Jon Stewart welcomed former Vice President Kamala Harris to Thursday’s episode of Comedy Central’s The Weekly Show podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about everything from her failed presidential campaign to Donald Trump to the state of the Democratic Party. In one instance, Stewart claimed that Democrats need to go further left on healthcare because the “conservative” Obamacare fix did not work, while, in another, he expressed shock and confusion when Harris claimed President Biden was competent enough to serve.
On healthcare, Stewart began, “You brought up the shutdown, I think that's a great example. So, Democrats are in a position now where they are shutting things down so that subsidies for the ACA can be extended because insurance premiums are driving—”
After Harris interrupted to add, “and will skyrocket,” Stewart rolled on, “But to the point of the Democrats' approach. I guess what I'm driving at is, are the reforms that Democrats are talking about not enough to—are they basically tinkering at the edges of a system that is inherently corrupt and not delivering. As opposed to rethinking that system, so that it delivers more directly. So, let's talk about the ACA. Basically, it's a conservative fix to a healthcare system that is an outlier in the civilized world.”
Stewart continued lamenting, “It gives people a coupon that allows them, maybe, entrance into this circus that is our, our healthcare system. So now Democrats are fighting. To keep the cost of that coupon slightly less. So, are you now trapped in a program? That ultimately wasn't the fix that we wanted it to be, to a system that inherently won't function well because of externalities in a straight capitalist supply and demand way.”
The myth that the U.S. has a strictly capitalist healthcare system refuses to die. People like Stewart demand government embed itself in the system through things like Obamacare and then, when it fails, claim capitalism is the problem.
While not quite redeeming himself later in the program, Stewart did manage to have one better moment. During a conversation about Biden, Harris claimed, “I believe he was fully competent to serve.”
Stewart wasn’t so sure, “Do you really? That surprises me actually.”
Harris then doubled down, “No, I do, but he, but there's a distinction to be made between running for president and being president.”
That was an idea Stewart found even more confusing, “What's the distinction?”
Harris claimed that, “Well, being a candidate for President of the United States is about being in a marathon at a sprinter's pace, having tomatoes thrown at you every step you take.”
Stewart rebutted by suggesting that sounds an awful lot like being president, “Yeah, it's, I think it's a hard case to make for people that he didn't have the stamina to run, but he had the stamina to govern, cause I think most people view the presidency as a marathon run at a sprint with tomatoes being thrown at you in terms of governance. So, I think that drawing that distinction. And again, I recognize the incredibly difficult place you are in with that.”
This episode of The Weekly Show showed the duality of Stewart. Relative to other liberal commentators and comedians, he has been decent when it comes to Biden’s mental descent, but any criticism of Democrats comes from the place that says the party needs to go further left.
Here is a transcript for the October 30 show:
Comedy Central The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
10/30/2025
JON STEWART: You brought up the shutdown, I think that's a great example. So, Democrats are in a position now where They are shutting things down so that subsidies for the ACA can be extended because insurance premium are driving—
KAMALA HARRIS: And will skyrocket.
STEWART: Will skyrocket.
HARRIS: Yeah.
STEWART: But to the point of the Democrats' approach. I guess what I'm driving at is, are the reforms that Democrats are talking about not enough to—are they basically tinkering at the edges of a system that is inherently corrupt and not delivering. As opposed to rethinking that system, so that it delivers more directly. So, let's talk about the ACA. Basically, it's a conservative fix to a healthcare system that is an outlier in the civilized world—
HARRIS: Right. Right.
STEWART: — it gives people a coupon that allows them, maybe, entrance into this circus that is our, our healthcare system. So now Democrats are fighting. To keep the cost of that coupon—
HARRIS: Right.
STEWART: — slightly less. So, are you now trapped in a program? That ultimately wasn't the fix that we wanted it to be, to a system that inherently won't function well because of externalities in a straight capitalist supply and demand way. Does that make sense?
…
STEWART: I don't mean that in the personal sense of—
HARRIS: Yeah.
STEWART: — not ready. I meant it more in the sense of the policies that he wanted to implement, or the way that they were implemented, or the governance obstacles more than the competence conversation.
HARRIS: I'm not talking about competence, right? Yeah, no, I'm not talking about competence at all. No, I believe he was fully competent to serve.
STEWART: Do you really?
HARRIS: Yeah, I do.
STEWART: That surprises me actually.
HARRIS: No, I do, but he, but there's a distinction to be made between running for president and being president.
STEWART: What's the distinction?
HARRIS: Well, being a candidate for President of the United States is about being in a marathon at a sprinter's pace, having tomatoes thrown at you every step you take.
STEWART: That sounds lovely.
HARRIS: Yeah, it's more than a notion.
STEWART: Get involved in public service, ladies and gentlemen.
HARRIS: And to be the seated, the sitting president, while doing that, it's a lot. It’s a lot.
STEWART: Yeah, it's, I think it's a hard case to make for people that he didn't have the stamina to run, but he had the stamina to govern, cause I think most people view the presidency as a marathon run at a spring with tomatoes being thrown at you in terms of governance. So, I think that drawing that distinction. And again, I recognize the incredibly difficult place you are in with that. With personal relationships and, you know, I've been surprised at how much people talk about loyalty.
