Jon Stewart Angers Liberal Viewers By Criticizing Biden: ‘Racist Conspiracy Theory Nuts LOVED It!’
Jon Stewart is no stranger to criticism, but when he last sat in the big chair for The Daily Show, he mainly took shots from conservatives.
Stewart’s part-time return to Daily Show on Monday earned plenty of big reactions, and some of those were from what one would expect to be Stewart’s go-to audience, but some vocal Donald Trump critics were not satisfied with Stewart torching both political parties and the potential of facing a choice between an 81-year-old Democrat and a 77-year-old Republican.
“These two candidates, they are both similarly challenged, and it is not crazy to think that the oldest people in the history of the country to ever run for president might have some of these challenges,” Stewart said of Biden and Trump, both of whom have faced criticism for increasing public gaffes.
He accused President Joe Biden of failing to remember “basic things.”
Some loved Stewart’s rant, including X owner Elon Musk, whose praise was enough to set off some and accuse Stewart of playing to both sides of the political aisle.
“If you’re wondering how Jon Stewart’s bullshit bothsidesist return went over…” former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann posted to X, formerly Twitter. “The antisemite racist conspiracy nuts LOVED it.”
Olbermann’s tweet highlighted the Stewart segment and made sure to circle Musk’s praise in case anyone missed it. The entrepreneur declared Stewart a return of “balance and humor.”
Left-wing video producer Aaron Rupar also targeted Stewart, praising his humor, but blasting Stewart for daring to suggest Democrats could be anywhere near as bad as Republicans.
“Jon Stewart still has it in terms of being funny and entertaining but the political content of this monologue is basically the New York Times op-ed page in TV form. Both sides are not in fact equally bad!” he wrote on X.
He later accused Stewart of being too cynical with his 2024 outlook and not inspiring anyone to go out and vote.
Others also hit Stewart for his equal focus on the ages of both Biden and Trump.
In a CBS Mornings interview before his Monday night return, Stewart admitted he’s cautious about believing his Daily Show can really influence the upcoming elections.
“I don’t know about hoping to have an influence, but I’m hoping to have a catharsis, and a way to comment on things, and a way to express them that hopefully people will enjoy,” he said.
