Jon Stewart called his studio audience a “beautiful distraction” and thanked them for their “dedication” after his US election show went off the air on Tuesday following Donald Trump’s shock victory.
The host of The Daily Show had one of the strongest reactions to Trump’s win, which saw the Republican sweep many of the swing states, handing him a stunning return to the White House.
Lashing out at pollsters, Stewart told them “You don’t know s*** about s***, and I don’t care for you.”
“My point is this: F***!,” yelled Stewart. “But this isn’t the end. I promise you, this is not the end. And we have to regroup, and we have to continue to fight, and continue to work day in and day out to create the better society for our children, for this world.”
Variety has since reported what Stewart told his studio audience after the show went off the air.
“Can I tell you what a joy you were, how happy I am to have spent the evening with you and not sitting at home throwing shit at my television screen,” the comedian said.
“You have helped us all have a beautiful distraction, and you’re gonna leave here, and you’re gonna look at your phone, and you’re gonna go home, and you’re gonna have that weird feeling where your knees feel wobbly, and you’re like, ‘Do I have hypoglycemia?’ But you don’t! You just have a temporary anxiety and paralysis that comes with disappointment and just a soupçon of despair.”
The 60-year-old added: “It will pass. And we will be back, digging ditches for democracy once again in the way that we have always had to do, and I thank you guys for your dedication, and I thank you for being here. Get home safe.”
Stewart was among the many late-night TV hosts in the United States who gave despondent messages to their audiences about the election results.
As supporters of Harris, each presenter, ranging from Jimmy Kimmel to Stephen Colbert, shared anti-Trump sentiments, with Kimmel struggling to hold back tears on Wednesday night (6 November).
Kimmel, acknowledging the fact that Trump was convicted of a crime earlier this year, said of the result: “We chose the criminal.”
Seth Meyers promised to bring viewers joy amid times of uncertainty in the wake of the election result.
“We’re not gonna let anything take that joy away, even when we’re not talking about things that are particularly joyful,” he said, adding: “For example, here’s something: I don’t think Donald Trump’s a good person. I’d even go so far as to say he’s a bad person.”
Stephen Colbert was more frank in his approach, calling Trump “a monstrous child surrounded by cowards and grifters”
He said it was “hard to see a bright side”, and joked that he was wearing his “fundamentally questioning my belief in humanity: sticker.”
