There’s been a lot of talk lately about President Joe Biden’s health and what it means for the Democratic Party’s future.
And no one has been louder about it than comedian and political commentator Jon Stewart.
This week, Stewart didn’t hold back, calling out both the media and Democrats themselves for how they’ve handled the situation around Biden’s obvious cognitive and physical decline.
Stewart Takes Aim at Democrats’ Loyalty to Biden
On his podcast, The Weekly Show, with Pod Save America’s Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett, Stewart expressed serious doubts about how the party has stood behind Biden despite his failing health.
He warned that this loyalty could actually damage the Democrats down the line — similar to how the Iraq War damaged Republicans’ credibility before Barack Obama’s rise, or how some Democrats unintentionally cleared the path for Donald Trump.
Stewart sees this as a “stink” attached to Biden’s era that could make it harder for anyone associated with him to succeed politically in the future.
But he also believes this creates an opportunity for the party to reinvent itself with fresh faces, unburdened by the baggage of recent years.
“It has sown the seeds for a real—and it’s an opportunity for an interesting reinvention of what this Democratic Party can be,” Stewart said.
He was clear that any successful new leader will likely have to come from outside the current circle.
Jon Lovett Highlights Deeper Problems in the Party
Jon Lovett, who co-hosted the episode, pointed out that the issues run deeper than just Biden’s legacy.
He criticized the lack of strong Democratic challengers to Biden in 2024 as a sign of uncertainty within the party itself — a “lack of assuredness” in their own vision for the future.
“It’s not just that we need to overcome the stink,” Lovett said.
Stewart quickly jumped in with some humor, joking that “Overcome the Stink” should be the Democrats’ campaign slogan for 2028 — a clever way to underscore the party’s challenge in moving past this era.
Stewart Slams CNN for Promoting a Book on Biden’s Decline During Cancer News
Earlier this week, Stewart also took aim at CNN for what he called “f***ing weird” behavior in promoting a new book about Biden’s cognitive decline — Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again — all while reporting on Biden’s recent aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis.
He criticized CNN for essentially using the cancer news as a backdrop to hype a book written by their own anchor, Jake Tapper, along with Axios journalist Alex Thompson.
Stewart said CNN missed their chance to report on Biden’s mental health honestly before the 2024 election and that this late push smacked of self-interest rather than responsible journalism.
Media Buzz Over the Book Feeds Into Biden’s Health Debate
The book, which was released Tuesday, alleges a cover-up by Democrats to hide Biden’s decline and push him to run again.
CNN heavily promoted it, with co-author Jake Tapper and other network hosts like Brian Stelter and Jessica Dean frequently plugging the book in their segments.
Stewart sarcastically mocked this coverage, playing clips of Tapper and others touting “unbelievable” revelations from the book.
He questioned why CNN hadn’t reported this information sooner and joked about the difference between “news” and “secrets.”
A Strange Mix of Somber News and Sales Pitch on Air
What really irked Stewart was how CNN balanced the serious news of Biden’s cancer with the promotion of the book.
Hosts would solemnly talk about the “tough” and “challenging” diagnosis and then immediately plug the book, even providing discount codes to buy it.
Stewart called it a “pivot from excitedly promoting your anchor’s book to somberly and respectfully promoting your anchor’s book,” highlighting the awkwardness of mixing real human suffering with a sales pitch.
“It’s so hard, it’s such a difficult time, so unfathomable in terms of the pain his family must be feeling and yet, if you act now, you use the code ‘backslash tap that book,’” he quipped.
The Bigger Picture: How Biden’s Health is Shaping Politics and Media
All this has raised bigger questions about how Biden’s health — both mental and physical — is influencing political discourse and media coverage.
Stewart’s critiques cut to the heart of this debate, calling out not just the politicians but also the news outlets for how they handle these sensitive issues.
In his unique blend of humor and sharp commentary, Stewart challenges us to think critically about leadership, loyalty, and truth in the age of 24/7 news cycles and political spin.