Jon Stewart Addresses Whether He’ll Run for President: ‘This Is a Question That Comes Up a Lot’

Jon Stewart knows some viewers are tuning in because they feel fed up — and a few have even floated the idea that he should run for president.

While filming a recent episode of The Daily Show, the 63-year-old host was asked whether he’d “ever consider running for office.” In a clip posted on YouTube on Sunday, Jan. 18, Stewart said the question says less about him and more about how many Americans are feeling right now.

“That’s very kind of you,” Stewart began, adding that it’s surreal to hear people suggest he should have “power over their lives.” He noted that the same question comes up for other late-night hosts too — including Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel — and argued it points to widespread frustration with politics as usual.

“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 said. “And so then you see somebody on television who’s saying some of the things that resonate with you and you think, ‘Well, f— it.’ ”

Stewart joked that “I think you should be president” often comes immediately after that exact sentiment.

“It’s almost like you’re cursing me with a Twilight Zone, like, ‘Make him!’ I so understand the feeling,” he continued. Stewart said the current moment has left many people sharing “a feeling of helplessness,” even as some — himself included — find emotional relief in being able to talk it out and work through it with others.

“The institutions may be wanting and may be failing, but the people aren’t,” Stewart said, emphasizing that ordinary people have remained the most reliable check when other systems fall short.

He also pushed back on comparisons made about President Donald Trump, saying: “People keep saying, ‘Oh, this guy is Hitler.’ No, he’s not. And I’ll tell you why he’s not: Hitler was popular, this guy is not.”

Stewart added that, despite the turbulence, he finds it “heartening” that “the one institution” he believes has stood strong is “the people.”

Stewart isn’t the only TV figure who gets asked about a future presidential bid.

Most recently, Colbert, 61, responded to the question during a December appearance at Slate’s Political Gabfest event, joking: “Absolutely, I should not run for president.” He told the audience he understands why they might want him to, but said any serious consideration would require conversations with his faith leader and his family — particularly after his time hosting The Late Show ends in May.

The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central and is available the next day on Paramount+.