Jon Stewart to Republicans: stop 'scaring the holy bejesus out of everybody'

Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart returned to the small screen in a blazing rant against Fox News, the GOP and, of course, Donald Trump.

Stewart took over Stephen Colbert’s desk on The Late Show to curse the election, calling Trump an “angry groundhog” who has divided the country and claiming that the Republicans have spent this week in Cleveland at the RNC “scaring the holy bejesus out of everybody”.

He railed against the Republican rhetoric of “making America great again”:

You just want that person to give you your country back, because you feel that you are this country’s rightful owners. There’s only one problem with that: this country isn’t yours. You don’t own it. It never was. There is no real America. You don’t own it. You don’t own patriotism, you don’t own Christianity, you sure as hell don’t own respect for the bravery and sacrifice of military, police and firefighters.

For years, Stewart has been very politically involved in trying to secure medical funding for 9/11 responders, making trips to Washington and actively advocating for the Zadroga Act reauthorization.

“Trust me, I saw a lot of people on the convention floor in Cleveland with their ‘blue lives matter’ rhetoric who either remained silent or actively fought against the 9/11 first responders bill reauthorization,” said Stewart.

“I see you and I see your bullshit,” yelled a furious Stewart, pointing his finger down the lens of the camera.

The former Daily Show host – wearing a scruffy grey T-shirt, a deep tan and a messy beard, although Colbert made him put on a blazer and clip-on tie – clearly relished a chance to return to the chair and criticize his old foes at Fox News. Colbert invited Stewart back on the show on the day Roger Ailes, head of the conservative network, resigned after sexual harassment allegations.

Stewart said he enjoys watching “the contortions many conservatives will now have to do to embrace Donald J Trump, a man who clearly embodies all the things they have for years hated about Obama”, noting that rightwing claims of Obama as a thin-skinned narcissist with no government experience apply perfectly to Trump.

He also called out those on the right who claim progressives are the ones pushing the country into racial, gender and political lines.

“Those fighting to be included in the ideal of equality are not being divisive. Those fighting to keep those people out are,” said Stewart.

Just as Stewart went to declare Fox News hosts and other conservatives, ahem, the other, non-printable C-word, Colbert interrupted him with an air horn.