Jon Stewart tells Democrats to ‘govern,’ not stage ‘performative’ impeachment, if they win Congress

Comedian Jon Stewart urged Democrats to forgo what he called “performative” impeachment hearings against President Trump if they win back Congress in next month’s midterm elections, joining several prominent Democratic figures and commentators who have warned against the move.

Asked at the end of “The Weekly Show” podcast whether Democrats should seek to impeach Mr. Trump, Mr. Stewart said he wanted the party to mount a full-scale effort to rebalance the economy instead, Fox News reported.

“I don’t want to see a f—-ing five-act performative play of House hearings,” Mr. Stewart said. “I don’t want to see everybody having the opportunity to pantomime accountability because you know they’re actually not going to bring it.”

He said Democrats are free to pursue investigations, but argued they should prioritize problems “actually killing people right now.” He added that he wants Democrats to “govern.”

Republican-aligned strategists seized on the comments. Lauryn Killian, CEO of Killian Campaigns, told Fox News Digital that voters “will expect them to actually govern, not spend two years trying to undo the last election.” Y. David Scharf of the law firm Morrison Cohen called impeachment “political theater.”

The warning is not limited to Mr. Stewart. Democratic strategist James Carville and his “Politics War Room” co-host Al Hunt argued that impeachment would be a waste of time. Mr. Hunt said Democrats should “investigate, investigate, investigate” rather than “go on a mission that isn’t going to succeed.” Mr. Carville cited the difficulty of reaching the Senate votes needed to convict.

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that impeachment “is not going anywhere” and would become “a food fight.” He urged Democrats to pursue a comprehensive ethics package instead.

The comments come as Democrats are favored to regain control of the House in November. The Cook Political Report’s latest ratings update shifted 18 House races toward Democrats, underscoring the party’s improved prospects.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York Democrat, has declined to say whether he would support impeachment proceedings. He told NBC in June that Democrats had not “ruled anything in or ruled anything out” and that their focus would be making life more affordable.