Jon Stewart has been a tireless advocate for ensuring that 9/11 first responders and veterans receive the proper care they were promised by the government for their service and bravery, which has not been the case over the years. On Tuesday night, Stewart stopped by The Medhi Hasan Show where he was joined by activist John Feal. The two brought attention to veterans who were injured in toxic burn pits while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan but have yet to receive necessary treatments.
In a notable moment, Stewart set aside his usual tactic of bipartisanship, and he specifically ripped into Republican Party for routinely dropping the ball when it comes to first responders and veterans. “It’s an inability to empathize or to understand that other people may be suffering issues that you don’t suffer,” Stewart said before launching into a scathing criticism of the GOP. Via Mediaite:
“They’re the party of symbolism. It’s paper patriotism. It’s the party that, if Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, they’ll never watch another football game again,” the comedian added. “They stand for the anthem, but when it comes down — everybody supports the troops until the troops need support, and then they disappear. And it’s too much money. We can no longer always have money for war and then not have enough money for the warfighter.”
Stewart’s pointed anger at the Republican Party likely also stems from recent reports that the Trump Administration has been secretly siphoning money from the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program. The former Daily Show host has been championing the program for years as a means to provide healthcare to 9/11 first responders, but reportedly, the Treasury Department has been quietly diverting funds since Trump took office. But as fans of the comedian know, he’s not afraid to take the fight directly to Washington as he did back in June 2019. After being greeted to an empty room during a scheduled congressional hearing, Stewart didn’t hold back on the glaring failure unfolding before him. “What an incredible metaphor this room is for the entire process that getting healthcare and benefits for 9/11 first responders has come to,” he said. “Behind me, a filled room of 9/11 first responders — and in front of me, a nearly empty Congress.” The moment went instantly viral, which should’ve been a warning to politicians.
When Jon Stewart speaks, America listens.
(Via Mediaite)