Comedy Central announced on Monday that anti-Trump comedian Jon Stewart extended his contract and will continue to host “The Daily Show” through the end of 2026.
Speculations arose that Comedy Central’s parent company, Paramount, is purging late-night comedy hosts who are critical of President Donald Trump to please him and avoid retribution. Despite Stewart being an outspoken critic of Trump, Comedy Central, also owned by Paramount, is keeping him on to host the show.
“The Daily Show’s” ratings have gone up since Stewart returned to the program in February 2024, particularly on Monday nights when he hosts the show, according to The New York Times. Ari Pearce, the head of Comedy Central, said that the contract extension is a “win for audiences” and for the network.
Stewart initially hosted “The Daily Show” from 1999 to 2015, before later returning in 2024 to “unload thoughts as we get into this election season.”
Fans worried about Stewart’s future at Comedy Central as Paramount merged with SkyDance Media in August. David Ellison, the leader of SkyDance, has reportedly made concessions to Trump while Paramount was seeking approval for its merger with SkyDance, prompting fears from liberals that any critic of Trump would be taken off the air.
While the merger was still ongoing, CBS announced that Colbert’s program, “The Late Show, would be taken off the air in May 2026 for financial reasons. Colbert’s show had a $100 million budget for the current season and reportedly lost $40 million, according to Puck News.
In response to Colbert’s cancellation, Stewart delivered a lengthy rant filled with expletives during a July 22 segment of his show, stating that “fear and pre-compliance” were the reasons for the cancellation.
ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel over his remarks about Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination spawned the same reaction, with Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell and other prominent liberals claiming that he was canceled due to Trump’s wrath. Kimmel returned to the air after the host had reportedly engaged in “constructive” discussions with Disney executives.
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