Jon Stewart Remembers Creepy Meeting With Roger Ailes in the ‘Bowels of Fox News': ‘Yelled at Each Other for About an Hour'
Jon Stewart had an interaction with former Fox News president Roger Ailes that still chills him to the bone.
While speaking with Medhi Hasan on 'The Weekly Show' podcast Thursday, the Comedy Central star explained that his presence was once requested for 'one of those bananas-type meetings in the bowels of Fox News' with Ailes after he had guested on 'The O'Reilly Factor.'
More from TheWrap
Jon Stewart Remembers Creepy Meeting With Roger Ailes in the 'Bowels of Fox News': 'Yelled at Each Other for About an Hour' | Video
Megyn Kelly Slams Sen. Elissa Slotkin's Stephen Colbert Interview, Says She Wanted to 'Punch Her in the Face' | Video
Fox News Had Only 3 Minutes of Epstein Coverage in the Last 4 Days – and 85 Minutes of Sydney Sweeney's Jeans Ad
Shirley Halperin Exits Hollywood Reporter for Rolling Stone, Maer Roshan Becomes Sole EIC of THR
To hear Stewart tell it, 'The Daily Show' host had gone after Ailes and his Fox News for the entirety of his run on the show and the late network president wanted thanks.
'I used to go on Bill O'Reilly's show. Every now and again they would bring in the, you know, 'clownish liberal' – myself – and I would go on there,' he began. 'And one day, one of the people came down and said Mr. Ailes would like to see you. And I thought, 'Why? Geez, I didn't even know he lived in the building.''
Stewart continued: 'We had to walk through the kind of 'Get Smart' — doors would open and shut. You didn't really know where you were until you got into this one part of the building that was colder than the other parts of the building. You almost felt the hair on the back of your neck and the chill, and you could see everybody's breath in this one part. And he and I yelled at each other in the office for about an hour. He wanted me to show appreciation to him, because without him I have no career. And I wanted him to stop poisoning the atmosphere around the country.'
'And harassing his blonde hosts,' podcast guest Mehdi Hasan chimed in.
Ailes also mentioned the meeting between the two in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter back in 2015 as Stewart's time on 'The Daily Show' was coming to an end. The then-president had a much cheerier perspective on the meeting.
'You can't say that many negative things about people unless you're really unhappy about something,' Ailes said. 'I actually think he doesn't dislike me. We met once or twice. I talked to him for an hour once in my office. I think he's really smart, and he's got a great future.'
Stewart and Hasan marveled at Ailes' strategy for dealing with discourse and opposition from the left. It happens to be the same playbook used today by most of the right — most prominently by President Donald Trump and his supporters, they said.
'His methodology was: 'I am going to discredit all of the institutions or any of the voices that may in any way harm my movement. I'm going to make sure that editorial authority is seen as elitism. I am going to exercise authoritarian control over my message machine,'' Stewart explained. 'And that's, I think, the genius of that movement.'
Hasan just went viral for debating a number of right-wing enthusiasts on Jubilee's YouTube page earlier this month. He explained the difficulties that came with having those conversations because the people he was debating don't play by the same rules.
'Liberals and Democrats and Leftists have got to understand that you are not on some ridiculous even playing field,' he said. 'I've been hearing this since Donald Trump came down the escalator in 2015 – 'just because they don't play by the rules doesn't mean we shouldn't.' No that's exactly what it means!'
Watch the full 'Weekly Show' episode below:
The post Jon Stewart Remembers Creepy Meeting With Roger Ailes in the 'Bowels of Fox News': 'Yelled at Each Other for About an Hour' | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
American Eagle Defends Sydney Sweeney Ad Amid Uproar: ‘Great Jeans Look Good on Everyone'
"'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans," the brand says American Eagle is standing firmly behind its Sydney Sweeney ad campaign that has caused an uproar on social media and cable news over the last few days, saying the campaign 'is and always was about the jeans.' 'We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone,' the company said on social media. More from TheWrap American Eagle Defends Sydney Sweeney Ad Amid Uproar: 'Great Jeans Look Good on Everyone' Matthew Loeb Secures Another Term as IATSE International President at Union Convention Kevin Costner's 'Horizon' Settles Breach of Contract Lawsuit Over $350,000 in Unpaid Costume Fees 'Golden Bachelor' Star Mel Owens Says He 'Deserved' Backlash Over Ageist Comments Controversy erupted online last week after Sweeney's ad started making the rounds. In the spot, Sweeney touts herself for having great jeans – a play on the actress' genes. Other billboards for the campaign show her painting over the statement 'Sydney Sweeney has great genes' with 'jeans.' Some online have called the ad tone-deaf saying it celebrates her whiteness and thinness. Many viral comments deriding the ad brought up arguments that it's not only subtly promoting white supremacy but also eugenics, and nazi and master race propaganda. This outcry led to right-wing pundits and even the White House commenting on the issue. Trump's communication manager Steven Cheung called the reaction 'cancel culture run amok.' 'This warped, moronic and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024,' he wrote on X. 'They're tired of this bulls–t.' More to come… Watch the original ad below. The post American Eagle Defends Sydney Sweeney Ad Amid Uproar: 'Great Jeans Look Good on Everyone' appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Food Network star Paula Deen closes Georgia restaurants abruptly
Culinary star Paula Deen has abruptly shut off the burners at her popular Georgia restaurants. The former Food Network and bestselling cookbook author host announced Friday the sudden closure of the Savannah eatery that launched her to fame with its menu of Southern soul food staples. For nearly three decades, Deen ran The Lady & Sons restaurant with her two sons, Jamie and Bobby. The eatery continued to attract a loyal fan base long after the Food Network canceled her show amid a racism scandal. The 'Queen of Southern Cuisine' announced on Friday that she was pulling the plug on the signature restaurant, along with her shop The Chicken Box, which opened in 2023. 'Hey, y'all, my sons and I made the heartfelt decision that Thursday, July 31st, was the last day of service for The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box,' Deen said in a statement. 'Thank you for all the great memories and for your loyalty over the past 36 years,' she continued in the note also shared on social media. The family plans to shift their focus on its four remaining eateries, the Paula Deen's Family Kitchen chain, with locations in Pigeon Forge and Nashville, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Branson, Missouri. The Deens will plan to visit the Branson outpost on Aug. 8. Deen became a household name after the Food Network debuted 'Paula's Home Cooking' in 2002. The basic cable channel pulled the plug on the show in 2013 amid fallout from a lawsuit by a former employee. A transcript of Deen answering questions under oath in a legal deposition became public, which included her admitting to using the N-word. Her expansive business portfolio cratered as brand deals with Sears, Kmart and J. C. Penney, Smithfield Foods, Walmart, Target, Caesars Entertainment, QVC and the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk all were terminated. Publisher Random House also severed ties with Deen a year after it signed a lucrative five-book deal. She attempted a television comeback by competing on 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2015 and later served as a guest judge on chef Gordon Ramsay's 'MasterChef: Legends.' In 2020, the conservative-leaning Fox Nation began streaming 'At Home With Paula Deen.'
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Smithsonian removes references to Trump's impeachments from exhibit
The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History removed references to President Donald Trump's two impeachment proceedings from an exhibit on the "Limits of Presidential Power," a Smithsonian spokesperson confirmed to ABC News. The spokesperson said a future exhibit will include all presidential impeachments. The museum decided to "restore" the section of a permanent exhibition to its "2008 appearance" because various topics had not been updated since that year and therefore they removed references to Trump, the Smithsonian spokesperson told ABC News on Thursday. Trump is the only U.S. president to have been impeached twice. "In reviewing our legacy content recently, it became clear that the 'Limits of Presidential Power' section in The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden exhibition needed to be addressed. The section of this exhibition covers Congress, The Supreme Court, Impeachment, and Public Opinion," the spokesperson said. MORE: Artist Amy Sherald cancels Smithsonian exhibit, citing 'culture of censorship' The exhibit now only includes references to the impeachment proceedings against Presidents Andrew Johnson in 1868, Richard Nixon in 1973 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Nixon is the only U.S. president to resign following the commencement of impeachment proceedings. While serving as the 45th President of the United States, Trump was first impeached twice by Congress during his first term – with the first proceeding beginning on Dec. 18, 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction in connection with an alleged quid pro quo call with the Ukrainian president. Trump was acquitted when the trial concluded in the Senate on Feb. 5, 2020. Following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Trump was impeached for a second time on Jan. 13, 2021, on the charge of incitement of insurrection, but was again acquitted on Feb. 13, 2021, days after he left office after losing the 2020 election to President Joe Biden. Trump denied all wrongdoing in both of his impeachment cases. Following Trump's first impeachment proceeding, the Smithsonian released a statement on Jan. 21, 2020, about the collection of objects regarding Trump's impeachment. The statement said that as the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History "actively engages," with history, curators are following Trump's impeachment trial and will determine "which objects best represent these historic events for inclusion in the national collection." The Smithsonian spokesperson on Thursday said the museum "installed a temporary label on content concerning the impeachments of Donald J. Trump" in Sept. 2021, which was "intended to be a short-term measure to address current events at the time, however, the label remained in place until July 2025." "A large permanent gallery like The American Presidency that opened in 2000, requires a significant amount of time and funding to update and renew. A future and updated exhibit will include all impeachments," the spokesperson added, in explaining the removal of Trump references. An online description of the exhibit of the Smithsonian's website still referenced Trump's two impeachments as of Friday morning. The removal of references of Trump's impeachments was first reported by The Washington Post on Thursday. The report cited "a person familiar with the exhibit plans, who was not authorized to discuss them publicly," who told the Post that "the change came about as part of a content review that the Smithsonian agreed to undertake following pressure from the White House to remove an art museum director." Asked by ABC News about this claim, the Smithsonian spokesperson did not immediately comment. Museums and parks must remove some items related to race and gender: Executive order The Smithsonian affirmed its autonomy from outside influences in a June 9 statement after President Trump announced that he fired National Portrait Gallery head Kim Sajet for allegedly being a "highly partisan person." Sajet resigned on June 13, a Smithsonian spokesperson confirmed to ABC News. "Throughout its history, the Smithsonian has been governed and administered by a Board of Regents and a Secretary. The board is entrusted with the governance and independence of the Institution, and the board appoints a Secretary to manage the Institution. All personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board. Lonnie G. Bunch, the Secretary, has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian," the statement said. "The Board of Regents is committed to ensuring that the Smithsonian is a beacon of scholarship free from political or partisan influence, and we recognize that our institution can and must do more to further these foundational values," the Smithsonian added. Trump signed an executive order in March placing Vice President J.D. Vance in charge of supervising efforts to "remove improper ideology" from all areas of the Smithsonian and targeted funding for programs that advance "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology." The order -- called "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" -- directed Vance and Interior Department Secretary Doug Burgum to restore federal parks, monuments, memorials and statues "that have been improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events."
