Jon Stewart fires back at critics over Biden comments
By Matt Moore
It only took one show, but Jon Stewart found himself back in the political media's spotlight. His return to The Daily Show last week sparked harsh backlash among those critical of Stewart's commentary toward President Joe Biden. In his second episode back, Stewart responded.
Jon Stewart's first monologue back at The Daily Show served as an opener to the late-night TV show's 2024 election coverage. Stewart followed other late-night hosts and political commentators by focusing on the advanced ages of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
But apparently, he went too far for some watching at home. Stewart was accused of "both sidesing" the issue. Several prominent anti-Trump voices blasted Stewart, interpreting his monologue as suggesting Biden's age was just as problematic as Trump's laundry list of issues.
February 20's show gave Stewart a chance to respond after a week of digesting the news. "It was one f***ing show. It was 20 minutes! I did 20 minutes of one f***ing show," Stewart pleaded in his defense.
His monologue continued to defend his previous outing. "But I guess as the famous saying goes, 'democracy dies in discussion.' It was never my intention to say out loud what I saw with my eyes and then brain. I can do better. I can has learning," Stewart sarcastically added.
The criticism against Stewart certainly went over the top in some instances. While the comedian is right that it was only one 20-minute show, it did reach millions of people. However, it's a stretch to suggest Stewart's monologue was enough to change anyone's mind or pose a risk to democracy as Mary Trump tweeted.
Stewart also deserves credit for addressing the issue right at the top of the show. It had been a week, so no one would have cared if Stewart chose to move on and ignore the noise. But Stewart engaging in a back-and-forth is another example of why his Daily Show return was celebrated.