Mary Trump's Feud with Jon Stewart Escalates

The feud between Mary Trump and Jon Stewart has escalated as the writer took to her newsletter to slam the TV host once again.

Jon Stewart has returned to host The Daily Show after a nine-year hiatus and during the season premiere, Mary Trump wasn't too impressed with the comedian's take on the upcoming presidential election. Stewart took aim at President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, mocking both 2024 presidential contenders for gaffes seemingly related to their ages.

Following this episode, Mary Trump lambasted Stewart on X, formerly Twitter, and accused him of being "bothsideist" in a newsletter titled "Jon Stewart's Danger to Democracy." Stewart began the show on February 19 by responding to the criticism he'd received from viewers following the February 12 episode. He showcased a series of angry posts that viewers shared to X, including Mary Trump—and she isn't happy.

Newsweek contacted a representative for Stewart and Mary Trump for comment via email on Wednesday.

Mary Trump, who is a prominent critic of her uncle Donald Trump, initially responded in a post on X.

She wrote on the social media platform: "Stewart didn't respond to my very real concerns over his dangerous both-sides rhetoric in which he equated President Biden and Donald. Instead, he led people to believe that I took issue with his comment about Biden's age. To begin with, I had a problem with this: 'We're not suggesting neither man is vibrant, productive, or even capable.'

"We don't live in an era where pretending both sides are the same is good for America. We need more thoughtful criticism and comedy from people with the kind of platform Jon Stewart has, that takes into account what's really at stake."

She concluded the post by saying that in 2016, the media's "both sides b*******" is what propelled Donald Trump to the White House.

Mary Trump followed this up with a newsletter titled "Jon Stewart Takes A Shot at Me." In it, she reminded people that she previously criticized Stewart for "erroneously elevating my uncle by claiming, 'We're not suggesting neither man is vibrant, productive, or even capable.'"

The writer continued: "This is the kind of false both-sides-isms I was calling out. I find it dangerous, coming from an incredibly influential public figure, because it leads to voter apathy, which is unacceptable in an election year when the candidate leading one side threatens to eliminate our democracy and the candidate leading the other seeks to strengthen it.

"He didn't defend his false equivalency—he pretended my objection to his comment was that he had made a comment at all. Besides, Jon Stewart is not just a comedian trying to nail his tight ten at the Comedy Cellar on open mic night. By his own design, he puts himself out to be a serious player and influencer in American politics."

Mary Trump clarified that while she thinks Stewart should be able to express his opinion, that doesn't mean he should be exempt from criticism.

She then went on to say Stewart mischaracterized her frustrations with what he said. She clarified that she doesn't think people should withhold criticism of President Biden in general but had an issue with the fact that Stewart tried to equate Biden and Donald Trump.

Mary Trump concluded by writing: "If Jon Stewart insists on ignoring criticisms of his tendency towards false equivalence, getting the truth out is up to people like you and me."

What Did Jon Stewart Say About Donald Trump and Joe Biden?

During his show on February 12, Stewart described Donald Trump and Biden as "similarly challenged."

"It is not crazy to think that the oldest people in the history of the country to ever run for president might have some of these challenges," he said, debating whether either candidate is fit to run the country.

"We're not suggesting neither man is vibrant, productive, or even capable," Stewart said. "But they're both stretching the limits of being able to handle the toughest job in the world."

Throughout his term, Biden, who is 81 years old, has been the target of jokes and concerns regarding his age. However, Trump is not far behind at 77 years old.

The real estate magnate became the second-oldest president upon finishing his term in 2020. The oldest-ever president was Ronald Reagan, who was 77 at the end of his presidency. However, Biden will soon take the title, whether or not he lands a second term in the White House.

Hitting back at Mary Trump's criticism of the segment, Stewart said: "It was just one f****** show. I did 20 minutes of one f****** show.

"But I guess as the famous saying goes, 'democracy dies in discussion.'"