Jon Stewart thinks there’s an easy way for President Trump to earn positive media coverage without going to war with the press.
Donald Trump announced on Friday that reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were barred from the White House press pool. Trump declared the order on his Truth Social account and claimed it was in response to the outlets writing too much “FAKE NEWS” against him.
Trump has defended his decision from the widespread backlash. On Friday he told reporters, “There’s something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories.”
In a Monday Truth Social post, he called the “fake news” of the banned outlets a “threat to our National Security” that “must be stopped, NOW!”
In his monologue Monday, Jon Stewart argued that Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico is a blatant attack on the free press. The Daily Show host also reminded Trump that, if he wants to improve the sort of stories the media writes about him, there’s a much simpler way for him to do so:
“Have you tried presidenting better?” Stewart asked.
Stewart’s advice continued, “You could ban the press or you could be a better f---ing president. I mean, give the press something to work with.”
Stewart jokingly attempted to pitch a positive news story about the state of America under the Trump administration: “I never thought my car could take $140 worth of gas in such a small tank. I had no idea. Hoorah!”
“And not for nothing,” Stewart added, “Have we ever had a president just flat out, in the Oval Office, come out against the Constitution?”
Stewart called Trump’s press ban an “authoritarian crackdown” and noted, “He doesn’t even respect us enough to pretend he’s bound by our Constitution.”
The comedian’s concerns are echoed by the three banned news organizations, who on Monday filed a lawsuit against Trump arguing he has violated the First and Fifth Amendments.
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,” the three outlets said in a joint statement. “Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
Even the Trump-friendly Fox News has rebuked the president for his press ban. On Monday Fox News joined NBC, ABC, and CBS in boycotting Trump’s press pool; at a subsequent press event at the White House lawn there were no network microphones available, which meant Trump’s words were drowned out by a nearby helicopter.
Trump also appeared at a press event in New York City alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday. Mamdani was asked whether he had challenged Trump’s media ban to him directly.
“I told the president that we’re going to have all of the members of the press here on the lawn,” Mamdani said, with Trump standing right behind him. “That is something that I believe in.”
