‘The View’ Flips Out Over Jon Stewart’s Biden Criticism: ‘Sick of This Ageism!’

Jon Stewart Returns to The Daily Show Desk

After nearly nine years away, Jon Stewart made his long-awaited return to The Daily Show desk on Monday night, delivering a scathing 20-minute monologue in which he relentlessly mocked the two leading presidential candidates for their age-related gaffes and missteps.

Stewart’s Criticism of Joe Biden Sparks Controversy

Stewart’s criticism of President Joe Biden, however, did not sit well with the majority of The View’s hosts on Tuesday, who complained that it was “offensive” and ageist. At the same time, they groused that focusing attention on the president’s increasingly frequent public miscues only helps Donald Trump, who they described as a “stupid fascist” who would lead America into a world war.

Similarities and Differences Between Trump and Biden

During his Monday night broadcast, Stewart described Trump and Biden as “similarly challenged” when it comes to questions about their mental fitness and advanced age, noting that they are by far the two oldest candidates to ever run for the White House. While noting that Biden has “lost a step” and ridiculing the president’s latest blunders, especially in the wake of a special counsel report that depicted Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory,” Stewart also noted that Trump and Biden are not the same.

• Trump hasn’t been indicted as many times
• Trump hasn’t had as many fraudulent businesses or been convicted in a civil trial for sexual assault or been ordered to pay defamation or had his charities disbanded or stiffed a shit-ton of blue-collar tradesmen he’d hired

Still, with Stewart saying it is not up to voters but rather the candidates to “silence concerns and criticisms” about age and fitness, liberals and Biden supporters have been up in arms over what they see as the comedian’s “both-sideism” over the upcoming election.

The View Panelists React

After airing a clip from Stewart’s show, The View’s resident conservative co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin said she loved that the comic “takes shots at both sides.” She added that Biden’s age is a “legitimate issue” and that the president should be open to intense scrutiny due to the high stakes of the race, prompting liberal panelist Joy Behar to disagree.

Grumbling that the topic of Biden’s age has become “repetitious,” Behar suggested that the 81-year-old president’s lifelong stammer is the reason he “looks a little doddering.” She went on to blast the “77-year-old criminal who only cares about getting out of jail” before bringing up Trump’s recent attacks against NATO.

Saying “the stakes are so high,” Behar directly compared Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler, claiming that a Trump victory will lead to young Americans getting drafted to fight in a large-scale war caused by Russia. “They will have the draft back again,” Behar exclaimed.

Co-host Sunny Hostin, meanwhile, praised the 81-year-old Behar for being the “sharpest tack in the box” before taking issue with what she saw as Stewart’s ageist attacks on octogenarians.

“I love that Jon Stewart is back but what’s so offensive to me is there’s a difference between age and intelligence, there’s a difference between age and vitality,” Hostin declared. “There is a difference between age and really being up on things and having that quickness of wit that Joy has.”

Rattling off the names of a number of celebrities and politicians over the age of 80, Hostin said “they look like they know what they’re doing” due to “their wisdom.” Growing increasingly agitated, Hostin fumed that “the problem with this country” is that “we don’t value seniors,” sparking loud applause from the pro-Biden studio audience.

“We don’t value octogenarians!” Hostin shouted. “I’m sick of this ageism!”

Whoopi Goldberg’s Perspective

Devoting a second full segment to Stewart’s monologue, the show came back from a commercial break to longtime host Whoopi Goldberg wondering if the comic thought the president was too old “when Biden signed the bill that Jon Stewart fought for” 18 months ago.

“As I said yesterday, yes, he’s old, OK, but the minute he stops being productive, and this sounds terrible, but the minute he stops being able to do his presidential duty, he’s got to go, but I’m not advocating for him to go,” a rambling Goldberg continued. “I’m advocating for people to not dwell on the fact that he is an age that we cannot change. And if he’s… bad now, you know, I need to see that because I don’t want to just chuck him out because he’s old.”

Goldberg also defended the president forsaking a Super Bowl interview for a TikTok appearance, saying, “Everybody bitches and moans he’s so old that he’s not on TikTok” but “now he’s on TikTok, everybody is still mad.”

Final Thoughts

In the end, after Griffin bemoaned that the majority of voters actually would prefer something other than a Trump/Biden rematch, Behar said Americans are only left with this choice.

“That ship has sailed! This is what you got,” Behar proclaimed, prompting Hostin to call Trump a “stupid fascist.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
• SDG 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles.
• SDG 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• SDG 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 3.4: Mortality rate from non-communicable diseases.
• Indicator for SDG 4.7: Proportion of students achieving proficiency in sustainable development literacy.
• Indicator for SDG 5.5: Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments.
• Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of people living below 50% of median income, disaggregated by age, sex, disability, and other characteristics.
• Indicator for SDG 16.6: Existence of independent national human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Note: The indicators listed are examples and may not be directly mentioned in the article. They are derived based on the targets and the issues discussed in the article.

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Source: thedailybeast.com

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