Stewart to Dems: The Constant Drumbeat of Encroaching Fascism by Trump Will End Our Credibility

[Clip starts]
McGovern: “These pardons are sick, they’re offensive. They are UN-American.”
(...)
SETMAYER: “This is one of the most egregious, despicable acts in American history.”
(...)
MADDOW: “This is textbook authoritarian takeover 101.”
[Clip ends]

STEWART: “I knew I should’ve taken that class!
(Laughter)
And not majored in submissive liberal crying 101! ‘Oh, do what you will, Trumpiski.’ Was it sh*tty? Should you have let out some of these are terrible people? Is it an abusive pardon power? I don’t [bleep] know. But that is his constitutional power. Again, for some reason, we have given presidents the power of a king, and then we say, ‘Oh, by the way, you’re not going to get all kingly and sh*t on us, right?’ To put that in constitutional terms, if I could, don’t hate the player, hate the Founding Fathers!
(Cheering and Applause)
Why do we even have it? Because I don’t know if you’ve met Donald Trump, he pushes sh*t.”

[Clip starts]
Reporter: “President Trump deploying executive action to end birthright citizenship.”
(...)
BONTA: “This unconstitutional, UN-American attack.”
(...)
CASAR: “Shredding our Constitution.”
(...)
Garcia: “He wants to be a strongman authoritarian.”
[Clip ends]

STEWART: “Birthright citizenship was very specifically tailored to send a message to people that America was a place, an idea. It wasn’t for one race, it wasn’t for one gender. Citizenship in America was based on where you were, not who you were. And to just, stroke of a pen, finally, I agree, that is authoritarian.”

[Clip starts]
MUIR: “We do begin tonight with the federal judge blocking President Trump’s executive order that would end birthright citizenship.”
[Clip ends]

STEWART: “And we’re back. See how easy that was? It was a dictatorship and then the judge went — it’s like when you have an electric fence. You never check it, you’re not really sure if it works. ’cause you have a good boy!
(Cheering and Applause)
You have a very good boy. But then one day, zap! By the way, I fundamentally disagree with the use of electric fences. It is true. I prefer to discipline my dogs with a series of passive aggressive comments about their weight. ‘Really tearing through the bowl tonight, huh? Take a breath, Tubs! It’s called kibble, not gobble!’ By the way, my dog’s name is Tubs. Anyway, birthright citizenship is back!”

[Clip starts]
Trump: “No. Obviously, we will appeal it.”
[Clip ends]

STEWART: “Damn you, constitutionally enshrined judicial review of executive action and its relief through the appellate process! Look, we are facing a deluge of these executive actions, and certainly, we must be prepared for those most vulnerable to the consequences of these actions. But the ‘this is all fascist’ argument has become almost a reflex for the left.”

[Clip starts]
EISEN: “Donald Trump promised to be a dictator on day one, and he’s carried that forward through the entire week.”
(...)
CROW: “Five days into this administration, the abuse is already rampant.”
(...)
RUBIN: “Throughout the rest of the week, shredding the Constitution as he went.”
PHANG: “On a fascism scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being peak fascism, how would you rate Trump’s first week?”
[Clip ends]

(Laughter)

STEWART: “On a scale of Mussolini to the Holocaust... I would say it is not fascism. Do I not understand what fascism is? And also, if I may — this may be petty — why are we asking someone who, at the end of January, still has his [bleep] Christmas tree up?
(Laughter)
Why are we asking him anything? You know who used to leave their Christmas tree up all the time? Hitler. Somebody in the audience literally jumped my Hitler joke.
(Laughter)
You know who used to do that, by the way?
(Laughter)
Pol Pot. Now look, I have a lot of fear that as this term goes on, things are going to get a little fascist-y. And we must be vigilant. But part of vigilance is discernment. Republicans control the House, the Senate, the executive, and the judiciary, and just about every move that has been made ’til this point, we have granted them electorally. It’s our [bleep] fault!
(Applause)
Yes, it’s our fault! And the constant drumbeat of encroaching fascism will erode the credibility we will need if — hopefully if, and not when — it hits. But the truth is that, for now, his most objectionable actions have taken place almost entirely within our designed democratic system. Like, the confirmation process. Despite claims of meritocracy, Trump has put forth some of the least Linkedin people you could imagine.”