Comedy Central’s The Daily Show returned to New York on Tuesday after the security reassessment at their Milwaukee theater changed in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump. However, host Jon Stewart did not take well to NBC’s Lester Holt challenging President Joe Biden if he had done any “soul searching” since Saturday because Biden, according to him, has simply been quoting Trump.
After recapping the goings on at the Republican National Convention, Stewart switched topics, “Meanwhile, back at the Batcave, Joe Biden was sitting down with NBC News anchor Lester Holt to answer questions about what he would do to cool our nation's overheated rhetoric.”
Stewart then played a clip of Holt asking Biden, “Have you taken a step back and done a little soul searching on things that you may have said that could incite people who are not balanced?”
Biden responded, “How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says? Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody? [jump cut] My opponent has engaged in that rhetoric. He talks about there will be a bloodbath if he loses. Like, remember the picture of Donald Trump when Nancy Pelosi's husband was hit with a hammer going—talking about—joking about it.”
Holt then observed, “This doesn't sound like you are turning down the heat though.”
Greatly displeased, Stewart ranted, “He's not turning down the heat, he's telling you what the other guy has been saying. How are you supposed to discuss the temperature and the rhetoric if you are not allowed to mention the rhetoric? It became clear that Biden was ready to turn it down for everybody but Lester Holt.”
Stewart’s anger has two problems. First, on bloodbath-gate, Trump was clearly talking about the economy, and it is a phrase that the media themselves have used plenty of times over the years, including just days before Trump’s comments. Biden himself has also used the phrase.
Second, Stewart is being hypocritical. Earlier in the show, he reacted to a clip of Sen. Ron Johnson calling for unity on CNN, declaring, “I, for one, look forward to hearing his unifying remarks on the convention floor.”
He then played a clip of Johnson declaring in his speech that, “Today's Democrat agenda, their policies are a clear and present danger to America.”
After an extended pause, Stewart opined, “I'm sorry, I guess he's what's known as "unity in the streets, divisive in the sheets." But to be fair, to be fair, and I want to be fair in this new environment, Senator Johnson did not mean to stoke anger. His teleprompter did.”
That last bit refers to Johnson claiming that a wrong version of his speech was loaded into the teleprompter, but if it is fair for Biden to call Trump dangerous, why is it not fair for Johnson to call Democrats dangerous?
Here is a transcript for the July 16 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
7/16/2024
11:04 PM ET
JON STEWART: I, for one, look forward to hearing his unifying remarks on the convention floor.
RON JOHNSON: Today's Democrat agenda, their policies are a clear and present danger to America.
STEWART: I'm sorry, I guess he's what's known as "Unity in the streets, divisive in the sheets." But to be fair, to be fair, and I want to be fair in this new environment, Senator Johnson did not mean to stoke anger. His teleprompter did.
...
11:11 PM ET
STEWART: Meanwhile, back at the Batcave, Joe Biden was sitting down with NBC News anchor Lester Holt to answer questions about what he would do to cool our nation's overheated rhetoric.
LESTER HOLT: Have you taken a step back and done a little soul searching on things that you may have said that could incite people who are not balanced?
[jump cut]
JOE BIDEN: How do you talk about the threat to democracy, which is real, when a president says things like he says? Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody? [jump cut] My opponent has engaged in that rhetoric. He talks about there will be a bloodbath if he loses. Like, remember the picture of Donald Trump when Nancy Pelosi's husband was hit with a hammer going — talking about — joking about it.
HOLT: This doesn't sound like you are turning down the heat though.
STEWART: He's not turning down the heat, he's telling you what the other guy has been saying. How are you supposed to discuss the temperature and the rhetoric if you are not allowed to mention the rhetoric? It became clear that Biden was ready to turn it down for everybody but Lester Holt.
