Jon Stewart wants to know why nobody asked Donald Trump “what makes America great” during the election process.
The former “Daily Show” host appeared on “CBS This Morning” Thursday to offer post-election analysis in his first interview since Trump upset Hillary Clinton last week.
“He wants to make America great again,” Stewart said on the CBS morning show. “But nobody said to him, ‘Well, what is it that makes America great?”
“Here’s what I would honestly say. I don’t believe we are a fundamentally different country today than we were two weeks ago. The same country with all its grace and flaws, and volatility, and insecurity, and strength, and resilience exists today as existed two weeks ago. The same country that elected Donald Trump elected Barack Obama,” Stewart said. “I feel badly for the people for whom this election will mean more uncertainty and insecurity. But I also feel like this fight has never been easy.”
He continued: “The ultimate irony of this election is the cynical strategy of the Republicans, which is, ‘Our position as government doesn’t work. We’re going to make sure… that it doesn’t work’… But they’re not draining the swamp. McConnell and Ryan, those guys are the swamp.”
“Donald Trump is a reaction not just to Democrats, to Republicans,” Stewart said. “He is not a Republican, he’s a repudiation of Republicans.”
He said the GOP will “reap the benefit of his victory, in all of their cynicism” but guarantees Republicans are “going to come to Jesus now about the power of government.”
9 Democrats Who Could Challenge Donald Trump for President in 2020 (Photos)
Donald Trump shocked the world and beat Hillary Clinton to become the president-elect of the Unites States. He doesn’t take office until Jan. 20, 2017, but Democrats are already thinking about the next election. Here are nine Democrats who might be able to reclaim the White House in 2020.
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Michelle Obama
The First Lady is a terrific public speaker and one of the most likable members of the Democratic Party. She has said the job doesn’t interest her. However, if Trump isn’t unifying the nation as his term winds down, expect Democratic leadership to beg her to run.
Booker is a talented campaigner who is one of America’s most prominent African-Americans. The New Jersey senator is extremely popular among his peers, and his speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention was widely praised.
The Vermont senator is arguably the most popular left-leaning politician in America and came close to upsetting Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. WikiLeaks emails exposed how the DNC favored Clinton, which may embolden supporters who argue it's his turn. But Sanders is now 75 and may be considered too old in four years.
The Massachusetts senator could pick up supporters of the Bernie Sanders movement, and she’s not afraid to fight back against Donald Trump. "We are going to be smart, we are going to be organized, we're going to use our time and talents in a strategic and careful way, but we are going to fight back," she recently told MSNBC. "We are not going to turn this country over to what Donald Trump has sold."
The outgoing vice president considered running against Hillary Clinton in 2016 but decided not to after the 2015 death of his son Beau. Biden is popular, particularly with working-class voters whom Trump lured from the Democrats. But he's 73, and like Biden may seem to old in four years.
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Mark Cuban
Well, we can't laugh anymore at billionaire reality TV stars with no political experience. Cuban has shown a passion for politics and was a special guest of Hillary Clinton during a presidential debate. He is openly anti-Trump and might have the personality and attitude to beat the president-elect at his own game.
The governor of New York is a staunch supporter of same-sex marriage and gun control. Cuomo is popular in the Empire State and a close ally of Hillary Clinton.
The opposition party is already thinking about the next presidential election
Donald Trump shocked the world and beat Hillary Clinton to become the president-elect of the Unites States. He doesn’t take office until Jan. 20, 2017, but Democrats are already thinking about the next election. Here are nine Democrats who might be able to reclaim the White House in 2020.