Jon Stewart has hit back at claims that all Donald Trump voters are racist, insisting that the President-elect's victory was due to deep-seated hypocrisy in America rather than solely racism. The former Daily Show host made the comments during a Times Talk on Friday to promote his forthcoming book.
Stewart, a life-long Democrat, acknowledged that Trump made anti-Muslim, anti-refugee and anti-immigration comments during his campaign, but argued that not everyone who voted for him was racist. “Not everybody that voted for Trump is a racist. I don’t give a f**k what any of you say to me. You can yell it at me, you can tweet it at me. They’re not all racists,” he said.
Stewart denied that satire or his show had contributed to Trump's victory, saying that cultural control is not the same as political power. He pointed to the Tea Party's success at local level while satirists mocked them as a lesson in unwarranted self-satisfaction.
The comedian said Trump won because of America's inherent contradictions, including its founding document stating all men are created equal while only white male property owners could vote. He looked to President Obama's unfulfilled promises as reassurance that Trump cannot ruin everything, urging people to “buckle your seat belt and get ready.”
