Jon Stewart, the former host of "The Daily Show," criticized prominent liberals for defending President Biden's poor performance in the recent debate. Stewart argued that Biden's mental state and personal health make him unfit for the presidency and that Democrats should not fall in line behind him as they did with Bill Clinton.
Jon Stewart, the former host of "The Daily Show," ripped prominent liberals' excuses for President Biden's poor debate night last month. Stewart, along with guests Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor of Pod Save America and CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers, analyzed the future of Biden's presidency and the party's response to previous crises on this week's episode of "The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart."
"Bill Clinton on the eve of it all, it came out he had had an affair, I can't remember- Jennifer Flowers I think it was, and then it was the Paula Jones situation and then there was the Monica Lewinsky situation and Democrats did fall in line," Stewart said Thursday. "I mean people made- 'Oh, this is terrible and I'm disappointed with the president,' but ultimately the Democrats did fall in line."
Jon Stewart Rips Biden Supporters for Defending Disastrous Debate Performance
Sellers noted that Republicans fell in line after former President Trump said he was resolved to stay in the race in 2016, adding that the party doesn't "fall in love," they "fall in line."
But, Stewart said the two instances are different because the problem is Biden's mental state and personal health.
Jon Stewart Rips Biden Supporters for Defending Disastrous Debate Performance
"I think that you are soft selling the more fundamental aspect of people viewing somebody who, I'll be perfectly honest with you, I don't know of a job interview that you could have gone on and delivered the performance that was delivered by Joe Biden and gotten a job," he said. "I'm not talking about the presidency, I'm talking about, like, cashier at Home Depot, like a job that you would not think, ‘Okay, that is the hardest job in the entire world.’"
Sellers countered, "The only problem with that, Jon, and the only problem with framing it as such is the fact that you discount everything that he's accomplished in the first three and a half years."
Jon Stewart Rips Biden Supporters for Defending Disastrous Debate Performance
Stewart doubled down, stating the problem with Biden isn't what he has done in the past three and a half years he's been president, but is instead about his ability to serve in the next four years.
"Nothing happens in a vacuum," Sellers continued. "My friends on the left, we want to only magnify what we saw at the debate, which is fine, I get it, we're talking about age. But, I'm also talking about the accomplishments prior to and the threat that is right down the road. We do ourselves a disservice by saying our guy is old, we know that, he shuffles, we know that."
Stewart interjected, saying it's more than that, it's "cognitive decline."
Stewart, back to hosting "The Daily Show" Mondays on Comedy Central, has been increasingly critical of Biden in recent months, but his issues with the president and his administration have sharpened in the weeks since the debate.
This week on the show, he called out Democrats and the White House for excusing what he described as a "shocking display of cognitive difficulty" at the debate.
"The point is, for a campaign based on honesty and decency, the spin about the debate appears to be blatant bulls---, and the redemption tour hasn’t gone that much better," Stewart said Monday.
Stewart's criticism of Biden echoes the concerns of many Democrats, who are worried about the president's age and mental health. A recent poll by the New York Times found that only 42% of Americans believe Biden is mentally sharp.
Biden's defenders argue that he is a capable leader who has a strong record of accomplishments in office. They also point to his ability to connect with voters at a personal level.
However, Stewart's comments highlight the growing concerns among Democrats about Biden's fitness for office. If these concerns continue to mount, it could make it difficult for Biden to win re-election in 2024.
