Jon Stewart Criticizes Biden vs. Trump Clash on 'Daily Show' Comeback: "Why the Hell Are We Engaged in This, Folks?" | Vanity Fair

Savannah Walsh reports on Jon Stewart’s return to The Daily Show after a nearly ten-year hiatus. His comeback, marked by a sardonic opening, started with him mocking conspiracy theories about the Super Bowl before transitioning into election discourse. Stewart censured the ripe ages of potential 2024 candidates Joe Biden, who would be 81, and Donald Trump, 77, even suggesting satirical taglines like “Indecision 2024: Electile Dysfunction” and “Indecision 2024: Antiques Roadshow”.

Stewart, who will serve as Monday night’s host, took shots at both Biden and Trump. He mentions Robert Hur’s report, which exonerated Biden from mishandling classified documents, but labels him as an “elderly man with a poor memory”. He followed up by showing clips of the Trump family struggling to recall basic information during depositions, humorously insinuating that being deposed can lead to dementia.

Stewart also questioned a clip wherein Vice President Kamala Harris confirms that Biden is handling everything efficiently. In his Monday night show, he explained that his critique was less ageist and more concerned with the lifespan of humans. He emphasized that it’s the candidates' duty to ease the public’s worries, not the public’s obligation to suppress their criticisms. Stewart expressed his disbelief at the fact that the two candidates would set a record for the oldest people to run for president.

Despite all this, Stewart highlighted that Biden and Trump differed greatly on several crucial issues, such as their respective legal track records. Nonetheless, he stressed that the high stakes of the election rendered the scrutiny of Biden merited. He humorously suggested that the ideal leader would resemble Conan the Barbarian, not a less formidable figure.

In a segment about election coverage with correspondents Jordan Klepper, Desi Lydic, Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, and Dulcé Sloan, Stewart interviewed The Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes. Prior to this, he made a self-deprecating joke about his age compared to the elderly candidates, inviting the camera for a closer look at his face. Despite the years that had gone by, his emphatic return felt timeless.