Stewart Urges Democrats to Move Past Old Guard After Midterm Sweep

Jon Stewart is not letting the Democratic Party’s historic midterm sweep go to the old guard. According to the New York Post ^[1], the “Daily Show” host took to his podcast, “The Weekly Show,” to warn that the party’s recent victory could be squandered if leadership doesn’t change.

Stewart applauded the “blue tsunami” that saw Democrats flip seats across the country, but he was blunt about what comes next. He argued that the current way of doing things is broken. “Job one of this opportunity is to tear down the obstacles and old way of thinking that got us into this mess,” Stewart said. He specifically called for the removal of Sen. Chuck Schumer from his leadership role, labeling the party’s reliance on seniority a “bulls—t system.”

The comedian, 63, dismissed the idea that the win was simply about impeaching opponents. “Like, f—k that,” Stewart railed. Instead, he urged Democrats to govern. “You have an opportunity to actually govern. Do it. Take it,” he said. Stewart questioned whether Schumer truly understood the urgency of the moment, stating he believed it was “not in [Schumer’s] DNA” to deliver for the American people.

Schumer, 75, is facing real pressure from his own caucus. Several newly elected Democrats have signaled they will not back the long-time leader when the new Congress convenes in January. According to the New York Post ^[1], Adam Hamilton, the first Democrat to win a federal seat in Kansas in nearly a century, stated he would not support Schumer. Other senators-elect, including Troy Jackson of Maine, Julianna Stratton of Illinois, Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan, and Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota, also appear hesitant to back the Brooklynite.

Despite the murmurs of mutiny, Schumer remains defiant. Fox News reported ^[1] that Schumer told reporters Wednesday he will be re-elected as majority leader. “The issue is not me,” Schumer said. “The issue is focusing on the American people and what they want.”

Stewart had previously criticized both Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in September. He warned that being purely oppositional to Trump politics would not be enough, demanding a “prescription for rebalancing this economy.” Now, with the ballot boxes counted, Stewart’s demand for a clean break from the past has moved from hope to directive.