Watch: Jon Stewart Gets Real In CBS Interview, Calls Trump A ‘Repudiation Of Republicans,’ But Defends Republican Voters


Jon Stewart, former host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, has avoided the limelight since stepping down from his hosting duties, but he’s still full of insight about President-elect Donald Trump, the Republican Party, and what actually makes America great. Stewart spoke to Charlie Rose on Thursday for a CBS This Morning interview and delivered some salient points about the state of the post-election United States.

Co-host Rose wasted no time getting Stewart’s insight into the recent election upset that occurred last week. Republican candidate Donald Trump had a surprise victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, gaining 290 electoral votes compared to Clinton’s 232. The election upset has proved divisive for the country and protests have launched across the states including California, New York, and Oregon. The schism in the United States is only exacerbated by the fact that Clinton decidedly won the popular vote according to Politico. However, even with this deep divide felt across the country, Stewart still managed to deliver a humanistic message.

Anti-Trump protesters at Rutgers University. [Image by Mel Evans/AP Images]

CBS News reported that Stewart commented,”It all ties together… Here’s what I would honestly say. I don’t believe we are a fundamentally different country today than we were two weeks ago. The same country with all its grace and flaws, and volatility, and insecurity, and strength, and resilience exists today as existed two weeks ago. The same country that elected Donald Trump elected Barack Obama. I feel badly for the people for whom this election will mean more uncertainty and insecurity. But I also feel like this fight has never been easy. And the ultimate irony of this election is the cynical strategy of the Republicans, which is: ‘Our position as government doesn’t work. We’re going to make sure… that it doesn’t work.'”

Stewart lambasted Trump during the president-elect’s campaign, but has mostly kept mum on the subject since his time on the show. Since he stepped down from The Daily Show, Stewart has focused on his continued work fighting for benefits for 9/11 first responders and making intermittent appearances to offer his thoughts on politics.

Although Trump was a main target for Stewart on the show, Stewart reserved a defense for establishment Republicans in the face of a Trump presidency. Stewart commented that Trump is not a standard Republican, but a “repudiation of Republicans.” Stewart is saying that Trump, by the literal definition of the word, has invalidated the reputation of the Republican Party.

In response to Trump supporters being labeled “racist” for standing behind the campaign rhetoric, Stewart offered an anecdotal view. “I thought Donald Trump disqualified himself at numerous points. But there is now this idea that anyone who voted for him is — has to be defined by the worst of his rhetoric,” Stewart said. “Like, there are guys in my neighborhood that I love, that I respect, that I think have incredible qualities who are not afraid of Mexicans, and not afraid of Muslims, and not afraid of blacks. They’re afraid of their insurance premiums. In the liberal community, you hate this idea of creating people as a monolith. Don’t look as Muslims as a monolith. They are the individuals and it would be ignorance. But everybody who voted for Trump is a monolith, is a racist. That hypocrisy is also real in our country.”

Stewart is no stranger to telling it like it is, no matter which party is at stake. The former host appeared to show a bit of remorse for the death of the traditional Republican Party, but he still offered his thoughts on Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp” in Washington, D.C. “But they’re not draining the swamp. McConnell and Ryan, those guys are the swamp. And what they decided to do was, ‘I’m going to make sure government doesn’t work and then I’m going to use its lack of working as evidence of it,” Stewart said. “Donald Trump is a reaction not just to Democrats, to Republicans.”

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan refused to endorse Trump even while the candidate was the party’s presumptive nominee. Senate House Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also spoke out against Trump during the president-elect’s campaign. However, since Trump won the election, the veterans of the Republican Party appear to be working in conjunction with the man who wants to “Make America Great Again.”

Jon Stewart questions how Donald Trump will “Make America Great Again” [Image by Paul Sancya/AP Images]

Stewart, however, brought up the very catchphrase that helped rocket Trump to popularity. Stewart remarked that no one ever actually asked Trump how the candidate would make America great again. “He wants to make America great again… But nobody said to him, ‘Well, what is it that makes America great?” Rose asked. “America is not natural. Natural is tribal. We’re fighting against thousands of years of human behavior and history,” Stewart answered. “That’s what’s exceptional about America… this ain’t easy. It’s an incredible thing.”

The former late-night talk show host delivered his opinion without falling one way or the other in a country that is arguably more divided since the presidential election. Stewart appeared on CBS This Morning to promote his new book, The Daily Show (The Book): An Oral History, which is available November 22.

[Featured Image by Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Images]

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