Too far? The Daily Show found itself at the center of a social media firestorm on Monday, June 27, after the Comedy Central show’s Twitter account posted a controversial tweet on the Texas abortion ruling.
On Monday morning, the Supreme Court struck down a restrictive Texas abortion access law that “required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and forced clinics to meet hospital-like standards for outpatient surgery” in a 5–3 ruling, according to the Associated Press.
The landmark ruling was a victory for the pro-choice movement, and President Barack Obama celebrated the decision, tweeting, “Every woman has a constitutional right to make her own reproductive choices. I’m pleased to see the Supreme Court reaffirm that fact today. Women’s opportunities are expanded and our nation is stronger when all of our citizens have accessible, affordable health care.”
After the decision was announced, The Daily Show tweeted, “Celebrate the #SCOTUS ruling! Go knock someone up in Texas!”
Several social media users immediately slammed the satirical news show for its post, which many users deemed “disgusting” and insisted the tweet went “too far.”
“This tweet is so vile,” Fox News host Meghan McCain replied, while WWJ Newsradio 950 anchor Jackie Paige added, “Get a conscience.”
Some users even blamed The Daily Show’s new host, Trevor Noah, hinting that the joke never would’ve happened under former host Jon Stewart’s reign.
Washington Post opinion writer Alyssa Rosenberg tweeted, “I sometimes think that the Daily Show just should have ended with Jon Stewart’s departure.” Another user wrote, “Can we have Jon Stewart back now?”
The Daily Show later posted a clarification on Twitter, writing, “Friends, we’re certainly not promoting abortions. Just excited about #SCOTUS reaffirming right to choose.”
Last year, less than 24 hours after he was named Stewart’s replacement, Noah, 32, faced backlash for several offensive tweets that he posted about overweight women and Jewish people. He later defended himself, writing, “To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.”
