In October 2004, The Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart made headlines for calling Tucker Carlson a “dick.” He was ahead of his time.
While promoting his book, America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction, Stewart appeared on CNN’s CrossFire, where he accused hosts Carlson and Paul Begala of being “partisan hacks.” He asked them to stop “hurting America,” made fun of Carlson’s bowtie, and told them that they “have a responsibility to the public discourse, and you fail miserably.” CrossFire was canceled shortly after Stewart’s appearance and Begala later wrote an op-ed for CNN with the headline, “The day Jon Stewart blew up my show.” As for Tucker Carlson, he’s still a d*ck, although that’s an insult to d*cks.
On Thursday, Stewart tweeted, “I called Tucker Carlson a d*ck on National television. It’s high time I apologize… to d*cks. Never should have lumped you in with that terrible terrible person.” This month alone, Carlson has offered his support for former-Good Morning Britain host and Meghan Markle obsessive Piers Morgan, found the “biggest story” there is (it involves weed and sperm), and pissed off military leaders by ridiculing female service members. The other Daily Show Jo(h)n also called him a “fearmongering lacrosse injury.” Stewart must be so proud.
I called Tucker Carlson a dick on National television. It’s high time I apologize…to dicks. Never should have lumped you in with that terrible terrible person.
— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) March 11, 2021
Here’s the CrossFire episode: