The assassination attempt on the life former President Donald J. Trump hasn’t just shaken up the 2023 presidential race or resulted in heightened security at this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee: It’s resulted in “ The Daily Show ” tearing up its coverage plans of the convention this week. The Comedy Central show was going to have a robust on-the-ground presence at the convention as part of their ongoing Indecision 2024 package, much as they have every election cycle.
Instead, they’re going to cancel tonight’s (Monday July 15) show altogether and then host shows from their New York City studios Tuesday through Thursday. “Our apologies for the inconvenience,” Comedy Central said in a statement posted on X. “But due to logistical issues and the evolving situation in Milwaukee, we need to reschedule our events on the ground in Wisconsin and will look to make those up in the coming weeks.
” On Saturday July 13, a 20-year-old assailant, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired multiple rounds from an AR-15 in the direction of former President Trump, while he was speaking on-stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was grazed in an ear, but a man in the stands was fatally wounded and two others have been in critical condition. “The Daily Show” had a 1,000-plus-seat theater booked for four days of shows (Monday-Wednesday the news team was hosting; Jon Stewart was set to host Thursday’s episode) as well as several on-the-ground events, including a voter registration/dog adoption.
These things take quite a bit of lead time, so the show had people out there already. They were all set and the venue was great, a source tells IndieWire. But after the attempt on Trump’s life, out of an abundance of caution, the show pulled the plug on its grand plans and sent people home, the source said.
Currently it is unclear if Stewart will still host the Thursday episode (now back in New York City!) or Tuesday’s return to the airwaves. To this point, he’s been hosting Monday night shows since his return to the series earlier this year . IndieWire will update this piece as we receive more information.
Reporting by Tony Maglio.
