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Jon Stewart urges Democrats to govern rather than impeach Trump if they win Congress

On his podcast "The Weekly Show", Jon Stewart said Democrats who win Congress in the midterms should focus on the economy rather than stage impeachment hearings he called performative. Only right-leaning outlets have covered it so far.

2 outlets · 0L · 0C · 2R First reported Account updated
Image: Fox News
Image: Breitbart

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The story, neutrally told

Right · 2Comedian Jon Stewart said on his podcast "The Weekly Show" that Democrats should not pursue impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump if they regain control of Congress in the midterm elections. Right · 2The remarks came in response to a listener question, which Breitbart describes as asking whether focusing on impeachment would be a "strategic mistake" for Democrats. Right · 2Stewart said: "I don't want to see a f---ing five-act performative play of House hearings," adding that he did not want to see politicians "pantomime accountability because you know they're actually not going to bring it."

Right · 2Stewart said Democrats should instead make a full government effort to rebalance the economy, including labor versus capital, and said investigations were fine but should rank below issues "actually killing people right now". Right · 2Stewart used a triage analogy, saying investigations of wrongdoing amount to a sore throat when someone in the waiting room has been shot, and told Democrats they could pursue investigations "as a hobby" but should "Fix s---" and "govern". Right · 1According to Breitbart, Stewart also said Trump would "run out the clock" and questioned whether Democrats could untangle the Trump sons' drone company when, in Stewart's words, they could not bring accountability for January 6 in two years of hearings.

Right · 1Fox News added comment from two outside figures: Lauryn Killian, CEO of Killian Campaigns, and Y. David Scharf of Morrison Cohen, who called impeachment "political theater" and said voters want "results, not revenge". Right · 1Fox News noted that Democratic strategist James Carville and co-host Al Hunt, and former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, have also recently warned Democrats against impeachment, and that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has declined to say whether he would support it. Right · 1Fox News reported that House projections show Democrats winning 215 seats to the GOP's 201, with 19 toss-up races remaining.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre0 outlets

No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Right2 outlets

Framing
Both outlets present Stewart's comments as a notable rebuke of Democratic impeachment talk, with Fox News adding commentators who say Democrats risk handing Republicans a campaign argument.
Emphasis
Stewart's profane quotes (Breitbart's headline) and, in Fox News, outside voices and other Democrats warning against impeachment, plus midterm polling.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither includes a Democratic Party response to Stewart or voices arguing for impeachment; Fox quotes only commentators who agree with Stewart's caution.
Charged language
“performative play”“pantomime accountability”“impeachment crusade”“Disneyland on the Potomac”
For example
“If they turn that opportunity into another impeachment crusade, Republicans will have a very clear argument to make to voters” — Fox News
“Jon Stewart Dismisses Democrats Impeaching Trump” — Breitbart