This claim is true. On an episode of The Daily Show, which aired on Monday, November 10th, host Jon Stewart expressed his outrage and disbelief at the Democrats’ decision by exclaiming “I can’t f**king believe it.” This quote comes directly from the official YouTube channel of The Daily Show.
At the time of writing, the United States government shutdown has been ongoing for 42 days. Democrats and Republicans in Congress could not agree on a spending plan to fund the government, as Democrats demanded “an extension of expiring tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans” (BBC). The shutdown has halted numerous government services and thousands of federal workers have been furloughed. The necessity of Democratic votes to avert the shutdown gave the party significant negotiating leverage in the inclusion of healthcare subsidies (Brookings).
The Democrats’ leverage in the Senate, however, is no more. On Monday, November 10th, seven Democrats and one independent senator caved to the Republican majority and agreed to pass the spending bill without the healthcare tax credits (NPR). This action comes just following the strong Democratic showing in the November 4th elections, in which Democratic candidates swept gubernatorial and mayoral races across the country. Jon Stewart’s frustration with the Democratic party stems from the fact that, in caving to the Republicans, the party squandered its advantage.
The direct quote comes from the Daily Show itself, while information regarding the government shutdown is sourced from highly reputable news outlets including the British Broadcasting Corporation and National Public Radio, as well as Brookings, a reliable non-profit research organization. The sources I utilized present little to no bias, and I found no evidence which undermines the original claim.
