The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: This Week's News | Jon on MAGA's Renee Good Hypocrisy & Klepper on Minnesotans' Response to ICE
Date: January 17, 2026
Host: Comedy Central News Team featuring Jon Stewart, Jordan Klepper, and more.

Overview

This episode satirically dissects a whirlwind week of U.S. and global headlines, with Jon Stewart and The Daily Show crew lampooning everything from President Trump’s chaotic foreign policy and authoritarian turn, to domestic protests and government hypocrisy. Key topics include Trump’s self-declared presidency of Venezuela, ICE raids and community resistance in Minnesota, bizarre cabinet scandals, the absurdity of new health guidelines, and right-wing alarmism over New York’s new mayor. The team strikes a tone of confused exasperation, using biting humor to highlight the surreal state of American politics in 2026.

Major Discussion Points

1. The Trump Gravitron: Foreign and Domestic Chaos

(01:14–15:20)

• Surreal Domestic and Foreign Policy:
  Stewart opens in a state of “what the is happening?”, describing a vertigo-inducing news cycle from Venezuela to Iran and back home.
  • “We are on the Donald Trump Gravitron. We don’t know what up or down is. We just know it feels like we’re all gonna vomit.” (Jon Stewart, 01:29)
• Venezuela Oil Meeting Farce:
  Trump convenes oil executives (Exxon, Chevron, Halliburton) over Venezuela’s crisis, focusing on oil resource division instead of humanitarian consequences.
  • “He just made himself president of Venezuela on Wikipedia. But they’re the ones being glib?” (Stewart, 06:30)
• Greenland, Iran & Territorial Fantasies:
  Trump’s erratic declarations over Greenland (“We need Greenland very badly” [09:38]) and threats towards Iran highlight an unhinged foreign policy, bypassing diplomacy and international partnerships like NATO.

2. American Institutions Under Siege

(13:39–19:20)

• Fed Chairman Powell as Hostage:
  Jerome Powell appears beleaguered, drawing a quip: “It appears the chairman of the Federal Reserve is having a liquidity crisis.” (Stewart, 14:08)
• Contempt for Checks and Balances:
  The show lampoons the erosion of constitutional norms, quoting Trump’s hostile responses to media:
  • “What a stupid question. Are you stupid?... You fake news.” (Trump, mocked by Stewart, 15:27)
  • Stewart’s sarcasm reflects a sense of government by “lazy Susan of vengeful whims from our all powerful mad king.” (12:50)

3. January 6th Revisionism & Rule of Law Hypocrisy

(17:22–19:08)

• MAGA Double Standards:
  The discussion contrasts pro-Trump portrayals of Jan. 6 rioters (“peaceful people, great people” [17:22]) versus harsh crackdowns on others. The rhetoric especially targets hypocrisy towards law enforcement and pardons for supporters, versus the vilification of left-leaning protesters.

4. “Morality as Oversight”: The New American North Star

(19:08–20:00)

• Trump claims, “There’s one thing that could stop me. My own morality, my own mind.” (19:13)
• Stewart concludes, “So nothing but thank you. I’m no longer confused. In America today, Donald Trump is the sun. And if you revolve around him and worship him, his warmth shines upon you.” (19:20)

5. Cabinet Scandals: From Evil to Absurd

(21:21–28:54)

• War Crimes and AI Abuses:
  Pete Hegseth’s alleged “war crime triple double” (22:19) and Elon Musk's AI Grok producing sexualized deepfakes serve as metaphors for runaway tech and government misconduct.

• Throwback Scandal Relief:
  The Labor Secretary’s alleged affair is celebrated for being a “90s-style” scandal instead of a regime-shaking abuse.

  • “That’s not evil. That’s not even perfidy. That’s the kind of throwback scandal we had in the 90s. Cowabunga, dude.” (Klepper, 24:25)

• Health Secretary RFK Jr. & Food Pyramid Absurdity:
  The team mocks new, meat- and dairy-heavy guidelines and Kennedy’s prohibition on alcohol, noting financial ties between advisory staff and the food industry:

  • “He sounds healthy. Real healthy. Yeah, no, you know what? I’m pretty sure this one is upside down. Unless I’m misremembering every pyramid photo I’ve ever seen.” (26:17)
  • “Three cheers for whole milk. Good stuff.” (27:33)

6. Protest, Policing, and ICE in Minnesota

(29:54–38:50)

• Protests and Crackdowns:
  Jordan Klepper covers both the rhetoric and reality of Trump’s defense for protesters—except when it comes to those in Minnesota, where ICE uses extreme force:
  • “Overnight flashbangs lighting up the Minneapolis skies… Agents seen dragging people out of cars and spraying others directly in the face with chemicals.” (32:07)
• Racial Profiling and Overreach:
  Reports of racial profiling by ICE, including detaining Native Americans and citizens, lampooned sharply:
  • “Native Americans. Americans is right in the name. Sir, how long have you lived here? Oh, I don’t know. Since Pangea.” (34:25)
• Community Resistance:
  Minnesotans’ unique protest responses—delivering groceries, blaring whistles, and throwing slices of baloney—are celebrated as uniquely American:
  • “I think the Vikings have finally found their quarterback. I mean, that’s right. The protesters are fighting back and their weapons are launchable… Sorry, I read that wrong. Lunchable.” (35:12)
  • Memorable characters: dads with 70s boxing energy, “Pickle Rick, Esq.”

7. Right-Wing Moral Panic Over NYC’s New Mayor

(42:22–46:00)

• Zoran Mamdani and the “Red Scare”:
  The arrival of NYC’s left-wing mayor, Zoran Mamdani, spurs hyperbolic right-wing panic, claims of “communist” tyranny, and satire about basic civic improvements (flattening bike paths, installing public toilets, free childcare).
  • “Everyone poops? No, sir. In America, the free market decides who poops!” (45:32)
• Bidets as Anti-American:
  The team mocks the outrage over installing bidets at Gracie Mansion.
  • “How dare you wash your butt. You take that coarse one ply and mash it around like you’re killing a spider up there. Like an American.” (46:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the State of the Union:
  • "All it takes is imagination. And by the way, if you’re getting up and walking to the window and you don’t think that’s enough of a doddering old man move, old Cankles McGee had one more chewable Tums up his sleeve." (Stewart, 05:03)
• On Hypocrisy:
  • “You’re doing some weird reverse woke land acknowledgement. I would like to acknowledge that Greenland sits on colonized and conquered indigenous people’s land. And I would also like to say dibs.” (Stewart, 12:04)
• On Protests and Rights:
  • "But the people of Minnesota, they gotta be careful. As we’ve seen, some of these ICE agents are poorly trained and hot tempered. If you’re going to confront them, you have to do it with courage, conviction, and the finest, most luxurious outerwear you can afford." (Klepper, 36:25)
• On Whole Milk PR:
  • “You’re making Ben Carson drink a glass of milk, the drink that famously helps us fall asleep at night. Are you insane? If Ben Carson gets any sleepier, he could die.” (27:52)
• On Food Pyramid:
  • “He sounds healthy. Real healthy. Yeah, no, you know what? I’m pretty sure this one is upside down. Unless I’m misremembering every pyramid photo I’ve ever seen.” (26:17)
• On Administrative Absurdity:
  • “Yesterday illustrates what a strange mixture this administration is. Some hybrid of warplanes and clown cars.” (42:22)

Important Timestamps

• Donald Trump’s Venezuela/Iran/Greenland Policy Chaos: 01:14–12:00
• Checks and Balances Mocked: 13:39–15:41
• January 6th Revisionism: 17:22–19:08
• Morality as the Only Limit: 19:08–20:00
• Cabinet/Ethics Scandals: 21:21–28:54
• Minnesota ICE Raids & Community Response: 29:54–38:50
• Greenland/Diplomatic Fallout: 40:18–42:22
• NYC’s “Communist” Mayor Satire: 42:22–46:30

Tone & Style

Classic Daily Show: outraged, bewildered, deeply sarcastic, and darkly funny. The episode drips with incredulity over the normalization of authoritarianism, double standards, and political theater, finding laughter in the absurdity while conveying a persistent sense of alarm about the state of democracy.

For Listeners Who Missed The Episode

This episode covered a barrage of headline chaos—militarism abroad, ICE overreach at home, performative health policy, and the farcical logic of MAGA governance. Stewart and the team use biting satire to expose hypocrisy, highlight the double standards of power, and celebrate everyday Americans resisting in small but mighty ways. If you haven’t listened, you’ll get a blisteringly funny and unsettling portrait of an America where up is down and “dibs” replaces diplomacy.