Jon Stewart Offers Lame Excuse For Canceling The Daily Show in Milwaukee

Jon Stewart (right) interviews Bill O’Reilly on The Daily Show. Image from Comedy Central.

There are approximately 15,000 media members in Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Convention. But missing is “America’s only trusted source for news.”

“The Daily Show,” Comedy Central’s satirical political news show anchored by Jon Stewart, canceled its run of Milwaukee shows after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

For four nights, the show was scheduled to broadcast from the Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St.

Signage had gone up on the theater’s glass facade and social media was abuzz with Milwaukee residents who had scored tickets.

But by Sunday, the signs were down, a pre-show event at Cathedral Square Park was scrapped and the Monday show was canceled.

“Obviously we were supposed to be doing our show from Milwaukee for the RNC this week,” said Stewart in his opening monologue Tuesday, recording at the show’s primary studio in New York City.

But what Stewart said next doesn’t fully add up.

“Because of the attempt on the former president’s life, our venue, the venue in which we planned to do the show is a theater, which was originally located in the ‘soft perimeter’ they called it security wise, was shifted, understandably so, to the ‘hard perimeter,'” said Stewart. Except that a shift didn’t actually happen. The fences were already up before the assassination attempt. “You really don’t want to be in the hard perimeter,” Stewart added. “It was locked down. They built cages around the theater. Because of that, we felt that we could not logistically put on the theater shows effectively without people.”

Being in the “hard zone” would have been a challenge, as Secret Service credentials are required for entry. But the Marcus Center remains outside of the hard perimeter, and just outside of the soft perimeter where vehicle screening is in effect.

A Marcus Center spokesperson said a possible change in the convention perimeter was discussed, but didn’t happen. “At the time of cancellation on Sunday, there were still questions about whether the security perimeter would be shifting due to the events in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety and well-being of our audience members, guests, and staff, the decision was made to cancel,” said the spokesperson, though it would appear that decision was made by The Daily Show.

The convention, designated a National Special Security Event, has not seen its security plan publicly modified in the wake of the shooting.

Mayor, Milwaukee Draw Praise

Stewart was effusive in his praise for Milwaukee and Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

“But I do want to say to the city of Milwaukee, the mayor of Milwaukee could not have been more accommodating to the show, more gracious to us, we thank you so much. I do hope we will be able to come back to Milwaukee, we really do want to come back at some point and make up some of the events we had planned, especially our InDogcision,” said Stewart. “We get dogs adopted and people registered to vote. Or it’s the other way around, I don’t really remember.”

The event in question was to be voter registration and dog adoption in partnership with HeadCount, a voter registration organization, and the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, MADACC.

Stewart Pans Johnson Speech

Wisconsin got even more airtime Tuesday.

Stewart and “The Daily Show” mocked U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson‘s divisive speech and the Republican’s push for unity.

Johnson blamed the issue on the teleprompter having an old version of his speech loaded, which Stewart also poked fun at.

Former Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly was a guest on the show Tuesday.

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