Fox News' Megyn Kelly was back on air Thursday, and Jon Stewart was giddy, dubbing her his "favorite Fox New host -- and this is true -- hands down."
Yet Stewart noticed something different about Kelly. Kelly returned from maternity leave to excoriate radio host Mike Gallagher, who had called maternity leave a "racket."
It was a performance so enticing that Stewart called her a "badass." "Never get between a mama grizzly and her maternity leave," Stewart joked.
But where was this avid defense of entitlement programs during the past few years Stewart wondered?
"The Daily Show" then played a series of clips alternating between Kelly's defense of maternity leave and her past criticisms of entitlement programs, including a direct contradiction on the subject of paternity leave.
This left Stewart with only one conclusion: cutting her hair sapped Kelly's conservative strength.
"That means Rachel maddow is just 10 scissorless weeks away from a Fox contract," he quipped.
Here's the clip:
