Newsmax "Wise Guys" host John Tabacco, responding Tuesday to Jon Stewart's jibes at him during his monologue on "The Daily Show," said he found the bit funny, but he also wonders why he'd "mock a guy who's Italian for his real Italian last name?"
"Listen, Jon Stewart has done some great things for 9/11 first responders, so I'll give him that, and I did think it was funny," Tabacco told "Newsline" host Bianca de la Garza.
Stewart, playing a clip from Newsmax of Tabacco talking about President Donald Trump's tariffs during a panel discussion, asked if the TV host is in the "witness protection program."
The Newsmax clip started with Tabacco commenting about the tariffs, saying, "When you're my age, you got to get a colonoscopy. You need a full colonic to feel better."
Another guest on the program commented that "rat poison can kill somebody in the wrong dosages, but in the right dosages, that can be a very healthy patient."
"So everyone relax," said Stewart. "This is merely a routine rat poison colonoscopy. By the way, what's the right dosage of rat poison? Oh, if you get enough of it, hey, your headache will be gone."
He went on to question Tabacco's last name.
"That's a witness protection thing, isn't it?" Stewart joked. "'So here's how it's going to go. Your new name is John Tabacco. Say it back to me, John Tabacco. Your name is John Tabacco. Say it back to me. John Tabacco. Your new profession is you do anus metaphors on Newsmax."
"I would say he's finally out of the comedy witness protection program, because that was the first time in about 10 years I've actually laughed at him," Tobacco said Tuesday. "So I enjoyed the joke."
The irony, said Tabacco, is that Stewart was suggesting his name was fake and "I should be in some witness protection program," but "Jon Stewart's actually the imposter. His real name is Jon Leibowitz, not Jon Stewart."
He said he has to wonder why Stewart would "mock a guy who's Italian for his real Italian last name? I'm proud of that. Why is he going around masquerading as an Anglo person with that Stewart last name? Is he ashamed of his heritage?"
Tobacco added that Trump said the tariffs could cause some "short-term pain for long-term gain."
"Yesterday, the markets were off 1,600, recovered over 1,000 points of that during the day and then up, you know, this morning over 1,000," said Tabacco. "Really good things seem to be happening, and Bianca, I think this sets the foundation for Trump's economy. … Jon Stewart doesn't know it yet, but [he] is going to get a tall glass of shut up juice served to him very soon."
"Wise Guys With John Tabacco" airs on Newsmax on Saturdays at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
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