Original Post 
 
 Jon Stewart, the comedian who has become a highly influential figure in American politics, is leaving The Daily Show sometime this year.  Jon Stewart, who turned Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” into a sharp-edged commentary on current events, delivering the news in layers of silliness and mockery, said on Tuesday that he would step down after more than 16 years as its anchor. "Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera," Michele Ganeless, Comedy Central's president, said in a statement. “Through his unique voice and vision, ‘The Daily Show’ has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come.” 
 
 A darling of liberals, Stewart made headlines for his ongoing self-proclaimed “feud” with Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly, which culminated in a live debate called “The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium” in 2012.
– Jon Stewart is retiring from the Daily Show later this year. He reportedly revealed the big news during the taping of tonight's episode, reports the AV Club. In a statement to Politico, a Comedy Central exec confirms that Stewart will step down at a still-unspecified date after more than 15 years. "Through his unique voice and vision, the Daily Show has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come," says network chief Michele Ganeless, which seems to suggest that the show will go on with a new host. This is one of those rare cases when a network's official statement is right in line with what most others are writing: "To a younger generation of viewers who stopped watching the news, his late-night 'fake' news show—which skewered politicians and the media—made him a trusted messenger to millions," writes Emily Yahr at the Washington Post. Business Insider: The show is a "cultural force." NPR: A "hugely influential figure in American politics." New York Times: A "nightly home for sharp-edged political satire and up-to-the-moment commentary on the news." (Stewart, of course, is a movie director now, too.)