Jon Stewart slammed the Supreme Court as the “Fox News of justice” following its decision to overturn 1973’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion a constitutional right. On a recent episode of his podcast, “The Problem With Jon Stewart,” he said the overruling was not “based in any kind of reasoned debate or philosophical education.”
“I mean, there is no consistency. States can’t regulate guns, but they can regulate [uteruses], you know?” he added, referencing SCOTUS’ latest decision to strike down a New York gun law that necessitated a license to carry a firearm, which now opens the door for a significantly increased number of guns in public places.
Last week, the Court overturned Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 vote — 5 justices voted outright to overturn Roe, while Chief Justice Roberts concurred with their decision upholding a draconian Mississippi anti-abortion law but suggested he would have avoided ending the right entirely — spawning nationwide protests as over a dozen states set plans in motion to criminalize and ban abortion. Prominent figures in politics and Hollywood spoke out against the decision as a harmful step back in human rights that will certainly increase deaths from unsafe abortions and disproportionately affect low-income women and women of color.
“It is a cynical pursuit in the same way that Fox News would come out with ‘we’re fair and balanced’ under the patina of what would be a high-status pursuit to the betterment of society, journalism,” Stewart said. “They are a cynical political arm.”
Stewart also lambasted justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch for essentially lying under oath. Centrist Sens. Susan Collins and Joe Manchin, who voted to appoint the two, suggested they were misled by the pair as being in favor of upholding abortion rights. Both Kavanaugh and Gorsuch voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“When you look at the ridiculous kabuki theater now of justice confirmation, where they can just go out there and just fucking lie, like if this were about debate, then they would’ve understood what perjury meant,” he said.
Ire directed at the Supreme Court has been making headlines all week, from Olivia Rodrigo and Lily Allen’s dedication of the song “F— You” to the five justices who voted to overturn Roe to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling for impeachment and consequences to those who lied under oath about defending abortion rights.
