Jon Stewart is addressing the left-wing backlash that he received after weighing in on the ages of the likely 2024 presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden during his return to The Daily Show last week. 

On Monday, the late-night host explained that the response to his first show in nine years was “universally glowing” before quickly cutting to a Hollywood Reporter video that explained he was facing backlash from Democrats in response to his remarks about the president. Stewart then jokingly acknowledged, “Okay, maybe not universal.”

Among those who were critical of Stewart’s comments was Keith Olbermann, who wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Well after nine years away, there’s nothing else to say to the bothsidesist fraud Jon Stewart bashing Biden, except: Please make it another nine years.”

In a separate social media post, Tennessee election commissioner Chris D. Jackson added, “Wow. So you basically say because Biden is old, he is basically as bad as Trump. Why thr [sic] F do we never learn as a country? Sorry, but I won’t be watching you either.” 

Still, Stewart refused to let the negativity bring him down. “But that was on Twitter! Everything on Twitter gets a backlash. I’ve seen Twitter tell Labradoodles to go f— themselves,” he defended. “I just think it’s better to deal head on with what’s an apparent issue to people. I mean … we’re just talking here!” 

The video then cut to a post from Trump’s niece Mary, who wrote in part, “Not only is Stewart’s ‘both sides are the same’ rhetoric not funny, it’s a potential disaster for democracy.”

And, well, that’s where Stewart drew the line. “It was just one f—ing show! It was 20 minutes! I did 20 minutes in one f—ing show!” He exclaimed. “But I guess as the famous saying goes: ‘Democracy dies in discussion.’” 

“But look: I have sinned against you, I’m sorry,” he continued. “It was never my intention to say out loud what I saw with my eyes and then brain. I can do better. I can has learning. I can has it!”

During last week’s episode, Stewart described Biden, 81, and Trump, 77 as “objectively old,” noting, “These two candidates, they are both are similarly challenged and 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 added, “What’s crazy is thinking we’re the ones, as voters, who must silence concerns and criticisms. It is the candidate’s job to assuage concerns, not the voter’s job not to mention them.”

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly’s free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content: