Jon Stewart’s return to ‘The Daily Show’ could shake up 2024 politics
CNN
Jon Stewart is returning to his old home at “The Daily Show” — but the neighborhood in which the comedic house resides has dramatically changed since he last signed off from host chair.
Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here. Jon Stewart is returning to his old home at “The Daily Show” — but the neighborhood in which the comedic house resides has dramatically changed since he last signed off from host chair. Stewart, who hosted the iconic program for 16 years, decamped Comedy Central in 2015 — just as Donald Trump ascended to power and as the seams of American politics tore apart. While there is never a shortage of material pouring out of Washington for comedians to use as punchlines, Stewart returns to the cable lineup in an environment battered by an ill-tempered information monsoon. Misinformation, conspiracy theories, and outright lies saturate the 2024 public discourse in a way that stands in stark contrast to the pre-Trump era in which Stewart previously operated. Trump and his stable of MAGA political allies have at their disposal a powerful media machine that pumps propaganda into the national conversation and sends it viral on a daily basis. Back when Stewart helmed “The Daily Show,” he was needling much more establishment figures, such as conservative news personality Bill O’Reilly or Republican President George W. Bush. When he returns to Comedy Central after the Super Bowl next month to begin hosting the network’s signature show each Monday, Stewart will be confronted with a new, far more insidious breed of media and political figures, such as the radicalized Tucker Carlson and the twice-impeached, four time-indicted, election-denying, insurrection-inciting Trump. That means that not only is Stewart going to have plenty of fodder to work with, but his voice may very well be more important than ever.
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