Jon Stewart’s ‘The Daily Show’ comeback feels like he never left: ‘I’m excited to be back’

Jon Stewart took in an extended ovation from the studio audience as he returned to “The Daily Show” after more than eight years away.

Jon Stewart received an extended ovation from the studio audience Monday as he returned to “The Daily Show” after more than eight years away, before deadpanning, in what felt like a nod to early talk-show host Jack Paar’s famous return to “The Tonight Show” after an absence, “Where was I?” Scheduled to host one day a week and produce the show, Stewart said, “I’m excited to be back,” joking that he had opted to return to the Comedy Central franchise because, “From what I understand, talk-show hosts are granted immunity.” From there, it was as if Stewart had never left, as he segued into routines about the Super Bowl – which, pitting the Taylor Swift-backed Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers, he called “kind of a no-win for conservatives” – and setting up the next nine months leading up to the election, or “Indecision 2024,” while trying out comedic subtitles like “American Demockcracy.” Stewart devoted a significant portion of the show to questions regarding the ages of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who, at 81 and 77, respectively, would be the oldest pair ever to face off for the presidency. Stewart joked about Biden’s appearance on TikTok and his recent press conference in the wake of special counsel Robert Hur’s report, which included comments regarding Biden’s memory. He then played a medley of clips featuring Trump and his children saying they couldn’t remember things in taped depositions. Addressing the issue of ageism, Stewart yelled, “They’re objectively old!” He then closed the segment, as he often used to do, on a more serious note, telling viewers to buckle up for the months leading up to the election, but that the work necessary to make the world a better place didn’t boil down to a single day.