Jon Stewart, host of The Daily Show, the #1 ranked program on Comedy Central, with over one million viewers per episode, has spoken out against the genocide in Gaza and called out warmongers like Donald Trump. He has been applauded for reflecting attitudes of the anti-war majority in a way that our public officials do not. It undoubtedly helps our movement when high-profile figures like Stewart amplify our message.
We were both surprised and concerned then when Stewart, jokingly or not, parroted pro-war talking points just days after Trump and Netanyahu launched an unprovoked war on Iran as Iran was engaged in negotiations with the U.S. One hundred and sixty-five children were killed when the U.S. bombed an elementary school, and Iran's top political leaders were taken out in the span of a day. Iran responded by attacking the U.S. military bases that have been used to destabilize and attack the region — and from where the U.S. could launch more attacks. Stewart compared Iran's retaliation to the actions of an irrational man in a bar fight, swinging at anyone and everyone. This, of course, is what Trump wants the American public to think to justify his war — that he is dealing with an irrational actor that will lash out and attack its neighbors for no reason at all.
Stewart's platform is massive and incredibly important. His political messages, satirical or not, have a considerable impact on people, which is why we are reaching out to him.
Even if his comments were just one big lazy joke, they unfortunately reinforce the idea that Iran does not have the right to defend itself. What's more, Iran was under the impression that talks with the United States were going well, and that a potential deal was on the horizon (as he stated at the beginning of his segment). This narrative is promoted by the Trump administration that started this war in the first place and is meant to convince Americans that Iran is attacking the rest of the world out of nowhere. It plays into the hands of the Trump officials that want this war to go on longer, for more Iranians (and Americans) to die, and for the American public to buy into the idea of Iran as a bogeyman. In reality, it's the U.S. that abandoned negotiations and set the region on fire — not the other way around.
Of course, these installments exist to encircle Iran and ensure U.S. military dominance over the whole region. They store equipment, move troops, and serve as launching pads for U.S. attacks. We know Stewart knows this, though, because his segment included a video saying that Iran's attacks were conducted against the U.S. military — not Gulf countries broadly. After all, Iran has not killed the Gulf's political leaders or bombed its elementary schools.
Tell Jon Stewart: Stick to your anti-war stance, don't carry water for endless wars!
We aren't writing to Stewart out of anger. We are writing to him out of disappointment — and with a bit of hope that he might change his tune. As long as this war rages on, we'll need media figures with large platforms to challenge war propaganda. It will take moral clarity and intentionality to pull us out of the fog of war.
Towards Peace,
Jenin & Danaka and the entire CODEPINK team
P.S. Make this letter as impactful as possible, forward this email to every anti-war activist you know!
P.P.S. Grab new activist gear at: CODEPINK.org/store!
