Stewarts return to Daily Show hosting duties Monday night opened with a 20minute monologue going after Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Stewart especially mocked the current president after his disastrous press conference last week where Biden struggled to assure Americans that he was still cognitively capable of performing his duties. Stewart seemed wholly aware his comments would lead to some leftside backlash, with correspondent Jordan Klepper asking Stewart onair afterwards, Did you save democracy yet with your 90s brand of snark and bothsiderism? And thats precisely the sort of blowback that happened, with everyone from progressives to Elon Musk to the White House weighing in. Podcast host Michael J. Elston tweeted, If youre a Democrat with high hopes about the return of Jon Stewart, save your excitement. The first half of his return was bothsidesing the age issue. I bailed when we got to the guest who believes Biden should not have run for a 2nd term. Jon Stewart is not your friend. Chris D. Jackson, an election commissioner in Tennessee, tweeted, Wow. So you basically say because Biden is old, he is basically as bad as Trump. Why th[e] F do we never learn in this country? Sorry, but I wont be watching you either. Former MS host Keith Olbermann tweeted, Well after nine years away, theres nothing else to say to the bothsidesist fraud Jon Stewart bashing Biden, except Please make it another nine years. A selfdescribed Democratic activist tweeted, Jon Stewart retired and came back as Bill Maher. I had a Jon Stewart for President shirt and rarely missed a show. So disappointing. (And, yes, apparently Stewart being on Apple TV+ for his recent show The Problem is basically like being retired). Another Biden supporter wrote, President Biden honored Jon Stewart for his work on the PACT Act at the bill signing ceremony, calling for a standing ovation. The Daily Show this is how you pay him back? What a cheap shot. Ill never forgive you. While some Republicans gloated a bit, with Texas congressman Wesley Hunt tweeting, You know youre in trouble when youre a Democrat President and Jon Stewart turns on you. And Musk wrote, balance and humor return! The White House was even asked to weigh in during Tuesdays press briefing, with press secretary Karine JeanPierre being asked about Stewarts criticism and whether they thought the press conference was, in retrospect, a good idea. During her remarks, JeanPierre revealed what many suspected the press conference was entirely Bidens idea. We believe that it was important for the American people to hear directly from this president in a very forceful way about what we thought about the special counsel report, JeanPierre said (quote edited for clarity and brevity). And not only that, but he took your questions, he stood there and took questions from all of you. We believe thats important to do and lets not forget, the report said the case is closed. Theres nothing to prosecute. But also, the president is going to stand and defend himself. The way that report was characterized it was not not just me saying this, but legal experts on both sides saying it it was flatly wrong. It was gratuitous and it was inappropriate. And so the presidents going to defend himself. We believe he believe he did the right thing. During his monologue, Stewart had lamented about Biden and Trump, 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 Were not suggesting neither man is vibrant, productive or even capable. But theyre both stretching the limits of being able to handle the toughest job in the world. Whats crazy is thinking that were the ones, as voters, who must silence concerns and criticisms. It is the candidates job to assuage concerns, not the voters job not to mention [them] Look, Joe Biden isnt Donald Trump. He hasnt been indicted as many times, hasnt had as many fraudulent businesses or been convicted in a civil trial for sexual assault or been ordered to pay defamation charges or stiffed blue collar tradesmen.. The stakes of this election dont make Donald Trumps opponent less subject to scrutiny. It actually makes him more subject to scrutiny. If the barbarians are at the gate, you want Conan standing on the ramparts, not chocolate chip cookie guy.
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