In a bold and blistering critique, comedian John Stewart recently tore into CNN’s latest push for a book that claims to expose the truth about President Joe Biden’s health, particularly his mental and physical decline. But this isn’t just another book launch—it is yet another chapter in the ongoing saga of political cover-ups, media manipulation, and the blurred lines between news and entertainment.

Stewart, known for his sharp wit and irreverent takes on politics and media, didn’t mince words when discussing CNN’s latest book, written by Jake Tapper, which supposedly sheds light on Biden’s deteriorating health. For Stewart and many others, the release of this book wasn’t a “bombshell”; it was confirmation of what the American public had already observed. With all the stumbles, confusion, and vacant stares from the President, it wasn’t exactly a state secret. Yet, the book’s timing and the media’s subsequent attempt to portray it as urgent—particularly after Biden’s recent cancer diagnosis—smacked of calculated manipulation.

The problem, as Stewart sees it, isn’t just the book itself. It’s the media’s gaslighting tactics. According to him, CNN didn’t simply report the news—they hawked it. Their desperation to push this book seemed almost comical, with Stewart questioning whether there was a prize for whoever sold the most copies, likening it to a Girl Scout cookie sales competition where the biggest seller gets a Schwinn bicycle. Stewart’s point was clear: CNN had not only ignored journalistic ethics but had also participated in a blatant money grab masquerading as responsible reporting.

The Hypocrisy of CNN’s Reporting

John Stewart didn’t just call out CNN’s promotional tactics. He pointed out a deeper, more troubling issue: the hypocrisy of a network that has long been accused of having a political agenda. By framing Biden’s health revelations as an urgent, pressing issue, CNN crossed the line from reporting the facts to distorting them. They were trying to sell the narrative of Biden’s health as something shocking and unknown, but for most of the country, the signs had been evident for a long time.

The media’s cover-up of Biden’s mental and physical decline had been so glaring that it became impossible to ignore. Yet, for months, CNN and other outlets refused to acknowledge what was increasingly becoming undeniable. Instead, they focused on fluff pieces and deflection. When Biden’s health became a political liability, they spun it into a crisis that needed urgent attention, attempting to make the public believe they were the ones “revealing” something we had all seen coming.

This was no longer journalism. It was emotional manipulation. Stewart’s savage deconstruction of CNN’s behavior painted the network as a culprit in a larger drama of self-preservation. They were no longer fulfilling their journalistic duty to report the truth—they were selling sensationalism for profit. It’s a vicious cycle: headlines crafted for shock value, facts filtered through political biases, and integrity thrown out the window in favor of ratings and book deals.

Biden’s Health and the Politics of Secrecy

For many, the most frustrating part of the Biden health saga wasn’t that the president’s decline was being ignored—it was the refusal to admit it. It wasn’t until the situation became politically inconvenient that the Biden camp finally conceded the truth. The American public had been screaming about the president’s obvious health issues, but until the powers that be could no longer hide it, the truth was buried under layers of spin and political posturing.

As Stewart pointed out, this is part of a long and uncomfortable pattern. The public was gaslighted over Biden’s fitness for office, and just when it became unavoidable to address it, the media and political elites played damage control. The truth, in the form of a diagnosis or acknowledgment, was released strategically to mitigate political fallout—not out of concern for transparency.

And then, just as the media tried to present Biden’s health issues as breaking news, it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer, a disclosure that felt suspiciously timed with the release of Tapper’s book. Stewart’s criticism was pointed: the timing wasn’t about transparency or a genuine concern for the public; it was about controlling the narrative. This was no public service announcement—it was a damage control tactic wrapped up in the guise of compassion.

Trump’s Surprising Response and Media Double Standards

But the hypocrisy didn’t end there. When former President Donald Trump responded with a rare moment of decency—wishing Biden a speedy recovery—the media had a meltdown. Stewart noted how left-wing comedians and pundits were blindsided by Trump’s simple act of kindness. This wasn’t supposed to be part of their narrative. Trump, in their eyes, was the villain, and any gesture that suggested otherwise sent their carefully crafted worldview into disarray.

The real kicker, however, was CNN’s reaction. They were caught off guard by Trump’s civility, but it wasn’t because they were surprised by his humanity—it was because it didn’t fit their agenda. CNN, and many others in the media, wanted to portray Trump as a villain at all costs. When the moment of grace came, it forced them to acknowledge the truth of their own bias. But instead of celebrating the decency, they awkwardly tried to deflect and distract from what had happened.

Trump’s comments, though rare, struck a chord of honesty that many observers had long since stopped expecting from the media. This was more than a political statement—it was a direct challenge to the partisan spin that had become so entrenched in American media. It forced the media to reckon with their own role in perpetuating a narrative of division. But the media wasn’t ready for this level of self-awareness, and it revealed a deep hypocrisy in their portrayal of Trump as a purely evil figure.

A System of Deception

This constant game of spin and selective storytelling isn’t limited to just CNN or Biden’s health; it’s a systemic issue that plagues both parties. Whether it’s Biden’s mental decline, Hunter Biden’s controversies, or the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, the media plays an active role in shaping narratives that benefit the political elites. In this world, transparency takes a back seat to power, and the American people are left to sift through the lies and half-truths.

In the end, Stewart’s rant wasn’t just a critique of CNN—it was a condemnation of the entire media ecosystem that prioritizes profit over truth. It’s a system that thrives on fear, outrage, and selective storytelling, with the public caught in the crossfire. Journalism, once a noble pursuit aimed at holding power accountable, has now become a business where the facts are filtered and manipulated for commercial success.

The real issue isn’t just about Biden’s health or CNN’s book—it’s about the erosion of trust in both the media and our political leaders. Until that trust is restored, the American public will continue to be left in the dark, piecing together the truth from leaks, half-confessions, and the occasional act of decency. But as Stewart so astutely pointed out, in today’s media landscape, truth is a commodity—and one that’s increasingly hard to come by.