Jon Stewart spoke at length about leaving The Daily Show, admitting that he’s a bit tired with the American political system.
In an interview with The Guardian, Stewart disagreed with the idea that he was suddenly bit by the filmmaking bug when he made Rosewater. What really made him consider walking away from the show was the repetitive nature of media and politics.
“I’d covered an election four times, and it didn’t appear that there was going to be anything wildly different about this one,” he said. The election is also a good point for him to give the show to new host Trevor Noah, since it will give him good material for a starting off point.
“I also felt that, for the show, you don’t want to leave when the cupboard’s bare,” Stewart explained. “So I think it’s a better introduction when you have something providing you with assisted fuel, like a presidential campaign. But really, the value of this show is so much deeper than my contribution.”
Stewart also tried to downplay his importance on television, noting that, “If Oprah can leave and the world still spins, I honestly think it will survive me.”
The comedian also said that his one regret was not really pushing former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during a 2011 interview.
“That interview with Rumsfeld went sh**ty, but it’s still just an interview,” Stewart said. “He’s the one who has to live with the repercussions of what he really did, so there’s nothing that could happen on my show that carries that same level of regret.”
Later, Stewart said that he lives in a “constant state of depression” because he has to watch CNN, MSNBC and Fox News to find material for The Daily Show. There would have to be a “nuclear winter” in order for him to watch Fox News after his Daily Show tenure ends.
Stewart will leave The Daily Show before the end of the year. Noah was named his replacement last month.
screenshot from Comedy Central video