Stewart used last show to raise $2.2 million for autism

Jon Stewart said goodbye to “The Daily Show” on Thursday, America’s foremost satirist of politicians and the media ushered out with a reunion of the many colleagues that he worked with during 16 years as host.

Ailes lobbed a bunch of back-handed compliments Stewart’s way, too.

While many are devastated at his departure – former Daily Show correspondent Ed Helms said he was “heartbroken” – Jon Stewart still has a sense of humor about leaving.

Stewart has hosted the program on Comedy Central since 1999. And a number of former “Daily Show” correspondents, including Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell and John Oliver, walked in through a side door around 3:30 p.m.

Stewart’s sign-off Thursday coincidentally falls on the same night as the much anticipated GOP debate where headline maker Donald Trump leads the pack of several presidential hopefuls.

“You can’t say that many negative things about people unless you’re really unhappy about something”, he opined.

After a closing monologue, Stewart thanked Comedy Central, The Daily Show staff and the audience for their support over the years.

Stewart, who was born in New York but grew up in Lawrenceville, NJ, was clearly moved at the end of the show. “It was not at all the show where you are going to see all the headline news and he’s doing his normal shtick”, said Light, of New York.

Stewart ended the finale with a remainder for all his viewers saying that they should not be afraid to be aware and to question issues. But this show doesn’t deserve an even slightly restless host, and neither do you. Even previous “Daily Show” host Craig Kilborn dropped in to pay homage in his own, snarky way. He told Stewart that every correspondent whose careers he helped launch owed him “everything”, and were “better people for having known him”. I’d pop my head into my mom’s bedroom in the morning as she was watching a morning news channel, and that was about as far as it went. And yes, John McCain called him a jackass.

“Here it is, my moment of Zen”, Stewart smiled, just before Springsteen filled the room with a poignant rendition of “Land of Hope and Dreams”.

“This is the most handsome place I’ve ever been and I’ll never have that again”, Stewart said.

“The best defense against bulls*** is vigilance”, he said. “We’re merely taking a small pause in the conversation”.

One of Stewart’s all-time favorite musical acts, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, were on hand for a send-off performance.