Jon Stewart recently joined the ranks of talk show hosts taking a jab at Donald Trump, following the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! from the air.
Kimmel’s program faced an indefinite halt after he criticized President Trump’s peculiar comments regarding the death of Conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, aged 31, was tragically shot once in the neck during a debate at Utah Valley University on September 10.
On his show, Kimmel ridiculed Trump for diverting the conversation to a new White House ballroom instead of mourning for his ally, comparing it to “a child grieving a goldfish.”
The remarks were met with mixed reactions, prompting Trump to demand Kimmel’s dismissal.
Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest ABC affiliate, outlined three conditions Kimmel must satisfy for his show to resume.
Additionally, formal discussions regarding the network’s “commitment to professionalism and accountability” were required.
Elsewhere, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr, appointed by Trump, publicly criticized Kimmel’s statements.
He suggested potential regulatory implications for ABC and Disney, its parent company—including threats to their broadcast licenses—if such content wasn’t addressed.
Attention now turns to other talk show hosts as they make their television returns.
Jon Stewart made his comeback on The Daily Show on Thursday night, September 18, offering indirect support for Kimmel during his opening monologue.
Typically hosting on Mondays, Stewart announced he would be airing on Thursday.
In his opening segment, Stewart remarked that the First Amendment now seems contingent on “niceness to the President” and suggested that if this wasn’t adequate, the “FCC must be notified to threaten the acquisition prospects for billion-dollar mergers of network affiliates.”
He also made humorous remarks about Trump, referring to him as our “dear leader” at one point.
Stewart further commented on public perceptions of these “speech concerns,” describing them as: “A cynical ploy… a thin gruel of a ruse, a smokescreen to obscure an unprecedented consolidation of power and unitary intimidation, principle-less and coldly antithetical to any experiment in a constitutional republic of governance.”
He added: “Some people would say that,” and then humorously added: “Not me, though… I think it’s great.”
“We have another fun, hilarious, administration-compliant show,” Stewart concluded, playfully silencing the audience when they laughed.
Reacting to a clip of the show’s opening on YouTube, a viewer commented: “You know some real sh** went down when Jon Stewart shows up on a day that ain’t Monday.”
Another person wrote: “This entire show was an act of genius. They should get the Emmy next year. If there is a show next year… If there is a network next year… If there is an Emmy next year… If there is an America next year…”