Ronny Chieng delivered a sharp critique of MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell during Tuesday night’s episode of “The Daily Show,” playfully mocking his on-air display of Harvard University affiliation.
Chieng’s commentary stemmed from a segment on “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell,” where O’Donnell drew attention to a distinctive tie he was wearing, claiming it was a rare occurrence—a “one night only” appearance. The host even feigned surprise at possessing the tie, stating, “Good evening, Rachel. And I know you look really surprised because I’m wearing a tie you’ve never seen before. And it’s the first time ever use of this tie – will never see it again. I actually wasn’t aware that I possessed this tie, but there it was.”
“Oh God, the only thing worse than people bragging about going to Harvard is people pretending to be embarrassed about going to Harvard,” Chieng quipped, highlighting what he perceived as a performative display.
The broader context for this discussion lies within the ongoing controversy surrounding Harvard and other universities facing scrutiny from the Trump administration. Reports indicate that the administration has paused over $1 billion in federal funding from Cornell University and nearly $800 million from Northwestern University, part of a civil rights investigation.
Furthermore, Harvard is currently resisting demands from the White House to alter its campus policies, leading to threats of significant cuts to federal grants totaling $2.2 billion.
Chieng extended his satirical observations beyond O’Donnell, showcasing clips of other figures—including Representative Elise Stefanik and Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz—mentioning their own association with the institution while discussing the dispute.
He imitated these individuals with exaggerated pronouncements:
- “Oh, my darkest secret? Please don’t make me tell anyone. Please, no. I went to Harvard.”
- “Harvard! Harvard. Har-vard!”
Turning his attention back to O’Donnell, Chieng sarcastically remarked, “My favorite guy there is Lawrence O’Donnell. He’s really embarrassed he has to talk about this. I mean, it’s definitely not something he would bring up all the time, over the course of many years.” This was followed by a montage of five separate instances where O’Donnell referenced his Harvard education on MSNBC, eliciting laughter from the audience.
Concluding his segment with a final jab, Chieng humorously suggested, “So, I know we’re trying to bring people back from the El Salvador mega prison , but do they have room for one more by any chance?”
