On Saturday, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman had some harsh words for Jon Stewart after “The Daily Show” host mocked his trillion dollar platinum coin debt solution on his Comedy Central program last week.

In a blog post titled “Lazy Jon Stewart,” Krugman said that Stewart was “ruining his brand” and that “it’s obvious that nobody at TDS spent even a few minutes researching the topic. It was just yuk-yuk-yuk they’re talking about a trillion-dollar con [sic] hahaha.” Then he added the ultimate insult: “Hey, if we want this kind of intellectual laziness, we can just tune in to Fox.”

Never in a million years would Stewart not respond to a comparison involving himself and Fox News. So on Monday’s “Daily Show,” he fired back at the economist, addressing Krugman’s blistering attack while also reiterating his earlier criticism of the trillion dollar coin suggestion.

“First of all, I’m pretty sure that is my brand. And second of all, if someone’s ruining their brand with the trillion dollar coin idea, I don’t think it’s the non-economist,” Stewart said, adding that the coin was still a “stupid fucking idea.”

Watch the segment below:

— Posted by Tracy Bloom.

WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...

This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.

At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.

Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.

Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.

Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.

Donate now.

SUPPORT TRUTHDIG