This week, comedian Jon Stewart criticized Donald Trump’s civil real estate case for inflating property values, arguing it wasn’t without consequences. Yet, scrutiny from several media sources and social media users uncovered that Stewart also profited from a similar overvaluation of his own home.
In a segment on Monday evening, the host of “The Daily Show” examined Trump’s $454 million appeal bond, disputing claims by experts that the case had no tangible impact on individuals.
After railing against Trump’s civil fraud case, it turns out Jon Stewart overvalued his own NYC home by 829%.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 27, 2024
People who live in overvalued glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Jon. https://t.co/r4gt6aJOhv
During an interview with CNN’s Laura Coates, “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary defended typical real estate practices, which led Jon Stewart to raise concerns about the absence of condemnation for real-world overvaluations. Stewart highlighted the significant impact of such actions, asserting that they contribute to a system prone to corruption by steering loans away from more transparent evaluations.
“Everything that you just listed off is done by every real estate developer everywhere on Earth in every city. This has never been prosecuted,” O’Leary replied in the shown clip.
In response, Stewart asked: “How is he not this mad about overvaluations in the real world?”
“Because they are not victimless crimes,” he said.
“Money isn’t infinite,” Stewart added to further his point. “A loan that goes to the liar doesn’t go to someone who’s giving a more honest evaluation. So the system becomes incentivized for corruption.”
“The attorney general of New York knew that Trump’s property values were inflated because when it came time to pay taxes, Trump undervalued the very same properties,” the host continued. “It was all part of a very specific real estate practice known as lying.”
Jon Stewart was found to have inflated his home by 829%, the New York Post reports. In Jon Stewart fashion, lets play a clip that highlights the hypocrisy of this fact:
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) March 28, 2024
"What did Trump actually do, to earn this penalty? It turns out for a decade, whenever Trump wanted to get a… pic.twitter.com/RtHixIUhkY
Stewart criticized the tactic of underestimating property values for tax reasons while promoting higher market values, denouncing it as fraudulent. He pointed out the contradiction in Trump’s undervaluation for tax purposes while inflating values elsewhere, identifying it as a prevalent form of deception in real estate.
Following Stewart’s remarks, online ridicule ensued when reports surfaced about his own home in New York City being overvalued during a sale, echoing the behavior he condemned in Trump. Podcast host Tim Pool, a political commentator, accused Stewart of hypocrisy, sparking a flurry of social media reactions.
Did @jonstewart commit fraud when he sold his penthouse for $17.5M?
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) March 26, 2024
NY listed its market value at $1.8M an AV at around 800k
Who did he He defraud??
I am SHOCKED
SHOCKED pic.twitter.com/9okis96VQP
Wow
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) March 27, 2024
The victim lost around $4M on the deal according to the NYPost
For shame @jonstewart pic.twitter.com/EJsfhQtPeD
Stewart’s representatives declined to comment when contacted by The New York Post as information emerged about the substantial overestimation of his penthouse by 829 percent.
The sale of Stewart’s Tribeca duplex to financier Parag Pande for $17.5 million sharply contrasted with its assessed market value of just $1.882 million.
Jon Stewart overvalued his NYC apartment by over 827%.
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) March 27, 2024
Will Leticia James go after him?
Of course not.
This disclosure raised doubts about Stewart’s intentions, particularly given his outspoken criticism of Trump’s actions. Despite Stewart’s efforts to expose Trump’s conduct, his own involvement in similar practices undermined his credibility on the subject.
Comparisons were drawn between the citation method utilized in Stewart’s situation and that employed by New York Attorney General Letitia James in assessing Trump’s properties, resulting in a lawsuit against the former president for inflating assets. Notably, market value was disregarded in both scenarios, underscoring systemic issues in property appraisal.
The distinction between Stewart and Trump’s cases lies in a judge’s decision regarding Trump’s misrepresentation to lenders about property dimensions, further complicating the discourse surrounding real estate practices and legal responsibility.