Generally, when Jon Stewart awakes from the post-Daily Show rest he has been enjoying for all these years, it’s to drop some hot takes on whatever stupid bullshit the Republicans—and specifically Trump—are up to. This time, though, he’s trying to avoid going political in hopes of reaching as many people as he possibly can. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Stewart is working with a bipartisan group from Congress to promote the “Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act,” which hopes to extend the government funding for 9/11 first responders and their families for another 70 years.
This comes after the Department Of Justice has announced that it will be scaling back the existing Victim Compensation Fund for “budgetary reasons,” so Stewart has been using his status and connections to try and shine a brighter spotlight on the victims and families who are on the verge of getting extremely screwed-over by the federal government. Stewart, who appeared with 9/11 first responders and families at an event today at the U.S. Capitol building, also pleaded with the media to stick with this story and not move on when something more exciting or dramatic comes along. “You can amplify their stories, you can get their stories out to the American people,” he said, adding, “We need you to use your mouthpiece to get this going.”
Stewart also mentioned Trump’s latest meeting with Kim Jong Un, saying he knows that will get more breathless coverage than the medical needs of 9/11 first responders—many of whom have suffered from respiratory conditions and cancers from particles inhaled at Ground Zero—but he didn’t want this story to be tied in with anything Trump’s doing. THR says a reporter asked for his take on Trump’s presidency, and Stewart responded that “there’s no room to even speak of it.”