Jon Stewart is actually proud of the Democrats this time

Even though the right is obviously arguing in bad faith (as is their wont), the underhanded tactics have the media speculating that the Democrats have walked into a shutdown “trap.” The threat, as Stewart sees it, is that “Donald Trump takes advantage of the situation” and trims programs Democrats care about, fire federal workers, eliminate funding (but only for blue states), or send the National Guard into blue areas. “In other words, to continue doing all the shit Trump has not needed any provocation or pretense or reason to already have been doing lo these past—God, it feels like fucking 80 years,” Stewart says.

It’s a compelling argument as to why the Democrats shouldn’t fold under pressure. And as Stewart points out, millions of Americans voted for the Democratic ticket last year who now have no power and little representation across the branches of government. But their wants and needs matter, too. “Look, I’ve given Democrats an enormous amount of shit for their poor leadership, lack of specific and actionable plans, terrible messaging, abysmal wordplay, did I mention poor leadership?” Stewart says. (In the very same monologue, he bemoans that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer “is a human flat tire.”) “But standing up for 75 million Americans in this moment to defend the rights of people to go into a little less medical debt seems like the least they can fucking do. And perhaps, maybe that will remind the Republicans that their mandate wasn’t 100 percent.” You can watch the full monologue for yourself below.