American comedian Jon Stewart jokes about annexing Belgium on Instagram

American comedian Jon Stewart has jokingly “claimed” Belgium in a post on Instagram. The presenter of the satirical programme The Daily Show on Comedy Central is poking fun at the territorial ambitions of US president Donald Trump, who has set his sights on Greenland. Stewart says he is giving Belgium 48 hours to respond to his supposed claim.

“We want Belgium!!!” he wrote in his post. “Why should Belgium have all the Belgium?? We want it!!” According to the comedian, the US cannot take the risk of China and Russia getting their hands on “their delicious pralines”. “If you do not give us Belgium we will no longer let the Jacksonville Jaguars play football in Germany,” he threatens. “You have 48 hours...”

The post was quickly followed by responses from Belgian politicians. Sammy Mahdi, leader of the Flemish Christian democrats CD&V, wrote: “I pray that Trump realises this is a joke.” Brussels MP Celia Groothedde of Groen, the Flemish greens, responded that “Trump still thinks Brussels is a ‘shithole’, and that's totally fine. Don’t give him ideas ok?”

"Why should Belgium have all the Belgium?? We want it!!"

Other Belgians gave Stewart a few warnings. “I must warn you that we have absolutely nothing in our soil other than potatoes that we like to turn into fries and one of the highest tax rates on the planet,” one poster wrote. Another argued that the invasion would fail because “the road signs are in two languages and you will have to stop in every bar to have a drink”.

Stewart had already taken aim at Trump and his territorial plans last week on The Daily Show. He criticised the absurd logic behind a possible annexation of Greenland.

“If only we could deter China or Russia from annexing Greenland in some other way,” he said. “We could form an alliance with Denmark and Greenland. Maybe even with all the North Atlantic countries. What would we call it? A North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or something... Oh well, we'll never know.”

^{Political commentator-comedian Jon Stewart © PHOTO AMY KATZ / ZUMA Press Wire}