Jon Stewart said his return to hosting Comedy Central’s The Daily Show was an opportunity to discuss the 2024 election.
The comedian discussed his return to the program during a Monday appearance on CBS Mornings.
Host Gayle King referenced one fan's response to Stewart's return lauding him as a "voice of reason."
"I very much wanted to have some kind of place to unload thoughts as we get into this election season," Stewart said, noting his brief stint with Apple TV+. "But they decided that ... they felt that they didn't want me to say things that might get me in trouble."
King asked if Stewart was worried about the current state of America, to which the comedian jokingly said "not at all."
"I just thought who better to comment on this election than someone who truly understands two aging men past their prime," Stewart, 61, joked while pointing towards himself. "Look at me, baby. I mean this is where it’s at."
Fellow co-host Tony Dokoupil asked Stewart if he was hoping to have influence over politics throughout the election season.
"I don't know about hoping to have an influence, but I'm hoping to have a catharsis and a way to comment on things, and a way to express them that hopefully people will enjoy,” he said.
The comedian said "everything that [he] wanted to happen" during his 16-year tenure hosting The Daily Show didn't happen, in reference to Dokoupil's question. However, Stewart said he believed he could provide "air support" to "those on the ground" in reference to activists.
Fellow co-host Vladimir Duthiers noted Stewart had advocated for first responders to the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, and asked how younger generations embracing social media would change his performance on The Daily Show.
"I will be doing it with choreographed dance moves ... and only in 15 seconds," Stewart joked, referencing popular video formats across TikTok and Instagram. "Information is information, and if it's good content, people will find their way to it."
Stewart said the worst strategy would be to "pander" to the younger generation's preference for consuming media.
The comedian hosted The Daily Show from 1999 until 2015. Stewart was succeeded by Trevor Noah, who hosted the program from 2015 until 2022.
Since Noah's departure, The Daily Show has featured a rotating cast of guest hosts.
Stewart will be a permanent Monday night host throughout the election season and will serve as an executive producer for future episodes of the program through 2025.
