Podcast Summary: The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: The Precap | Desi Lydic on Trump's Billion Dollar MLM
Date: January 26, 2026
Hosts: Devin Delacronte, Desi Lydic

Episode Overview

This “Precap” episode features Daily Show writer Devin Delacronte and this week’s host, Desi Lydic. Together, they preview the week's upcoming topics and revisit major headlines from the previous week — combining pop culture, politics, and humor in true Daily Show style. Their main discussion centers on Donald Trump’s audacious “Board of Peace”, an organization with MLM-flavored undertones, as well as Oscars buzz, social media nostalgia, billionaire drama, celebrity gossip, and showering habits.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Oscar Nominations & Movie Theaters

[02:16]

• The hosts start by riffing on Oscar nominations, with Desi joking about not being nominated for a movie she was never in.
  • “If there's one thing that Trump taught us, it's that whoever does win the Oscar, I can just invade their territory and take it from them.” — Desi [02:39]
• Discussion around movie "Sinners" breaking records, Michael B. Jordan’s performance, and genre-bending soundtracks.
• Irony highlighted that neither host has actually seen an Oscar-nominated movie in theaters this year.
  • “I've been crying in my shower since September.” — Desi [04:42]
  • “Potential Oscar winner Desi Lydic has not been in a movie or seen a movie this year.” — Devin [04:49]

2. Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’: The Billion-Dollar MLM

[05:11]

• Recap of Trump’s new “Board of Peace,” announced at Davos. Described as feeling like a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) scam with a $1 billion lifetime membership fee.
  • “This is sounding very scammy to me.” — Desi [06:23]
• Membership structure mimics ad-tiered subscriptions.
• The Board is “a little dictator heavy,” with countries like Belarus, Hungary, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and more as (potential) members.
• Trump is, of course, the chairman, with sweeping powers.
  • Pop quiz banter culminating in:
    “Donald J. Trump.”
    “It's correct.” — Devin & Desi [07:32] Celebratory MVP moment:
    “Do I win an Oscar?” — Desi [07:39]
• Notably, chairmanship continues even after Trump’s presidency.
• Comparison to parent group splintering on Facebook, and to alternative fraternities.
  • “He couldn't get into the fraternity that he wanted to get into, so he was like, fuck you guys, I'm gonna start my own fraternity.” — Desi [09:19]
• Tariffs threatened against France for not joining; membership is noted to be weaponized for personal gain.
  • “It does feel weird to try to blackmail someone into joining the Board of Peace.” — Devin [10:29]
• Exclusion of Venezuela pokes at the arbitrariness of Trump’s move.

3. Social Media Trends: The 2016 Nostalgia Posts

[12:16]

• Discussion about why people were posting 2016 photos online (“2016 wasn’t a great year”).
  • “2016 was the white and gold dress of years.” — Desi [12:46]
• Speculation about social media companies harvesting aging data from old photos.
• Commentary on user willingness to provide data for validation (“the rush, the likes”).
  • “We are suckers. We are so thirsty for the likes.” — Desi [13:35]

4. Billionaires Behaving Badly: Ryanair vs. Elon Musk

[14:18]

• Ryanair CEO gets into a public spat with Elon Musk over airplane WiFi.
• Both hosts poke fun at the “Karen” level of the fight and how online feuds between ultra-wealthy men devolve quickly.
  • “This is the most Karen like, fight I have ever seen. I think we can pass off the Karen title to these rich white men.” — Desi [15:01]
  • “I just feel like there's a point at which you get so rich you can't beef with other people. You have to beef with, like, entire corporations.” — Devin [16:10]
• Nostalgia for quieter millionaires:
  • “Bring back the normal millionaire.” — Desi [16:58]

5. Beckham Family Wedding Drama

[17:13]

• Delighted gossip about wedding drama in the Beckham family as an old-school, harmless distraction.
  • “I'm just—because it's like an old school gossip story. It is 100% gossip … it's just pure gossip.” — Desi [17:17]
• Confusion over whether wedding seating drama was about grandmothers or nannies.
• Relatable moment: no matter how famous, parents always embarrass their kids.
  • “It doesn't matter how cool you are or how rich you are. You could be David Beckham and Posh Spice. Your kids will be humiliated by you.” — Devin [20:04]

6. Parental Embarrassment Banter

[20:33]

• Both joke about intentionally and unintentionally embarrassing their kids, including playing the Rocky theme at school.
  • “If they're not getting bullied at school, you gotta bully them at home.” — Desi [22:20]
• Comparison to “parent group splinters” and the need for a Board of Peace even among parents.

7. Upcoming Week & Storm Prep

[24:09]

• Preview of the coming week: Desi will host, winter storm predicted, and the perpetual threat of a government shutdown.
• Casual banter about snowstorm preparation, recording logistics, and resource hoarding in the studio.

8. Melania Trump Documentary

[26:07]

• Trailer reaction: both hosts feign enthusiasm about seeing the doc in theaters.
  • “Will you be seeing this in movie theaters?”
    “I will not. I will not.” — Devin & Desi [28:09]
  • “Liberals do love a problematic ice queen.” — Desi [28:27]
• Wayne Gretzky and wife Janet are apparently the premiere's VIPS.
  • “When you think of the Hollyw de la creme, ... Wayne Gretzky's wife, Janet.” — Devin [30:49]
• Playful skepticism about the film’s seriousness.
• Trump’s quote on attendance at premiere:
  • “It's a very hard ticket to get, I can tell you that. Everybody. Wayne Gretzky and his wife Janet … Everybody wants tickets to it.” — Devin [31:09]

9. Daily Show and Tell Segment

[32:09]

• Desi’s show and tell: Viral TikTok about a woman who showers once a week. Internet outrage discussed; hosts admit their personal shower habits.
  • “If you're getting out of bed and showering one Day a week. You're getting out of bed one day a week. You go, girl.” — Desi [33:11]
• Devin’s pick: He’s seeing "Oedipus" on Broadway—awkwardly, as a possible gift from his mom.
  • “So once again, Oedipus was fated to happen. ... The fate, even as hard as we tried to avoid it, like Oedipus himself, it came to be.” — Devin [36:19]
• Desi's tongue-in-cheek advice:
  • “One is to shower slightly more frequently… two, you gotta talk to your therapist about what's going on with your mom.” — Desi [36:42]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If there's one thing that Trump taught us, it's that whoever does win the Oscar, I can just invade their territory and take it from them.” — Desi [02:39]
• “Join my MLM for $1 billion, and then you can get other countries to join, and then they'll be in your downstream.” — Desi [06:23]
• “This is the most Karen like, fight I have ever seen. I think we can pass off the Karen title to these rich white men.” — Desi [15:01]
• “If they're not getting bullied at school, you gotta bully them at home.” — Desi [22:20]
• “Liberals do love a problematic ice queen.” — Desi [28:27]
• “So once again, Oedipus was fated to happen.” — Devin [36:19]
• “One is to shower slightly more frequently… two, you gotta talk to your therapist about what's going on with your mom.” — Desi [36:42]

Important Timestamps

• [02:16] – Oscar nomination banter
• [05:11] – Introduction and breakdown of Trump’s “Board of Peace”/MLM
• [12:16] – 2016 photos and social media data discussion
• [14:18] – Ryanair and Elon Musk feud
• [17:13] – Beckham family wedding drama
• [20:33] – Parental embarrassment stories
• [24:09] – Upcoming week and winter storm preparation
• [26:07] – Melania Trump documentary reactions
• [32:09] – “Daily Show and Tell” segment (showers, Broadway, Oedipus)
• [36:42] – Advice and lighthearted wrap-up

Summary and Atmosphere

This episode captures The Daily Show’s trademark irreverent take on both serious and absurd news — with plenty of asides, running gags, and snarky commentary. Desi Lydic shines with her quick wit and playful sarcasm, while Devin Delacronte brings self-deprecation and curiosity. Together, they riff on the week’s headlines, making connections between the political and the personal — whether it’s Trump’s global shenanigans, celebrity gossip, or even how often someone should shower. The tone is light, fast-paced, and relatable: perfect for those in need of a comedic breakdown of the week’s headlines — shoes on the (disposable) furniture and all.