Jon Stewart Cops To Being ‘Arrogant A**hole’ About Biden
Stewart responded to fans’ complaints that he helped “push Biden out.”
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation
Jon Stewart admitted he was an “arrogant a--hole” on his Weekly Show podcast Thursday in response to a listener who accused him of “helping push Biden out.”
For that reason, “Jon Stewart is an arrogant, self-righteous a--hole,” the note read, according to Stewart’s producers. The late-night host didn’t disagree.
“I completely [accept] the arrogant a--hole part,” Stewart said. But not because his beliefs about Biden’s mental fitness are any different than they were after last summer’s Trump-Biden debate, when he was among the loudest voices on the left expressing public concern about the president’s mental fitness publicly.
Stewart said he was “baffled” by the “revisionist mindset” of people close to Biden who are now claiming his “vigor and acuity are as good as they’ve always been” and that he would have defeated Trump in the 2024 presidential election. “I just think that’s sadly divorced from the reality,” the host added. “And I take no pleasure in saying it.”
While Biden has said he would have defeated Trump if he hadn’t dropped out (he later clarified that both he and Harris could or would have won under different circumstances), Stewart said he doesn’t regret expressing his concerns. “I’ll put this in comedic terms—when a comedian comes on and the audience is worried about that comedian as they perform,” he said. “That’s the death of their performance. That’s how I felt about, unfortunately, the president.”
Even “prior” to the June debate, there were other instances that called Biden’s fitness into question, the host continued. “You have to remember the bully pulpit requires vigorous pushback” and “if your emotional and intellectual reserves have to be managed and, in some ways, meted out,” he added, “You won’t be able to do it.”
And “unfortunately,” he added, “Trump’s resources for that were endless.”
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.