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Nicola Sturgeon appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Monday night to speak about the SNP's general election success and the future of Scottish politics.
In a light-hearted exchange, the first minister was compared to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and pleaded with the US not to invade Scotland for its oil.
After Sturgeon jokily explained that she had ordered an inquiry into why the SNP had only managed to secure 56 of the 59 seats in Scotland, Stewart hit back: “You think you’re Saddam Hussein? You get 99 per cent?”
"Well, you know, I always think you should aim for more," she replied.
On a more serious note, Sturgeon was quizzed on how viable an independent Scotland would be, and likened its situation to that of the US before it broke away from the British empire:
Of course we can become financially independent. If we cast our minds back to when America was trying to become independent of the UK there was all sorts of scare stories about how it would never work. On balance I think you've become a successful independent country.
As the conversation turned to Scotland's oil reserves, Sturgeon tried her own hand at comedy. “You have oil? How much are we talking about here? May we invade you?” Stewart asked.
I think this is progress because you just heard there Jon, presumably on behalf of the United States, ask permission to invade an oil-producing country. It doesn’t usually work that way.
- Nicola Sturgeon
The first minister also joked about being described as a comedian on the show's website, saying "You billed me on your website as a comedian - so you've raised all these expectations that I'm going to be funny."
Stewart replied: "You need not worry. They thought I was going to be funny for 17 years."
Sturgeon is currently undertaking a four day tour of New York and Washington DC to promote investment in Scotland.
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