Seasons & episodes
S30 · E14January 28, 2025 - Lil Rel Howery 2025-01-28 · 29 min
Michael Kosta checks in on the latest Trumpworld news: new press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the banning of trans people in the military, and the aftermath of pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Plus, Troy Iwata sets up an elaborate sting for J6 sex offenders. Ronny Chieng and Michael Kosta debate Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's Super Bowl "ring," Philadelphia's mayor's misspelled Eagles chant, and a nacho tray distraction at a NHL game in the latest installment of Sports War. Comedian and actor Lil Rel Howery chats with Michael Kosta about starring in the new animated film "Dog Man," how therapy has benefited his life and his comedy, and the "Get Out" tagline that follows him at every T.S.A. checkpoint.
S30 · E15January 29, 2025 - Rachel Mason 2025-01-29 · 33 min
Michael Kosta tackles RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing for health secretary, including protests from his family and medical professionals, his questionable stances on vaccines and AIDS, and Bernie Sanders's onesie interrogation. Plus, the polio virus (Troy Iwata) shares his excitement about returning to work. Now that Trump-aligned billionaires run various social media platforms, Grace Kuhlenschmidt asks New Yorkers if they will finally delete their apps. Filmmaker Rachel Mason sits down with Michael Kosta to discuss her new Max docuseries, "An Update on Our Family." She explains what attracted her to the story of the Stauffer family, popular YouTube vloggers who shared their overseas adoption online, the ethics of profiting off your children via content, and how she navigates oversharing on her own social media accounts.
S30 · E16January 30, 2025 - Vince Beiser 2025-01-30 · 33 min
Michael Kosta on the tragic Washington D.C. plane crash and Trump's baseless blame of DEI for the catastrophe. Plus, the Best F**kin' News team breaks down which of Trump's nominees was least qualified at their Senate hearings. Dry January is ending, but Lewis Black can't figure out why it started. From Dry January to Damp January, Lewis Black asks the over-labelled generation why they'd pick the coldest, most chaotic month to go sober in this instalment of Back to Black. Journalist and author Vince Beiser sits down with Michael Kosta to discuss the paradox of electric vehicles and renewable energy and his latest book "Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future." They talk about how preventing climate change has led to a rush for "critical" metals, how China has dominated the field of mining and manufacturing, the minerals and metals behind Trump's Greenland obsession, recycling electronic waste, and the importance of reusing and repairing gadgets.
S30 · E17February 3, 2025 - Mo Amer 2025-02-03 · 38 min
Jon Stewart examines Trump's attacks on trans people, Canada, and DEI as his first presidential orders of business and asks: How is that making America great again? Plus, the Best F**kin' News Team debate on where they rank in the DEI hierarchy. Mo Amer, a writer, stand-up comedian, and co-creator and star of "Mo," sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss the second season of his Peabody Award-winning Netflix series, inspired by his own refugee experience. They discuss how the series explores the complexities of statelessness and asylum, the absurdities of the immigration process, and how he leaned on Jon for support while figuring out whether to talk about Oct. 7 on his show.
S30 · E18February 4, 2025 - Nicole Avant 2025-02-04 · 35 min
Desi Lydic covers Elon Musk's purge of USAID, Louisiana Senator John Kennedy's lust for omelets, and Trump's January 6 revenge on top FBI officials. Plus, Troy Iwata checks in to answer the burning question: Is any of this legal? If your company is sucking up to Trump by dismantling DEI initiatives, The Daily Show has you covered with this HR training video to help workers unlearn all those "woke" teachings. Acclaimed producer and best-selling author Nicole Avant talks to Desi Lydic about the true story behind the Netflix movie "The Six Triple Eight" of an all-Black, all-female battalion that contributed to a victory in WWII and describes what she learned about the Coast Guard in her former role as Ambassador to the Bahamas. She also discusses her book "Think You'll Be Happy," which tells the story of her grief and path to healing after the tragic loss of her mother, and how her mother's last words to her serve as both the title of the book and her mantra in life.
S30 · E19February 5, 2025 - Julia Stiles 2025-02-05 · 29 min
Desi Lydic tackles Trump's proposal to take over Gaza and push all the Palestinians out to build a resort. Plus, Republicans try to spin the president's plan, and Jordan Klepper gets in on the brainstorming sesh. Don't worry about trade wars, Starbucks's bathroom policy, or egg prices breaking the bank because Michael Kosta is back with guaranteed money-making tips in a new Ko$ta Doin' Business. Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor Julia Stiles sits down with Desi Lydic to talk about her feature directorial debut, "Wish You Were Here." They discuss being in the "driver's seat" as a director after years of acting, working with longtime friend Vanessa Carlton, balancing the humorous love story with universal issues, and how becoming a parent prepared her for managing film crews and actors on set.
S30 · E20February 6, 2025 - Ke Huy Quan 2025-02-06 · 29 min
Desi Lydic covers Trump's latest executive actions, including a combination walk back/double-down on his Gaza plan, a ban on trans athletes that he probably didn't proofread, and a "National Garden of American Heroes." Plus, Ronny Chieng and Josh Johnson debate which Americans are statue-worthy. Elon Musk needs Democrats to get their heads in the game and for Republicans to open their eyes before Elon Musk destroys the government like it's a SpaceX rocket. "Love Hurts" actor Ke Huy Quan joins Desi Lydic to discuss his upcoming action flick that's like "‘Die Hard' for hopeless romantics." The Oscar-winning actor shares why his character represents a different type of action star, whether co-star Marshawn Lynch went full "Beast Mode" on him, and his tearful onscreen reunion with "Goonies" co-star Sean Astin. Plus, Quan auditions for his dream role as a supervillain with some incredibly evil line readings.
S30 · E21February 10, 2025 - David Remnick 2025-02-10 · 45 min
Jon Stewart tackles Trump's attempt to be the Super Bowl MVP and examines the president's rejection of federal agencies, birthright citizenship, and basic constitutional checks and balances. Plus, John Oliver welcomes America to its monarchy era. The New Yorker editor David Remnick sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss the magazine's 100th Anniversary Issue and journey since its inception in 1925. They also talk about the importance of long-form journalism, especially under the overwhelming second Trump administration, as well as how the president is overstepping executive power, the danger of the tech oligarchy, and the need for Democratic politicians and citizens alike to finish licking their wounds and take action.
S30 · E22February 11, 2025 - Jesse Eisenberg 2025-02-11 · 32 min
Jordan Klepper on Trump's boredom over his own tariffs, Pete Hegseth's half-woke Fort Bragg rebrand, and Eric Adams's "get out of jail" card. Plus, Grace Kuhlenschmidt, Michael Kosta, and Troy Iwata take a lesson from Mayor Adams on how to multi-task at the salon. Jordan Klepper and Ronny Chieng face off in Sports War over the Eagles' blowout Super Bowl win, Shohei Ohtani's interpreter's sentencing, and Kendrick Lamar's brutal takedown of Drake during his halftime performance. Academy Award-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg sits down with Jordan Klepper to discuss writing, directing, and starring in his Oscar-nominated film, "A Real Pain." They talk about carrying generational grief and grappling with his own life's meaning as a descendant of Holocaust survivors, how he got unprecedented access to film at a concentration camp in Poland, how his relationship with Kieran Culkin mirrors their characters, and how that influenced his role as director.
S30 · E23February 12, 2025 - Colman Domingo 2025-02-12 · 30 min
Jordan Klepper covers Trump pushing his Gaza takeover plan even further and the hypocrisy, conflicts of interest, and terrible "jokes" behind the most powerful unelected bureaucrat in D.C., Elon Musk. Marco Rubio was not always the it-girl of D.C. With his humble Florida beginnings and perfect lack of moral integrity, he was able to sneak his way in with Trump's in-crowd. This is the Daily Showography of Marco Rubio narrated by Molly Ringwald. "The only agenda is looking into a person's humanity and filling it with art and hope. That's the agenda of the film." Emmy-winning actor Colman Domingo talks to Jordan Klepper about his Oscar-nominated performance in the film "Sing Sing," which is based on a real rehabilitation through the arts program at Sing Sing prison, including the meta experience of making the film with a cast of formerly incarcerated actors playing versions of themselves and the transformative power of art and theater.
S30 · E24February 13, 2025 - Brady Corbet 2025-02-13 · 30 min
Jordan Klepper tackles Trump getting "hot" and heavy with the Kennedy Center, the government confirming RFK Jr. as health secretary, and the president fumbling peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine before they even start. Josh Johnson asks New Yorkers how they're dealing with eggflation and tries to get in on the egg grift. "Audiences do want daring, original, provocative films." Brady Corbet, writer and director of "The Brutalist," joins Jordan Klepper to discuss his ten-time Oscar-nominated film. He explains how Trump's first-term push to "Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again" inspired the story, why the architect at the film's center, László Tóth, feels so realistic, the connection between Brutalist architecture and the immigrant experience, and how he pulled it all off using VistaVision and a meager $10 million budget.
S30 · E25February 24, 2025 - Rupa Bhattacharyya 2025-02-24 · 39 min
Jon Stewart dives into Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency, a.k.a. DOGE, and how the Elon Musk-led project masks its allegiance to corporate overlords and negligence to the American people under the guise of slashing the government's budget. "We shouldn't live in a world where the only programs that get saved are the ones Republicans are willing to put their stamp of approval on." Jon Stewart joins Georgetown Law's Rupa Bhattacharyya, former Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, to discuss how Elon Musk and the DOGE project's reckless budget cuts are affecting valuable programs like the one she used to oversee. Bhattacharyya explains how federal agencies and programs were typically non-politicized until Trump's second administration, how similar uncertainty is affecting the World Trade Center Health Program, and why these roles are what the government exists to provide.
S30 · E26February 25, 2025 - Wendi McLendon-Covey 2025-02-25 · 30 min
Desi Lydic tackles Trump's continued defense of Russia to Fox News's dismay and his captivation with Emmanuel Macron's accent, despite the French president's attempts to sway him. Desi Lydic dives into the recent failures of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, including the "DOGE ultimatum" issued to federal workers via email. Plus, as government workers protest, Michael Kosta unpacks the symbolism in an AI-generated video circulating of Trump and, uh, Musk's toes. Actor Wendi McLendon-Covey joins Desi Lydic to discuss how her improv background prepared her for a career in comedy and the improvised sitcom pilot they worked on together years ago that led to a misguided boat purchase. McLendon-Covey also talks about the increased appreciation for healthcare workers she's gained from playing a hospital administrator on the new NBC show "St. Denis Medical," and the next fake profession she'd like to play.
S30 · E27February 26, 2025 - Rosebud Baker 2025-02-26 · 26 min
Desi Lydic tackles Trump's first cabinet meeting, which included Elon Musk accidentally canceling Ebola prevention and RFK Jr. downplaying the measles outbreak. Meanwhile, Trump announces $5M "gold card" for wealthy immigrants. Meet Elon Musk's Body Movement Choreographer, Jean Lemón, the mastermind behind Elon's X jump and heart-to-the-crowd salute. Comedian, actor & writer Rosebud Baker sits down with Desi Lydic to discuss her Netflix stand-up special "The Mother Lode." They talk about filming the special before and after giving birth, portraying an honest journey to motherhood, why Baker's daughter is at high risk for becoming a comedian, and how kicking pigeons helps her cope while writing SNL's Weekend Update.
S30 · E28February 27, 2025 - Gabrielle Union 2025-02-27 · 28 min
Desi Lydic rates the Democratic Party's methods of opposing Trump on the cringe-o-meter: from off-key protest chants to interpretive dance to podcasts. Plus, with so many Dems saying "Fuck Trump," Grace Kuhlenschmidt thinks that might just be a great idea. As Black History Month comes to an end, Josh Johnson asks New Yorkers if they can censor Black history just as well as the White House has. "You have to be willing to do the right thing even if it makes you uncomfortable or even if it doesn't actively benefit you, because real equality and real liberation is what benefits all of us." Actor, producer, and entrepreneur Gabrielle Union sits down with Desi Lydic for a conversation about making the new film she stars in, "Riff Raff," and how she uses her power as a producer to enact positive change in the industry and uplift people who are typically overlooked. They also discuss Union's pride in her daughter Zaya's activism work for the queer community and trans rights.
S30 · E29March 3, 2025 - Matthew Desmond 2025-03-03 · 46 min
Jon Stewart dives into the Oval Office meeting between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy, which shocked viewers more than John Cena's heel-turn. Plus, Jon calls bullshit on Elon Musk's challenge to an interview. "Investing in American people and stabilizing communities that need it the most is the best way for all of us." Sociologist at Princeton University and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Evicted," Matthew Desmond sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss his latest book, "Poverty, by America." They talk about America's welfare state, how society benefits from poverty, the opportunity to close the poverty gap if the top one percent paid their taxes, and empowering the poor with better choices like building worker power, and expanding housing choice. They also highlight how Democrats need to get more serious about economic justice to fully commit to poverty abolitionism.
S30 · E30March 4, 2025 - Mae Martin 2025-03-04 · 29 min
Michael Kosta tackles Trump launching a trade war with Canada, Trudeau responding to Trump with a "disappointed dad" message, and the GOP blaming Biden for stock market issues. Plus, Grace Kuhlenschmidt unlocks American pride as things with Canada get ugly. Trump voters, Tesla owners, and Yeezy wearers are all suffering from buyer's remorse right now. Ricky Velez offers some advice for dealing with the disappointment and getting rid of your now Nazi-affiliated purchases. Mae Martin, an award-winning comedian, actor, and writer, sits down with Michael Kosta to discuss "I'm a TV," their debut album as a singer-songwriter. They talk about the differences between performing as a stand-up and as a musician, finding new vulnerability as a songwriter after their top surgery, the solemn inspiration behind the song "Big Bear," and that one time they got a tattoo using a stick and poke kit.
S30 · E31March 5, 2025 - Julien Baker & Mackenzie Scott aka "Torres" 2025-03-05 · 31 min
Michael Kosta explains why Trump's joint session speech felt like a theatrical production with appearances by co-star Elon Musk, over-the-top trolling, and blatant lies as the Democrats helplessly wielded their props. Critically acclaimed musicians, Julien Baker and Mackenzie Scott aka "Torres" sit down with Michael Kosta to discuss their forthcoming album, "Send A Prayer My Way." They talk about banding together during lockdown to create a country album, navigating a spiritual relationship with the divine, and writing a song about the unconditional love of a dog. Julien Baker and Mackenzie Scott perform "Bottom of a Bottle" from their forthcoming album, "Send A Prayer My Way."
S30 · E32March 6, 2025 - Antoni Porowski 2025-03-06 · 30 min
Michael Kosta on Trump doubling down then ditching Canada and Mexico tariffs, the GOP pretending the plunging stock market is normal, and the president pissing off China. Plus, Josh Johnson takes inspiration from Trump flip-flopping on tariffs. These days in America it's easier to get a gun than get rid of one. Desi Lydic headed to Michigan to get to the bottom of the state's "buy back" initiative that turned out to be refurbishing guns instead of destroying them. Bestselling author and culinary expert Antoni Porowski talks to Michael Kosta about hosting his new National Geographic show, "No Taste Like Home," which uses a dish significant to each guest as an entry point to a journey through their family and ancestral history. They discuss the extensive research process that goes into the show, some of the most emotional moments of the season, and why food is so important to Porowski and how he connects with his own family.
S30 · E33March 17, 2025 - Sen. Chris Murphy 2025-03-17 · 41 min
Jon Stewart highlights how the Democrats' divisiveness over Trump's budget bill is emblematic of their lack of vision, plummeting approval ratings, and continued losses against the MAGA cult. Third-term Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut sits down with Jon Stewart to talk about the Democratic party's path moving forward. He explains why he disagreed over the Dems' decision not to filibuster the GOP budget, why his colleagues should be willing to take more risks, how misaligned priorities cost them voters to Trump, and the need to rally behind long-lasting ideas.
S30 · E34March 18, 2025 - Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson 2025-03-18 · 33 min
Jordan Klepper breaks down how Trump's attempt to mass-deport Venezuelans by invoking a racist wartime law has led to a feud with the federal judge and an all-out constitutional crisis. Plus, Troy Iwata checks in on sick MAGA children who have just learned that their letters from the president were signed by... an autopen. The recent string of plane crash catastrophes has air traffic controllers overworked and travelers worried. In an all-new "Back In Black," Lewis Black breaks down America's airline problem, the insufferable ways fliers ease their anxiety, and how Elon Musk is making it all worse. New York Times Opinion columnist Ezra Klein and staff writer for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson, talk to Jordan Klepper about their new book, "Abundance," which details how lawmakers can solve the affordability crisis by "building and inventing more of what we need."
S30 · E35March 19, 2025 - Anthony Carrigan 2025-03-19 · 23 min
Jordan Klepper covers the backlash against Elon Musk, including town hall rage against his unconfirmed DOGE position and sweeping Tesla vandalization. Plus, some advice for the returning NASA astronauts on how to acclimate to Trump and Elon's new world. Trump is getting rid of all DEI celebrations... except for St. Patrick's Day! Michael Kosta takes to the streets of NYC on St. Paddy's Day to ask Irish Trump supporters what makes them so lucky. Emmy-nominated actor Anthony Carrigan sits down with Jordan Klepper to discuss his new film "Death of a Unicorn." They talk about working with unicorns through practical effects, experimenting with a Scottish accent, how Bill Hader opened the door for his character's continuation in "Barry," and his upcoming role as Metamorpho in James Gunn's "Superman."
S30 · E36March 20, 2025 - Peter Wolf 2025-03-20 · 35 min
Jordan Klepper covers Trump's anti-DEI fallout, including the Pentagon's erasure of Jackie Robinson and The Enola Gay. Plus, Troy Iwata joins the Republicans' campaign to revive Tesla stock and keep Elon Musk rich. With many Americans preparing for doomsday, the apocalypse has become good business. Michael Kosta visits Fortitude Ranch, a post-apocalyptic survival community where preppers can wait out the end times in country-club glamour with their own rooms, artillery, and food supplies…for a hefty amount of cash. Legendary musician, artist, and New York Times best-selling author Peter Wolf joins Jordan Klepper to talk about his new memoir, "Waiting on the Moon." The former J. Geils Band frontman recounts the era in which he wrote their album "Full House," and how he strived to write a "not-boring" memoir by sharing vignettes about the people he idolized.
S30 · E37March 24, 2025 - Paul Rudd 2025-03-24 · 37 min
Jon Stewart goes old-school Daily Show on Trump and Republicans who pride themselves on "saving" free speech, all while censoring anybody who doesn't agree with them. Paul Rudd sits down with Jon Stewart to chat about his latest starring roles in the films "Death of a Unicorn" and "Friendship," watching their kids grow up, and, of course, pharmaceutical side effects to the perineum.