Don’t leave before me! Those were the fond words President Barack Obama offered Daily Show host Jon Stewart on Tuesday, July 21, as he made his final appearance on the hit Comedy Central show before Stewart’s retirement on Aug. 6.
“I can’t believe you’re leaving before me,” the U.S. president told his show host. “I’m going to issue an executive order. Jon Stewart cannot leave the show. It’s being challenged in courts,” he said.
But while there were some laughs to be had in Obama’s final head-to-head with the outspoken pundit (he’s appeared on the show three times as president, and seven times overall), there was quite a lot of business to get through too.
Obama spent a good while talking about his nuclear deal with Iran, before moving onto other matters including the state of the media and the length of time it has taken for some of his policies to come good.
“A lot of the work that we did early starts bearing fruit, late,” POTUS explained. “The way I’m feeling right now is, I’ve got 18 months,” he said, adding that he intended to tackle climate change and fuel-efficiency standards before he’s out of office.
But the duo couldn’t end their time together without taking a pop at Donald Trump, who Stewart has been very vocal about in previous shows. After talking about the importance of getting the public involved in politics, Stewart asked his guest a question: “After seven years, is that the advice that you then bequeath to future President Trump?”
“Well I’m sure the Republicans are enjoying Mr. Trump’s dominance,” the Obama replied, laughing.
“Anything that makes them look less crazy,” Stewart agreed, before thanking his guest for coming onto the show.
“It’s a pleasure,” the president replied. “You’ve been a great gift to the country.”
Watch Obama and Stewart’s entire final interview in the videos above.
