--- title: "Elon Musk Too Chicken to Face Jon Stewart for a “Daily Show” Interview" description: "It's been more than a week since Elon Musk offered to go on \"The Daily Show\" — and it appears that that he's already backing out. " date: "2025-03-05" modified: "2025-03-05" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/jon-stewart-elon-musk-daily-show-interview-flake" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "doge" - "elon musk" - "jon stewart" - "politics" --- # Elon Musk Too Chicken to Face Jon Stewart for a “Daily Show” Interview ![It's been more than a week since Elon Musk offered to go on "The Daily Show" — and it appears that that he's already backing out. ]() *\Image: Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty / Futurism\* It's been more than a week since [Elon Musk offered]() to go on "The Daily Show" — and it appears that he's already backing out. On Monday evening, Stewart took the unelected billionaire head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to task for not following up on his claim that he would sit for an interview if it "[airs unedited]()" — which is, as the newly returned host notes, how it always goes for in-studio appearances. After the show's account said Stewart would be "[delighted]()" to bring Musk on, however, the SpaceX and Tesla owner issued a [cryptic quip]() saying that is Stewart "much more a propagandist than it would seem." Though it's not an outright refusal, that comment coming in the days after the "Daily Show" host publicly challenged Musk to play ball suggests that, as he did with his [abandoned cage match]() with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg back in 2023, be trying to [weasel his way out]() of an interview that would almost certainly make him look foolish and unprepared. Dispelling Musk's "propagandist" charge, Stewart said that although he has "some criticisms" about DOGE — an understatement, given that he got so worked up when bashing the agency that he [broke a mug and hurt his hand]() during his inaugural post-retirement episode — he generally is in support of more efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Addressing Musk directly, the host suggested that there's neither harm nor foul if Musk chooses not to go on the show — but lying about it seems like a bridge too far. "Can we just drop the pretense that you won’t do it because I don’t measure up to the standards of neutral discourse that you demand and display at all times?" Stewart said. "Because, quite frankly, that’s bullshit. You know it, I know it. Bullshit." It's obviously too soon to tell whether or not the [South African emerald scion]() will, [for once](), live up to his word. Given that we haven't seen Stewart this feisty for a [while](), Musk may have good reason for his cold feet. **More on Musk:** [*You Can See When Elon Musk Actually Sleeps by Analyzing His Tweets, and It's Terrifying*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()