Jon Stewart Says Tony Hinchcliffe Wasn’t the Problem With Trump’s “Apocalyptic” MSG Rally

In his last regular episode of The Daily Show before the 2024 election, Jon Stewart lightheartedly mentioned that he hadn't made up his mind about who to support. He quipped, “I usually just go with whoever The Washington Post backs.” This comment alluded to the controversial choice made by the Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper not to endorse a presidential candidate, a decision that reportedly prompted over 200,000 subscribers to cancel their Post subscriptions (though they may have kept their Amazon Prime accounts).

This week, Stewart announced that he will keep hosting The Daily Show on Monday evenings until December 2025. He also mentioned that he will lead a live, hour-long special on Election Day, as had been previously disclosed. Stewart then discussed some of the recent big rallies held by presidential candidates. Speaking about Beyoncé's appearance at Kamala Harris's event in Houston on Friday, he joked, "No singing? Just a sincere message about how crucial this election is? Forget it, I'm voting for Trump."

Next came Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden, featuring intense speeches from Rudy Giuliani, Tucker Carlson, and Elon Musk. Stewart commented, "Honestly, that’s the kind of group you’d expect to see outside Madison Square Garden, shouting at people trying to enter." He went on to express his outrage: "How could they tarnish the stage that the Piano Man has graced? How could you do such a thing? Just think about how many times he’ll have to perform 'Scenes From an Italian Restaurant' to cleanse that stage of the negativity that was just there!" He was referencing Billy Joel’s long-standing performances at the venue.

Stewart shifted his focus to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose offensive comments (“I don’t know if you’re aware, but there’s an actual island of trash floating in the ocean right now. I believe it’s called Puerto Rico.”) have faced backlash from both political parties. “Looking back, inviting a roast comedian to a political event just a week before Election Day—and making fun of an important voting group—was probably not the wisest move for the campaign,” Stewart remarked. “However, to give him credit, he's just doing his job.”

The host then showed a segment of Hinchcliffe’s performance from Netflix’s roast of Tom Brady this year, where he made jokes about Jewish people and enslaved individuals. “Yes, yes, I know, it’s awful, boo,” Stewart said, trying to hold back his laughter. “There’s definitely something off about me. I think that guy is really funny, so I apologize. I’m not sure what else to say. It’s like bringing Beyoncé to a rally and not letting her perform—oh.”

Stewart argued that although the speakers at the Trump rally presented a grim and dystopian picture of America, it’s important to concentrate on the person who holds real political authority. In his speech, Trump echoed this sentiment, reiterating his intentions for mass deportations that he promises to initiate right away if he is elected.

“On the first day? Grab a snack and get to know the team,” Stewart said. “Usually, we just go over the syllabus on the first day. There’s not usually any assignments.” He then brought up the moment when Trump, during a legal deposition, struggled to recognize his former wife Marla Maples in a picture. “At this moment, you might feel secure because the group Trump is referring to isn’t you,” Stewart continued. “Like, ‘Are you really sure this isn’t my wife?’ Do you think Donald Trump can actually tell the difference or even cares about that?”