Jon Stewart has responded with humor and pointed criticism after discovering his name was casually included in the newly released Jeffrey Epstein files.
Millions of documents tied to Epstein were made public on Friday, January 31, linking the disgraced financier to a range of high-profile figures, including Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and Bill Gates. Stewart’s name appeared as well though not as part of any alleged relationship with Epstein.
Instead, Stewart was mentioned in a 2015 email exchange between Epstein and film producer Barry Josephsen, in which the two discussed the idea of developing a stand-up comedy special centered on a figure identified only as “Woody.”
“I am in the files. This is actually true,” Stewart said while addressing the revelation on The Daily Show.
He then read from the email itself:
“Make a true biographical experience with his stand-up being the capper. Somebody like Jon Stewart could host/narrate the biographical part.”
Reacting in mock disbelief, Stewart joked:
“Excuse me? I am offended. Somebody like Jon Stewart, or Jon Stewart? My point is, do I have the offer, or is this an audition?”
Stewart went on to describe the latest release of Epstein-related material as a familiar cycle, calling it “Groundhog Day.”
“This is the day when Donald Trump sees Epstein’s shadow and we get six more weeks of not knowing who any of the co-conspirators are in this multinational sex trafficking case,” he said.
The host criticized what he described as the continued lack of accountability for powerful figures named in the files.
“It seems pretty clear to me that there is a sanctuary city in this country,” Stewart added. “The real sanctuary city is where money and power protect you from the consequences of sex trafficking, or influence peddling, or taking half a billion dollars and giving away America’s AI infrastructure.”
Stewart has previously commented on Trump’s appearance in Epstein-related emails, stating:
“You know it’s real because his allies are working overtime to distract.”
Several of the emails released in November 2025 reference Trump, who was known to have social ties to Epstein decades ago. In one exchange, Epstein claimed that the future president “knew about the girls.”
Trump has denied the allegations and told reporters he “knows nothing” about the emails, despite previously stating he would sign legislation to release the files if passed.
Stewart addressed that contradiction directly:
“This Epstein thing is no Democrat hoax, and you know it’s real because Trump’s allies are working overtime to distract, or in the case of Fox News, not even a mention.”
He continued:
“When the emails came out, Fox devoted most of their airtime to such urgent matters as: the socialist takeover of Seattle, the Treasury phasing out the penny, the Northern Lights, the growing popularity of Christian music, and, as always, ‘Kamala Harris goes crazy for carbs’.”
Calling the president’s response evasive, Stewart said Trump was “flailing” when questioned about the emails.
“If he had nothing to hide, he could have declassified and released these files at any time, and how do I know this? He said so,” Stewart noted.
He then played a clip from a September 2022 Fox News interview in which Trump stated:
“If you’re the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying, ‘It’s declassified.’”
Stewart concluded by clarifying that Trump’s inclusion in the Epstein emails does not, on its own, constitute evidence of guilt.
Source: The Independent