Jon Stewart, a longtime fixture on the left and host of The Daily Show, recently shared his reflections on the outcome of the 2024 election, demonstrating a striking change in tone since his heated reaction on election night.

After initial frustrations about inaccurate polling, Stewart now acknowledges Donald Trump’s victory, conceding that the former president won through legitimate use of the country’s electoral system—an outcome that, by Stewart’s own admission, he hadn’t anticipated.

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On a recent episode of The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, Stewart shared his thoughts, noting the shift he experienced from his reaction to the 2016 election to this year’s results.

Reflecting on the 2016 election, Stewart called it a “gut punch” and a surprising outcome in what many had assumed would be a Democratic win. “It felt like such a fait accompli that Democrats would win, so it felt like an anomaly,” Stewart remarked, contrasting that experience with this year’s election, which he viewed differently.

Stewart remarked, “This feels different because it is a democratic victory.”

Unlike in 2016, when he and others speculated that Trump might use “undemocratic principles” to secure a victory, Stewart acknowledged that Trump won by relying on the electoral process itself. “It turned out he used our electoral system, as it is designed,” Stewart admitted, adding humorously, “And in that moment, I thought, well, ‘F*ck.’ I’m not sure we have a team of lawyers for that. I don’t know if we have a team for that!”

Stewart further critiqued the polling and campaign efforts leading up to the election, singling out what he described as the ineffective “ground game” strategy used by Democrats.

He humorously dismissed the tactic, saying, “By the way, I don’t ever in my life want to hear about ‘our vaunted ground game will put us over the top.’”

The phrase, often used by political strategists to tout the importance of door-knocking and local engagement, did not seem to produce the expected results in Stewart’s view.

“It’s a 50/50 tossup race, we’re sure of it, but the vaunted ground game—turns out that people knocking on other people’s doors doesn’t get them to do what you want them to do—as, I believe, vacuum and Bible salesmen have probably known for many, many centuries.”

In a moment of raw honesty, Stewart continued his self-critique, admitting, “F*ck us, f*ck me, I was wrong, will continue to be wrong.”

He expressed a desire to conduct a post-election review and reflect on the lessons learned, but admitted to still feeling “in that moment of vertigo” regarding the unexpected results.

Welcome to season 2 of “America Presents: The Shit Show.” Jon’s post-election thoughts and more on tomorrow’s podcast with @HC_Richardson. #TheWeeklyShow #JonStewart #Trump pic.twitter.com/2KU8FJxgot

— The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart (@weeklyshowpod) November 7, 2024

Stewart’s public admission that Trump’s victory was achieved through legitimate means adds a significant voice to the left-leaning media’s efforts to come to terms with the election results.

His statement, while sprinkled with humor, underscores a sense of acceptance of the outcome as part of the country’s democratic process, a message some political analysts suggest may help bridge divides and promote a broader acknowledgment of the election’s outcome within liberal circles.

Stewart’s recent remarks come as many Democrats and left-leaning figures are grappling with the implications of a Trump win, and his frank commentary highlights an essential perspective.

By recognizing the effectiveness of the electoral process and his own miscalculations, Stewart’s message may serve as a guiding point for others on the left to move forward in acknowledging the outcome.

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