Jon Stewart told Michelle Obama that he is unsure whether political comedy programmes such as The Daily Show ultimately help or harm US public life. He said they can offer catharsis and aim to operate in good faith, but questioned whether they encourage passive political engagement or distort audiences’ understanding of events.

Speaking on Obama’s IMO podcast, Stewart described late-night television as a fading format adapting to social media and podcasts, and compared its possible effect to “ultra-processed” food causing “political diabetes”. Media Research Center executive Tim Graham agreed with the concern, arguing that comedy-led news can give viewers distorted impressions and citing his group’s figure that 82% of late-night political jokes in 2024 targeted Donald Trump and Republicans.