Jon Stewart vs. Rachel Maddow: It’s On

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


On Monday, I suggested that Jon Stewart should go on Rachel Maddow’s show so that they can hash out the ongoing argument over Stewart’s “sanity” rally. Like Bill MaherTa-Nehisi Coates, and just about everyone at MSNBC, I thought at the rally Stewart was a bit too quick to suggest that the left and the right in America are equally reasonable and “sane,” and too quick to imply that MSNBC folks like Maddow are basically doing the same thing as, say, Glenn Beck. On Monday night, Stewart used the top of his show to push back at his critics:

Here’s the key bit:

Contrary to what people may believe, I do think the rally was about something, just not necessarily what they wanted it to be about, or what they think it was about. If we were inartful in that message, we were inartful. I disagree with their classification of it, but I’m sure we’ll all have a chance to clarify on each other’s programs for the next ten years.

Ah, foresight. Stewart will make his first appearance on “The Rachel Maddow Show” on Thursday. I imagine that they’ll talk about the rally—and the notion of “sanity.” I’m looking forward to watching. 

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate