Jon Stewart’s Return to “The Daily Show” Is a Massive Ratings Hit

(NationalUSNews.com) — Jon Stewart is back at the wheel at The Daily Show for the first time since August 2015, with the biggest viewership the show has had since he left. While The Daily Show ran with moderate success with Trevor Noah, it never managed to be as popular as it was with Stewart. Whether these numbers just reflect the novelty of his return after a nearly 9-year absence or whether audiences will keep tuning in at these rates remains to be seen.

Stewart’s soft sarcasm and self-deprecating humor may feel familiar to old fans and non-threatening to a new audience. In the same way that he did before his departure, he swiped at the Republicans a lot, a little at the Democrats, and highlighted the absurdity of it all with a show of baffled exasperation that the 2024 election has come down to the same two presidential candidates as last time.

Stewart also addressed the general public’s concern over the age of the candidates, even bracketing his 61-year-old face with 81-year-old Biden’s and 77-year-old Trump’s to illustrate how old all three of them are now. Concern over Biden’s health and memory only seem to have heightened voter’s awareness of Trump’s advancing age, causing many online commenters to denounce them both as just too old for what Steward called the toughest job in the world.

While Jon Stewart has long been considered a left-wing commentator, he has a history of appealing to moderates and even some conservatives. Many people support the activism that Stewart, a native New Yorker, did in order to help the 9/11 first responders receive the health care and benefits that they deserved. While for many years now, it seems that Stewart has been focused on his advocacy, many are very pleased to see him back at The Daily Show in time to walk them through what promises to be a very stressful election season.

Copyright 2024, NationalUSNews.com