American liberals, when they do not control the government, have often found comfort in the work of comedians who light up the Republicans who rule them. Acts such as The Smothers Brothers and “Laugh In” razzed President Richard Nixon from 1968 to 1974. News parodists such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert played this role during George W. Bush’s two terms between 2000-2008. From 2016 to 2020, the solemn duties of comedic resistance fell to Bill Maher, John Oliver, Samantha Bee and Trevor Noah.
Now, once again, Stewart, whether he chooses to accept the title or not, is thrust into the role of clown prince of the liberal comedic opposition, drawing left of center audiences who want to be entertained and informed about the latest events in Washington.
On the first day of the second Trump presidency, what would American liberalism’s most iconic and beloved comic be serving up?
Stewart held the crown once before. Now, he and fellow talented news parodist, Oliver, both have steady weekly time slots and hordes of fans who will follow them. (As for those who held the fort in the Trump years, Bee and Noah are off the air, while Maher has drifted into a much less liberal space).
It was with all this in mind that I watched Monday night’s post-Trump inauguration episode of “The Daily Show” with great interest.
On the first day of the second Trump presidency, what would American liberalism’s most iconic and beloved comic be serving up? Would there be fewer jokes and more unbridled angst? Would there be a change in tone and approach commensurate with the heightened dread many democratic voters are experiencing?
It’s still early and the sample size is small, but the answer to these questions presently seems to be “no.” Stewart did what he usually does, and what he usually does is reliably funny. Whether it’s an adequate answer to this present era is another question.
Why was Sen. John Fetterman rocking shorts to this auspicious occasion? (“He’s like America’s teenage son.”) Why was Jill Biden wearing her purse? Did former Vice President Mike Pence return because he wanted to let the mob “finish the job”? Did Trump not place his hand on the Bible while being sworn in because he was afraid that either the Good Book or his arm would “burst into flames”?
Stewart had some great fun with Trump’s reference to our national “decline.” The host couldn’t help but notice how much the president’s pronunciation sounded like the phrase “d—- line.” He proceeded to ask some probing questions about whose “d— line” was being pleasured by Trump’s references to “Drill, baby, drill!” (Hint: Vice President JD Vance.)
Noticing the ‘broligarchs’ in attendance at the inauguration, Stewart referred to “six guys who own 20% of the world’s wealth and 100% of your nudes.” (A thoughtful interview with Dartmouth professor Brooke Harrington, who studies plutocrats, followed).
Upon returning to “The Daily Show” in 2024, Stewart has been consistently hard on Joe Biden, sometimes gratuitously, but sometimes convincingly so. Last night, he wondered aloud about the precedent set by an exiting president pre-emptively pardoning all of his relatives.
It was during these moments in the show when the humor was tinctured with a certain malaise. The implications of Biden’s actions are disturbing — are relatives of our leaders endowed with extra protections? Are we living in a country where such protections are even necessary? Surely Stewart is aware that none of this is very funny. A similar tonal shift appeared imminent when Elon Musk’s seemingly fascist gestures were discussed (Musk posted on X appearing to dismiss the idea that it was a Nazi gesture, writing “The “everyone is Hitler” attack is sooo tired“). “Trust me,” Stewart intoned rather seriously, “s—‘s going to get weird.” But then he lightened the mood and got back to yucks. Things are going to get weird, and this leads me to wonder what “The Daily Show” is going to do as the weirdness invariably ramps up in the coming weeks. Just last night, news broke of the president’s pardons issued to Jan. 6 rioters, among them those who assaulted police officers. How does one joke about that? The clown prince of the liberal comedic opposition, whoever it was, previously had few official duties or responsibilities. Their only remit was to roast the powerful, make despondent liberals laugh, etc. That job description is now going to be severely tested. Republicans and Democrats can likely agree that America is in for some radical, unprecedented change. At what point will liberal comedians, especially those like Stewart who have forcefully mixed politics and comedy, be themselves forced to change?
Jacques Berlinerblau is a professor of Jewish civilization at Georgetown University. 
