Jon Stewart Skewers NRA Ad Calling President Obama 'Elitist Hypocrite'

Comedy Central host Jon Stewart opened “The Daily Show” on Wednesday night with a scathing -- and just plain hysterical -- rebuke of the National Rifle Association’s reaction to President Barack Obama’s gun control proposal.

The NRA is not pleased with Obama. In the NRA’s first press conference after the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., top lobbyist Wayne LaPierre recommended that every school in the country now employ an armed police officer to patrol hallways for safety at all times throughout the day.

That “solution” quickly became a national punch line, with politicians on both sides of the aisle telling the media they don’t want to live in a country where that’s necessary. The NRA then released an advertisement calling the president a “hypocrite” for not taking their advice while still allowing his daughters to be protected at school by members of the Secret Service.

That’s where Stewart comes in.

“I swear to you, if I didn’t know any better, and I’m not a big conspiracy guy, after seeing that ad, I would think the NRA is either an elaborate, avant-garde, Joaquin Phoenix-style joke or a false flag operation run by Michael Moore in an attempt to discredit responsible gun owners,” he said.

Stewart then discussed Obama’s plan to curb gun violence. Among the proposal’s highlights are requiring criminal background checks for all gun sales, reinstate and strengthen the assault weapons ban, end the freeze on gun violence research, help ensure that young people get the mental health treatment they need and make sure health insurance plans cover mental health benefits.

“Interesting open on his part,” Stewart said after playing a clip of Obama’s remarks. “I thought he was gonna go with, ‘If you bring up my kids again, I will drone strike your s*** to kingdom come.’”