McVeigh’s lawyer got him the death penalty, which, quite frankly, I could have done.

The line is a characteristically sardonic Stewart joke that uses exaggeration to criticize perceived incompetence or pointlessness in legal representation. By saying he “could have” secured the death penalty himself, Stewart implies that achieving that outcome in Timothy McVeigh’s case required little special skill—either because the evidence and public outrage were overwhelming or because the defense strategy was ineffective. The humor depends on incongruity: a comedian claiming he could do a capital-case lawyer’s job. Beneath the punchline is a broader skepticism about professional expertise and the justice system’s performance under intense political and media pressure.