Jewish comedian and brought up his birth-name, Jonathan Lebowitz, in a way that some thought sounded, well, a little anti-Semitic.
I promise you that I'm much smarter than Jonathan Leibowitz – I mean Jon Stewart @TheDailyShow. Who, by the way, is totally overrated.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2013
If Jon Stewart is so above it all & legit, why did he change his name from Jonathan Leibowitz? He should be proud of his heritage!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2013
Stewart heard the alleged dog-whistle loud and clear.
“So I start to think to myself, ‘oh, I think this guy is trying to let people know I’m a Jew,’” the comedian chuckled as he continued his story. “And I think to myself, ‘doesn’t my face do that?’ Honestly, like, where have you seen this face other than a poster for ‘Yentl’?”
(And honestly, who wouldn’t want to see Stewart in a remake of the Barbra Streisand film?)
“In what world are people like, ‘Stewart, that’s a Scottish name, but there’s something about that fella that looks a little schmear-y,’” Stewart asked the crowd incredulously, coining my new favorite adjective.
Stewart then tells the crowd about the not-so-safe-for-work nickname he made up for the former “Apprentice” star: F**kface Von Clownstick.
A hashtag of Trump’s new nickname promptly went viral. Trump then called the name not funny, and alleged that Stewart stole the nickname “from a moron on Twitter.” Stewart replied with a quip, tweeting, “We seem to have hit a F**kface Von Nervestick.”
That tweet was followed by four days of radio silence from the business tycoon.
Finally, Trump ended their feud at 1:30 a.m. on a Saturday, grabbing Stewart’s attention with an expletive that has tarnished Trump’s own reputation this election cycle. At Tuesday’s benefit, Stewart doubled over laughing as he read the last tweet:
@caaataclysm Little Jon Stewart(?) Is a pussy, he would be hopeless in a debate with me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2013
“Vote wisely this November 8th,” Stewart concluded his tale.
The Times of Israel Community.