Jon Stewart Unloads on Republican Mike Rogers as ‘Bullsh*t’ Patriot Who Opposed His 9/11 Bill: ‘Real Pain in Our A*s’

 

Jon Stewart told Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed that his opponent, Mike Rogers, holds a “special place of disdain” in his life, recalling the Republican being a “pain in our a*s” when Stewart was trying to get a 9/11 first responder bill passed through Congress.

El-Sayed joined Stewart on The Weekly Show on Wednesday as the candidate is in his final couple of weeks before the midterm elections.

At one point, Stewart launched into a rant against Rogers, calling his patriotism “bullsh*t” as he recalled Rogers voting against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which provided medical treatment, financial compensation, and more services to 9/11 first responders suffering from health issues related to their work around 9/11. Stewart has long been an advocate for veterans and first responders, even testifying before Congress in 2019 and shaming lawmakers for skipping out on the hearing on reauthorizing the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund

The Zedroga bill ultimately did pass Congress and was signed into law in 2011, but Stewart lists Rogers along with other lawmakers who offered no help.

“Your opponent, Mike Rogers, holds a special place of disdain in my life,” Stewart told El-Sayed.

“You and me both,” El-Sayed said.

Stewart declared about Rogers, “He was a problem in that fight.”

The Daily Show host explained:

I’ll tell you why. And it goes along with this. It’s this paper patriotism of guys that claim the mantle of, I love the troops, I respect the…never forget the heroes of 9/11. This guy, Mike Rodgers, was a real pain in our a*s. In 2010, we were trying to get the Zadroga Act, which was for 9/11 first responders and their healthcare, through Congress, and he was a particularly obstinate…”oh, that’s just a New York problem.” He voted against it all while talking about how much he respects [them] and the heroes of 9/11 and I’m a patriot and all that, and it was all bullsh*t.

And I cannot tell you…he holds a special place along with Senator Mike Lee, the same kind of bullsh*t of…never forget the heroes of 9/11 and this country was attacked and we got to stand up and we’re the patriots and we are the patriotic party. And he stood in the way of these individuals that he called heroes getting the healthcare that they needed based on the selfless heroism that they displayed on 9/11. And I apologize for the rant on that, but man does that hold a special, contemptuous place in my heart for individuals like that, truly.

Watch above via The Weekly Show.

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Zachary Leeman covered pop culture and politics at outlets such as Breitbart, LifeZette, BizPac Review, HollywoodinToto, and others. He is the author of the novel Nigh. He joined Mediaite in 2022.