INTERVIEW: Jordan Klepper On Meeting People Where They Are, Comedic Activism, New Stand Up Special + More

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – Interview with Jordan Klepper
Episode Date: December 4, 2025 | Host: iHeartPodcasts | Guests: Jordan Klepper, DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, Lauren the Rose

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Main Theme / Purpose

This episode of The Breakfast Club features comedian and political satirist Jordan Klepper discussing his new stand-up special "Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize." The conversation delves into the intersection of comedy and activism, the importance of meeting people where they are (especially in politically charged environments), the risks and motivations behind his fieldwork, and how humor serves as both a social critique and connective tissue in divided times.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Projects and Staying Relevant

• Klepper's Constant Output:
  Jordan talks about how he is always working on something new—documentaries, stand-up, field pieces—partly out of necessity ("You know how hard it is to keep health insurance in this country. You have to keep working constantly." — Jordan Klepper, 03:08).
• Pressure of Performance:
  The group jokes about fashion, interview nerves, and the expectations placed on comedians to always perform, revealing both camaraderie and the pressures of being a public figure.

2. "People-ing" and Human Nature

• Relating to People:
  Charlamagne jokingly asks if Klepper likes "people-ing," prompting Jordan to explain his love/hate relationship with people, especially off-camera.

  "I have a love hate relationship with people as a general idea...but I like getting to know them a little bit. I'll tell you, people off camera are so interesting to me and those are the people I like the most."
  — Jordan Klepper (03:39-04:37)

• Authenticity On and Off Camera:
  Jordan explains that in front of the camera people become "versions of themselves that they see online," but off-camera, real interests and stories emerge.

3. Comedy as Social Commentary & Activism

• Special’s Theme:
  The new special attempts to expose political hypocrisy, specifically around Trump’s "law and order" rhetoric versus his desire for a Nobel Peace Prize (07:49-08:21).
• Blending Stand-Up and Field Work:
  Klepper discusses how field segments combined with stand-up give richer insight into complex events like protests in Portland, juxtaposing the absurd (naked bike rides) with the violent (ICE agents firing at protesters).

  "For me, that's what America feels like right now. It's this absurdity, it's this violence. It's two different worlds clashing into one another."
  — (08:34-09:37)

4. Measuring Impact: Art vs. Clicks

• Comedic Intention vs. Metrics:
  While Klepper insists his goal is to inspire engagement and thought, he admits to obsessing over view counts, reflecting industry pressures and personal insecurity (10:03-11:28).

5. Danger in the Field

• Personal Safety and Security:
  Klepper describes increased threats in the Trump era and recounts going from no security to traveling with four guards after a mob incident at a Stop the Steal rally (13:00-15:31).

  "I started going out there with no security, and now I go out there with four security guards...It became a mob of angry people...Security had to extricate me from the situation and run out, throw me in a van kind of a situation...You do it close to the car now."
  — (13:00-15:34)

• Mob Mentality:
  He distinguishes between reasonable one-on-one conversations and the irrationality of crowds.

6. Propaganda, Groupthink, and Conversation Bubbles

• Stress-Testing Beliefs:
  Klepper frames his fieldwork as a “stress test” for the talking points and propaganda people absorb from various media bubbles (16:39-17:02, 21:24-22:41).
• Generational Divide:
  Klepper observes that older people are more susceptible to fear narratives like "antifa," while younger individuals are more skeptical (30:01-31:51).

  "The old people buy in hook, line and sinker, and they love it...The young people are too smart for that shit."
  — (30:06-31:51)

7. Comedy, Public Service, and Ethical Limits

• Line Between Joker and Activist:
  Klepper discusses the fine balance between making comedic points and veering into activism or journalism, stressing that his "bias" is comedy and not to overstep (22:48-24:24).
• Acting as “Public Servant”:
  He notes that comedy “calling out the BS” has real civic value, but it must stay aligned with comedic instincts, not just advocacy.

8. Notable Moments: Portland’s Naked Bike Ride

• Surreal Protest Coverage:
  Klepper gives an account of riding—mostly naked—with protesters past an ICE facility, resulting in a clash with ICE officers. The group riffs on the wildness, awkwardness, and eventual seriousness of the protest.

  "America in 2025 looks like naked people riding for a cause, being shot by ICE agents who are scared. It smells like soup, man. It smells like soup. Cheap soup."
  — (34:31-34:50)

9. Division, Hope, and the State of America

• Is the Country More Divided?
  Both the recording of divisiveness and actual increased division are discussed. Jordan sees both as true but highlights the hope in people expressing dissent and remaining engaged (29:29-35:29).
• What Gives Him Hope:
  Jordan admires protestors’ willingness to risk ridicule (“show up with your balls out”) for just causes, asserting that apathy—not anger—is the real adversary (34:53-35:29).

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Notable Quotes & Moments (w/ Timestamps)

• On People Off-Camera:
  "People without a camera on their face, those people... those are the best people."
  – Jordan Klepper, 04:37

• On Political Hypocrisy and Special’s Premise:
  "Trump was sending troops into cities because he said it was World War II in Portland and Chicago. And at the same time, he wanted the Nobel Peace Prize...That's hypocrisy. That makes for comedy and a special."
  – Jordan Klepper, 07:49-08:08

• On Safety:
  "I started going out there with no security, and now I go out there with four security guards...It became a mob of angry people. And security had to extricate me from the situation and run out..."
  – Jordan Klepper, 13:00-15:34

• On Field Conversations:
  "At its most revealing moments, I'm having a conversation with somebody on the road who has not had a conversation and thought through their point of view until this very moment."
  – Jordan Klepper, 21:24-22:41

• On Generational Divide:
  "The old people buy in hook, line and sinker...The young people are too smart for that shit."
  – Jordan Klepper, 31:51

• On Comedy’s Role:
  "The Daily Show has a bias towards comedy, calling out the BS where they see it...Also, I am not a journalist. I rely on the work of good journalists."
  – Jordan Klepper, 22:48-24:24

• On Division in America:
  "We are more divided. We are 100% more divided. We are pushed to that space...But there's still a glimmer of hope."
  – Jordan Klepper, 29:53-30:06

• On Hope:
  "What gives me hope about America is a naked guy protesting out front of an ICE facility...if you show up with your balls out, your tits out...because I think what's happening inside is inhumane—that is helpful to me."
  – Jordan Klepper, 34:53-35:29

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:52] – Jordan welcomed, jokes about health insurance and projects
• [04:37] – Discussing authenticity off-camera, people-ing
• [07:49] – Background on the special’s premise
• [08:34] – Portland naked bike ride and protest coverage
• [13:00] – Explaining personal safety, need for security
• [21:24] – “Stress-testing” political talking points in the field
• [29:53] – Division in America: more divided or just more recorded?
• [31:51] – Generational attitudes toward propaganda and divisiveness
• [33:14] – Should Trump get the Nobel Peace Prize? (and why he wants it)
• [34:28] – What the special hopes to communicate
• [34:53] – Where Klepper finds hope in America

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Conclusion & Takeaways

Jordan Klepper’s Breakfast Club interview is as much about America’s fractured discourse as about the craft of satire and the risks of being a “comedic activist.” Klepper moves deftly between self-deprecating humor and serious reflection, offering insight on how comedy can expose absurdities within modern politics, why authentic conversations matter, and why staying engaged—even uncomfortably so—is vital. The stand-up special he promotes is an extension of this mission: to “meet people where they are,” bridge divides, and call out the BS—all while keeping the jokes coming.

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Recommended Segment: If you only have time for one section, listen to [08:34-12:18] for the best blend of comedic fieldwork insights, political context, and Klepper’s signature wit.

Transcript

[Lauren]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.

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[Jordan Klepper]

Hey, this is Sarah. Look, I'm standing out front of a.m. p.m. Right now and, well, you're sweet and all, but I found something more fulfilling, even kind of cheesy. But I like it. Sure, you met some of my dietary needs, but I've just got it all. So farewell. Oatmeal. So long, you strange soggy.

[Charlamagne]

Break up with bland breakfast and taste.

[Jordan Klepper]

AM PM's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit made with K tree egg, smoked bacon.

[Charlamagne]

And melty cheese on a buttery biscuit.

[Jordan Klepper]

AM P M. Too much good stuff. I'm investigative journalist Melissa Jeltson.

[Lauren]

My new podcast, what Happened in Nashville, tells the story of an IVF clinic's catastrophic collapse and the patients who banded together in the chaos that followed. It doesn't matter how much I fight, doesn't matter how much I cry over all of this. It doesn't matter how much justice we get. None of it's going to get me pregnant. Listen to what Happened in Nashville on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever.

[Jordan Klepper]

You get your podcasts. What do you think makes the perfect snack?

[Charlamagne]

Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient.

[Jordan Klepper]

Could you be more specific?

[Charlamagne]

When it's cravinient. Okay, like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at a.m. p.m, or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at. I'm seeing a pattern here. Well, yeah, we're talking about what I crave, which is anything from AM pm. What more could you want?

[Jordan Klepper]

Stop by ampm where the snacks and.

[Charlamagne]

Drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience.

[Jordan Klepper]

AM PM Too much good stuff. You know what your customers are doing right this second? The exact same thing. You are listening to me. Which, let's be honest, is kind of flattering. But my point is, ads on iHeartRadio actually get heard. In the car, at the gym, on the couch, while people are walking their dogs. Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? You're a good boy. That's right, dude. You're a good. So why not make the next ad about you?

[Charlamagne]

Get started today.

[Jordan Klepper]

Call 844-844-IHEART or go to iheartadvertising.com. that's 844-844-iheart or iheartadvertising.com hold up.

[Charlamagne]

Every day I wake up.

[Jordan Klepper]

Wake your ass up.

[Charlamagne]

The Breakfast Club.

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Jess. Hilarious Charlamagne. Thg we are the Breakfast Club. Lauren the Rose is here as well. We got a special guest in the building. Yes, indeed. We have a comedian, Jordan Klepper.

[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome.

[Charlamagne]

How you feeling?

[Jordan Klepper]

I'm feel. How are you guys doing?

[Charlamagne]

I'm doing well. Doing well. You always keep a project. Last time you was here was for your last field piece, right? This time it's not field piece. You had a whole documentary. Whole documentary. Now you're here for your special. Jordan Klepper fingers the Pulse. Give the man a prize.

[Jordan Klepper]

Let me tell you, it's nothing but projects. You know how hard it is to keep health insurance in this country. You have to keep working constantly. And contractually I'm obligated to go out in the field and do special after special after special, so.

[Charlamagne]

But that could make you sick. So you gonna need all that healthcare.

[Jordan Klepper]

I need that healthcare, trust me. I'm getting old too. I got bad feet, I got weird shoulders. I wake. My hip doesn't work. So yeah, I need to keep. I need to keep out there talking to people about politics.

[Charlamagne]

Are you really a people person, Jordan? Do you like the people?

[Jordan Klepper]

Do I like the people?

[Charlamagne]

No, not like the people. Do you like to people? I call it peopleing. Do you like the people?

[Jordan Klepper]

You're using that as a verb?

[Charlamagne]

Yes.

[Jordan Klepper]

Do I like to people? I do. I feel comfortable peopleing. I think it's my Midwest. Nice. That makes me like jump into spaces, try to find commonality. I've met a lot of people though. I definitely have. I have a love hate relationship with people. As a general idea, I've seen they're good, I've seen their bad. There's a lot of them live somewhere in the middle. But I like getting to know them a little bit. I'll tell you, people off camera are so interesting to me and those are the people that I like the most. You know, I go into these MAGA worlds. I go into these, these strange spaces and the camera shifts. The way in which everybody talks about stuff makes them more certain, makes them more argumentative, makes them versions of themselves that they see online. And then that camera go and they got music interests, they got wives they have issues with, they have food interests, they have peccadillo's. That you just sort of gravitate towards. So people without a camera on their face, those people, Those are the best people.

[Charlamagne]

What about when you walk in a room and the camera's not on and somebody says, make me laugh?

[Jordan Klepper]

Yes. Well, that.

[Charlamagne]

You're just a jester.

[Jordan Klepper]

You know what? Sometimes that happens. Sometimes you want to come on the Breakfast Club. You want to have a nice conversation, and then you walk into a room.

[Lauren]

And I say, make me laugh.

[Jordan Klepper]

And the bar is set. Yeah. You get nervous.

[Lauren]

I say that because he said, do I look good? And I was like, you look great. Because I thought as a comedian, when you're making people laugh, it makes you feel good. And I wanted you to feel comfortable and welcomed.

[Jordan Klepper]

You did?

[Lauren]

Yes. And happy.

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, here's the problem as a comedian. You complimenting the way I look made me feel uncomfortable because my expectation. My expectation is I look strange. I have ill fitting clothes. I think that's how I see myself. So you set me off my game by making me feel good about myself. Most of you, that's on you.

[Lauren]

I'm so sorry.

[Jordan Klepper]

If you.

[Lauren]

Look, if you want me to, I could.

[Jordan Klepper]

What's wrong? Talk about the fit. Where did I go wrong?

[Charlamagne]

Go.

[Lauren]

Really? You want me to do that? No, I don't.

[Jordan Klepper]

You don't have. No. This is. It's a new jacket. Is it okay?

[Lauren]

I like the jacket. I just wouldn't have put it with that shirt that you have under.

[Jordan Klepper]

There it is. You're right.

[Charlamagne]

She's wearing a full leather onesie. And you're gonna think it's not a onesie.

[Lauren]

I got in a jacket.

[Jordan Klepper]

I was gonna say. I just don't know what to do.

[Lauren]

With the jacket, though. And I thought the hair was a good compliment to the jacket.

[Jordan Klepper]

But.

[Lauren]

But if you want me to talk bad. Yeah, I just. I felt you could have went with a lighter shirt.

[Jordan Klepper]

Lighter shirt? Yeah.

[Lauren]

Is it a thermal?

[Jordan Klepper]

It is a thermal.

[Charlamagne]

Cause it's cold.

[Lauren]

It is cold.

[Jordan Klepper]

But that is texture. There's texture on texture. You don't like that.

[Lauren]

The textures are just very different.

[Charlamagne]

So you don't need to wear a white T shirt.

[Lauren]

I mean, do you do Uniqlo?

[Jordan Klepper]

I do Uniqlo.

[Lauren]

See, I know your brand. Yeah. They have really great T shirts that you could have put the thermal under, put the white T shirt, and then it would have with the sneakers. I looked at your shoes when you talked about your feet, and I just.

[Charlamagne]

Thought, why are you doing this? Yeah, why?

[Lauren]

What's wrong with you? He told me to do it.

[Jordan Klepper]

I respect it. I respect it. I need it.

[Charlamagne]

Is this the part of people that.

[Jordan Klepper]

You like or don't like them comfortable? We're right on the line right now. I gotta tell you. But, you know, I do. I do specials because I get health insurance. I do publicity, so I get fashion tips. I can't pay for a publicist. You're helping me here right now.

[Lauren]

I was just trying to help you feel comfortable. You told me to do it.

[Jordan Klepper]

You know I like it. I respect it. Now, you don't want a graphic tee. You're saying a plain tee is the way to go with something like this?

[Lauren]

Yeah, I think a plain tee would have been real chill, like, you seem, like, effortless.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, that's what you're getting out of this.

[Lauren]

Yeah. That's a good thing.

[Jordan Klepper]

No, I'll take effortless.

[Charlamagne]

She said you seem effortless, but you actually tried this morning.

[Jordan Klepper]

I'm trying. There was so much effort put into this moment here. You can see it. It's bled into the interview.

[Charlamagne]

You did it last night. I can tell.

[Lauren]

You did it last night.

[Charlamagne]

I'm gonna kill with this, like, first day.

[Jordan Klepper]

You know, I ironed this corduroy jacket.

[Charlamagne]

Damn.

[Jordan Klepper]

I don't even know if you supposed to iron a corduroy jacket steamer.

[Charlamagne]

Jesus Christ. At the office. You know what's so interesting?

[Lauren]

To mess up the jacket.

[Jordan Klepper]

Wait, this is good. This is good intel. I didn't know. Yeah, you. You steam corduroy instead of ironing corduroy.

[Lauren]

Oh, my God.

[Jordan Klepper]

No, this is helpful.

[Charlamagne]

I put a towel over it and it's steaming through the tower. You can do that, too.

[Lauren]

Did you put the towel.

[Jordan Klepper]

I did not put the towel down. Sorry.

[Charlamagne]

But you know, Jordan is a real comedian. Cuz soon as Lawrence said, make me laugh, Jordan was like, I got a tight five.

[Jordan Klepper]

I got it.

[Charlamagne]

What do you need?

[Jordan Klepper]

You like airline food? I got. I got thoughts on that. Let's go.

[Charlamagne]

New special, Jordan Clapper. Fingers the Pulse. Give the man a prize. Fingers the Pulse Sounds crazy, but let's talk about. Is that his name?

[Jordan Klepper]

Have you met Fingers the Pulse? That guy. Oh, boy. He's a bit handsy. Ok, stay away. All right? He's got a rap sheet. Don't look into him. Don't Google the guy.

[Charlamagne]

Are you messing with MAGA people again, man? What's wrong with you? You just like, just.

[Jordan Klepper]

You know what? I like getting out there.

[Charlamagne]

I see.

[Jordan Klepper]

I like getting out there. This one was wild because we're trying to figure out what to do a special on. And two Things were happening simultaneously. Trump was sending troops into cities because he said it was World War II in Portland and Chicago. And at the same time, he wanted the Nobel Peace Prize. Cause he said he was the most peaceful guy on the planet.

[Charlamagne]

Crazy, right?

[Jordan Klepper]

So we're like, all right, that's hypocrisy. That makes for comedy and a special. So it's like, let's go after this Nobel Peace Prize desire and let's talk to people about, like, what's actually happening in these cities, which is chaotic.

[Charlamagne]

Absolutely. And it's interesting too, because the special blend stand up with what you do in the field. What did you want audiences to understand about America that you couldn't capture just through field pieces or just with a stand up?

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, I mean, I think when you look at something like this, what peace looks like in America, what it feels like, what. What is so nice? We went to Portland, which was supposedly World War II. And if you're watching Fox News, if you're watching the right wing political sphere, all you're seeing is this is a war zone. This is chaos. You never want to visit. We went there on the naked bike ride, which was a comical experience full of people dressed as. Some people who were naked, some people who were dressed as cartoon characters, all of them going outside an ice facility to protest what they saw as inhumane treatment. It was comical, it was absurd. And then we saw ICE agents shoot peppermint balls at these people dressed as cartoon characters. And for me, that's what America feels like right now. It's this absurdity, it's this violence. It's two different worlds clashing into one another. And so that's why we go out and do these field pieces. That's why we go out and do these specials is it's one thing to sit behind a desk and talk about what you see on camera, it's another thing to get out there and see it up close.

[Lauren]

How do you measure the success of your pieces that you do? Cause it's comedy. But there's also, like, a deeper conversation that you want to start. Like, I know you want an Emmy for your last one, so is it okay, I got. Congratulations.

[Jordan Klepper]

Thank you.

[Lauren]

Thank you.

[Jordan Klepper]

What feel you got now, Emmy wise? I got a couple at home. Yeah? Yeah. It's pretty nice. Pretty nice. Yeah. And even with all that, I'm still so nervous about what I wear, you know?

[Charlamagne]

Exactly. You can't get that when you got Emmys.

[Jordan Klepper]

You think so? But you still care. I measure success with clicks. That's all that matters. Just clicks. Who is watching? How many clicks?

[Lauren]

No, not really.

[Charlamagne]

Do you snort?

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, that was a healthy. That was a supportive snort. I'll take it.

[Charlamagne]

That's an honest answer.

[Jordan Klepper]

I wish I didn't look at it. And I can't say.

[Lauren]

I can't see you.

[Jordan Klepper]

You know what? There's truth in that comedy. Okay, I'd like to know what I tried. Our intention in this is to find we're comedians in this crazy, strange world. I came up an improv comedy guy, a comedy dude who suddenly thrust on the Daily show, and I love it. And then the world sort of explodes. And our job is to find comedy in these chaotic times and using comedy as a way to add context to a moment. And for people who aren't necessarily paying attention and watching Comedy Central at 11 o', clock, who might not be interested in politics suddenly to be paying attention to the Nobel Peace Prize race and what's happening in Portland.

That'S our intention, is to engage in that conversation. And then late at night, when I feel good about my intentions and what I've done, I go on YouTube and I see how many people have watched it. And if it's not enough and I compare it to what else is out there that I feel bad about myself. And then I talk to my agent and they're like, well, your contract's gonna be dependent on how the show is. And then you watch CNN and it talks about what's happening in the late night sphere. And then you worry about eyeballs and the attention economy, and suddenly you have a breakdown when you come on a show like this and you're wearing something that's not exactly. I'm just. I can't get out of it, you know, I can't get my head outside of it.

[Lauren]

I'm so sorry.

[Charlamagne]

Is this the only way to make special special.

[Jordan Klepper]

Is this the only way to make special specials?

[Charlamagne]

How you do them?

[Jordan Klepper]

For me, yes. There's something improvisational about it. We. We knew we were gonna do a special three months ago. And the stuff that we do is current. You know, we were. We were editing it up until yesterday. We were filming up until like a week ago. And for me, I've done specials that take a year. I've worked in the standup world, and you craft something over the course of years to put that special out. But for the Daily show, for Fingers the Pulse, what we do is we're like, what's the conversation right now? How do we make a larger argument about that conversation and how do we keep it evolving up until the moment it goes out. So for me, that retains the improv spirit of keeping it in the moment.

[Charlamagne]

I always wondered, when you go out and you're talking to these people, how does your wife feel? I know it's a lot of. She's gonna be nervous, right?

[Lauren]

But.

[Charlamagne]

Yeah, but how is it on her?

[Jordan Klepper]

She.

She gets a little stressed when we go into some hairy situations. Like, you know, she knows me, trust me, when I bring that argumentative stance back home, she is not as excited. Like, it's one thing to see the guy goes out there and argues about politics on the road, trying to find hypocrisy, but to bring that guy home and in the house is a tough thing for a wife and a loved one. So I feel for her in that position. As of the last few years, though, she is earnestly worried about what happens out there. You know, it's.

[Charlamagne]

People are crazy.

[Jordan Klepper]

People are crazy. And I started going out there with no security, and now I go out there with four security guards. Okay. And there are threats that take place on the show, on the family. And again, when the camera's off, when you're talking to people face to face, people are lovely. People are not as bold and emboldened as they are online. But when you step back from that, there's hate, there's anger out there, and she fears for that. We think about that, and I think this last six months, with some of the violent activities that we've all seen, like late night shows, people who are public, forward facing have to sort of reevaluate what that looks like. And it's. But it's real and it's scary, and you try not to think too much about it.

[Charlamagne]

What was the incident that made you get four security guards? Cause you just don't go from having nobody to all of a sudden, 4. Something had to happen.

[Jordan Klepper]

It was. I was. I think the big moment for us was right before Trump's. When Trump lost his reelection campaign in 2020 and the Stop the Steal campaign, he had a giant event in the Capitol, and there were 50,000 people there. And I was interacting with people. And the Trump crew had gone from being in power and successful to having lost an election, something they couldn't accept at the time. And so they were angry. And I think there was a shift from, like, oh, this is playful. We don't like the media, but we will be playful with them. Suddenly I was pushing somebody in an interview, and it was getting a little bit contentious. And the people around it who had nothing to do with eyed on. That started to create two to three to 10, to 15 to 30 people. And it became a mob of angry people. And security had to extricate me from the situation and run out, throw me in a van kind of a situation. They chased me, they chased me. And it's that mob mentality that you saw a month and a half later at January 6, where it is a bunch of people with nothing to do, emboldened by a president who told him that you're a patriot and that the media is the enemy of all people. And they see that. And literally, I don't think a lot of the people who chased me had that intention. But a minute and a half earlier, bored people walking around emboldened by a president see something that they can do and their brain turns off and they just. They just chase. And so when we encountered with that, it was like, all right, we have to be prepared for this. And quite frankly, when we go to rallies and events now, we have to be tactical about where we are, because if we're in a space where we can't get out of. And that mob again, you do it.

[Charlamagne]

Close to the car now, Cloud.

[Jordan Klepper]

Now I do it close to the car. We're always close to the car.

[Lauren]

Can't get out the window.

[Jordan Klepper]

And you know what? I'm gonna amend my comment about people. I think person is easy, people is tough. And that was the case on the road. I can talk one on one to that person. When they become people, they start to lose accountability. And that's what you can't rationalize with.

[Charlamagne]

Become like, groupthink.

[Jordan Klepper]

It's groupthink all the way.

[Charlamagne]

You ever think about keeping, like, a MAGA hat in your back pocket just in case? You just throw it on slim, you.

[Jordan Klepper]

Know what I mean?

[Charlamagne]

Disguise.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yes. I will tell you our producers specific colored hats and apparel to wear so that we blend in.

[Charlamagne]

Really?

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, for sure.

[Charlamagne]

So, like, red hats, they may not say mag on it, but just red hats.

[Jordan Klepper]

Our producer, Ian Berger, wears a red hockey hat from some minor league hockey team in Canada. It's got a red hat with, like a Mustang on it. That looks like. Looks like it's part of the team. It's tribalism out there, right? You walk out there, if you're wearing the red, you're wearing that, you're on the team.

[Charlamagne]

No black people.

[Jordan Klepper]

There are no black people out there. There are not.

[Lauren]

Do you feel like it's worth it, like, what you do and putting yourself kind of like in the mix of these people who could have that mentality and having to beef up security.

[Jordan Klepper]

I do. I love engaging with people and I do, for me, what is most effective or interesting about what I do is when, like, I feel like I'm stress testing propaganda. The stuff that you hear being fed to people on all these, on all these news shows like, like, where does it, where does it actually land with.

[Charlamagne]

What a matchup we got, y'?

[Jordan Klepper]

All. This is that classic HBCU vibe.

[Charlamagne]

Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo, drum beat, everybody showing that school pride. A game like this, yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Mmm. Yeah, that taste always hits the right note.

[Jordan Klepper]

Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it.

[Charlamagne]

Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

[Lauren]

Run a business and not thinking about podcasting. Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than ads supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined. So whatever your customers are into, true crime, sports, comedy, culture, they'll hear your message. Plus, only iHeart can extend your message to audiences across broadcast radio. And all this reach means everything. Just think about the universal marketing formula. The number of consumers who hear your message times the response rate equals the results. Now let's get those results growing for you. Think podcasting can help your business? Think iHeart streaming radio and podcasting. Let us show you at iheartadvertising.com that's iheartadvertising.com or call 844-844, iHeart one more time. Call 844-844-IHeart and get podcasting working for you.

[Jordan Klepper]

May 24, 1990. A pipe bomb explodes in the front seat of environmental activist Judy Berry's car. I knew it was a bomb the second that it exploded.

[Lauren]

I felt it rip through me with just a force more powerful and terrible than anything that I could describe.

[Jordan Klepper]

In season two of Rip Current, we ask who tried to kill Judy Berry and why she received death threats before the bombing. She received more threats after the bombing. The men and women who were hurt had planned to lead a summer of militant protest against logging practices in Northern California. They were climbing trees and they were sabotaging logging equipment in the woods. The timber industry. I mean, it was the number one industry in the area. But more than it was the culture, it was the way of life.

[Charlamagne]

I think that this is a deliberate.

[Lauren]

Attempt to sabotage our movement.

[Jordan Klepper]

Episodes of Rip Current Season 2 are available now. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.

[Charlamagne]

Or wherever you get your podcasts.

It's okay not to be okay sometimes and be able to build strength and love within each other.

[Jordan Klepper]

Thanksgiving isn't just about food.

[Charlamagne]

It's a day for us to show.

[Jordan Klepper]

Up for one another. I'm Elliot Connie, host of the podcast Family Therapy, a series where real families come together to heal and find hope.

[Charlamagne]

What would be a clue that would be like?

[Jordan Klepper]

I've gotten lots of text messages from him. This one's from a little bit better.

[Lauren]

Of a version of him because he's feeding himself well.

[Jordan Klepper]

It's always a concern, like, are you eating well?

[Lauren]

He's actually an amazing cook.

[Jordan Klepper]

There was this one time where we had neighbors and I saved their dog and I ended up inviting them over for food. And that was, like, one of my proudest moments. This is Family Therapy. Real families, real stories on a journey to heal together.

[Charlamagne]

Listen to season two of Family Therapy.

[Jordan Klepper]

Every Wednesday on the Black Effect Podcast.

[Charlamagne]

Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jordan Klepper]

I'm Robert Smith and this is Jacob Goldstein. And we used to host a show called Planet Money. And now we're back making this new podcast called Business History, about the best ideas and people and businesses in history and some of the worst people, horrible ideas and destructive companies in the history of business. Having a genius idea without a need for it is nothing. It's like not having it at all. It's a very simple, elegant lesson. Make something people want. First episode, how Southwest Airlines used cheap seats and free whiskey to fight its way into the airline business. The most Texas story ever.

[Charlamagne]

There's a lot of mavericks in that story. We're going to have mavericks on the show.

[Jordan Klepper]

We have plenty of robber barons. So many robber barons. And you know what? They're not all bad. And we'll talk about some of the classic great moments of famous business geniuses, along with some of the darker moments that often get overlooked, like Thomas Edison and the electric chair. Listen to business history on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The American public. And if I can go out there and I can find that hypocrisy, if I can. Like at its most revealing moments, I'm having a conversation with somebody on the road who has not had a conversation and thought through their point of view until this very moment. Like, we all just accept these points of view, these opinions, these certainties that are fed us without, like, friends and cohorts who push you on it. Like, we're in these bubbles. A lot of the people I talk to are in media bubbles. They're in friend bubbles, they're in Facebook bubbles. And when I come out here and I ask you, why do you think that thing. They haven't thought through it. And in that moment, they have to articulate that. My job is to find comedy in it, some context in it. But hopefully there's a little moment of revelation where you see that person be that person again, and you see the bs. And so, yeah, for me, with that and a little bit of health insurance, it feels like it's worth it.

[Charlamagne]

So for you, at what point does comedy stop being funny and start becoming, like, a public servant?

[Jordan Klepper]

Start being a public servant? That's a great question. I mean, you know, with the Daily show, like, John always talks. We are a comedy show. That is our bias. And I think that's what is compelling about people when they watch a show like that. They know our bias. All these shows have bias. The Daily show has a bias towards comedy, calling out the BS where they see it. So we're always approaching it from that. And also, I am not a journalist. I rely on the work of good journalists to tell these stories, to get good information and that we want to keep that clear. And I don't want to get over my skis in doing that. And in some of these situations, comedy has very little space to be and maybe shouldn't be there. So for us, again with this special, we wanted to go to Portland. We wanted to go to Chicago, because I've seen images of what's happening with ice raids, and they're heartbreaking and they're terrifying. And when you have a microphone and a camera, you're like, how do I point it at these things that I think are really important to talk about? But also, what, me going in there making jokes? When is that helping a situation? When is that becoming more activist than more comedian? And how do I, like, take what I want to say but still add the thing that I can do, which is comedy, quite literally. For this special, there was a naked bike ride. And so for us, we're like, all right, here's a comedic take on what is happening in this chaotic space. So let's use that so we can tell a story. Because at that point, if I'M just getting out there and just becoming an activist on television, trying to tell you what I think. Like, I don't serve a purpose. I'm not speaking a language that I'm most fluent in. And I'm not being affected to an audience base who understands I'm going after comedy and bs, so I try to keep that as my North Star.

[Charlamagne]

So the naked bike ride was like, naked, naked.

[Jordan Klepper]

It was naked, naked.

[Charlamagne]

Titties and dicks swinging.

[Jordan Klepper]

They were all there, my friend. They were all there. We thought nobody would show up 10 minutes beforehand. There's like one or two naked dudes there, all out. By the end, there were hundreds getting on bikes on cold, cold Portland, day hopping on these bikes.

[Charlamagne]

A lot of shrinkage.

[Jordan Klepper]

There's a lot of shrinkage. I gotta tell you, I.

[Charlamagne]

You stopped riding bikes too soon. He used to be an avid bike rider.

[Jordan Klepper]

You did. Would you have gone naked?

[Charlamagne]

No, I wouldn't.

[Jordan Klepper]

For the cost, but for the cost.

[Charlamagne]

No, I wouldn't close. And I don't want to be behind anybody that rides a bike either. That's just a little weird. See the asshole? It's not my thing.

[Jordan Klepper]

What's interesting is it's shocking for the first 20 minutes, but when you're around 200 naked people for an hour or so, you get comfy.

[Charlamagne]

So you did it, too?

[Jordan Klepper]

I stripped down to an uncomfortable degree. Got on a bike, rode that bike.

[Charlamagne]

Don't your ass hurt, though?

[Jordan Klepper]

Does my ass hurt? Yes, but I mostly think. I mean, the ass doesn't feel good. The ego feels poor.

[Charlamagne]

No, no. Cause the seat is hard.

[Jordan Klepper]

The seat's very hard. Right.

[Charlamagne]

But usually if you have clothes, there's more padding. So if there's no padding, that's just.

[Jordan Klepper]

Right up your butthole, you're thinking more about what's happening up front, though. You're worried about that, how it's being perceived? Oh, it's interesting.

[Charlamagne]

Oh, yeah?

[Jordan Klepper]

How'd you twitch it, like.

[Charlamagne]

Cause you gotta put it on the left or the right side of the seat.

[Jordan Klepper]

You choose. You choose. Although if it's talking about your balls, I'm talking about the. I'm talking about a little bit of everything. Although that is a benefit of the cold, is you don't necessarily have to choose if it's cold enough.

[Charlamagne]

Cold.

[Jordan Klepper]

Correct. There's a recession that takes place with everything, which makes choice irrelevant. You have a small penis is what I'm saying. At this point, we don't. Okay, you got it. All right. Just be clear. I just want to be clear. I'm trying to paint a picture. I'll stay on.

[Charlamagne]

Stereotypes aren't true.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, Mike, this is good to know. Let's be real about it.

[Lauren]

Do y' all hug each other at the end? Like, once they. Everybody get through the protest?

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, of the naked bike ride?

[Lauren]

Yes. Like, what's the celebration at the end when you get through?

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, here's the reality of it. So you ride these bikes naked through the streets of Portland with what our editor has described from just watching the footage with a soupy smell rides through. It's sweaty and it's humid, but you ride through there. Suddenly, a downpour takes place in Portland, and they ride in front of the ice facility. It's the wildest thing. We caught it all on tape. We're like, this is. It's bonkers. Literally coming down a hill, hundreds of naked people honking, a band dressed as bananas playing protest music. And on top of the ice facility is a bunch of guys in ice apparel wearing.

Kevlar and holding a paintball gun, shooting pepper bullets into the crowd. So they're coming down and they're cheering, and they're all hugging. I'm not hugging. I'm keeping my space as a respected comedian. They start hugging, shots start to get fired into the group, and then the ice agents push in, and they shove people into the ground. Damn. And so it literally was, like, celebration. And all joking aside, like, kind of inspiring celebration. We were laughing at how absurd it was, but that was the point.

[Charlamagne]

Jordan.

[Jordan Klepper]

All this for health coverage? You fucking believe it? In this day and age, you think Obamacare worked more effectively, that I wouldn't have to do this? But it's still the case. I'm out there hustling.

[Charlamagne]

Do you feel like Donald Trump overlooks the Daily Show?

[Jordan Klepper]

Yes. Yeah.

[Charlamagne]

I wonder why.

[Jordan Klepper]

Thank God. Thank God. I don't think he has cable. I think that man. I think that man, that man, he's got NBC. He still watches the channels. He watches 30 years ago.

[Charlamagne]

He watches Fox, though.

[Jordan Klepper]

He watches Fox. He definitely watches Fox. But I don't think he's like the grandparent who's got those few channels, knows how to get to those few channels and doesn't know how to get to the other channels. And so thank the Lord he's not paying attention to the Daily Show. He's got his own fish to fry.

[Charlamagne]

I wonder, though, with his influence that he clearly has at Paramount, will he.

Maybe flex his muscle behind the scenes?

[Jordan Klepper]

I just don't want him to pay any attention to us.

Well, there's different rules with the FCC and cable tv. And so I think that may play into it as well. But that man fixes his eyes on the stuff that's right in front of him at all times. And it's pretty clear the things that he watches and gets angry about. So as I promote this, I pray to God he's not listening to the Breakfast Club, because, again, oh, no, he listens to us.

[Lauren]

He calls Charlamagne asleep.

[Jordan Klepper]

I know he's not been super happy with Charlemagne, but that's because I was.

[Charlamagne]

On Lara Trump's show, though.

[Jordan Klepper]

That's what it was, right? Yes. Yes. Did you. Did you get blowback from the MAGA circle? Did you have any interaction with people?

[Charlamagne]

No. You know what was so interesting? When I did that conversation with Lara Trump, and my business partner said this to me, she was like, there's a lot of people that are agreeing with the things that you're saying, because I'm just, I'm not, I'm not. I'm not on there talking right or left or even black or white. I'm just talking about affordability and, and keeping people safe in this country. And I don't feel like he's doing a good job of that right now. Like, it. That's a simple conversation. We all can connect over the economy.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah. I mean, I think that's. It was amazing to see, like, Zoran in the Oval Office and how, like, yeah, the economy and affordability, that. That speaks to the right. Yeah. If people can get on those spaces and talk about that, I think there's an effective lane for a lot of those FOX viewers or what have you who are in that bubble to be like, oh, no, this is a conversation that's happening across party lines.

[Charlamagne]

Yeah. I love people like you, Jordan, because you actually be out in the field talking to people. When you're out in the field, from your vantage point, does America feel more divided? Are just more recorded?

[Jordan Klepper]

Can I say both. We are more divided. We are 100% more divided. We are pushed to that space.

But like I said, it's the recording of the divisiveness.

That takes away our autonomy of thought. I think you can break through, but people are angry. And there are less people who are excited about the MAGA machine than there ever were beforehand. There were less people excited about the Democratic machine than there ever were beforehand. I think that's what happened in this last election. And so you go out there now and, yeah, people are pissed off, they're angry, and they're more certain than they've ever been because there's recording devices on them. But there's still a glimmer of hope of like, they wanna talk about affordability. I went to Mississippi and I talked to a bunch of MAGA supporters. What was curious is they were all afraid of places like Portland and Chicago because of what the MAGA spheres told them about these big cities. Afraid of all big cities. And the older people were afraid of antifa because that's the narrative that Trump pushes the younger people. Every time I asked them about things like antifa, no interest, didn't care and realized in that moment, you're like some of these narratives that are being ginned up to be divisive and push people apart. The boogeyman, the antifa boogeyman. The old people buy in hook, line and sinker, and they love it. And they're afraid and they're changing the way they think because of that. The young people are too smart for that shit. And they don't. They're not as deep in as some of these other folks who are in it to win it. And so I see those moments, I have optimism where like, oh, these kids. These kids are easily swaying, but are not, but are not. Haven't been watching the show for 20 years. Like the old folks who are making some of these decisions, this younger generation is just tuning in. They're not buying some of these boogeymen that the Trump administration's putting out. And there is a space to have conversation with those folks about things that they care about. Maybe we see that in the midterms, maybe we see that in the next year, but not everybody's completely all in on that Trump train.

[Charlamagne]

So that's a great point. What's scarier to you then people who believe these wild conspiracy theories are the people who knowingly weaponize them.

[Jordan Klepper]

The people who knowingly weaponize them. I think it's the people who wield it. I think that's where there's no moral core, where.

It'S one thing to be afraid of stuff, and then out of self preservation, which, hey, that's how most of us move through life. What is the next thing I need to do to pay my rent, to have health insurance for my kids, to keep food on the table? What do I need to do? Is there a way I can believe the things I need to believe to sustain that? I get that. I empathize with that. That makes you human. It's the people who know better. Those are the folks that are real scary here. And I wish our Elected officials would stand up and be the people who know better. But, you know, I've been around long enough not to have that faith in those institutions anymore. Yeah, you hope a little bit at some of that morality we always talked about in schools and the Declaration of Independence talks about. You hope that sort of makes its way back into political discourse again. Yeah, that's a pretty good one, I gotta tell ya. And hearing all this religious talk on the right, too, it's like, yeah, there's a lot of good ideals there that you wish we believed in. And I think a lot of people do. There's just more focus on putting food on the table to actually engage in that larger conversation.

[Charlamagne]

So do you think Donald Trump should get a Nobel Peace Prize?

[Jordan Klepper]

Give that man A prize? 100% Nobel Peace.

[Charlamagne]

Not just a prize.

[Jordan Klepper]

Not just any prize. Okay, fair enough. No, I do not think he's deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. What we did discover, though, we went to Norway and talked to somebody who was on the Nobel Peace Prize committee. You don't have to be perfect to win a Nobel Peace Prize. And then sometimes they've given peace prizes to people as somewhat of a carrot to get to something good.

[Lauren]

Oh, Lord.

[Jordan Klepper]

I think what's curious about Donald Trump is that man wants a peace prize more than anybody else. And if he can find peace on this planet in some way to work towards it, like dangle that carrot like a Big Mac in front of Donald Trump so that he chases it in some sort of way, like, I have no problem using the Peace prize as a political tool to try to do good in the world. So I. So maybe if that. If that made him. Made him save some lives anywhere. Stop bombing boats off the coast of Venezuela. Give that man the peace prize.

[Lauren]

That's gonna be the one piece that makes him lean in and listen to you.

[Jordan Klepper]

There you go. See?

[Lauren]

No, you don't want that. You said shoot.

[Jordan Klepper]

You're right.

[Charlamagne]

Jordan Klepper of the Daily show says Donald Trump deserves to know.

[Jordan Klepper]

There you go. Use it. Use it. I need, you know, I need the clicks.

[Charlamagne]

Him chasing a big man.

[Lauren]

They're long naked. This was the revelation.

[Jordan Klepper]

So what do you want people to.

[Charlamagne]

Get out of this special that comes out next Monday?

[Jordan Klepper]

Get out of this special, man. That piece is hard, but you don't need to be perfect to achieve it. And then America in 2025 looks like naked people riding for a cause, being shot by ICE agents who are scared. It smells like soup, man. It smells like soup. Cheap soup.

[Charlamagne]

So what gives you hope about America right now.

[Jordan Klepper]

You want me to find hope in all of this? You know what? What gives me hope about Americ America is a naked guy protesting out front of an ice facility. Like you're wondering if people have tuned out. Apathy. That's what the right. That's what the far right wants. They want apathy. They don't want you to care if you show up with your balls out your tits out in a rainy Portland day. To go outside of an ice facility and be like, I don't want them to use my image to be painted as a bad guy. So much so that I'm willing to be naked in front of all these folks to look like a fool, because I think what's happening inside is inhumane. Like that. That is helpful to me.

[Charlamagne]

Let your nuts hang. Literally. Jordan Klepper, ladies and gentlemen. Definitely. Check out the special next Monday on Comedy Central. And thank you for joining us.

[Jordan Klepper]

Thanks for having me.

[Charlamagne]

Did he make you laugh, Lauren?

[Lauren]

He did.

[Charlamagne]

Okay.

[Lauren]

Yes.

[Charlamagne]

The Breakfast Club. Good morning. Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.

[Lauren]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.