Major Controversies Surrounding Jon Stewart: A Detailed Timeline

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Jon Stewart.

Jon Stewart is a multifaceted American entertainer known primarily for his role as the host of The Daily Show, a satirical news program, from 1999-2015 and part-time since 2024. Beyond hosting, he is a writer, producer, director, actor, and progressive political commentator. He also hosted The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+ from 2021 to 2023. Stewart's work has been widely recognized, earning him numerous awards including multiple Primetime Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, and Peabody Awards. He was also honored with the Bronze Medallion in 2019 and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2022.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Controversies & Scandals

October 15, 2004: Stewart Criticizes Crossfire on CNN

On October 15, 2004, Jon Stewart appeared on CNN's Crossfire and criticized the state of television journalism, urging the hosts to "stop hurting America" and calling them "partisan hacks."

January 2005: CNN Cancels Crossfire

In January 2005, CNN announced the cancellation of Crossfire, with the incoming president Jonathan Klein citing Jon Stewart's appearance as highlighting the show's noise level.

April 4, 2006: Confrontation with John McCain on The Daily Show

On April 4, 2006, Jon Stewart confronted US Senator John McCain on The Daily Show about McCain's decision to appear at Liberty University, leading to a notable exchange that garnered media attention.

2007: Sean Hannity supports Ted Nugent

In 2007, Sean Hannity supported Ted Nugent's violent rhetoric toward Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

January 7, 2008: Return to 'A Daily Show with Jon Stewart'

On January 7, 2008, Jon Stewart returned to his show after the Writers Guild strike, renaming it 'A Daily Show with Jon Stewart' as he refused to use the original title without his writers.

March 4, 2009: CNBC Cancels Rick Santelli's Appearance on The Daily Show

On March 4, 2009, CNBC canceled Rick Santelli's scheduled appearance on The Daily Show, leading to a segment showing CNBC giving poor investment advice.

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March 18, 2009: Carlson Criticizes Stewart's Handling of CNBC Controversy

On March 18, 2009, Tucker Carlson criticized Jon Stewart's handling of the CNBC controversy in a blog entry for The Daily Beast, referencing their earlier CNN incident.

April 28, 2009: Controversial Statement on Truman and Atomic Bomb

On April 28, 2009, during a discussion on torture, Jon Stewart stated that former President Harry S. Truman was a war criminal for his use of the atomic bomb on Japan during World War II, but he later apologized for the statement.

November 2009: Criticism of Fox News for Misleading Footage

In November 2009, Jon Stewart criticized Fox News for using footage from a previous Tea Party rally to make a more recent rally appear larger. Sean Hannity apologized for the footage use the following night.

2009: Face-to-face confrontation with Jim Cramer on The Daily Show

In 2009, Jon Stewart's face-to-face confrontation with Jim Cramer on The Daily Show became the second most-viewed episode, with 2.3 million viewers, and led to the show's website seeing its highest day of traffic that year. Cramer acknowledged some valid criticisms but later called Stewart's media critique "naïve and misleading" on The Today Show.

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2010: Rally Controversy

In 2010, Jon Stewart associated himself with Cat Stevens during his Rally.

2010: Increased Criticism of Fox News

In 2010, Jon Stewart stepped up his criticism of Fox News on The Daily Show. In response, Bill O'Reilly of The O'Reilly Factor countered that The Daily Show was a "key component of left-wing television".

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June 19, 2011: Interview with Chris Wallace and Misinformation Claim

On June 19, 2011, during an interview with Chris Wallace, Jon Stewart called Wallace "insane" for his comments and stated that Fox viewers are the "most consistently misinformed" viewers of political media, a claim that was later rated as false by PolitiFact. Stewart later admitted his error.

July 14, 2014: Interview with Hillary Clinton

On July 14, 2014, Jon Stewart interviewed Hillary Clinton about the Middle East and questioned her condemnations of Hamas.

August 2014: Criticism of Fox News Coverage of Ferguson Shooting

In August 2014, Jon Stewart criticized the manner in which Fox News portrayed the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and the subsequent protests. This led to a series of segments calling out Sean Hannity and his show's coverage of the Bundy standoff.

July 2015: Report on Conflict with Wyatt Cenac

In July 2015, it was reported that writer Wyatt Cenac said that Jon Stewart cursed him out after Cenac acknowledged he was uncomfortable about a June 2011 Daily Show bit about Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain.

July 28, 2015: Reports of Unreported Meetings with President Obama

On July 28, 2015, reports surfaced that Jon Stewart had previously unreported meetings with President Obama in October 2011 and February 2014, leading to Stewart's response on his show.

2023: Criticism of Israel and Biden's handling of the Gaza war

In 2023, Jon Stewart criticized Israel's conduct in Palestinian territories and President Biden's handling of the Gaza war, expressing concerns over the reluctance to condemn Israeli actions and describing Israeli policy towards Palestinians as a genocide.

April 2024: Apple Allegedly Restricts Interview with FTC Chair

In April 2024, Jon Stewart claimed that Apple restricted him from interviewing Lina Khan, the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), on his podcast, raising concerns about Apple's influence over content creation.