NEW YORK – Jon Stewart teased both sides of the political aisle during a charity event that raised almost $6 million to support U.S. veterans.
"The Daily Show" host, 63, took part in the 20th Stand Up for Heroes benefit on Monday, Nov. 9, which is organized by the New York Comedy Festival and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. The fundraiser benefits Woodruff's foundation, which the ABC journalist started after he was wounded in 2006 while reporting on the war in Iraq for the network.
Stewart and fellow New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen headlined a bill that also included comedians Josh Johnson and Hasan Minhaj plus musicians Alex Warren and The Resilient, a band comprised of military veterans.
"Did you have a good week?" Stewart asked as he opened
his 17-minute set, referencing the midterms that took place on Nov. 3 in which a blue tsunami saw, amongst other things, Democrats take control of the House and Senate. "I'm excited that Mitch McConnell finally is not going to be in [the Senate] after only being dead for six years.
"Is it that easy to stay in the Senate that you can die and still be in the Senate?" Stewart continued as the crowd laughed. The comedian said he doesn't feel bad about his McConnell jokes because the senator, who will retire after this term, was a "giant pain in the ass" when Stewart was advocating for both the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and the PACT Act, which was designed to fund healthcare for millions of military veterans.
"I do feel bad that he's obviously dead," Stewart added, mimicking some of the senator's blank facial expressions while questioning both the public explanation for the senator's health and his colleagues' response to some of the public issues McConnell has faced while dealing with the media.
Stewart then turned his attention to the Democrats, specifically President Joe Biden's shortened bid for reelection in 2024.
"No disrespect, but we knew he was cooked," Stewart said about the 46th president. "I used to come on [TV] and go, 'Biden is too old. He's done.' And liberals would be like, 'Hey why are you telling everyone?'
"And I'm like, 'Oh right, if I don't say it, [voters] will never be able to tell with their eyes or ears."
Stewart also joked about how while conservatives "live in a different reality," liberals would try "to rationalize" what they saw from elected officials of their own party.
"I'll tell you how you know he's cooked: When he's giving a speech, what's your body language at home?" Stewart asked the crowd, referencing former President Biden. "Is it, 'That's an interesting point'? Or is it, 'Please don't fall'?"
Springsteen lends jokes, songs to historic evening for veterans foundation
The only celebrity who has appeared at more Stand Up for Heroes events than Stewart is Springsteen. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, 77, told a few dirty jokes in between a four-song acoustic set that wrapped with his 1984 hit "Dancing in the Dark."
On the event's red carpet, Bob and his wife Lee Woodruff remembered the first conversation they had with Springsteen about the benefit, in 2007.
"We were out to dinner with him and I thought, 'What the hell?'" Lee Woodruff recalled before asking Springsteen if he'd participate in the event, which was later that year. "And he looked at Patti [Scialfa] and he was like, 'Of course I'll come.'"
For Bob Woodruff, the challenges of the foundation have shifted over the last two decades as the nonprofit has learned more about what veterans need after their service.
"I think in the very beginning when we started this, it was the visible wounds that were we were addressing, the ones like mine," Woodruff said. "And then we started to see more of the invisible wounds, post-traumatic stress, homelessness, finding jobs. The veterans need a lot of support."
In addition to the $5.9 million that the event raised, Craiglist founder and philanthropist Craig Newmark pledged an additional $28 million, bringing his total donations to the foundation to $100 million.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jon Stewart skewers liberals, conservatives at Stand Up for Heroes event
