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Jon Stewart dismisses call to run for office, warns not to trust TV stars as political leaders
By Alexander Hall
Published January 20, 2026
Comedian and talk show host Jon Stewart shrugged off a suggestion from his audience Sunday that he should run for office.
While there have been many entertainers-turned-politicians, such as former President Ronald Reagan, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and, most recently, President Donald Trump, Stewart warned this may not be a wise way to pick political leaders.
When a member of his audience asked if he would run for office, prompting cheers from the crowd, Stewart appeared to reject the idea.
"It's very kind of you," Stewart said. "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."
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Jon Stewart argued it is unwise to call for TV personalities to run for political office. (Screenshot/Comedy Central)
He and other popular talk show hosts have been getting asked to run for elected office, he said.
"But I do know, like, all the folks in the media like this, like Steven, 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 desperation and dissatisfaction that we have with the status quo."
He argued that people calling for talk show hosts to run for office is a clear sign of desperation.
"You see somebody on television who's saying some of the things that resonate with you. And you think, ‘Well, f--- it.’ It really is, ‘I think you should be president is the line’ that comes right after ‘f--- it.’"
Stewart joked that calling for somebody like him to run for president is like being cursed to be in a "Twilight Zone" episode.
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Jon Stewart compared President Donald Trump unfavorably to Adolf Hitler, saying Hitler was at least popular with his constituents. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Stewart went on to argue that comparisons between President Donald Trump and dictator Adolf Hitler are inaccurate because Hitler was at least popular in his country.
He went on to share an anecdote he says illustrates much of the country at large, where the same people who once mocked former President Joe Biden are now quietly embarrassed over the Trump administration.
"I live in a town where, like, a lot of people went that way," he said of supporting Trump. "Like, they give me a lot of s--- in the deli. Like, I walk in the deli, and there's a lot of like, ‘Hey, how's that autopen? How's ‘f------ Biden's autopen?' I walk in the deli now, and they're like, ‘What would you like on your sandwich?’"
The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
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President Biden's time in office was frequently dogged by rumors of him being managed by staff rather than the elected president calling the shots. (AP)
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