Jon Stewart Goes Off On How Dems Handled Shutdown Deal
Jon Stewart is no stranger to political outrage, but his latest tirade wasn’t aimed at Republicans or cable news talking heads—it was directed squarely at Senate Democrats. On The Daily Show Monday night, Stewart unleashed a blistering monologue following Congress’s passage of a continuing resolution that reopened the government but abandoned one of the Democratic Party’s stated priorities: the extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies.
“This episode is sponsored by ‘I can’t f---ing believe it!’” Stewart exclaimed, setting the tone for what would be a relentless takedown of what he framed as strategic surrender. The host, known for skewering hypocrisy with surgical precision, mocked the Democrats for shutting down the government over a principled demand—only to back down days later with nothing concrete in return.
The resolution, passed with bipartisan support, keeps the government funded through January 30, 2026, and includes appropriations for key agencies. However, it left behind the COVID-era healthcare subsidies Democrats had championed. As Stewart pointed out, Senate Democrats had repeatedly insisted these provisions were non-negotiable. But when the dust settled, seven Democratic senators and one independent joined Republicans to pass the bill—with only a promise of a future vote on the issue.
“Not even a full week removed from the best election night results they’ve had in years,” Stewart noted incredulously, referencing a Democratic upswing in recent local and state races. “You had the wind at your back... and you sold out the entire shutdown not to get what you wanted, but for a promise to not get what you wanted later.”
Stewart’s scathing critique escalated into ridicule. Quoting The Art of War with a heavy dose of sarcasm, he quipped, “Sun Tzu said, ‘Never press your advantage. It’s unseemly! Fighting’s hard. How ’bout a snack?’”
At the heart of Stewart’s frustration was what he described as a chronic failure by Democrats to understand leverage. Despite having political momentum and a compelling cause, they folded in the final hour—and settled for symbolism over substance. “What good does a promise of a Senate vote even do for you?” Stewart asked. “You don’t control the Senate.”
For Stewart, the irony was too much to ignore: a party that used to brand itself as fierce defenders of working families and affordable healthcare had, in his view, failed to meet the moment—again. And with a promise of a future vote in hand and no guarantee of success, the Democrats may have once more traded political capital for a hollow concession.
As the dust settles on this latest shutdown saga, Stewart’s voice joins a chorus asking a familiar question: if Democrats won’t fight when they’re ahead, when will they?