After more than eight years away from the anchor desk, Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show on Monday night for its election 2024 coverage. The late-night host came out swinging with pointed jokes at both eighty-one-year-old Joe Biden and seventy-seven-year-old Donald Trump.
“They are the oldest people ever to run for president, breaking, by only four years, the record that they set,” Stewart said.
Cockburn can’t say that Stewart’s attacks on the elderly presidential candidates are all that original, but it’s a marked improvement on the hackneyed, partisan commentary of his successor Trevor Noah. Stewart will host and produce once a week through November 5 — and until then, might bring a both-sides approach back to late night.
The twenty-minute segment included clips of Donald Trump’s memory failing during court-room depositions and quotes from Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report, calling Biden a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Stewart also took shots at Biden’s decision to forgo the Super Bowl’s presidential interview to instead debut on TikTok. The clip shows the president choosing “Mama Kelce” over Travis and Jason because “she makes great chocolate chip cookies.”
“How do you go on TikTok and end up looking older?” Stewart asked.
Stewart ended his political segment with a non-partisan message of hope and responsibility. He reminded Americans Election Day is not the most important day of the year and that building a democracy requires the daily, anonymous effort of every citizen.
“The good news is, I’m not saying you don’t have to worry about who wins the election. I’m saying you have to worry about every day before it and every day after, forever,” he said.
Stewart, of course, was aware that his criticism of Biden’s age would draw the left’s ire. “Now Democrats will say that any criticism like this, especially of Biden, is unfair because you just don’t know Biden like they know Biden.” Stewart followed up with Biden’s cabinet members calling him “sharp focused, and probing.”
Unsurprisingly, Stewart was right. Keyboard warriors took to X/Twitter to solemnly announce that they would boycott The Daily Show as long as Stewart bashes Biden and take shots at both sides. One user commented, “Helping fascism isn’t funny” while another said, “You brought the wrong host back.”
