Jon Stewart explains the two-party system to Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman in a clip from their upcoming interview.
Fetterman, who has been criticized for aligning himself with MAGA ideologies, will appear on the upcoming episode of Stewart’s The Weekly Show podcast after declaring that he would leave the Democratic Party if it becomes “anti-Israel.”
He also said he didn’t believe Democrats who criticize Israel should be part of the Democratic Party. Stewart pushed back, questioning the extent of his declaration.
“You’re saying that these candidates may have great ideas for the economy, they may want to do the exact same thing you want to do in terms of getting money out of politics, they may want to increase the social safety net, they want to change the balance of power from capital back to labor, but if they don’t agree with you on Israel, you don’t want them in your Party,” Stewart clarified.
“Well, I don’t know who you’re referencing to specifically,” Fetterman responded.
“No, I’m referencing what you just said,” Stewart replied.
Fetterman said he would always support “whatever’s necessary” for Israel to “protect themselves and to prosecute Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, too.”
The senator added, “And the very left never said a peep after Iran executed 30-40 thousand young people there just for protesting for democracy.”
Stewart asked, “You think that the left is pro-Iran? Not the country, but the regime?”
Fetterman replied, “If anyone in the Democratic Party is fine with Iran building a nuclear bomb, I disagree with that person.”
The senator also explained his belief that candidates who identify with the Democratic Socialists of America should run under their own banner, rather than run as a Democrat. Stewart fact-checked the senator, “It’s just an organization.”
“We have a two-party system,” Stewart explained. “[The DSA is] like the Freedom Caucus in the Republican Party. There’s Randy Fine, and Ogles, and all these nutbags that are also part of an area, and Republicans, I’m sure, may not agree with all of them on all kinds of things, but there is no other party.”
“And even Mamdani in New York is DSA, but there are things in the DSA platform that he disagrees with,” Stewart continued. “And I’m assuming there are probably things in the Democratic platform that you might disagree with. But you don’t disavow the entire thing. You’re literally saying, ‘We can all have discussions, except when it comes to Israel,’ which is not America. It seems like a weird line to draw.”
When Fetterman responded by saying he supports Israel because history has shown him that the persecution of Jewish people means “Things end really badly,” Stewart raised his eyebrows, exasperated.
“Sure!” he said, but “The Jewish community and Israel are not the same thing, brother-man. That is not the same thing.”
