The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: RFK Gets Carnivorous in New Food Pyramid & Hegseth Is Accused of Perfidy War Crime | Joachim Trier
Host: Comedy Central News Team, led by "Jordan Klepper" (here named George Clapboard)
Date: January 14, 2026

Overview

This episode delivers The Daily Show’s signature satirical take on current headlines, mocking political scandals, controversial policies, and new absurdities in pop culture. The show opens with a skewering of high-profile Trump administration scandals, poking fun at defense and labor officials under investigation for everything from war crimes to office parties. The new “carnivorous” food pyramid introduced by RFK Jr. gets a thorough roasting, as does Elon Musk’s AI mishaps. The second half features a thoughtful, comedic interview with acclaimed director Joachim Trier about his film, Sentimental Value, exploring family, Norwegian culture, and filmmaking with trademark wit and empathy. Charlamagne Tha God also offers a sharp, hilarious commentary on the ongoing attack on MLK Day.

Key Topics & Segments

1. Worst Wing Segment: Government Scandals & War Crimes

Timestamps: 01:34 – 06:21

• Pete Hegseth's "Perfidy" War Crime

  • The segment roasts Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for allegedly committing the "B-side" war crime of perfidy—disguising military planes as civilian.
  • Highlight: “My man did a war crime triple double. They are going to hang his jersey up in the rafters next to Henry Kissinger's glasses.” (03:01, George Clapboard)

• Elon Musk & Grok AI Scandal

  • Musk's AI "Grok" is under fire for producing rapid-fire deepfakes, lampooning tech’s misuse.
  • “We have the world's most powerful computers, and this is what we do with them?” (04:05, George Rope)

• Labor Secretary Scandal

  • Lori Chavez-Jeremy, Labor Secretary, caught in an old-school “inappropriate relationship” and drinking Kahlua in the office.
  • Highlight: “You have disgraced your office with your alleged personal conduct. And let me just say, thank you. It is such a relief to have a scandal based on a Trump official not doing their job, instead of doing an evil job too well.” (05:38, George Clapboard)

2. RFK Jr. & the New “Carnivorous” Food Pyramid

Timestamps: 06:21 – 12:47

• New Guidelines & Mockery

  • Health Secretary RFK Jr. introduces new nutrition guidelines emphasizing meat, dairy, and an upside-down food pyramid.
  • “If we were in the best case scenario, our health wouldn't be in the hands of a man who looks like a 1930s basketball.” (06:34, George Clapboard)
  • Satire of the Food Department’s visual aids: upside-down pyramid, food Taj Mahal, food spiral—none of which make sense.

• Financial Ties to Industry

  • Pointed joke about half Kennedy’s advisory team having ties to meat/dairy industries.
  • "In any other administration, I’d say half of the team had financial ties, but with the Trump administration, I’d say, wow, only half had financial ties." (08:27, George Clapboard)

• Troy Iwata Field Report

  • Mock interview on the confusing new pyramid, featuring riffs on “tops and bottoms” and pop culture confusion.
  • "I can't keep explaining tops and bottoms to you. Listen, how many times do I have to say it? You'd understand if you just watched Heated Rivalry." (10:24, Troy Iwata)

• Running Gag: “Milk Meat” & Absurd Visuals

  • The food spiral chart flashes “milk meat,” adding to the comic confusion.
  • “All of these visuals are terrible.” (12:22, George Clapboard)
  • “The answer is obviously milk meat.” (12:43, Troy Iwata)

3. In My Opinion: Charlamagne Tha God on MLK Day Backlash

Timestamps: 13:47 – 19:43

• MLK Day Under Attack

  • Skewers cuts to MLK Day and Black History Month events, joking about racially insensitive rationales.
  • Quote: “National parks are going from free at last, free at last, to bitch, better have my—” (14:51, Charlamagne)

• Historical and Political Context

  • Overview of the struggle to create the holiday, Reagan’s reluctance, and contemporary right-wing attacks.
  • “That’s the tone of voice that means, fine, have your little holiday. ... No wonder Reagan got all timers. He was like, I'll make it a holiday, but I wanna forget that shit immediately.” (16:13, Charlamagne)

• Contemporary Racist Texts & Policies

  • Reads and ridicules actual racist texts from current officials.
  • “Martin Luther King Jr. Make a Diddy party look like a Catholic convent school.” (16:53, Charlamagne)

• Outlook and Satirical Hope

  • Juxtaposes efforts to abolish MLK Day with calls to make Trump’s birthday a holiday.
  • “A day off is a day off, okay? ... We'll call it Prune Teeth. But hey, that's just my opinion.” (19:19, Charlamagne)

4. Interview: Joachim Trier on “Sentimental Value” & Norwegian Culture

Timestamps: 21:02 – 29:58

Topics Discussed:

• Skateboarding Roots & Film Approach (22:05 – 22:30)

  • Trier likens skate video-making to directing actors: “In a weird way, it's still the same thing I'm trying to do with actors. Have them do something risky and see if they land on their feet.”

• On Directing & Family Themes (23:13 – 24:41)

  • “The process ... is, I guess, first of all, cast, right? Find people you trust, ... and give them some rehearsal time to get to know each other and be safe. It's all about trust to me.” (22:42, Trier)

• Film as Family Therapy

  • Trier discusses the autobiographical aspects, and Norwegian culture’s family focus in art and public policy.
  • “I try to understand people in the movies I make. ... It’s all the stuff we don’t know how to talk about that is really at the core of the drama here.” (24:41, Trier)

• Reflections on Norwegian Society (26:29 – 27:17)

  • “When you pay a lot of tax, like you do over here as well, that you get something back for it. Some health care and some childcare, and you're still allowed to speak your mind in public. Isn't it interesting?” (27:17, Trier)

• Balancing Artistry & Relatability (27:58 – 29:44)

  • “The only way to start forgiving one's parents is to realize they were kids once, and what did they go through, and all those things... the stuff about parents and children that we don't really have language for.” (28:23, Trier)

• Closing: Upcoming Projects

  • Tongue-in-cheek nod to directing a Marvel or IP film: “Wolverine gone soft.” (29:53, Joachim Trier)
  • Sentimental Value is returning to theaters Jan 25th.

Notable Quotes

• On Government Corruption:
  “Is every Trump cabinet member spending their whole day actively destroying the country?” (04:05, George Clapboard)

• On Nutrition Guidelines:
  “He sounds healthy. Real healthy. No, you know what? I'm pretty sure this one is upside down, unless I'm misremembering every pyramid photo I've ever seen.” (07:41, George Clapboard)

• On MLK Day Retrenchment:
  “All of us, regardless of race, color, or creed, enjoy that sweet three day weekend. ... If MLK Day goes away, what are they gonna replace it with? Congresswoman Claudia Tenney... introduces legislation to make Trump's birthday a federal holiday.” (19:15, Charlamagne)

• On Family & Art:
  “The only way to start forgiving one's parents is to realize they were kids once...” (28:23, Joachim Trier)

Tone & Style

The episode blends biting, literate satire with absurdist, self-aware humor. News is lampooned savagely but the interview portion maintains warmth and sincere curiosity. Trier’s interview is gentle, insightful, and peppered with dry wit. Charlamagne’s commentary is acerbic, quick, and cleverly mixes cultural critique with punchy one-liners.

Essential Timestamps

• Perfidy War Crime & Trump Cabinet Roundup: 02:23 – 06:21
• RFK Jr.’s Food Pyramid Satire: 06:21 – 12:47
• Charlamagne’s MLK Day Rant: 13:47 – 19:43
• Joachim Trier Interview: 21:02 – 29:58

This summary covers all the significant content, major jokes, notable quotes, and the interview’s key insights, presenting a clear, structured recap useful for both fans and newcomers.