The Keith Edwards Show - Is Jon Stewart running For PRESIDENT!? Check This Out...

Episode Date: January 20, 2026

Let's talk about Jon Stewart... I have some THOUGHTS.Become a Member: https://www.youtube.com/@keithedwards/joinSubscribe to my Substack: http://keithedwards.substack.comBuy a Democracy Hat: https://keithsdebateclub.com/products/democracy-hatCall me and ask a question or leave a comment: ‪[phone]‬Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekeithedwardsshow/Follow me on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/keithedwards.bsky.socialFollow me on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@keithedwardsFollow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithedwards/Follow me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithedwardsFollow me on X: http://twitter.com/keithedwardsListen to the show on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1chmgsT4aUJPmFlyGXIDGN

Is John Stewart running for president? Is he running president? That is what a lot of people are asking, and it's very interesting because he's been asked this now multiple times, and he doesn't say no. He doesn't say no. Now, he gives a very long answer. That sounds like someone who may be running for president.

He was actually just asked on The Daily Show the other day, and Comedy Central's The Daily Show actually posted it on their official account. Here's that. I never consider running for an office. Yeah. It's very kind of you. And by the way, it is, I cannot tell you how wild it is to have people even think that having the power over their lives is something they would appreciate that you have. But I do know, like, all the folks in the media like this, like Stephen, like Jimmy, we get this.

This is a question that comes up a lot. And I think it speaks to, if I may, and I don't know the motivation, it speaks to this desperate. and dissatisfaction that we have with the status quo. And so then you see somebody on television who's saying some of the things that resonate with you and you think, well, fuck it. It really is, I think you should be president is the line that comes right after, fuck it.

Because most people go like, I'm watching this, I'm doing this, these guys aren't doing that. You know what? It's almost like you're cursing me with like a twilight zone, like, make him! But it is like I so understand the feeling like I think what's happening right now with all of us, myself included. Now pay attention to the hill that was very funny and all of it. Pay attention to this part because this is where I feel like it sounds like the seeds to some sort of bid for office.

Because having the ability to have a catharsis or talk about it or work with people every day is emotionally sustaining. but I think we have a shared feeling of helplessness because we're all watching the same thing and going, this is, some of the show the show tonight is sort of like, you're here on a good night. Who are you going to believe you or your lion eyes? And where we're at is in sort of that,

how are we going to slow this down? But I'm telling you, the one thing that I will say is the institutions may be wanting and may be failing, but the people aren't. People keep saying, oh, this guy's Hitler. No, he's not. And I'll tell you why he's not.

Hitler was popular. This guy's not. Because the people, and I'm talking about people like, I live in a town where, like, a lot of people went that way. Like, they give me a lot of shit in the deli. Like, I walk in the deli, and it's like, hey!

Hey, how's that auto pen? has Biden's auto pen. I walk in the deli now and they're like, what would you like on your sandwich? Like, it ain't flying in a lot of places where you think it might be flying. So the one institution

that I think has been the bulwark in a way that nothing else has, has been the people. And that's been really heartening to me. Didn't say no. Didn't say no. Also, that whole thing about the institutions, no one trusts it. It sounds a little like he's running.

Now, Manny Hassan brought this up saying, interesting that John Stewart never rules it out. Didn't it when I asked him, didn't it when the audience asked him to. I made the case for him running in the Democratic president for primary and he links to that there. But yeah, here he is with Manny Hassan,

not answering this idea. That idea of fetishizing the little guy and we the people, when in fact the opposite has occurred and the Supreme Court has empowered really this kind of much more authoritative processing of all those avenues. And in some respects, then, it comes down to, is the answer the Democratic Party is ripe for a takeover?

And they just need to find the right reality host that can get in there and start lining up all of those interests. Please, please. No reality hosts. I beg of you. Jeff Probst. Maybe Jeff Probst, Survivor. Unless, John, you're thinking of throwing your hat in the ring, which I know.

which I know many people want you to throw your hat in the ring. If that's what you're suggesting, we can talk about that. But please, otherwise, no TV show hosts. None of those. But look, I think New York in November will be a very... Didn't answer. Didn't answer it. Now, here is a bit more of what John Stewart may run on if he were to run. Most people, I think, in the general area of what you would consider middle class,

maybe a little lower the middle class, a little above middle class, are stuck in this weird trap, which is I work till I'm fucking 40 or 50 until my kids are going to college. Now I'm paying for their college. But just at that moment, my fucking parents are getting sick. So now I'm in debt on the college for the kids while also maybe going into a little bit of a debt for the parent. So now everything that you built up, all that equity over those 20 years of work is gone.

Yeah. And what you really could have used was education that didn't cost so much, maybe some fucking child care, maybe some fucking elder care, something that connects to your life. And it feels like we live in a place where that seems like it should be possible. But you'd have to take from some other program, right? Like, that's the whole thing. I don't know if it's a question of not having resources as much as it is not directing them in the right way. So we don't do anything that doesn't have a middleman with a corporate owner to it. So all that government money, it's really their subsidies, like, why is there corn syrup and everything? Yeah. It's a fucking government just paying for

farmers. And so what do they do? They give us all fucking diabetes. And then what's the next step? Big pharma comes in. We got your back. And now you're in the cycle. Yeah. They're literally combating the drug of ultra-processed food with the drugs from big pharma. This is the trap that so many people get locked into. Yeah. Yeah. And what are we getting for it? All that money that we go in and we have the highest drug prices in the world. That's when people go like, yeah, this system is rigged. Now listen, I don't know. I don't know. I don't really have an opinion on who becomes president other than we just need to pick someone who's going to win. We can't keep going the way that we have.

No, I, of course, had my own policy positions and my own areas of interest and probably my own set of people that I am sort of presidential curious about. But John Stewart was not someone I was even paying attention to until this all started to pile up. And I think it's an interesting idea. I'm not against a celebrity to come in and try to run. I'm not against that. I think President Zelensky, who has shown bravery, leadership, humility, he's been courageous in a way that I don't think many people, could have. He was a former actor slash comedian, and he's really risen to the occasion. I don't know

what the qualifications of president really could be in terms of like what sets you up for that sort of job. I don't think anything can really prepare you for you. I'd like to, I think I'd like to think that being a senator or a member of Congress or governor could get you somewhat, some experience, but I also think there's other life experiences that are just as valuable. And I do think that president's probably one of those jobs where you're just learning on the job. Like nothing can prepare you for becoming the president. So my big thing is that we just need to have someone in there that's not tied to the establishment that's ready to fucking destroy anything in anyone that is preventing us from getting real progress.

And we need someone in there that's willing to fucking go after. all of these fascists who have destroyed our place in the world and who are actively destroying our country. Is that John Stewart? I don't know. I think it's an interesting question to hold in our head, but it's not one that I'm going to dismiss. And I'm interested to think if you think I'm insane for thinking that way. But I don't think this is a time for average centrist Democrat. That's for sure. That's for sure. I'm going to leave with this. I'll leave you with this. This went viral two years ago? Three years ago. Oh my God. Time just keeps going. And this is one thing I liked about him is that he's able to kind of point out the absurdity while laughing in your face. See you soon.

Do you want to ban drag show readings to children? To my house, yes. Why? Is that free speech? Are you infringing on that performer's free speech? They can continue to exercise their free speech, just not in front of a child. Why? What's the leading cause of death amongst children in this country. And I'm going to give you a hint. It's not drag show readings to children. Correct. Yes. So what is it? I'm presuming you're going to say it's firearms. No, I'm not going to say it like it's an opinion. That's what it is. It's firearms. More than cancer, more than car accidents. And what you're telling me is, you don't mind infringing free speech to protect children from this amorphous thing that you think of. But when it comes to

Children that have died, you don't give a flying to stop that because that shall not be infringed. That is hypocrisy.