Jon Stewart's 2004 appearance on Crossfire

On October 15, 2004, American comedian Jon Stewart appeared on CNN's Crossfire, hosted by media commentators Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala. The Daily Show, a satirical talk show hosted by Stewart, had released America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction earlier that year; in theory, Stewart's appearance on Crossfire, a show that featured debate between left- and right-wing personalities, was intended to boost sales of the book. Instead, Stewart heavily criticized Crossfire on air; as he saw it, the show lacked nuance and was instead an outlet for partisan hackery. Both hosts pushed back on Stewart's criticisms, but Carlson in particular traded more personal blows with him, with the two insulting each other on air while Begala attempted to steer the show back on track. After the segment, Stewart went backstage with Begala to continue the conversation in a calmer manner.

The tape and transcript of the segment broke into wide circulation, impacting all three men involved. Three months after the appearance, Crossfire was cancelled and Carlson was fired; commentators differ as to how impactful it actually was, but generally agree that Stewart was at least part of the reason. Carlson was dogged by the incident in subsequent years of his career, and some in the press speculate that humiliation from the incident motivated him to rise to prominence in cable news. Stewart found success from the incident: observers – including the president of CNN, critics in the press, and liberals on the internet – largely agreed with his points, significantly raising his status and profile in the American political sphere. Begala's role in the incident was largely pushed to the wayside, although he has reflected positively on Stewart. Stewart has expressed regrets over the segment, but has continued to trade insults with Carlson in the years following it.