The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode Title: TDS Time Machine | News to Meet Ya!
Date: April 8, 2026
Host: Jordan Klepper and The Daily Show News Team

Episode Overview

In this sharp and satirical episode, Jordan Klepper leads a tour through the rapidly evolving—and often ridiculous—landscape of "new media" journalists now dominating the American right. The segment, "News to Meet Ya," skewers rising figures at the White House and in conservative media, lampooning their antics, conflicts of interest, and credulous treatment by political power. Major “stars” profiled include Brian Glenn, Tim Pool, Scott Jennings, Lawrence Jones, Benny Johnson, and Mike Lindell’s foray into 24/7 news.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Brian Glenn: The Costume Journalist

(01:14 – 07:37)

• Opening Satire: Jordan Klepper introduces Brian Glenn (Real America's Voice, formerly RSBN), praising his "hard-hitting" questions to Ukrainian President Zelensky—most notably about his lack of a suit.

  • Quote: “Why don’t you wear a suit? You’re at the highest level in this country’s office and you refuse to wear a suit.” — Brian Glenn (02:09)
  • Klepper’s Response: “Finally, the questions that matter now... Jesus Christ, Brian, the man's fighting for his country's survival. What kind of question is that?” (02:19)

• Glenn’s Reporting Style: Clips highlight Glenn’s costumed stunts (dancing, stables, drag, etc.).

  • Quote: “I’m kicking these shoes off, but I may keep the pantyhose on. Feels kinda good, actually.” — Brian Glenn (03:39)

• Character Dissection: Klepper lampoons Glenn’s bigoted rants, vacuous “statements as questions,” and personal conflicts (such as his relationship with Marjorie Taylor Greene).

  • Quote: “Liberal women tend to be some of the ugliest women I’ve ever seen.” — Brian Glenn (04:15)
  • Klepper’s roast: “There’s a man who knows how to dress appropriately for work. Take notes, Olymp.” (03:19)
  • On conflict of interest: "If violating journalistic ethics by not disclosing you’re sleeping with the politician you’re interviewing is wrong, I don’t want to be right." (06:31)

2. Tim Pool: The Beanie-Clad Contrarian

(08:49 – 15:00)

• White House Credentials: The Trump administration gives Pool a front-row seat as “new media.”
  • Quote: “His head might be cold, but he’s in the hot seat.” — Jordan Klepper (09:22)
• Interview Style: Pool attacks “old media,” delivers rambling rants about trans issues and “front holes.”
  • Quote: “Because of trans issues, we must refer to the vagina as the front hole.” — Tim Pool (10:30)
  • Klepper: “My middle face hole is agape, my back hole is clenched.” (10:55)
• Personal Anguish: Pool laments dating woes; Klepper quips he looks like “Joe Pesci’s Home Alone stunt double.” (11:47)
• Denial and Compromise: Pool insists he’s delivering “real news,” but gets exposed for links to Russian state media and shilling anti-Ukraine propaganda.
  • Quote: “Ukraine is the enemy of this country. Ukraine is our enemy being funded by the Democrats.” — Tim Pool (14:06)
  • Klepper: “You can’t be pushing Russian propaganda. It doesn’t matter how much they’re paying you... $100,000 per episode to Tim Pool. $100,000. Me in my front hole.” (14:53)

3. Scott Jennings: The CNN Butterfly

(15:55 – 22:18)

• Backstory: From Bush-era “I must respectfully decline to answer” scandal to CNN commentator.
  • Quote: “I must respectfully decline to answer your questions.” — Scott Jennings (16:52)
• Transformation: Once a principled Trump critic, Jennings morphs into MAGA mouthpiece.
  • Quote (Past): “He’s clearly violated his oath of office. Every Republican ought to be able to say so... We need a new nominee.”
  • Quote (Recent): “We’re the fun party, America. It’s the fun party once again.” (20:29)
• Antics & Satire: From Borat impressions to defending Elon Musk’s Sieg Heil salute, his attempts to entertain are mocked by Klepper.
  • Klepper: “My favorite game, Truth or dare or Nazi?” (20:12)
• Political Ambition: Rumors swirl about him replacing Mitch McConnell; Klepper jokes about “breaking an ancient curse.” Jennings declines to answer if his Trump support is real or opportunistic.
  • Quote: “I must respectfully decline to answer your question.” — Scott Jennings (22:14)

4. Lawrence Jones: Fox’s Token Libertarian/Brother

(25:37 – 32:13)

• Diversifying Fox: Klepper highlights Jones as Fox’s prominent Black host and his awareness of the “optics.”
  • Quote: “When someone is hearing about Fox News, I think the elephant in the room is they don’t expect someone that looks like me.” — Lawrence Jones (26:09)
• Man-on-the-Street Antics: Jones conducts diner focus groups and border reports with fixed, conservative framing.
  • Lawrence interviewing: “Sir, how do you feel about this economy under Joe Biden?” (27:34)
• Satire: Klepper mocks Jones’s “smooth with the ladies” persona and formulaic, leading Fox reporting.
• Interviewing Trump: Jones gets a big moment, asking Trump about…favorite animals (cows).
  • Quote: “We got a six year old from Massachusetts and he wants to know about your favorite animal.” — Lawrence Jones (31:14)
  • Trump/Zelensky-esque answer: “I love cows.” (31:20)
• Conformist Rhetoric: Despite outsider branding, Jones parrots Fox’s familiar grievances: woke culture, white privilege denial, “indoctrinating kids,” etc.
  • Quote Compilation: “They’re indoctrinating our kids. It’s an indoctrination cesspool.” — Lawrence Jones (32:09)

5. Benny Johnson: Batman, Russia, and Plagiarism

(32:58 – 40:20)

• Accolades: Known for “creatively titled” programs, prolific online reach, and infamously being fired from BuzzFeed for plagiarism.
  • Revelation: “BuzzFeed announced it was firing its viral politics editor, Benny Johnson, for plagiarism. Johnson wholesale copied...from even Yahoo Answers.” (34:03)
  • Klepper: “How bad of a writer do you have to be to cheat on a buzzfeed article with Yahoo Answers?”
• Rhetoric: Unabashedly nativist, mean-spirited, and sometimes bizarre.
  • Quote: “Every single thing you hate about your life right now or American culture is caused by mass immigration… we should not sacrifice them to the mongoloid horde. White rage is how you win a war. Leftists are a death cult. Save this country from literal demons, from Satanists and from scum.” — Benny Johnson (34:55)
  • Klepper: “You Slytherin. Elsa. Bitch. Wow.” (35:20)
• Exposed: Johnson confirmed as another influencer paid by Russian state media.
• The Batman Obsession: Running joke as Johnson repeatedly identifies with Batman/Bruce Wayne—Klepper mocks his attempts to be “cool.”
  • Quote: “I want Batman to stay Batman, not turn into antifa man. So I’m a big Batman fan.” — Benny Johnson (37:43)
• On-Site Reporting Parody: Over-serious, “let’s frickin cook” escapades with Trump and constant Batman references.
  • Klepper: "You are the nipples on George Clooney’s Batman suit. Yes, that’s a gross appendage that years from now, history would prefer to forget." (40:20)

6. Mike Lindell TV: The “QAnon QVC” Channel

(42:10 – 49:38)

• Overview: MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell launches “Lindell TV”—a network of right-wing programming, including Steve Bannon’s War Room, Diamond and Silk, and Rudy Giuliani Show.
  • Lindell’s Rules: “You can’t say the C word, the N word, the F word, and you can’t use God’s name in vain.”
  • Production Glitches: Frequent tech issues and awkward remote interviews.
    • Quote: “Edward, I’m getting that feedback like crazy again. Can you hear me okay, Vanessa, I can hear you.” — Mike Lindell (43:46)
  • “Diamond In Memoriam”: “Trumpsyopresident.com, download the song, use it as a ringtone. …get your boogie oogie woogie on.” (45:08-45:36)
• Products Everywhere: The supposed “news” channel filled with endless MyPillow product ads (coffee, towels, sheets, etc.).
  • Klepper: “He’s doing a bedsheet ad inside an energy drink ad. For the man so hopped up on caffeine he keeps shitting his sheets.” (48:49)
• White House Access: Lindell TV takes up space in the White House briefing room; their questions are fawning.
  • Question: “Is he [the President] eating less McDonald’s?” — Lindell TV reporter (47:41)
• Satirical Point: “It’s not ad-supported news; it’s news-supported ads. ...They’re already in the White House while traditional media is dead outside.” (49:35)

Notable Quotes

• Jordan Klepper: “The way you know you’re speaking truth to power is when power tells you what a great question.” (05:49)
• On Tim Pool: “You can’t be pushing Russian propaganda. It doesn’t matter how much they’re paying you. ...$100,000 per episode to Tim Pool. $100,000. Me in my front hole.” (14:53)
• On Scott Jennings: “Worst Jeopardy contestant ever. ...Pretty soon he’s gonna get those arm tats and won’t shut up about his therapist. We get it, Jonah.” (16:26)
• On Benny Johnson: “How bad of a writer do you have to be to cheat on a buzzfeed article with Yahoo Answers?” (34:14), “You are the nipples on George Clooney’s Batman suit.” (40:20)
• On Mike Lindell TV: “Lindell TV is so much more than one man in his foyer aimlessly asking for tactical support. It’s cementing its Judeo Christian legacy with marquee shows like War Room with Steve Bannon, where MAGA gets its marching orders from a man losing a forever war with washing his face.” (44:12)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Brian Glenn Segment: 01:14 – 07:37
• Tim Pool Feature: 08:49 – 15:00
• Scott Jennings Deep-Dive: 15:55 – 22:18
• Lawrence Jones Profile: 25:37 – 32:13
• Benny Johnson Exposé: 32:58 – 40:20
• Mike Lindell TV Breakdown: 42:10 – 49:38

Overall Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Satirical, biting, mocking yet deeply informative about the state of media
• Key Insight: The rise of “new media” on the right has ushered in an era where access and spectacle matter more than integrity. Amid shams and shills, the barriers between journalism and performance have all but collapsed—often with direct consequences for democracy and public trust.
• Memorable Moment: “You are the nipples on George Clooney’s Batman suit.” (Jordan Klepper, 40:20)

For those who missed the episode:
The show is an immersive, comedic roast of the new crop of right-wing influencers supplanting traditional journalists. Through extended sketches, biting clips, and relentless satire, Jordan Klepper and The Daily Show team illuminate not just the personalities but the perverse incentives and erosion of standards that define contemporary news media.