Jon Stewart Mocks Elon Musk’s Black Eye Calling Him a ‘Guy Who Had a Bad Night in a Nashville Bar’ After Working for Trump

In a biting monologue on The Daily Show, host Jon Stewart took aim at Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, after Musk’s highly publicized stint working for President Donald Trump came to an end. Stewart zeroed in on a photograph of Musk sporting a pronounced black eye, humorously suggesting the tech titan looked more like a man who had “a bad night in a Nashville bar” than a visionary entrepreneur.

The timing of Stewart’s joke was impeccable. Musk had just wrapped up his 130-day tenure as a special government employee at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency dedicated to rooting out government waste—a role Musk had touted with grand promises to “move fast and crush the deep state.”

But instead of the triumphant, larger-than-life figure many expected, Musk appeared tired and visibly bruised, raising eyebrows and fueling rumors.

Stewart began by contrasting two images of Musk. One was taken several months ago at a Trump rally, where Musk was captured mid-jump, exuberant and full of energy. The other, much more recent, showed Musk looking worn out with a black eye during his farewell event at the Oval Office. Musk had attributed the injury to one of his children accidentally hitting him, but Stewart was not convinced.

“Honestly, I’m starting to feel bad for this guy,” Stewart quipped. “Look at him, he’s been there four months. Look at the poor bastard. It only took four months to go from this to this.” The audience laughed as Stewart painted a picture of Musk’s rapid fall from tech titan to a man who looked like he had endured a rough night in a bar he couldn’t quite remember.

Stewart didn’t stop there. “Look at this f***ing guy! He went from tech titan given a mandate to move fast and crush the deep state to a guy who had a bad night in a Nashville bar he can’t remember.” His mockery was sharp but delivered with a comedic touch that cut through the tension surrounding Musk’s brief and controversial government role.

Stewart analyzed Musk’s facial expression, describing the “thousand yard stare” as if the billionaire had “seen some sh*t.” He joked, “I’d like to know at least how that happened.” When Musk’s explanation—blaming one of his children for the black eye—surfaced, Stewart took another jab: “So, you’re not going to tell us what happened. Do you need a safe place to stay?” The joke played on the vague and awkward nature of Musk’s explanation, hinting at something less innocent behind the injury.

Though Stewart acknowledged that parents sometimes “roughhouse” with their kids, he pointed out, “I’m also sure that one sentence no parent has ever uttered to their child is, ‘Go ahead, punch me in the face.’” The remark invited both laughter and speculation, leaving audiences wondering about the real story behind Musk’s bruised visage.

The context of Musk’s short-lived White House career only added fuel to Stewart’s comedic fire. Musk’s role at DOGE was billed as a mission to streamline government and slash waste, but reports soon emerged painting a less flattering picture. Allegations surfaced that Musk was using drugs “intensely” and “chronically” throughout the 2024 presidential campaign.

Claims included regular use of ketamine, ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms, and Adderall. Musk was said to keep a daily medication box containing about 20 pills, further intensifying speculation about his behavior during this tumultuous period.

Musk quickly denied the drug abuse allegations, but Stewart couldn’t resist taking a jab at the Tesla CEO’s purported substance use. “Who amongst us hasn’t unwound sometimes with a little mixture of ecstasy, mushrooms, ketamine and Adderall? What could be the harm?” Stewart joked, sarcastically highlighting the absurdity of the accusations while poking fun at Musk’s larger-than-life persona.

Adding to the spectacle, Stewart aired a clip from Musk’s final interview under the Trump administration, conducted by CBS News’ Sunday Morning. In the interview, Musk expressed a hope to “stick to the subject of the day,” which he clarified as spaceships. Stewart used this to underscore how Musk had been reduced from a dynamic innovator to a figure seemingly overshadowed by his political involvement.

“Look what Trump has reduced this man to,” Stewart said with palpable sarcasm. “He has broken this poor man.”

Stewart’s commentary comes amid an increasingly fraught relationship between Musk and the Trump administration. Though Musk had initially been an enthusiastic ally, the last hundred days painted a different picture—one of exhaustion, controversy, and public scrutiny. The black eye, whether from a child’s playful punch or another cause, became a symbol of Musk’s battered reputation during this period.

In the broader political context, Musk’s tenure at DOGE and his public appearances with Trump coincided with a turbulent time for the Trump administration and its supporters. The Department of Government Efficiency, championed by Trump, was intended as a bold effort to cut wasteful federal spending and bureaucratic bloat.

Musk’s appointment was hailed by some conservatives as a sign of serious reform, while critics saw it as a political stunt that gave Musk a platform but little real power.

Musk’s departure last week marked the end of a short but dramatic chapter. The tech mogul’s reported struggles with drug use, coupled with public relations missteps like the black eye incident, have raised questions about his suitability for public office or government advisory roles.

Stewart’s mocking yet pointed jokes reflect a broader skepticism among political observers about Musk’s political ambitions and his ability to navigate the complexities of government.

Despite the criticism, Musk remains a titan in the tech world, with Tesla and SpaceX continuing to push boundaries in electric vehicles and space exploration. However, his foray into politics, even briefly, exposed vulnerabilities that Stewart and other commentators have eagerly highlighted.

The joke about the Nashville bar wasn’t just about a black eye—it symbolized a fall from grace, a transition from confident disruptor to a beleaguered figure buffeted by political storms and personal challenges. Stewart’s commentary, blending humor and sharp political insight, captured the public’s fascination with Musk’s unpredictable trajectory.

As Musk steps away from the political spotlight, questions remain about his future role in American public life. Will he return to focusing solely on technology and innovation, or are there more political battles ahead? Meanwhile, Stewart’s critique serves as a reminder of the high stakes and scrutiny public figures face when they cross from boardrooms to political arenas.

In the end, the image of Elon Musk with a black eye, looking like a man who had a “bad night in a Nashville bar,” will likely linger in the public imagination as a stark, humorous metaphor for the challenges and unexpected bruises that come with navigating the volatile world of politics. Whether Musk can recover his former momentum remains to be seen, but for now, Jon Stewart’s stinging satire encapsulates the dramatic arc of Musk’s short-lived political experiment.