When most people think about The Daily Show, there is one person who comes to mind, Jon Stewart. Known for his willingness to mock politicians from across the spectrum, people pay attention to things like when Stewart suggested a weird theory about the bruises on Donald Trump's hands. In fact, Stewart is influential enough that there have been many instances of White House workers speaking publicly about him.
There is a very simple reason why Stewart has managed to be that noteworthy over the years, he is one of the best talk show hosts of all time. After all, Stewart can effortlessly deliver a monologue in one segment and then engage in a fascinating, refreshing, and challenging interview during the next. Despite Stewart's obvious skills as a host, I still feel like it is time for him to exit The Daily Show's hosting chair.
Why Jon Stewart should have left The Daily Show
In November 2025, CNN reported that Paramount had renewed Jon Stewart's deal to host The Daily Show once a week through the 2026 midterms. When I saw that news, there certainly was a pretty big part of me that celebrated the idea that the veteran host wouldn't be leaving the show he made so famous. However, despite those instinctual feelings, I still believe that Stewart and The Daily Show should have parted ways.
If Stewart was willing to host The Daily Show five days a week for the most part, I would be overjoyed if he stayed on the show for many years to come. After all, I honestly believe that there isn't anyone who has shown the ability to do a better job hosting the Comedy Central talk show. However, Stewart has made it very clear that he is only interested in a part time schedule most weeks.
Since Stewart only hosts The Daily Show on Mondays most weeks, that has created an odd situation. It feels like each Monday episode of The Daily Show is the main event for the series and the episodes that air the rest of the week are there to tide fans over until Stewart returns. That is a gigantic shame since the people who host The Daily Show the rest of the week all are very talented and bring a lot to the role.
When Stewart isn't hosting, The Daily Show typically is helmed by one of Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta, Desi Lydic, Dulcé Sloan, or Josh Johnson. Those six talented people alternate weeks, and they all give it their all when it is their turn. However, none of them have been given the chance to be the true star of The Daily Show. Instead, that honor continues to go to Stewart even though he only hosts once a week.
If Stewart had left instead of renewing his contract, one of those people could have taken ownership of The Daily Show and made it their own. Not only that, Stewart could have started a similar show that only airs once a week if he wanted to, and nobody would need to operate in his huge shadow. At least, the shadow likely would have diminished if he didn't regularly take the show over. While I would have missed Stewart on The Daily Show if that had come to pass, I still think that ultimately would have been a better choice.