Americans, millennials, the civic-minded with a sense of humor, and everyone in between are all rightfully wringing their hands at the news that beloved Daily Show host Jon Stewart will retire later this year.
All but the stodgiest viewers have long accepted that just because Stewart has joke writers and a live, laughing audience, that doesn’t mean his content is any less serious than the network newscasts. Now that he is heading for the door, it’s worth remembering that he has put tough questions to some of the most important American political figures during his 16 years as Daily Show host.
Many of these interviews are split into multiple segments. We encourage you to click through to see the full conversations.
1) Donald Rumsfeld, 2011
2) Barack Obama, 2005
3) Chris Christie, 2012
4) John McCain, 2002
5) Nancy Pelosi, 2011
6) Barack Obama, 2012
7) Marco Rubio, 2012
8) Wendy Davis, 2014
9) Hillary Clinton, 2003
10) Hillary Clinton, 2014
11) Bill Clinton, 2007:
This video isn’t embeddable, but you can watch it here.
12) Rand Paul, 2011
13) Bernie Sanders, 2011
This video isn’t embeddable, but you can watch it here.
14) Colin Powell, 2005
15) John McCain, 2006
16) Henry Kissinger, 2003
17) Dennis Kucinich, 2003
18) Arlen Specter, 2000
19) Joe Lieberman, 2001
20) Bill Clinton, 2014
21) Jimmy Carter, 2015
Images via The Daily Show | Illustration by Max Fleishman