Comedian Jon Stewart took aim at Republicans who criticized President Biden’s exit from the 2024 race, suggesting their party could also replace former President Trump.
Stewart played clips of Republicans claiming Biden’s withdrawal from the race and endorsing Vice President Harris was a “coup” within the Democratic Party on Monday’s episode of “The Daily Show.” He then suggested that Republicans could make it a fair contest and replace their nominee, too.
“But I get it. If I thought I had this thing in the bag, you were gonna be going up against Old Joe Biden, then they pull this, I’d be like, ‘Ref, ref, open your eyes. How can you not see they’re coup-ing! They’re coup-ing!’” Stewart said.
“But you know what? I do understand that they’re upset. It makes sense. So how about we do this, out of fairness — I’m a fair person, you can replace your old guy, too,” he added a few moments later.
Some Republicans have criticized the late switch-up between Biden and Harris as bypassing proper democratic processes. An analysis from The New York Times found at least 65 Republican senators, representatives and governors said Biden’s withdrawal was a “coup” or labeled it as election interference.
Stewart went on to say Trump’s response to Biden leaving the race was the “Trumpiest way possible,” when the former president questioned whether the Republican Party should be “reimbursed for fraud in that everybody around Joe, including his doctors and the Fake News Media, knew he was not capable of running for, or being, President.”
“Well, what’s done is done. You’re gonna have to shift gears, recalibrate. You’ve had crooked Joe and sleepy Joe on speed dial; you’re going to need a new line of attack,” Stewart said after showing Trump’s Truth Social post.
Biden endorsed Harris for the ticket shortly after announcing his own decision to withdraw from the race last week. In the first week of her White House bid, her campaign raised $200 million.