Interviewing Secretary McDonough | The Problem With War | The Problem With Jon Stewart | Apple TV+

The Problem with Jon Stewart is now streaming on Apple TV+ theproblem.link/WarEpisode
For our first episode, Jon met with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis R. McDonough to talk about toxic exposure and what’s standing in the way of veterans getting the care they need. Watch the full episode on Apple TV+.
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[@ZachGood]

This was - and I don't say this lightly - one of the best interviews of a public servant I've ever seen. Jon shows what reporters and newscasters _should_ be doing.

[@chrisheist652]

And yet it was still woefully insufficient.

[@vforwombat9915]

for the most part. he came in prepared didn't get sidetracked, and explored the issue in depth. but he did waste a fair bit of time asking the man the exact requirements for approval when the guy didn't know them offhand. i'm pretty sure the requirements are highly technical and not something a person would know without looking them up. better to skip ahead and get to the next question, which was, 'what do you need?' which he did ask and the man answered

[@itcouldbelupus2842]

It's like we're finally seeing an adult ask intelligent questions for the first time in American media in a long while.

[@JohnKimbler]

I find it ironic that a comedian provides better coverage of the news than a reporter...

[@andalilbitqueer]

Jon Stewart, John Oliver, and Hasan Minhaj have done some of the best intervies of government officials. Minhaj's interview with Justin Trudeau still stands out to me as one of my favorites.

[@parishala]

I'm a vet and about started screaming at my screen when he said he didn't care what Jon thinks, but what the vets think. Jon is only even there speaking for vets because they're not listening to us. Then he let the good Mr. Isaiah James say again what we've been all saying. Thank you Jon, I love you.

[@juliaconnell]

thank you for your service. I care. I'm listening. ❤️

[@vforwombat9915]

"I'm a vet and about started screaming at my screen when he said he didn't care what Jon thinks, but what the vets think. J" maybe you misinterpreted. maybe I'm being too trusting, but what I got from that was that McDonough meant he wasn't worried about how he came off in the interview, he was worried about getting the process resolved. he said he asked Jon to bring the topic up. he said multiple times he wanted to get the care for the vets but that legally his hands were tied. seems to me either he's lying to cover himself or he does actually care and is bound by beaurocracy. i just didnt' get a lying vibe from him.

[@samus598]

@@vforwombat9915 I got the lying vibe from him. He literally just said "I'm trying I'm trying I'm Trying" and Jon is saying "you're failing" and then he basically just shrugs. He had no productive solutions, he has accomplished ZERO and he wants us to believe he can't do any better, and we can't pass any legislation to make it better either. That's a load of bull. He's failing the veterans, and Jon gave him the opportunity to say what he needed if his "hands are tied" he had no answers to that. If he really cared he would've said what we the people can do to fix this. But instead he's just like "don't worry, I got this" even though he clearly doesn't.

[@PikaPWN91]

@@vforwombat9915 Then he should be made to know that their petty bureaucracy is costing lives and causing suffering. What a country we live in where we can't expect our government officials to do the right thing when it needs to be done.

[@vforwombat9915]

@@samus598 "I got the lying vibe from him" okay. "He had no productive solutions, he has accomplished ZERO " he apparently already got three conditions qualified for coverage. the issue was the others. the question, really, is whether there actually is a statute that ties his hands or if he's using it as an excuse. "If he really cared he would've said what we the people can do to fix this." when asked, he said vets need to submit claims he can use as evidence. he's a government guy, he believes in the process even when it's failing. that does seem kinda silly. Jon asked him, if the process fails, will you work around it? and he said, 'i'm trusting the process right now, but if it does fail, i'll do whatever. as far as squirrely answers go, it's a LOT less squirrely than most politicians. I'm not going into this starry eyed. he made a case, and i TEND to believe him. i'm not surprised you don't, ppl trust with different levels.

[@TitanFrost]

Jon Stewart is such an amazing interviewer. He doesn't let them weasel out of uncomfortable questions and is still respectful of them every step of the way. Edit: Jon

[@francoisbouvier7861]

These bureaucrats must hate the tact that Stewart employs. This guy has to be a lawyer.

[@johnbeo]

It's Jon

[@cheeseheadfiddle]

Dennis McDonough was my neighbor in DC and he coached my kids T-ball team. This was when he was chief of staff for Obama. He has just started at the VA. He has been put in charge of a system that has been messed up for decades. He is a very intelligent and compassionate man. I believe he’s on the right path. And Stewart is awesome.

[@adoniramulloa2943]

Fucking legend, that's how you respectfully interview someone and still hold them accountable. Stewart never lost focus.

[@chucktaylor1065]

he IS a freakin legend. I genuinely missed him so much

[@sramoore0075187]

I liked his approach with this interview for sure. The VA Secretary wasn’t really giving him answers though. As the secretary, he should know how to address the burnpit issue. The thing is, it should be simple. ANY VETERAN who deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan should be taken care of for the rest of their lives. If it is a money thing, tax the fuck out of the oil and security companies that profited billions of dollars off the backs of service men and women.

[@golddee2040]

He could have interrupted him a bit less.

[@em8066]

Jon is a much more patient person than I am. McDonough went in so many obfuscation circles on a life and death topic.

[@peterstafford4426]

Stewart is more interested in his brand than in the truth. He wants attention. He wants his show to be successful. There is a bit of bad faith in what he is doing. His goal is to make the guy look bad. He is doing that because people find that compelling. Stewart is not 100% focused on the facts. This is what happens when everything becomes show biz.

[@jspres86]

“How crazy is it when politicians are a joke and comedians are taken seriously?” -Will Rogers

[@robingourde3324]

It's not crazy, it's the 21st century. Will Rogers said that in 1932. And nothing changed. Now THAT'S crazy. And sad.

[@Brianbeesandbikes]

COURT JESTERS HAD FOOLS AS WELL

[@CreatorCade]

@@fullyfb3847 I agree wholeheartedly but the problem with “ trimming the top” is that it always grows back.

[@assassinsrequiem]

That's because comedians are much more witty & intelligent than regular journalists.

[@travelguy6424]

"why can't we get this done?" "because there's a bar that we have to meet" "what's that bar?" "there's a bar we have to meet" "but if we don't know what that bar is then how will we ever meet it?" "there's a bar we have to meet"

[@RockChalk263]

Yea - the circular logic was completely obvious.

[@johnh6327]

the urge to throw that man out a window

[@Zero11_ss]

felt like he couldn't say because he hasn't looked at the standard/requirements in so long

[@RockChalk263]

@@Zero11_ss well that's his fucking job. If I said something like that at my job, I'd be shit-canned.

[@KaleRylan]

This was a wonderful interview and i agree with you, but at the same time the government is full of a million nonsense rules. People are not going to know them all. Not even if its "their job" Personally, i think whatever the bar is, lower it. This is my general stance on this sort of government nonsense. With certain obvious exceptions i dont really blame individuals. The us government is way too big for that, but we have to start cutting through some of this nonsense

[@RedEyedModok]

The only second this guy was Honest is when he told Jon. "He didnt care what he thought."

[@KingBobXVI]

I believe the correct quote was, "I don't really give a shit."

[@rogue-ish5713]

@@KingBobXVI And there it is, they don't care. Until they are made to care. I think they are poisoning the vets to kill them off, A lot of disillusion happened when you are out. I wouldn't be surprised this is apart of the plan all along and Jonny Boy over there shook them up.

[@puffymagu]

Amazing that all these years later people still show up to a Jon Stewart interview unprepared.

[@Fresh_Biscuits]

Even more so considering that these are simple questions and instead of being honest they dance around the answer like there is a lawyer off camera holding a gun to their head.

[@BrickTamlandOfficial]

"I don't give a shit" well that part was obvious...

[@BrickTamlandOfficial]

@@Fresh_Biscuits I mean they would likely get fired for saying the wrong thing.

[@johnbartlett9568]

The real answer is: Nothing is more important than MONEY. But Secretary McDonough is not allowed to say that. But it is the truth. The Reality

[@Fresh_Biscuits]

@@BrickTamlandOfficial yeah I now why hes doing it, I just think thats part of problem. or at least a symptom of it.

[@maxmouche]

Can't begin to explain how happy I am to see you back Jon. We've all missed you so much over the last 6 years!

[@696ShowTime696]

amen.

[@captainwonderbar1657]

Word

[@hugh-jasole]

Especially since Colbert isn't funny anymore and stopped trying to be interesting or inquisitive in any way. Stewart's appearance on Colbert recently when he made the Wuhan comments just further cemented how legendary and truly great Job Stewart is

[@justinfowler2857]

Had Jon been on the air in 2016 there would not have been a tRump administration in my opinion.

[@justinfowler2857]

@@hugh-jasole At least I'm not the only one who misses the old Colbert.

[@earthling7183]

Jon isn't the typical journalist held back by corporate strings. He's an advocate, armed w research, testimony, & solutions. Nice! Sec. of VA is as uncomfortable as he should be.

[@spankythedog56]

I'd propose the idea he should be infinitely more uncomfortable.

[@danielwallops5858]

@@spankythedog56 I agree. What would his level of discomfort be if he were made to dig a hole and burn jet fuel in it, while inhaling toxic fumes and smoke?

[@ryanedwards7487]

I feel like you aren’t paying attention to actual journalists. I mean, the people on the news channels from 6-11 (am/pm is kinda interchangeable) are more commentators, with personalities that, rightly or wrongly (can someone throw Hannity, Carlson, and Ingraham in a hole in someone’s basement already???) draw viewers. Outside of those hours you actually see news. If you follow a local paper, or the New York Times, Washington Post, (basically the less color outside of photos on the front page, the better the source in my experience), or local news channels not owned by Sinclair (and others….I’m positive there is an anti-Sinclair conglomerate that pushes pure “left” ideology-it’s the law of dichotomy), you actually see good journalism. There /are/ journalists. The problem is that journalism has been so utterly vilified by political operatives that so many people think it’s nothing but lies. Although, you have to appreciate the irony that FoxNews watchers don’t believe “MSM”… but listen to what they hear on FoxNews…or NewsMax…or OAN. That’s about as obvious an example of cognitive dissonance as you will ever see.

[@Strider91]

Why should he be uncomfortable, why not instead hope to make him comfortable enough to have a real conversation. . . . No walls, no denial, no defensive e stances. Just a real actual conversation looking for solutions. Should he be ashamed? Yes. Uncomfortable? No, thays a recipe for failure in any interview

[@storksforever2000]

@@Strider91 Real conversations often make people uncomfortable. That’s part of what makes them “real”.

[@jaysuserid]

As the son of an Air Force vet not getting his benefits when he needs them most....as always, Thank you Jon.

[@elmerfudd5193]

Yup Republicans would rather take care of Big business/ diners/ military industrial complex the the veterans/ citizens of this country 🥵

[@elmerfudd5193]

Donors

[@amikeller169]

I feel your pain, daughter of a Vietnam Veteran who died of Agent Orange and I have second gen problems that they deny

[@elmerfudd5193]

@@amikeller169 I think it was either Vice News or Frontline that showed that Vietnam has a social program for the children of citizens of Vietnam that were exposed to agent orange. It also mentioned to expedite production there’s a chemical that has a “ life” in the environment of 10,000 years. The U.S. govt got sued/set up the funds to give benefits for those in Vietnam who have to take care of their offspring 24/7 perhaps you could use that as president/ proof that the govt acknowledged its responsibility, for you to help pursue assistance. I wish you well God Bless

[@rizeagle33]

My father was a vet and was denied his benifets up until the day he died. He was forgotten by the military he gave his life to.

[@caseylooong]

Oh snap. He's been watching interviews of these guys and saying to the TV, "KEEP ASKING THE QUESTION! DON'T LET THEM GET OFF WITH FANCY WORDS. PRESS THEM UNTIL THEY HAVE TO ADMIT THEY ARE LIARS." Super happy to see it.

[@Bitfire31337]

Though the important part is not just pressing the same questions, but doing it in a way that incorporates their answeres and still reassures them that he's not trying to blame them and they don't need to defend themselves. That's what Jon magically manages here - really going deep without scaring away the guest.

[@Galaar]

After 14 years of dealing with the VA's bullshit with what is and isn't a service related injury I was ready to throw my phone listening to this guy dodge questions. Money isn't an issue he claims? Bullshit. Even before the pandemic their facilities were stretched thin, with vets having to travel long distances to get to treatment facilities the VA supported, decrepit processing centers, and a backlog for appointments that makes many just give up and go to their local PCP and use private insurance before trying to deal with the VA any more. I loved seeing that platitude-spewing suit get defensively upset as he was pressed, as if he was going "They normally move on, what do you want me to say?" I could practically hear Jeff Daniels from The Newsroom saying 'Ask the damn follow-up!'

[@ooogyman]

@@Galaar Deep down McDonough doesn't care about what the vets think, but about what the higher-ups who allow him to have his job think. He knows that if he acknowledged the truth at how much a shitshow the VA is, the higher-ups would have his head. You can see Stewart pushing McDonough into a corner, and he's desperately trying to wriggle his way out of it, but Stewart is having none of it.

[@davidhouston4810]

I love the fact that at least one American actually cares about the Veterans. You just keep going Jon, because somebody has to.

[@dootdoot1867]

Your comment shows how little thought people place into the idea of war and "veterans" we have had an all volunteer army... in order to keep an influx of people into it... we have had to deny education, Healthcare, dental, jobs and economic freedom from entire classes of people in order to coerce them into the only option given to them with the potential of that. Without inflicting mass depression on an underclass the military wouldn't even be a shadow of itself.

[@7sArts]

Many Americans do, the problem is that the corporations for which the veterans have shed blood and sacrificed for, only care about their own treasures and well being, they certainly don’t care about the well being of the populace… you can see that in the fervor with which they are blocking any true investment in the people compared with the investment they are willing to make in waging war, destroying the environment, ignoring science, etc. etc.

[@williammullinax6130]

Most Americans care about what happens to vets. I just think that most don't pay enough attention to how poorly they have been treated.

[@shawnsmith4214]

@@williammullinax6130 Sorry, I have to disagree with you here. Most people don’t put any thought into the plight of veterans until someone asks them about it. Then, their knee jerk reaction is “Of course I do! This is terrible!” Then, two seconds later, those thoughts have evaporated. Otherwise the VA would not be as it is, veterans wouldn’t be homeless in the numbers they are, and we would have as many suicides in our ranks.

[@davidhouston4810]

@@dootdoot1867 I would have to agree that everything you have written is true. I commend you for doing so.

[@nicoleklug5769]

“This delay is killing people. This is about taking care of a problem we caused.” Thank you 🙏

[@dantelamusta]

The level of discomfort in this Secretary’s face is villain status. He was not expecting this type of interview and I am tickled!

[@deanwalker7216]

This guy wants OUT ….. immediately. and then he just lies.

[@JeffMeades]

@@deanwalker7216 Seriously. And you could tell he wish Jon Stewart would yell at him, so he could discredit him and continue doing nothing. But Jon talked to him basically as a disappointed parent, and you could see how much he squirmed because he knows deep down how wrong what he's doing is.

[@beenaplumber8379]

The secretary is either trapped in a beureaucracy that won't let him do his job or he is actively preventing the bureaucracy from serving our vets and obfuscating the issues. After this interview, I wish I could tell which was true. There was nothing unclear about Jon's questions, but the lack of any meaningful response was very clear. The guy sounded like a well-prepped lawyer.

[@coolioso808]

Answer: War is a racket. USA is an oligarchy and the two major parties Dems and Repubs. are completely bought, sold, paid for by Big Business and do no reflect the needs of the majority of people. Case in point: No Medicare For All in USA in 2021. Healthcare, whether it is for vets, homeless, starving, 9/11 first responders, or whoever should be a human right. And the fact that is hasn't happened yet is very telling. Jon Stewart wouldn't even had to have this interview with the paid stooge McDonough, or the passionate speech to congress about healthcare for 9/11 first responders if Medicare for All was already established. It's great that Jon Stewart is holding politicians feet to the fire, but it reveals more problems with the system. It is not working for the majority of people. Down the the system, down with the sickness. Build a new one to replace it.

[@prof.scheere6933]

The secretary doesnt seem like a good person to me

[@rodeohog]

I also didn't really know what to make of him. He has an impressive record but essentially as an administrator or academic, though at a very high level. I was troubled by the way he seemed unable to clearly articulate his position. He seemed a little lost, to be honest. Perhaps more a big picture, policy kind of guy and not the best fit for this particular role.

[@beenaplumber8379]

@@rodeohog He needs to be able to articulate objective criteria for having established a causal connection between exposure and disease. How does the department determine that cause has been established? He didn't deny the cause, nor did he endorse it, nor did he say what it would take to establish the causal connection, and that last point is the most crucial. If he doesn't understand the department's criteria, or if he is unable to articulate the criteria, then I agree, he is not fit for this job. However, if he is obfuscating as a way of defending political power, he's a good fit in a bad administration.

[@ErinWilke]

I know what you mean. My impression was his hands were tied and he couldn't say anything or risk pointing fingers at / outing the organizations/structures pressuring to noy take responsibility for burn pits' association with thee health issues. However, he very easily could be someone who is checked out and doesn't care about vets.

[@maxmoser412]

Imagine if just 10% of American journalists had the same integrity as Jon does. The world would be a much different place.

[@danielhostetler9493]

I agree. I watched an interview recently that made the case that the most dependable, accurate and non-biased news reporting available in the US comes from comedians who are leading these news like shows that are dealing with current real life problems. Jon has always demonstrated immense integrity and honesty and I think that has benefitted him in how much trust people have in him. What this episode reveals again js how incredibly intelligent and unafraid he is in dealing with a serious and time sensitive issue.

[@IndigoBellyDance]

Honesty willing to ask tough but good questions …. Jon is honestly a amazing human being

[@hew195050]

They wouldn't have a job for very long. No one would sit across from them. Media are whores by virtue of the job.

[@BRLambert4]

@@hew195050 their job would just be different and our consumption of news might look different. How honest is an interview between a news anchor and whoever it is that they're interviewing, when it's pretty safe to assume that there is an agreed upon number of questions topics that can be covered Etc. I agree that people would not be willing to sit down for interviews like this if that were to become the norm. That would be amazing because then it would force media and journalist too but efforts in real investigative journalism. Media will ALWAYS have jobs.

[@justgivemethetruth]

It's not just the journalists. A lot of journalists have good intentions ... they just cannot find news outlets that are willing to go against the corporatocracy or really tell the truth.

[@TheDuality0fMan]

"Jon Stewart is back!" "Awesome, he's still funny right?......he's funny right..." Jon, I think, has come to reflect a lot of us currently. There are quips and puns, but the humorous part is gone. Things are serious, and Jon is a force to be reckoned with when he is focused. I have come to realize that his voice to me is akin to Morgan Freeman narration; It makes me listen intently to what is being said.

[@kstar1489]

He still has funny stuff but also serious segments. I think that’s just how he’s come to want to do his new show which is different from his old one. But even in the old one there were more serious segments

[@evilroyslade6477]

I feel the same, just the sound of John's voice makes me stop and listen.

[@KingBobXVI]

The last few years of the Daily Show were moving that direction anyway, and a lot of late night has followed. Just comedy routines and funny out of context jokes is one thing, but there are serious issues in the world right now and the "real" news media has been slacking for a long time, unfortunately. Serious topics are incredibly important, and too rarely discussed.

[@Altorin]

Yeah go away he's still funny. This just isn't a funny subject matter.

[@Twinsfan1299]

@@Altorin Agreed, and I think inserting humor into very serious topics makes it much more effective and reaches a lot more people (and doesn't demean the seriousness of the situation). It wasn't in this clip, but earlier in the episode when he was interviewing the veterans this was very apparent (respectful of them, taking it very seriously, but also responding with humor at times).

[@Bhurin]

Impressive interview style. You can tell Jon isn't fishing for a "got'cha" statement like a lot of news programs seem to be hellbent around these days. He keeps a firm pressure on the interviewee, but has a light touch with leading the interview, by not interrupting or putting words into his mouth. I feel like a lot of ground was covered, and the things the Secretary gave non-answers to give an idea of where his hands may be tied, or what his priorities might be.

[@Altorin]

Jon has always been the best bullshit detector

[@previouslyachimp]

@Bhurin - I completely agree, and further to that point is the fact that this interview style can actually help us separate out the people honestly trying to serve the public good (but are themselves frustrated by the difficulty of the task), versus the garbage self-serving politicians. It's easy to make any public servant look bad by badgering them, finding fault with the system and then blaming them for it. That just sets up a completely combative interview where even the decent politician feels personally attacked and knows that the interviewer will skew and decontextualise anything they say. That makes them both aggressive and withholding at the same time (if that makes sense?). This looks absolutely terrible and will receive the usual 'typical politician' response from the viewer. We need more honest people in office, and John's approach can at least go some of the way towards helping us find out who those people are. It will be evident in their willingness to repeatedly have their feet held to the fire like this and be reevaluated on their subsequent success or failure to make progress on the given issues.

[@johnhopper6521]

He put him on blast with finesse...

[@Maya_Pinion]

He truly believes in engaging,kindness,listening......a rare,wonderful man .....thank the gods for him.....

[@georgedunkelberg5004]

IF YOU ARE THE SECRETARY, THE BUCK STOPS BECAUSE: YOU CAN'T ARTICULATE A GOAL.

[@JoshuaDeLung]

"So, what's the standard?" "I don't know." "Then how do you know when you've found it?" "Well, there is a standard." "What is it?" "I can't say." Ah, brings back so many military memories.

[@greg-op2jh]

Oh my Lord that would be infuriating.

[@jmckey]

I have never been in the military but I remember talking to a Frontline IT guy for a military branch and explaining to him how big a security hole procedure they had in this one part of their web procurement system and he understood and had such an overwhelming sense of "I'm sorry, you are right but there is nothing you or I can do about it." Like, I even suggested that I was happy to be the bad guy and tweet at someone or email someone that this was really bad for the USA and he just sort of sighed and said it wouldn't make a difference. Right then. Right then I decided I would NEVER want to do work for a government agency (at least not connected to that military branch).

[@Arion661]

Probably same type of questions the soldiers sent overseas were asking. What were they fighting? Who, and for what?

[@garysandiego]

Like something from a Joseph Heller novel….

[@melmao9507]

I really wish Jon twisted it (it might have been cut from the final edit) to 'where do you get your standards from?' so he could press on those avenues. Even after watching this I'm not really sure what parts are DoD and what parts are from congressional statue. I also wish they highlighted the actual right thing that the Secretary said where veterans need to file their claims, in medical research if there are no claims (inputs) their are no correlations (outputs) and then there's no satisfactory outcome for anybody. While not fully satisfactory as an outsider knowing that presumption is actually a policy that the Secretary is pursuing at all is heartening compared to the usual health care drivel we'd expect.

[@johnchessant3012]

"Putting pressure" on scientists to get the result you want them to get isn't the way science works. Even if you're pretty sure there's a link, the scientific method is rigorous and slow. The way to do this is to recognize that veterans deserve free healthcare whether or not their disease is directly linked to their military service.

[@onedaya_martian1238]

THAT is the correct and only answer. NO ONE in America gets this. NO ONE !!

[@zane4218]

John also proposed a good half-measure in that interview of: because it’s taking so long to confirm 100%, but there is such a strong indication that it’s linked, let the vets we believe are affected by their participating in these burn pits to be covered until the scientific study can be finished. Because waiting 10+ years to finish the study will leave people dead and us holding a paper saying “yep it was our fault”

[@MeloniousThunk]

THANK YOU! This interview was an embarrassment for the Secretary (who really ought to have been able to articulate this) and especially for Stewart, the director, and producers team.

[@sramoore0075187]

I liked his approach with this interview for sure. The VA Secretary wasn’t really giving him answers though. As the secretary, he should know how to address the burnpit issue. The thing is, it should be simple. ANY VETERAN who deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan should be taken care of for the rest of their lives. If it is a money thing, tax the fuck out of the oil and security companies that profited billions of dollars off the backs of service men and women.

[@MeloniousThunk]

@@sramoore0075187 I don't disagree that he SHOULD know how to talk about the proof required, but if he lacks the science background, which is obvious (plus a quick google tell you the man's degree is in Spanish and History, not science), a gracious and fair interviewer could prompt him with a simple statement about correlation vs. causation. There's no excuse for the devolution of this interview, which, as an industry professional I can tell you reflects poorly on the director and producers.

[@metspin1]

You know the shit is going down, when Jon, himself is doing these interviews and he is not fucking around at all. Good stuff.

[@SoapSoapCrayon]

One of the hardest hitting interviews I've ever seen. Straight to the point, no allowances for vague answers, never moved off the point.

[@John4707]

This is a new 60 minutes only better. You, John, have a skill.

[@Seewhathappens101]

"New Australian 60 min" no but seriously Australian 60 minutes is honestly crack they're super thorough it's unreal

[@markfrommaryland3825]

This is a skill he built over time through his work advocating for 9/11 responders, and the education in getting the federal health bureaucracy to get to yes, and permanently, for everyone in the exposed population who can show a likely causal link rather than a definitive one. He had a second round of having to advocate to make those benefits permanent. Yes, he does have a skill, but others have it to, if they would only exercise it, and if, to be fair, people like Denis McDonough are frank enough to lay out the problem instead of sticking to talking points, as far too many do. This is partisan, but that capacity, while it is not common in any administration, was entirely absent in the last one. Trump did not appoint bureaucrats to head agencies who were willing to be public spirited, those that proved to be so were mostly whistleblowers and careerists who were watching him degrade the independent expertise of what his party calls the "deep state", but what people like Michael Lewis far more accurately portray as experts who know how to get things done right, even if they can't actually do it on their own. I am looking forward to Stewart's new program being one of the best few news and public affairs programs on television and the web. We need it, and more like it. And man, would I like Jon Stewart to sit down with Tucker Carlson, who would end up looking like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Carlson is a big enough egotist to do it, too.

[@howamilooking5952]

*Jon....but exactly

[@savannahm.laurentian1286]

Jon.

[@dayegilharno4988]

Making your interview partner uncomfortable with his own answers without being aggressive, just being persistent... beautyful!

[@VivekAnandJ]

Why doesn't VA just give "Universal Health Care" for their soldiers? So What if they didn't get cancer due to the military? Shouldn't the govt treat that too for a person who has risked his life for you?

[@jl789nz]

Yes they should, but US politics and their political landscape due to rhetoric from a certain side of the political spectrum have framed universal healthcare as something worth fighting against.

[@bseffrood]

Fuck that. 90% of soldiers don’t do a damn thing that puts their lives at risk, but we’re going to just give free healthcare for the rest of their lives to people that took a JOB for a few years? Yeah, no.

[@jl789nz]

​@@bseffrood It's of my opinion that everyone should have access to universal healthcare, but America seems to be OK with not even giving it to soldiers who have seen combat and who have health complications that are most likely to have been caused by their time in combat.

[@jl789nz]

@@bseffrood Also, you wanna know what's really Fuck that. Per Capita the US government spends more on health care than any other nation while not even having universal healthcare for all of its citizens.

[@bseffrood]

@@jl789nz MAY HAVR BEEN. They did a job. They got benefits above and beyond what other jobs offer in no way are they just to be given free healthcare “just cause.” Fuck the entire military industrial complex.

[@cdr861532]

The world has been missing John Stewart's voice over the last 5 years or so. There isn't anyone else like him. I grew up watching Stewart and he was able to inform a generation (maybe more) of the issues in the USA in a way that was entertaining. However, I always had hoped that he would get into something like this. What the gentleman, Isiah said, is really true. They will spend any infinite amount to train you in the military. However, once your fighting days are over, you are nothing to them.

[@toobasaurus23]

Jon is still one of the best interviewers and talk show comedians. He hasn't lost a single step since The Daily Show.

[@flyingpigmonkey1]

Jon really is a hard hitting journalist.

[@kevinmcconnell9426]

Jon Stewart is really smart! And although he has every reason to be full of himself, he’s not!! I see another Emmy in Jon’s future;)

[@Rhythmicons]

@@kevinmcconnell9426 Pulitzer.

[@spaceUniverse2012]

And the irony is that he is a comedian

[@kevinmcconnell9426]

@@spaceUniverse2012 comedians know that the humor in a joke is rooted in its basic truth. Nobody is going to follow a comedian that keeps trying to make a falsehood funny. When’s the last time you heard anything from Dennis Miller? Tim Allen keeps trying to make jokes about the left, and his shows keep getting cancelled because viewership wanes drastically!

[@Fallen7Pie]

I think he made joke about become a serious journalist when pigs fly many years ago. Weird reading that now from you

[@caseyhand668]

I’m a veteran with those rhinitis problems that in the last 5 years developed asthma… it took me forever to realize they we connected and go get checked at the VA! I hope this opens the eyes of other vets. Thanks John!

[@pavanatanaya]

The stammering fool was looking for deniability instead of a strategy to treat veterans. The same battle was and is still being fought over agent orange. And they still sell that shit at Home Depot

[@mattwilson5383]

How'd the VA process go? I've got 4yrs until my 20 mark and I'm worried about all the BS I'm going to have to do fighting the VA.

[@mattwilson5383]

@@pavanatanaya To be fair, Jon cuts him off quite a bit. But yes he did try to weasel a few times but I do think the Secretary is frustrated but not nearly as much as Vets trying to get the care and money they deserve. This dude walked into the issues, Congress are the ones who started this version of the mess (Iraq/Afghanistan)

[@markfrommaryland3825]

Let's hope you never have to deal with the more deadly diseases this interview references. And if you do, I hope it happens well after the VA has found sufficient cause to extend benfits to those illnesses based on a lower threshhold of proof. Veterans like you deserve to demonstrate a lower burden of proof than at present.

[@Galaar]

@@mattwilson5383 It's going to suck if you need them for anything other than basic care unless it's been thoroughly documented in your medical record mate. I've been at it for 14 years trying to get my shitty lungs, bad knees, and shoulder that now pops out of socket connected to my service, but I only went to Medical when I was really sick or in a lot of pain, so it's almost like pushing a boulder up a hill trying to get anything from them in my case.

[@RictorIAG]

That was a very interesting interaction with Secretary McDonough. He starts by being sympathetic. He wanted vets to feel like he felt their pain. Jon asked more probing questions and that was taken as being threatening to to the Secretary. Watch his body. He starts to breathe harder. Look at his face. At points he's glowering. He really wants to tell Jon to go fuck himself because he's not used to being challenged specifically. His tell is that he has to express some of that anger. He does so by telling Jon that he doesn't give a shit what Jon thinks. He tries to paper over the anger by saying he cares what vets think. Jon is smart enough to counter with a video of what a vet thinks. And what the ultimate conclusion is is that Secretary McDonough acknowledges that vets are dying while he's waiting for the science. He acknowledges there's nothing in the system that can be done to make it move faster but he also thinks this is the best way to move forward and doesn't feel like alternative methods are appropriate. Got it. The system is broken. It hurts the people you're trying to protect. But it's the best system and you hope it will be different in the future. You're doing all you can but you're not open to any new ideas. He was Obama's White House Chief of Staff before this job. The callousness is stunning but not surprising. The system wins by enforcing compliance. Make the rules weird enough where compliance isn't easy and you can hurt the groups you want to and claim plausible deniability. The question I have is, why the willful disconnect. I want to understand it from his perspective. Why does the Secretary of the VA automatically give way to bureaucratic sluggishness? Also, fuck this guy for saying he doesn't give a shit what Jon thinks. Jon was instrumental in getting a 9/11 first responders bill passed against much, much Congressional opposition. If McDonough has the sympathy for vets that he claims then he should see Jon as an ally. But he felt threatened by Jon's questions and revealed his true identity. He's the enforcer of the status quo. If I had a kid that wanted to join the military I'd show him this video. Son, they don't give a flying fuck about you and in fact wish you had died already. When you're able bodied you exist on the asset side of the ledger. But now, sick and ill, you're a liability. And like any good CEO-esqe job, you know your job is to privatize profits and externalize costs. And part of the way you can externalize costs is to deny responsibility. It's Fortune 500 CEOing 101 shit. I believe McDonough when he says it's not about money. I think it's about class. He's not a vet that has trouble breathing. His quality of life isn't suffering. So he can't identify with that problem emotionally. And given the important people he deals with on a daily basis, he's not going to prioritize dying men on the liability side of the ledger. It's the system. It's fucked. He's the face of it. And its defender.

[@TangiersIntrigue]

It's easy to have that disconnect when you see them as an administrative problem instead of a life-threatening condition for a real human being. And ironically, if we go on the "administrative problem" path, the real cost of letting problems go unchecked is much higher. Consider veteran homelessness and how much it costs to a city to deal with the symptoms. The can is just kicked down the road and it gets more expensive each kick. Meanwhile, the US is wasting valuable human capital that could contribute a lot more to society. If we go on a "real problem for a real human being" path, fuck that guy with a rusty chainsaw.

[@jarrajoseph-mcgrath9142]

Really great take 👍👍👍

[@hickyxnicky411]

Beautiful, I think you've summed this up perfectly.

[@LisaPellegrino]

Nailed it.

[@travisclark8431]

Succinct and to the fucking point. This douche of a human basically flipped his lid as John "A True American" Stewart calmly probed this dude's bull💩 replies and circular nonsense. Speaking of science, doesn't take a rocket expert to see quite clearly that this dude couldn't give a half a rip about anything other than the almighty dollar. My fear is that as Stewart forges ahead further peeling back the veneer of corruption, fraud, waste and abuse within the US government, that his fearless pursuit and hard earned reputation will proceed him...which could ultimately even dramatically reduce his access ... You know bcuz when word travels within and among remaining venerable ivory towers leading to ample causation/motivation as other douches on high "respectfully and with regret decline" interview requests from "The Problem"... or in other words salvation from "political suicide" via podcast. "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure.". --Thomas Jefferson, 1787jpa

[@chasesmay7237]

This was brilliant…it reminded me of just how long it’s been since I’ve seen a powerful government office questioned with intelligence and preparation on a specific topic… it’s so good to see Jon doing this. Kudos

[@BercowSandwich]

What a depressing mess of an interview. Jon Stewart did a stellar job here in pressing forward these badly needed questions that ought to be answered.

[@AdamBrusselback]

Absolutely, if he didn't press so hard, we may have come away thinking the dude was just being evasive, I think it's more than that though.

[@sageinit]

@@AdamBrusselback there seem to clearly exist some inanely complex intra-DoD & intra-VA office politics at play, & it seems to me like he doesn't know how to answer John's question without shitting on people who could very well roadblock things even more than they already got roadblocked

[@JP-lu9ed]

sageinit Super astute comment.

[@sageinit]

@@JP-lu9ed thanks

[@klh2610]

Jon, can you imagine what the world would be like right now if the current flow of generations hadn't grown up watching current affairs? You did that. You made civil awareness cool. I Love you very much. Thank you.

[@BAGELMENSK]

Jon held politicians accountable, every other person who followed him did it as a religion.

[@alexandriaocasio-smollett5078]

@Dead Meme Spot on. Jon Stewart was incredible as the host of The Daily Show. He brought an integrity and honesty to that genre that didn’t exist before him. He ran laps around political commentary of his time. And he brought an entire demographic of young adults to the table of politics. But what brought him mostly universal acclaim/respect was the fact that he called balls and strikes evenly. However.. What has happened now is all these dishonest, manipulative, hypocritically bad actors that now dominate the genre(John Oliver, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert, etc), have tapped in to the power/influence that Jon Stewart laid the pattern down for… with *none* of the integrity/authenticity/honesty. They’ve taken the power that he used honestly, and have employed it in disgustingly vile and dishonest ways. He used to hold the media/government accountable. And that used to piss off the media/government so much bc they realized how much power he had. So what did those governments and media do? They filled his role as a powerful influencer among young adults with Individuals who are merely an extension of the media/government entities he held accountable.

[@OtakuD50]

@@alexandriaocasio-smollett5078 I don't see how those people you named are "bad actors" without integrity or honesty. What proof is there of that?

[@peterstafford4426]

@@alexandriaocasio-smollett5078 Stewart went on CNN the other day and lied. He said that places like CNN cover people throwing fits over mask wearing, but they rarely cover stories about the efficacy of masks. That is simply a lie. Stewart is playing the part of someone who seeks the truth. His act is getting as shallow as a part in a B movie. His business is show biz. Getting at the truth is a prop.

[@aja9469]

@@peterstafford4426 If that was the ONLY lie you've seen on CNN this year I'd be shocked....and your anecdotal point is hardly the kind of thing that people (especially on this thread) use to dictate how they feel about Jon Stewart, or anyone for that matter. So, I guess nice try man, but we ain't buying.

[@JEEDUHCHRI]

Damn it’s good to have this man back on the scene. National treasure.

[@deanwalker7216]

I can’t keep dropping original comments so i’m hiding within others’ comments…. I agree 100%. The clown interviewee is obviously in over his head. He’s an idiot.

[@CCMorgan]

Just another public servant saying a whole bunch of words without saying anything. Great interview, Jon.

[@hopefulspectator6573]

Exactly! I could not follow anything this guy said

[@thisbridgehascables]

Jon’s obviously going to throw a lot of punches and hard questions.. he’s got nothing to loose.

[@neveq123]

lose

[@MrCTruck]

@@neveq123 it's honestly astounding how many Americans don't know the difference between the words loose and lose

[@UnsaltedCashew38]

@@MrCTruck It's honestly astounding how many Americans don't know that you end a sentence with a period.

[@jamalleightball7576]

It's honestly astounding, how many Americans correct grammar, but do so with a run on sentence.

[@JoshuaDCBanks]

This is exactly the type of distracting dialogue I needed today. Thank you all!

[@Elkator]

I was asking, "Why did Jon come back?" and "Do we really need this show among all the other similar shows?" I think that this interview shows that he is doing something very different from the other shows. Something that is very necessary. It's good to see.

[@smaakjeks]

He's a progressive with enough clout to get access to people that usually only corporate mainstream media get to play with.

[@OtakuD50]

John Oliver did have a great sit-down interview with Edward Snowden, but nothing of that caliber since.

[@ricflair5956]

My friends and I gave so much. Some, their lives. This is what we got in return.

[@YR2050]

"Thanks for having me" In the end, you'd wish never stepped into the room. I'm glad he did though.

[@weezadam]

Having Jon return is like having an emotional void filled after so long! Great interview (at least from Jon's side) and really appreciate the passion that went into this episode, we all need to hear about this shameful mistreatment of our veterans.

[@alasdairmacintyre9383]

So good to have him back

[@DinoJake]

A wise man once said "You can either curse the dark, or you can light a candle." Here we can see Jon Stewart lighting up journalism with a freaking blowtorch. Well played, sir!

[@joshbeamon2969]

Man Jon did a great job, but the only thing that was highlighted is that they’re not even trying. Saying evidence isn’t convincing when they don’t even have any standards. Then the guy said he’s trying a process and will try another way to get vets benefits if his current process proves impossible or untimely, but it’s been decades, and he didn’t specify “What’s ‘untimely’ when vets have been waiting for more than a decade?”

[@rachelsnodgrass9162]

as a mom of a vet, who was exposed to Burn Pits, and now has terrible health problems, including MS, and is treated with skepticism and still not getting much help....Thank you for your eloquence.

[@robkoper841]

Just looked at the 360 report on this. There is an 80% claim denial rate on burn pit related disabilities. Ridiculous. FYI, there is a bill to get all of these conditions on the presumptive list, H.R.2372 (D-Ruiz, CA). It is currently languishing in committee (since Jun 2021). There is a Senate version (S952) that has been in committee since March 2021.

[@SayAhh]

"Support The Troops" makes a great bumper sticker, just like "Freedom isn't free," but nobody that has those stickers on their cars actually wants to pay for it because they always want tax cuts and vote for warhawks.

[@HesderOleh]

The secretary has little power to force congress to do anything, sad but true.

[@AynenMakino]

This is quite a fascinating interview, in that Jon is approaching it purely from a problem-solving perspective, but Denis treats the encounter as one of opposition, where he is presuming that his role is one of defense. What fascinates me is how Jon keeps trying, with great composure, to change Denis' perception of what kind of encounter this is, but Denis just can't seem to see the encounter any other way. He's stuck. He could have seen Jon as an ally in solving this issue, but he just can't mentally get there.

[@worthlesstrash9662]

His role IS defense because it's clearly visible that he doesn'T give a single flying fk.

[@AynenMakino]

@@worthlesstrash9662 That, or US culture has competition so deeply ingrained in it that anyone who grew up in it has a tough time seeing the world any other way.

[@halycon404]

It's because he can't answer the question. Information goes in, it does not go out. The only people who can actually make him answer the question aren't putting the same consequences to answering it as they are to not answering it. If he answers Jon's question he falls under the dubious protection of whistle-blower laws for giving information he's not allowed to give.

[@AynenMakino]

@@halycon404 He's not being asked to give information. He's being asked to cooperatively 'work the problem'.

[@seansanve]

While watching the interview I was trying to find out whether this man is an administrator or a politician. Once he got defensive, I got my answer. Politicians aren't problem solvers. They don't inherently approach a problem to attack the source of it. They see how they can leverage it.

[@XhectorX1417]

And here I thought journalism was dead....bravo Jon!

[@p.pinchelette2909]

Wow, Jon doing a better job than typical media journalists.

[@jeremykothe2847]

Faint praise

[@Rhythmicons]

The sad part about this is that it takes someone with the celebrity of Jon Stewart whereas any veteran has to go through tons of paperwork and never gets an answer. I have my great grandfather's WWI correspondence with the VA where he was trying to link his medical conditions to his 1918 Flu hospitalization and they denied him.

[@Ahiru77]

If you accept someone's dedication to fight for your country, you automatically owe them healthcare. Period. This is MOST DEFINITELY about money.

[@Rhythmicons]

There is a cult of the veteran that creates this idyll figure of uncompromising patriotism to the point of apotheosis. It just doesn't acknowledge the after-war needs of the humans who try to live up to that standard.

[@erinmcdonald7781]

Absolutely agree! 💜✊

[@InvictusRed1911]

Nope, it's about accountability. If you hold the military accountable then theyre afraid of the "slippery slope" that'll reveal all the other shit that they need to be held accountable for and then all of a sudden "oh fuck, no more wars because the public is pissed" and "oh no, we can't use the military as a machine to throw underprivileged youth with no other prospects into". And without wars we can't pay Raytheon and Boeing trillions of dollars. This guy is here to kick the can down the road and offer crumbs to shut ppl up for another 8-12 years.

[@jasonbroad5478]

@@InvictusRed1911 with all due respect sir, its about BOTH! Accountability and MONEY! Everything about war and military is MONEY! The accountability comes afterward...when the politicians get involved. They cover EVERYONES tracks...including theirs!

[@cleech74]

@@Rhythmicons Well said. It is embarrassing & shameful that we have elected representatives who fail to acknowledge post-war needs. We have very few men & women who are in office that are veterans, and/or don’t have either parents or children that are veterans, so it’s not relatable to them. I’d like to think if any of them had that experience, or if they had a firsthand exposure to dealing with the health care requirements of an immediate family member, then it would give them a different perspective to what it’s like to live like that. My Dad, before he retired, was a respiratory therapist. He worked for the VA, as the head home-oxygen coordinator, and dealt specifically with patients that had sleep apnea & CPAP machines. Just for one example, a lot of the vets who were exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam had a myriad of health issues on top of having sleep apnea. Add all of that to the mental health issues vets often deal with, and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Most politicians don’t see that in their everyday lives. If they did, they might be able to find the money that is needed to take care of our vets. They sure as hell are able to find the money to wage endless wars.

[@daniele4568]

As a gulf war vet, this really hits home. I remember our platoon leaders handing us pills to take, but not telling us what they were. Telling us to go get shots from the medic in the middle of the war. Burning dead animals around our camp. They bombed a bunker that was holding sarin gas while we were deployed in the area. Gas alarms going off and being told it was nothing to worry about. The generals only cared about winning, and not about you getting cancer or brain damage later. The same generals that rode around in hermetically sealed apc's and didn't have to worry about exposure.

[@kababyenoh]

I am even more impressed by Jon being able to get people like Sec. McDonough to agree to interviews.

[@fredd6883]

Every, and I mean every professional television interviewer in the U.S. Pales in comparison to Jon Stewart as an interviewer! Take note talking heads, this is how it's done! Bravo Jon!!!

[@speks36]

They maybe talking heads but there isn't a single brain between them. Their job is to push a political narrative and to get those watching to buy into it. There is no skill in this style of journalism, if anything it amounts to low level brainwashing. Which is why I'm glad John Stewart is out there holding people's feet to the fire when something messed up happens on their watch.

[@bseffrood]

Jon only has to answer to himself. I love Jon Stewart, before you go shitting on other journalists realize that they’re in his position financially or name recognition.

[@zane4218]

I don’t agree with everything John said in the interview, and for some of the questions I think the guy answered well enough to move on. But after seeing the other extreme for so long where a journalist clearly doesn’t get a relevant answer and doesn’t care, damn it feels good to see John hammer the same question because john doesn’t feel it was answered directly enough. I’m glad these vets have SOMEONE with access willing to push this hard and I very much look forward to future interviews from John Stewart.

[@TitoTimTravels]

When the "actual" news sees the guy wants to give some BS answer and skip to the next question, they let them. Jon was not letting him off the hook that easy. I like Jon. 😎

[@MeloniousThunk]

That’s not even remotely true. Oprah, Colbert, Wallace, Walters, Gross, just about anyone with a background in improv would listen better than Jon did here.

[@92jwiener]

"I don't care what you think, I care what the vets think." Jon is speaking on behalf of the Vets, he's not there for himself. Sorry, Mr. Secretary, that quote doesn't add up. Bless Jon for vocalizing the needs of our troops, who voluntarily give themselves to protect people like Mr. Secretary from terrorist attacks.

[@RTSOB1]

What he actually said was, "I don't care if you think I'm doing a good job or not, I care what the vets think." That's more specific and that's how it should be. He's not looking for Jon's approval, nor should he be. If public servants are seeking only to satisfy journalists (no matter what axe the journalist may be grinding), you get the kind of government that, I believe, we all deplore. They should seek to answer truthfully those questions the fourth estate puts to them, and sometimes the answer, truthfully, is, "I don't know."

[@92jwiener]

@@RTSOB1 Okay, that's how it should be, but it doesn't change what I said. The vets don't think the secretary is doing a good job. Jon is able to be a voice to speak for them to the high ranking leaders, and address the general public about the issues. I don't know answers are acceptable, at least it's honest. But then it's his job to converse with people who do know or are researching, so that his threshold can be described and action can be taken.

[@gilbertoflores7397]

@@RTSOB1 well Jon is the one who would go out of his way to stand up for first responder, vets and everyone who this country says they love. He uses his platforms to spotlight issue for their sake, and doesn't take no for an answer. His approval is something they should definitely want; as he speak for many who continously voice their frustration, but are ignored. It's takes someone like a Jon Stewart to amplify their voice and bring attention to it.

[@chefnelsonsbbq]

@@92jwiener that's why I loved that Jon showed him the video of the Vet saying "they don't care about us", right after. So he can hear first hand exactly "what the Vets think"

[@almostunliketea]

@@chefnelsonsbbq yeah I really loved this episode more than stuff like John Oliver, cause Jon clearly cares about the issues and has cared about it. Not only does he care, but he is also trying to understand and help fix the issue, actively working with groups and using his platform

[@fulstaak]

Don't mess with Stewart, especially when it's time to provide care to first responders and vets. BIG THUMBS UP.

[@Fawkerout]

The day we lose Jon to the next life will be a sad day indeed… this guy is amazing at real journalism.

[@markdeckard7651]

When Jon gets the Nobel Prize I bet he sticks it in a desk drawer.

[@rengsn4655]

and donate the prize money to vet causes

[@bisso5467]

You don't get nobel Prize for this. You get it for starting wars.

[@unregistereduser1088]

@@christianbahena5364 that's true. Like Obama.

[@charismahornum-fries691]

@@christianbahena5364 neither has Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, the two journalists who received the prize. This is the directly quotes about them: “Maria Ressa uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the Philippines”. “Dmitry Muratov has for decades defended freedom of speech in Russia under increasingly challenging conditions”. I hope you don’t think that they killed anyone in their work as journalists.

[@PublicFreakout]

I grew up watching J Stew; I was really impressed by this first episode, and this interview was intense. Watching him squirm like that was really uncomfortable but incredibly satisfying, he knew he couldn’t justify what’s going on and seemed shocked someone even bothered to hold him accountable. Great job.

[@vforwombat9915]

" he knew he couldn’t justify what’s going on and seemed shocked someone even bothered to hold him accountable. " seriously? he KNEW he couldn't justify it, he didn't WANT to justify it, he was agreeing with Jon 100% on everything. he said multiple times he's bound by actual laws on this, and that his preferences aren't relevant. he wasn't shocked at what Jon was asking, unless he's lying thru his teeth he ASKED Jon to bring the topic up.

[@jackallenproductions]

Stew Beef

[@hasanmehmud8607]

So do I, watching all his shows

[@PendejoRyan]

Actually, I think he handled it pretty well. He was very, 'matter of fact' regarding the issue. He knows there is a problem and he is looking for ways to solve it. He is limited by the government by whom he is employed.

[@plusmanikantanr]

@@vforwombat9915 If the Information and Law is higher value than Veteran lives, perhaps the VA is not needed at all and exists only as a facing-saving apologist gov'mint dept. If a Veteran actually matters, they would treat them regardless of the Information or Law, put the lives of Veterans higher than the repercussions of getting those Veterans treated and healthy again.

[@loconeko42]

This should be shown and taught in journalism classes the world over. Jon shows how an interviewer should : Stay on point. Be respectful. Be relentless. I'm not sure I've ever seen it done better. This is a work of art.

[@lindascarafiotti375]

This country so needs Jon Stewart.

[@redheadredemption1573]

Words cannot express how much I've missed watching Jon Stewart

[@slaughtersteelgrave022]

I don't have heroes, and I'm sure he's no saint, but he is probably one of the closest things to one

[@TheStupidWaffle]

Jon and Mister Rogers

[@devinmichael905]

It’s been too long since Jon graced us with his intelligence, his persistence, and his conscience. He is the antidote to the BS that has devoured American politics in recent years. God bless you, sir.

[@Kentavious444]

When it comes to respectful provocation, Jon is a true artist.

[@hasanalhasani]

As an Iraqi man, I wonder how many Iraqis have cancer, lung disease and other sicknesses related to the burning pits and the first/second golf war.

[@Ntwolf1220]

❤

[@monkeyzuul7808]

If America won't even help our own veterans, we're never going to do the right thing and start making up for what we did to your people. That's the sad truth.

[@anthonywebb269]

More then the U.S. would ever even come close to admitting....... even if there were no way to deny it ..... they still would.

[@hasanalhasani]

@@Ntwolf1220 you know, alle the soldiers and the veterans, And the Iraqi civilians I feel sorry for them. They had to fight an unnecessary war. What irritate me the most it only goes bad for those who had nothing todo with war. I have met many American soldiers, super kind and respectful. It makes me sad that such good people and civilians in Iraq must suffer.

[@hasanalhasani]

@@anthonywebb269 I drive me crazy that war is still legal. This madness of war need to stop since like the effing being of time.

[@lindaward3156]

Boy oh boy were his words carefully spoken. When he felt comfortable he spoke at a regular rate but not for most of Jon's questions. nice to see a real interview. ☮

[@alexcamp4399]

Thank God for John....hes been fighting for Vetrans since 9/11...... Im crying writing this as I am ashamed how we treat our vets - the greatest in the world!!!!

[@terryfolderson-is5qo]

i honestly have a lot of respect for Denis mcdonough...when my PCP at the VA brushed off my ankle injury by telling me to go find a different job i personally wrote him on twitter and his office not only got back to me within a week but told me they were not only disciplining him but referring me to another team at the VA who called me that afternoon to set me up with a new provider....i almost lost my job because my injury, which i later found out needed surgery, made it so i couldnt hardly walk let alone work. That being said this was still a great interview!

[@emarbeats6896]

"Support our troops" crowd pretty silent on these issues

[@that_heretic]

Kind of like the "pro-life" crowd gets quiet after birth. Hypocrites gonna hypocrite.

[@itkojecockot]

@@that_heretic when you're already born, you have rights and ability to provide for yourself(during adulthood)...... that would be the difference

[@that_heretic]

@@itkojecockot When a child's needs are covered by the state to the age of adulthood, get back to me. Otherwise, see previous post.

[@itkojecockot]

@@that_heretic I'm getting back to you...... child's needs are covered by parents and when it doesn't have parents, they are covered by social services...... USA is not Ethiopia, if you haven't noticed yet

[@dan_hitchman007]

@@itkojecockot When parents don't have enough to make ends meet and yet make "too much" to qualify for social safety nets... children suffer. The system is broken and so many fall through the cracks and cannot provide for themselves. Couple that with stagnant wages or poverty wages and you have a recipe for disaster. If you "pro-life" (yeah, right) people would rethink your objections to affordable and readily available contraception methods that would in turn lessen the need for abortions except for the more severe reasons: health of the mother, non viability of the embryo, rape, and incest.

[@joyhaig1286]

I remember watching Jon host his first show on mtv in the 90s and was a fan from day 1…Thank you Jon for coming back, we need your voice again 😊

[@vickimcburney8977]

PACT act passed! Thank you Jon!!

[@ericthompson3982]

I've been watching Jon interview people for a very long time. He remains one of the sharpest, most empathetic and relentless interviewers I've ever seen.

[@brittondurbin6165]

Great interview. Really pushed the questions and didn't let it slide.

[@OTTAWAthoughts]

Great interview...but what a slippery dude Jon has to work with. WTF is going on? Seems the guy and VA is just going to bs things til every effected vet is dead. Agent Orange remake.

[@ryanw6074]

I can't believe I forgot how good of interviewer John is. He was well prepared and didn't let the point he was trying to make go. Well done.

[@garctin]

To me it's more that he knows very well what questions he want answered. More so than he's trying to make a point himself. 'What useful information that could be acted on can this person provide me?' A practical approach, while dialing back on confrontation somewhat.

[@Ntwolf1220]

Let's get him back with Fucker C on Fox and see how badly he rips him a new one this time!

[@jathawk101]

I see and hear the frustration in Secretary McDonough like the same frustration in my fellow veterans about getting answers.

[@ninaphilippe]

The depth of questions as well as the finesse exhibited by Jon Steward is above awesome. Jon cares so much his passion and desire to make things better shine through every single question. Got addicted to the show in 1 episode.

[@adamhatefi9384]

This is the best interview I’ve seen in years.

[@theKillingJokes]

Jon, you have always been a great comedian. You always will be. I think I can speak for a lot of others when I say that the reason we all miss you so much is because of times like these; when you won't back down when lives are at risk.

[@silkroadcaravan]

Universal health care, robust social safety net, boom: problem solved. - Quoting McDonough, "$270 billion, 2nd largest in the Federal budget, a little less than half of it for provision of health care" -How much of the remainder is paying other benefits, and how much is going to lawyers, administrators, clerks, and managers paid to ward off claims? Why not just use that money to provide benefits to people who ask for them?

[@paulvidovich7910]

I totally agree with you! VA is getting bogged down trying to determine whether people’s health condition were due to their time in service! There is no time to establish causality for each person! Just let’s set up a universal US healthcare system that provides health care to ALL citizens equally. The money is there folks! It’s just being hoarded and concretrated at the top while the base carries the load. 🙏

[@whatabouttheearth]

This is not about health care, US VETS HAVE FREE HEALTHCARE if they got a general discharge or better. This is about "service connected" disability "benefits" and aknowledgement that it was the burn pits that messed them up.

[@mrhammerzz1643]

As a gulf war vet who suffers daily from several service connected illnesses Thank for for making that suit squirm. I doubt I'll see any change before I die but man was that satisfying to watch. I was honorably discharged 11 years ago and still haven't been compensated fully. Still fighting everyday for what's right. Men like this are spineless and shouldn't represent the men and women who fight and defend our way of life. They damn sure shouldn't make decisions that will affect those men and women either.

[@tlgibson97]

I don't get why it matters how a vet got sick. If a vet is sick then take care of them.

[@adamj8099]

You've hit on the thing I don't fucking understand about the American system... Any other country with any level of socialised medicine would have the default of let's just get people better. Why do you have to prove a causal link and point blame at the military before you can cover their care?? It just blows my mind. Just get them fucking help.

[@rozniemann1386]

I agree with you completely. From the Australian perspective after our engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan we have a veterans affairs department much more interested in funding military monuments and museums rather than providing adequate support for our returning veterans. We have high rates of veteran suicide and a veterans affairs department that shows callous indifference to timely access to medical benefits and support of military families. Our treatment of refugees is equally shameful.

[@TitoTimTravels]

Unfortunately they want the veteran to prove where they got sick. Was it a burn pit? Maybe... but can we be positive? (yes, we can but that burden of proof is still there). For example - if I got asbestosis, was it from the Navy, or maybe somewhere else? How do I prove that? It is bureaucratic BS. If the problem appears while you are on active duty, it is much easier. When it takes 10 years to show up, they try to weasel out of it.

[@dan_hitchman007]

The Secretary did not speak the truth... the treatment for more serious illnesses caused by our negligence costs too much and we are unwilling to treat these wounded vets.

[@kimbologo]

Thank you for returning. Your voice and wisdom is so needed.

[@tundescope]

Jon Stewart is simply amazing. Not sure I’ve seen a journalist hold someone’s feet to the fire like this recently in such a respectful manner. His grasp of the issues is something else.

[@larrysmac]

Sorry, as a Vet with first hand experience as both a VA patient and long time employee, I couldn't disagree with you more. JS has lost all credibility with me.

[@web-angel]

*To sum up his the basic tenet of his responses: "Don't ask me, I just work here."*

[@corbelius6]

Thank you, Jon, We ALL need you as a voice of Truth.

[@alexd976]

Jon Stewart you were a great late night show host back in the day and your still great now 👍☺😀😀😀

[@orionxavier6957]

It should be our responsibility as a country and government to take care of our vets, no questions asked. They shouldn't have to meet some "requirement" for the VA to pay for their healthcare.

[@dianet3994]

Vets are not a priority to the US. They do not care about them. It is always about money. Thanks for doing this, John ❤️‍🩹

[@NOTSparkyPants]

Words can not describe how good this interview was. It's sad that the actual media can't match this quality. Strong, fair, respectable questions that didn't let McDonough skate by with soundbytes. Thank you.

[@cartermclaughlin2908]

The media CAN match this quality. The problem is their job is to make sure the public never sees anything like this. The longer they can keep you engaged without learning anything, the less time and knowledge you have to oppose corporate interests.

[@uzo7910]

Seeing Jon in the field is a welcome development! He has resting ‘lie to me, b****h, I dare you’ face. Welcome back Jon! Our world is so much better with your voice in it. We freaking missed you!!

[@DNDaMD]

So good to see John Stewart back on the air. We need him more than ever now.

[@johnnieballa45]

The PACT Act was signed by the president yesterday. Less than a year after this interview. This was under this man’s watch and leadership. This man should be celebrated and appreciated. He kept his promise.

[@spir5102]

THANK YOU JON STEWART! WE NEED MORE HARD-HITTING JOURNALISTS LIKE YOU! WE AMERICANS MUST KNOW THE TRUTH!

[@sanjuansteve]

Universal healthcare would help 'cure' these problems of veterans being denied healthcare benefits by the VA too.

[@michaelwarren2429]

Universal healthcare would be the better option but a simple answer for these vets could be just hand them a Medicaid card when they leave active duty. The VA could still handle specialized problems but for the things the VA doesn't want to be bothered with or doesn't have the time for the vets could just go to the hospital. It's a system that is already in place, it just needs expanded and the secretary said money wasn't a problem.

[@TitoTimTravels]

I am lucky enough to be a disabled vet, and when I lived in the US all my healthcare was covered. But... my issues were clearly visible while I was still on active duty. There was no way they could deny or stall. Once you are in the VA system, the care is top notch. I miss having access to it. 😎

[@michaelwarren2429]

@@TitoTimTravels I'm glad you had good experiences with the VA but I'm in WV and a number of my friends that have served have had major trouble dealing with the VA and that isn't even counting the hours of travel time just to see a VA doctor. I'm not saying disband the VA but vets need to have better and quicker access to local healthcare.

[@TitoTimTravels]

@@michaelwarren2429 Well yes, to get good care you have to live near a big VA hospital (I was in Dallas). I moved to the Philippines almost 9 years ago and I am totally on my own for health care now. 😎

[@michaelvenezia9673]

he actually cares.....for human beings...and is always using his juice to help others and never tries to make it about him......thats a rare thing nowadays......God bless JS

[@michaelmarsh8802]

Who would have thought a comedian would be the best news reporter. This is the standard all reporters should strive for.

[@EmsionProductions]

“... the embarrassment is that I’m given credibility in this world - because of the disappointment that the public has in what the news media does.” - Jon Stewart, talking about journalistic irresponsibility with Chris Wallace, 2011 A comedian kicking a politician’s ass on government incompetence and inaction. Strange.

[@pro-choicemom]

And now he does it too. Playing both sides as equally to blame for everything wrong. He refuses to hold conservatives accountable.

[@EmsionProductions]

@@pro-choicemom What are you saying?

[@pro-choicemom]

@@EmsionProductions That Jon Stewart sucks. He's an apologists for Trump maga cult members.

[@deelots3009]

@@pro-choicemom How?

[@EmsionProductions]

@@pro-choicemom Yeah, nah...that’s a pretty deluded POV. I think Jon would argue that those people within the mega cult are the way they are, due to decades of journalistic and political irresponsibility and rampant populism... it’s no surprise that the mega cult follows a damn TV personality President - especially after all the haranguing Jon dished out against mainstream news media. For over 17 years, you can clearly track Jon’s narrative about the souring of political discourse, and it leading people astray. Also, a reminder.. Jon isn’t a political player. He’s a comedian whose comedy is informed by his political leanings - he’s not running for office. + All that he’s done for vets and 9/11 first responders? You think he sucks? Naaaah, that’s not it, chief.

[@_____case]

A member of the government should never say, "I don't care whether you think I'm doing a good job." to a citizen.

[@ekamangar]

Exactly

[@GaiaShield]

Jon is his boss as are the rest of us. To say he doesn't care what his bosses think of him would be grounds for firing him in any other job.

[@TitoTimTravels]

An elected official has to pretend to care what their constituents think (well, they used to), but an appointed official... does not even have to pretend.

[@satori-in-life]

It's what he and most others in power honestly think though. It's better for people to actually understand that truth than deny it.

[@JohnTaylor-fh4et]

Our Leaders dont care about the Veterans, to them we are all expendable. This guys just giving Jon the runaround.

[@idiotengineer3925]

This means alot to the veteran community Jon, keep doing what you're doing.