Jon Stewart

“I think I also have to step back on — it may not be an honorable thing we do, but we do it as honorably as we can in that it is not in bad faith,”

Jon Stewart · said 2026-08-26 · reported 2026-08-26

Stewart said his show's work may not be honorable but is done as honorably as possible and not in bad faith.

“There's so much bad faith,”

Jon Stewart · said 2026-08-26 · reported 2026-08-26

Stewart warned about the prevalence of bad faith in public discourse.

“Like, does this help? Does it corrode? Does it pervert? Is it something to be — is it ultra-processed, you know, food that's given the country a kind of political diabetes? I don't know,”

Jon Stewart · said 2026-08-26 · reported 2026-08-26

Stewart wondered whether his show is like ultra-processed food that has given the country political diabetes.

“Is it creating a, you know ... And having worked on some of those things on Capitol Hill and all that, I know the difference now, which I didn't before. The difference between activists who are in the trenches doing that day-to-day work, trying to bend that arc of the moral universe slowly towards justice, not realizing there's a bunch of people trying to bend it back.”

Jon Stewart · said 2026-08-26 · reported 2026-08-26

Stewart contrasted the work of his show with activists doing day-to-day work on Capitol Hill.

“We are in some ways a relic of a previous era where it's sort of like I'm running a Blockbuster, a video store inside of a Tower Records,”

Jon Stewart · said 2026-08-26 · reported 2026-08-26

Stewart compared late night shows to a relic of a previous era, noting social media's impact.

“So the way that I try and judge it is, any good faith art, material, speech, talk that goes into the universe, I feel like is a win.”

Jon Stewart · said 2026-08-26 · reported 2026-08-26

Stewart said he judges his work by whether it constitutes good faith material entering the universe.

“But I can't sit here and honestly answer like, ‘It's a win for society. What I've done over these past 25 years,’ you know, I'd hate to think, obviously, but there's many people on social media who would tell me, you know, that that is the case.”

Jon Stewart · said 2026-08-26 · reported 2026-08-26

Stewart said he cannot honestly claim his work over 25 years has been a win for society.

“Is it an opiate?”

Jon Stewart · said 2026-08-26 · reported 2026-08-26

Stewart questioned whether his show functions as an opiate for American citizens.

“I understand the corporate fear. I understand the fear that you and your advertisers have with $8 billion at stake, but understand this, truly, the shows that you now seek to cancel, censor, and control — a not insignificant portion of that $8 billion value came from those fucking shows,”

Jon Stewart · said 2025-07-21 · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart slammed CBS on The Daily Show following the network's cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show.

“That’s what made you that money. Shows that say something, shows that take a stand, shows that are unafraid.”

Jon Stewart · said 2025-07-21 · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart defended bold late-night programming during his monologue.

“That’s what made you that money,”

Jon Stewart · said date not stated · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart criticized Paramount regarding the cancellation of The Late Show.

“Fox spends 24 hours a day blowing Trump, and it’s not enough. Imagine suing somebody mid-blow — ‘Finish up down there, and I’ll see you in court.’”

Jon Stewart · said 2025-07-21 · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart mocked Donald Trump's lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch despite Fox News' supportive coverage.

“Shows that say something, shows that take a stand, shows that are unafraid.”

Jon Stewart · said date not stated · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart argued that shows taking stands generate value for Paramount.

“If you’re afraid and you protect your bottom line, I’ve got but one thing to say. Just one little phrase: Go fuck yourself!”

Jon Stewart · said 2025-07-21 · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart concluded his monologue with a musical message directed at fearful corporations.

“[Murdoch] is the man who — other than Biden — may be the most responsible for getting Trump elected.”

Jon Stewart · said 2025-07-21 · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart commented on Donald Trump's lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch.

“I’m not giving in, I’m not going anywhere, I think,”

Jon Stewart · said 2025-07-21 · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart addressed the possibility that Paramount could also cancel The Daily Show.

“I think the answer is in the fear and pre-compliance that is gripping all of America’s institutions at this very moment, institutions that have chosen not to fight the vengeful and vindictive actions of our pubic-hair doodling commander in chief. This is not the moment to give in.”

Jon Stewart · said 2025-07-21 · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart attributed the cancellation of Colbert's show to fear and pre-compliance across institutions.

“If you’re trying to figure out why Stephen’s show is ending, I don’t think the answer can be found in some smoking gun email or phone call from Trump to CBS executives or in CBS’ QuickBooks spreadsheets on the financial health of late night,”

Jon Stewart · said 2025-07-21 · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart dismissed claims that Stephen Colbert's show was canceled purely for financial reasons.

“If you believe, as corporations or as networks, you can make yourselves so innocuous that you can serve a gruel so flavorless that you will never again be on the boy king’s radar … Why will anyone watch you? And you are fucking wrong.”

Jon Stewart · said 2025-07-21 · reported 2025-07-22

Jon Stewart warned networks against trying to stay innocuous to avoid political scrutiny.