Jon Stewart’s departure on Thursday night will likely mean bidding adieu to one of the strongest weapons in “The Daily Show” arsenal: the Fox News takedown.
The show’s incoming host, Trevor Noah, has vowed to focus less on the conservative news network when he takes over the Comedy Central program Sept. 28.
As Stewart’s last show arrives, here are a few of Stewart’s best takedowns of Fox News, in no particular order:
The Chaos On Bullshit Mountain
During the run-up to the 2012 election, on Sept. 19 that year, Stewart took on the coverage of the famous video showing GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney claiming that 47 percent of Americans don’t pay income taxes. Stewart noted that Fox — or what Stewart dubbed “Romney’s campaign headquarters” — first criticized media outlets for posting a video of Romney’s comments, which he made at a private fundraiser event. The pundits then said his words were inelegant before finally claiming they were the truth.
Stewart Gets Fed Up With Glenn Beck’s Schtick
Stewart may have marked the beginning of the end of a Glenn Beck’s role at Fox News when he did a merciless impersonation of the over-the-top conservative host. Stewart mocked the way Beck huffed and sighed, the costumes he wore, and how he tended to frantically scribble on a chalkboard to make a point.
’50 Fox News Lies In 6 Seconds’
Stewart compiled a collection of 50 lies, told by Fox newscasters, in a six-second Vine. The statements are arranged in front of pictures of the newscaster who told them. He played the clip on his Feb. 26, 2015 show.
Fox News: Evil Or Stupid?
On his Aug. 23, 2010 show, Stewart moderated a debate between two of his correspondents about whether Fox News was “evil” or “stupid.” Correspondent Wyatt Cenac wore a T-shirt with the phrase “Team Evil” while correspondent John Oliver represented “Team Stupid.” Stewart ended up calling the debate in a draw.
Stewart Proves Fox Misleadingly Edited A Video Of Obama
Stewart proved that Fox had misleadingly edited a video of President Obama’s comments on immigration. The video was used by Fox host Sean Hannity and appeared to show President Barack Obama commenting on the executive actions he can take to prevent deportations. But the full clip, which Stewart played on his June 19, 2012 shows that that’s not true.
Stewart Realizes Fox News Is A ‘Lying Dynasty’
Stewart was busted by the fact-checking website PolitiFact for describing Fox News viewers as “the most consistently misinformed.” Studies showed it was not true. That got Stewart wondering on his June 21, 2011 show whether PolitiFact had ever uncovered false statements told by Fox. The list was not short.
BONUS: Stewart Takes Down Fox News While On Fox News
The interview started with Stewart and Fox’s Chris Wallace sipping from mugs with “fair and balanced” carved on the inside, but at times, the conversation got heated with both interrupting and talking over each other.
I’ll always love the Glenn Beck parody. But just now I sat and watched again as he explained patiently to Chris Wallace why Fox is not in any way a counterbalance or equivalent of any other network or news outlet, how nobody else is motivated by a pure partisan agenda, no matter what their deficiencies might be. And in the part where he said Fox viewers were consistently more misinformed than any other, the pure outrage you could see in his eyes because of that misinforming told you more than anything what a decent, serious moral, and rational person he is. And Wallace never understood it, his receiver doesn’t reach up to that wavelength, Stewart lives and works at that much higher of a level. I don’t know how many minds he ever changed on the other side, or how many ever even heard him more than once or twice. But I think his passionate sanity helped many of us on this side hold on more firmly to ours in these interesting times.