Posted on 09/18/2025 9:43:40 PM PDT by nickcarraway
'The Daily Show' host returned to the news desk Thursday and took a rather unusual tact for mocking conservative blowback to Kimmel's monologue.
Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show early to helm the Comedy Central show’s first episode following the suspension of fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.
Returning to the show (video below) several days before his usual Monday slot at the desk, Stewart threw his audience a curveball: Showing what The Daily Show would be like in a President Trump-controlled media world. The set’s background changed to a gaudy gold, Stewart played the role of an obsequious and cowed host who is terrified of saying the wrong thing on air (not entirely unlike how his former TDS colleague Stephen Colbert would play a right-wing character on the show).
“We have another fun, hilarious, Administration-compliant show,” Stewart said. “We’re coming to you tonight from a real shithole, the crime-ridden cesspool that is New York City. It is a tremendous disaster like no one’s ever seen before. Some of the National Guard should invade this place, am I right?”
Stewart later turned to the topic of Kimmel, though avoided saying his name properly as if not allowed to speak it.
“Now, some naysayers may argue that [the Trump] Administration’s [free] speech concerns are merely a cynical ploy, a thin gruel of a ruse, a smoke screen to obscure an unprecedented consolidation of power and unitary intimidation; principle-less and coldly antithetical to any experiment in a constitutional republic governance,” Stewart said. “Some people would say that. Not me, though, I think it’s great.”
Rather than attacking Disney/ABC for their decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! over Kimmel’s (rather difficult to precisely interpret if you really look at them) comments about suspected Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson, Stewart instead focused on pointing out the ways in which conservatives have been hypocritical on the subject of free speech and treating political rivals kindly.
“Even before this ‘Jason Kringle’ situation at ABC, there were plenty of other people in America exercising their free speech incorrectly,” Stewart said. “So here’s some examples of things you cannot say about your political opponents.”
Stewart then played a series of clips of right-wing figures saying how you can’t call your political rivals Nazis and fascists and “enemies of the state” and view people as being “less than human.” Then Stewart played Trump calling people fascists, “enemy of the state” and calling people “animals.”
“You know what?” Stewart then said. “It’s not really about the specific words. It’s about having a basic sense of humanity.” Stewart showed a clip of vice president J.D. Vance declaring, “People on the political left are much likelier to defend and celebrate political violence, this is not a both sides problem.”
Then Stewart played clips of conservative figures and Fox News hosts mocking Nancy Pelosi’s husband for being assaulted with a hammer in 2022. One of the Fox News pundits was future Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. “There were consequences [to saying that]!” Stewart said. “This gentleman had to leave television. I’m not sure where he went, but I’m sure it’s not some prestigious, consequential position he’s not remotely qualified for.”
Check out Stewart’s monologue below. If it seems a bit of a slog and less funny and barbed than usual, well, that’s probably the point.
So clever! And the audience...trained seals could do no better!
I wouldn’t mind watching seals.
Charlie Kirk was shot dead by a leftist for engaging in peaceful free speech and debate on a college campus and yet according to Jon Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel is the real free speech victim because there were consequences for Kimmel from his employer for lying and telling his audience that Kirk’s killer was MAGA.
As late night comedians I would bet Marx, Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky would have been less repulsive and heavy-handed than these vile unfunny political hack propagandists like Jon Stewart.
Public network vs cable , not the same
Beside airhead liberals, who listens to what Liebowitz says?
So many of these media “shows” seem to exist in a vacuum bubble of leftists.
Maybe “the daily show” (TDS, coincidence?) could address it’s own skeletons in the closet and explain what the f*** they did to Craig Kilborne?
That’s your moment of Zen.
Hey johnny boy... it was a LIBERAL NETWORK that canned your buddy, not president Trump ya dolt!
Lemme know,when pres Trump throws anyone in prison for voicing gheir opinions.
Btw, ya know who DID throw people in prison for voicing their opinions? Yup, your other good buddy biden! When you gonna do a monlogue about that?
What did happen?
Stewart wasn't even on the show yet. And Kilborn got a better job, he wasn't fired.
>>”Then Stewart played clips of conservative figures and Fox News hosts mocking Nancy Pelosi’s husband for being assaulted with a hammer in 2022. One of the Fox News pundits was future Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.”
This is the closest Stewart comes to making a valid point. And yet there are a number of differences between the reaction to the attack on Paul Pelosi and the left’s reaction to Kirk’s assassination (as well as their reaction to the attempted assassination of Trump). There is a general encouragement of political violence from the left that simply doesn’t exist on the right, and there’s no analogue to the literal celebration of Kirk’s murder by the left, from the right.
There were some jokes made about Paul Pelosi from some on the right. I wasn’t one of them, and it was far from a universal reaction, but it did happen. But it mostly happened after it was clear that Pelosi had survived the attack and that the attack wasn’t politically motivated. And I don’t remember many, if any prominent figures on the right, whether they be Republican members of Congress, Conservative commentators or Conservative celebrities condoning the attack on Paul Pelosi. Stewart provides Pete Hegseth, who worked for FOX at the time, as one example, but I’m not going to take Jon Stewart’s word for it, and would have to see the clip in context. And even if it were true, it was a rarity.
It’s real easy, Libs. When one of the monkeys you handed a kitchen knife to gets out and kills somebody, don’t be a dick about it.
Rotten democrat losers howling at the moon because this rotten, overpaid loser got his rotten, wormy show cancelled. He only got fired for what he said. Big difference. I’d say he got off easy compared to Charlie.
An illegal immigrant kills an average girl in San Francisco and gets no punishment. An illegal immigrant kills Nancy Pelosi’s wealthy husband and gets life in jail. What’s the message here?
I didn’t realize Pelosi’s attacker got life in prison, so I just check. Turns out he not only got life, but it’s life without parole. And Pelosi wasn’t even killed. Sheesh! The left trots out the mental health/insanity excuse whenever the victims and the perps are the right color, and yet Pelosi’s attacker clearly had mental health issues but gets life for a non-fatal attack. The message is clear.
Only if you are completely lacking in listening comprehension skills!
Regards,
Dismissed for his “snipers wanted” headline, yes?
Stewart is the progenitor of the crop of disgusting left-wing talk show propagandists. I consider him to be one of the most destructive people to have ever had a television show.
Gee, I’m thrilled.
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