Trump and Republicans Want YOU to Pay $400 Million for His Ballroom | Gaten Matarazzo

Summary

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The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump and Republicans Want YOU to Pay $400 Million for His Ballroom | Gaten Matarazzo
Date: April 29, 2026
Host: Josh Johnson
Special Guests: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Gordon Klepper, Gaten Matarazzo

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Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Josh Johnson, zeroes in on the recent and highly controversial push by Senate Republicans to use taxpayer money to build a $400 million Presidential Ballroom for Donald Trump. The show unpacks the absurdity and political spin of this proposal with the sharp satire and wit expected from The Daily Show. Alongside this headline segment, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog delivers his irreverent dispatch from the White House Correspondents Dinner. The show closes with an engaging interview with actor Gaten Matarazzo about his new comedy "Pizza Movie" and his role in an upcoming Lin-Manuel Miranda musical.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Let Them Eat Ballroom! (01:12–13:13)

Summary of Events

• Following an attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents Dinner, Senate Republicans propose building a massive, 90,000 sq. ft., $400 million Presidential Ballroom for security (or so they claim).
• The absurdity of using public funds for an over-the-top, "militarized" ballroom becomes the subject of ridicule.

Key Moments & Quotes:

• Jon Stewart–Level Satire (01:46)

  • Josh Johnson: “All right, let's get into it in our new segment: Let Them Eat Ballroom.”
  • Triumph the Insult Comic Dog: “The country's going to hell in a handbasket. Let's do a little dancing.” (01:46)

• Ballroom Justification Breakdown (02:42–05:41)

  • Gordon Klepper (satirizing GOP logic): “...would authorize $400 million to be spent to secure, to build the Presidential Ballroom.” (02:42)
  • Josh Johnson: “This is the administration that is obsessed with government waste... Like, Trump is the type of dude to wine and dine you and then forget his wallet. He'll just be sitting with you. Like, I hope you had a great time. I just, uh. Oh, I hate to do this, but we're still gonna have sex, right?” (03:56)
  • The supposed rationale: "military stuff" (04:50). When pressed, specifics are lacking: Josh Johnson: “Name 10 military stuff. I'll wait.” (04:54)

• Mocking Security Arguments (06:45–07:00)

  • Narrator/Reporter: “The president should not have to leave the White House to go to the Kennedy Center...People should come to him.”
  • Josh Johnson: “Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The president should have to leave his house. You don't want the leader of the free world to visit anything? Hold on. Is the President depressed?” (07:00)

• Sexist Defenses for the Ballroom (07:44)

  • Gordon Klepper: “All women love ballrooms.”
  • Josh Johnson: “That argument is so sexist. ...Why can't the President feel like a pretty girl?”

• Token Democratic Support (08:23)

  • Only one Democrat, John Fetterman, is on board. He’s lampooned for his style:
    Josh Johnson: “This dude is a ballroom guy. He’s never worn a blazer that wasn’t loaned to him by the mayor.” (08:29)

• Satirical Government Priorities (09:42–10:02)

  • Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (mocking): “We can't take care of daycare... Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things. We have to take care of one thing. Military protection and—”
  • Josh Johnson: “And a ballroom.” (10:02)

2. International Perspective on Security & Gun Violence (10:16–12:55)

Man-on-the-Street with Gordon Klepper

• Foreign tourists in Times Square are bewildered by America’s focus on building ballrooms for security, suggesting gun control, decency, and respect instead.
  • Tourist: "Lose the guns." (10:50)
  • Gordon Klepper: "Have you considered more ballrooms without guns?" (11:10)
• Humorous attempts to connect wedding venues (ballrooms) with national unity are met with skepticism.
  • Guest/Interviewer: “Makes no sense...You don’t need a ballroom.” (12:54)

3. Correspondents Dinner Red Carpet with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (14:23–19:45)

Highlights:

• Triumph roasts media figures and politicians with caustic wit, skewering everyone from Wolf Blitzer to Fox News to Dr. Oz.
  • Triumph on Wolf Blitzer: “I want to catch him before the bosses replace him with Jake Paul.” (14:53)
  • On Trump’s potential jokes: “...like how he won the Iran war and how gas prices are going down. Pretty good stuff.” (15:03)
  • About Press & First Amendment: “This is a wonderful night. We’re honoring the first amendment with Donald Trump. It’s kind of like having Kanye come for Passover.” (19:13)
• Jabs at administration figures, e.g.:
  • On Caroline Leavitt: “Her soul left her body about a year ago.” (17:48)
  • On women in the administration: “Women in this administration are dropping faster than inbred French bulldogs.” (17:54)
• The tone is bitingly satirical—nothing and no one is safe from Triumph's mockery.

4. Interview: Gaten Matarazzo (21:35–29:53)

About ‘Pizza Movie’

• Gaten describes his new stoner comedy, characterizing it as a love letter to the ‘Harold & Kumar’ genre—self-referential and absurd.
  • Gaten: “...they wanted to go for and mention as many kind of usual tropes that stoner movies kind of tried to go into all the time. ... go so far into them that it's self referential and bizarre and really fun and kind of spin on it.” (22:24)
• The film's plot: students try an experimental drug (created in a dorm), experience reality through comedic tropes, and must eat pizza to stave off “their worst nightmares.”
  • Gaten: “[T]o stop ourselves from our worst nightmares finding us and shoving chainsaws up our ass, we have to eat pizza. Specifically pizza, or else it will go horribly wrong.” (23:35)
• Josh and Gaten discuss family food nostalgia and Gaten’s tolerance for “bad meals,” including a story about bravely eating spoiled food to avoid hurting a fan restaurant manager’s feelings. (25:45–26:53)
  • Gaten: “If it's edible and if it's not gonna make me sick...I'll usually find something to enjoy about it. It's kind of the same way I feel about movies in general.” (25:45)

Upcoming Musical with Lin-Manuel Miranda

• Gaten shares his excitement about “Octet,” a Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed movie musical about tech addiction—performed a cappella by eight cast members.
  • Gaten: “I just got back from rehearsal today, which it's just been an absolute blast. ...[Lin] is, I believe, a true genius. ...Anything he puts his hands on, it's just kind of magic.” (28:19–29:52)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Josh Johnson: “Trump is the type of dude to wine and dine you and then forget his wallet. ... we're still gonna have sex, right?” (03:56)
• Gordon Klepper: “Military stuff? What military stuff? Name 10 military stuff. I'll wait.” (04:54)
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog: “I was stupping a Mexican hairless, and she was picked up by ICE.” (16:34)
• Gaten Matarazzo (on Pizza Movie): “To stop ourselves from our worst nightmares finding us and shoving chainsaws up our ass, we have to eat pizza.” (23:35)
• Gaten (on Lin-Manuel Miranda): “Lin's a brilliant guy and is, I believe, a true genius. I think that word gets thrown around a lot. And I think he is a real one.” (29:34)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Let Them Eat Ballroom (main segment): 01:12–13:13
• International Take / Gun Control Man-on-the-Street: 10:16–12:55
• Triumph at Correspondents Dinner: 14:23–19:45
• Gaten Matarazzo Interview: 21:35–29:53

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Episode Tone & Takeaway

The episode is classic Daily Show—razor-sharp, irreverent political satire highlighting the bizarre disconnect between government priorities and real-world needs. Josh and the team lampoon the extravagant 'ballroom' proposal as a symptom of American political absurdity and government showmanship. Triumph's on-the-ground antics skewer the political class, while the celebrity interview segment delivers a laidback, nerdy charm. Well worth a listen for anyone following contemporary politics or in need of a comedic breakdown of the week’s most surreal headlines.

Transcript

[Josh Johnson]

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[Guest/Interviewer]

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[Josh Johnson]

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[Narrator/Reporter]

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[Guest/Interviewer]

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[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Josh Johnson.

[Josh Johnson]

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Josh Johnson. We've got so much to talk about tonight. Donald Trump is using you for a GoFundMe. Lindsey Graham makes an even tougher sale than bombing Iran. And triumph. The insult comic dog humps some legs at the Correspondents Dinner. But first, let's start with the most urgent issue facing America today. Donald Trump still doesn't have a ballroom. All right, let's get into it. In our new segment, Let them eat ballroom.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

The country's going to hell in a handbasket. Let's do a little dancing.

[Josh Johnson]

As we all know, there was an attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents Dinner this weekend, which first of all, terrible week for light skinned dudes. You got this guy going for the president and chewing carpet. Klay Thompson cheating on Megan Thee stallion. No pressure, but Drake, this album's gotta be fire. It's all on you. But that was just my takeaway. Republicans had another somehow dumber takeaway.

[Narrator/Reporter]

A group of Senate Republicans is pushing to fund the construction of President Trump's 90,000 square foot ballroom. Using taxpayer money, we're gonna introduce legislation

[Gordon Klepper]

that would authorize $400 million to be spent to secure the to build the Presidential Ballroom.

[Josh Johnson]

$400 million. That's our money. Why do we. We didn't try to shoot the President, make this guy pay for the ballroom. This is the administration that is obsessed with government waste. I, I can't believe they dissolved Doge right before Trump demanded a $400 million ballroom. It's like how the Michael Jackson movie ended right before he starts molesting. You just went ahead and skipped all the important stuff, huh? We live in such a crazy time now that events don't even need to be connected. Someone tried to Kill the president. So now we're gonna build a ballroom. But I feel like someone completely trustworthy told us we wouldn't have to pay for anything.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

We're putting up our own money with the government just paying for nothing. We did this. No charge to the taxpayer whatsoever. All private money. Not one penny is being used from the federal government.

[Josh Johnson]

And. And to his word, it isn't one penny. It's 40 billion pe. As soon as I heard about the ballroom, I knew we would end up paying for it. Like, Trump is the type of dude to wine and dine you and then forget his wallet. He'll just be sitting with you. Like, I hope you had a great time. I just, uh. Oh, I hate to do this, but we're still gonna have sex, right? Don't get me wrong. With so many seniors getting scammed in America, I'm glad one of them is turning the tables. I just don't want it to be on us, you know? And 400 million is way too much. Why is this ballroom so expensive? Is the roof gonna be made of Coachella tickets? What could possibly make this thing cost so much? Like, be specific.

[Gordon Klepper]

Underneath, there will be a lot of military stuff.

[Josh Johnson]

Military stuff? What military stuff? Name 10 military stuff. I'll wait. Lindsey Graham. Sounds like me in fifth grade trying to convince my mom to get me an Xbox like you. You know, they make educational games too. Here's what I don't get. The president travels with tons of security everywhere he goes. So what problem are we trying to solve exactly? The ballroom itself will avoid the dilemma

[Gordon Klepper]

of having to leave the White House grounds.

[Guest/Interviewer]

He literally could have left his bedroom,

[Gordon Klepper]

walked out the back of the White

[Josh Johnson]

House, and been at the ballroom. The president needs to walk out of his bedroom into the ballroom. This feels like it's Lindsay's dream. I can see Lindsay. Like, I must rise from my silk sheets and directly into the cotillion. Oh, it's a. It's a mass cotillion. Where. Where I can be my truest self. This is not what a president is supposed to be focused on. Unless that president is 7 years old. You know, they're writing a list. Like, I'm gonna have a slide that goes right from my bed to the pool. And I want a soup made out of candy, so whenever I get hungry, I can just eat my shirt. But still, as good as the White House is, Trump is gonna have to leave.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Sometimes it really does put President Trump at risk to go around Washington, D.C. like this. The president should not have to leave the White House to Go to the Kennedy center to go to the Hilton and venture out. People should come to him.

[Josh Johnson]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The president should have to leave his house. You don't want the leader of the free world to visit anything. Hold on. Is the President depressed? I know people keep trying to shoot him, but still, come to think of it, did he just get McDonald's DoorDash to the house? That sounds like a man who's given up on life, you know? Wait till he finds out about Snuggies. There have to be arguments for this ballroom that don't just make the President sound like an indoor cat.

[Gordon Klepper]

I never understood the opposition to the ballroom.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I mean, all women love ballrooms.

[Josh Johnson]

All women love ballrooms. That argument is so sexist. It's one step away from being super woke. Like, all women love ballrooms. Why can't the President feel like a pretty girl? I mean, I don't even know how big of a deal this is, because, sure, all the Republicans are on board, but there's no way there's even one Democrat that's gonna support this.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So far, only one Democrat, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, has come out in favor of this project.

[Josh Johnson]

This dude is a ballroom guy. He's never worn a blazer that wasn't loaned to him by the mayor. Dean. The one time I've seen him wearing a jacket, and he was wearing them with a hoodie. He looks like he robbed somebody who was wearing a tie. It's like they told him he couldn't come in without one, and then he saw a guy wear one. He was like, get over here. What does he want a ballroom for? I bet Republicans say if he voted for it, they'd add a bell tower just for him. Look, I know Republicans had Project 2025, but I'm starting to think they never wrote Project 2026 because they're on day four of arguing that the President needs a ballroom to dance in while we're at war during an affordability crisis. But if we ask the government for housing or healthcare or daycare, this is what we get.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

The United States can't take care of daycare. We can't take care of daycare. We're a big country. We have 50 states. We have all these other people. We're fighting wars. It's not possible for us to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things. We have to take care of one thing. Military protection and.

[Josh Johnson]

And a ballroom. Now, the big question is, do other countries apply the same logic of Ballroom protection into their security problem. Gordon Klepper went to find out.

[Gordon Klepper]

Just days after political gun violence in our nation's capital, I went to Times Square to ask people from foreign countries, why is this happening here in London?

[Guest/Interviewer]

It's never really been a big thing.

[Gordon Klepper]

You know, the whole gun thing is not a big thing.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

It's just crazy to me because that

[Josh Johnson]

kind of stuff usually wouldn't happen in, like, Europe.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I think most of Canada is pretty safe.

[Gordon Klepper]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

You're able to safely speak your mind without having to worry about being shut down.

[Gordon Klepper]

And doing that with words. Not shut down. With that outside perspective. Like, what are things Americans can do to make America safer?

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Lose the guns.

[Gordon Klepper]

Okay, that would help. Okay, noted. If we don't do that, is there anything else?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Try to be decent. Respect people in general. Of course.

[Gordon Klepper]

Okay, let's say if that's not our sweet spot, what else you got?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Reduce the number of guns.

[Gordon Klepper]

Reduce the number of guns.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Number of guns.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

No.

[Gordon Klepper]

Have you considered more ballrooms without guns?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Gordon Klepper]

Okay. You're really hung up on this gun thing. These tourists were focused on the guns when Trump had a much simpler plan.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

It's drone proof. It's bulletproof glass. We need the ballroom.

[Gordon Klepper]

So how were these outsiders still so lost? Well, you know where you are right now, right?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah. Times Square.

[Gordon Klepper]

Times Square. And you know why Times Square was so up in the 70s?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Tell me.

[Gordon Klepper]

No ballrooms. Well, there was one, maybe more of a strip club. Ah, but this place was wild. Wouldn't you feel a little bit safer with, like, a closed situation? Maybe a chandelier hanging plated dinner?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Like I said, I've not been to

[Gordon Klepper]

a ballroom, so you got to go to a ballroom.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I'm just.

[Gordon Klepper]

This is for your own safety. Still. The more I talk to people from countries without constant political violence, the more I realized they could see a way

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

through kind of communicating, keeping an open

[Guest/Interviewer]

mind, trying to get to a middle ground. I think it's about unity.

[Gordon Klepper]

You know, where I find unity with people that I disagree with? Weddings.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Gordon Klepper]

I gotta say, the last time I was able to talk with my uncle who was on the other side of the aisle, it was my cousin's wedding, you know? Yeah. A little Michael Jackson comes on, everybody dances a little bit, they start moving. We're all having a great time. Where did all that take place?

[Guest/Interviewer]

At the wedding.

[Gordon Klepper]

And where is the wedding In America. And where. But the location in America that the wedding is held within? New York. That's actually upstate, but it's pretty close that it's Housed in a.

[Guest/Interviewer]

A chapel.

[Gordon Klepper]

No, it's not a chapel.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

There's a room.

[Gordon Klepper]

There's a room. There's a room.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

The courthouse.

[Gordon Klepper]

No, it's not a courthouse. Why would you be a courthouse? It's a room. It is a room. It is a room where we have a ball in that room.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

A ballroom.

[Gordon Klepper]

A ballroom, man.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Gordon Klepper]

Finally, I was getting through to these people. This ballroom solution just makes sense.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Makes no sense.

[Gordon Klepper]

It doesn't.

[Guest/Interviewer]

You don't need a ballroom. You know, what's the point?

[Gordon Klepper]

I gotta tell you, you have a lousy attitude. If you could come up with any other way to solve our gun violence problem other than ball rooms, I'd love to hear it, but that's our time. Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

[Josh Johnson]

Thank you, Jordan. When we come back, try the Insult Comic dog goes to D.C. they don't go away. Membership means more with American Express Business Gold. Earn four times Membership Rewards points in

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

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[Josh Johnson]

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[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

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[Josh Johnson]

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[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

spending every month terms and points cap apply.

[Josh Johnson]

Learn [e-mail] Business Gold MX Business Gold Card built for business by American Express. Welcome back to the Daily Show. Saturday's White House correspondence dinner was a terrifying and somber night. Maybe we shouldn't have sent Triumph the Insult Comic Dog to cover it, but we did. Here's his report from the red carpet before the dinner started.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

I am here at the White House Correspondents Dinner, an annual gathering of the press that celebrates, or in tonight's case, fondly remembers free speech. On this night, members of the press sit down for a lavish dinner served by some of their former colleagues. So many of the biggest names in D.C. are here, such as redacted and redacted through CNN. This is a big night. How about Wolf Blitzer? Is he gonna be here?

[Guest/Interviewer]

I'm assuming he's going to be here

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

tonight because I want to catch him before the bosses replace him with Jake Paul, you know?

[Josh Johnson]

Is that where we're going tonight?

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Listen, where are all the stars? That's what I want to know.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Do you see any?

[Josh Johnson]

You're a star.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

I'm the biggest star here. It's pathetic. This thing needs a red carpet like the Olive Garden needs a velvet rope. FOX News Guy, come on. You're not above this. The sun. We got the sun. Peter Dusia. This is a catch. What a night. No comedians. We don't need Comedians. We have a Mentalist. And you think Trump's gonna tell some jokes like how he won the Iran war and how gas prices are going down? Pretty good stuff.

[Josh Johnson]

It's Peter's dad.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Peter.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Let's go. Peter. No. Peter. Peter. If the Mentalist asks Trump to pick a number, it'll probably be under 18. Would you agree? I kid. I kid. It's a politically motivated. You guys at Fox News know what I'm talking about. Okay, now he really has to go. It's great to see all you Republican guys out here praising Trump. Normally, I'm the only one out here licking Someone's nuts. Dr. Oz. I love dogs. Let me ask you about the Mentalist. Are you worried that if he pulls a rabbit out of his hat, will RFK Jr try to eat it? I don't know, but he couldn't speak about it. Oh, my God. It's Jeanine Pirro. This lineup is crazy. It's like black tie. January 6th. She'll never talk to me, but I have a secret weapon. Check it out. Janine. Janine. Mark Wayne Mullen, the head of the dhs. I have to tell you, I'm a little resentful of you guys. I was stupping a Mexican hairless, and she was picked up by ice.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I don't know if that's funny or not.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Over in the back there is either Brett Baer or someone tried to draw American dad from memory. Do you think Trump will eventually be tried for war crimes? Not for Iran, but for what he's done to the Oval Office toilet. Have you met Cash Patel?

[Guest/Interviewer]

I have. I have.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

You know, I hear he's a good guy. You know, he loves sports.

[Gordon Klepper]

Great guy.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Are you worried that if he doesn't win his $250 million lawsuit against the Atlantic, that he won't be able to cover his tab at the Poodle Room? His tab at the what room? The Poodle Room. I think people need to stop complaining about Cash Patel drinking so much. If you know a better way to come down from how much cocaine he's doing, I'd like to hear it.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I don't know if Cash Patel is

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

a cocaine party guy. Of course not. You know, and a lot of great people are here. You can tell that Some of the most powerful people in Washington are here tonight because all the escort services have switched to surge pricing. Oh, my God. It's so exciting. All the big names are here from the Cabinet, and Caroline Levitt is here.

[Gordon Klepper]

Yeah.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

I mean, physically. Her soul left her body about a year ago. You're very pro.

[Gordon Klepper]

Caroline Levitt.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Where is Stephen Miller anyway? I heard he's stuck in a glue trap. Caroline, Caroline, are you feeling secure? Women in this administration are dropping faster than inbred French bulldogs. Look at them. Seriously, I haven't seen anyone so full of shit since that time I watched the Chihuahua eat a king size Reese's peanut butter Cup. So Pete Hegseth's right over there.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I see him.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Yeah. Can you give him his drink tickets? He asked me to pick him up for him. Hey, Pete.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Pete,

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

where are we? Pre gaming and post gaming and mid game gaming. Cheryl, what's special about this night? Other than it's the only celebrity party you're invited to anymore? Bobby, please. Bobby. Can I see my brother one last time? He's in your freezer. What brings you to the White House? Correspondence dinner. Are you kidding? This is a wonderful night. We're honoring the first amendment with Donald Trump. It's kind of like having Kanye come for Passover. So what rotting husk of a once great industry are you with? Oh, USA Today. Okay, good. And tell me this. What's the plan after this is over?

[Josh Johnson]

The bar?

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

No, no, I don't. I'm not talking about tonight. I'm talking about after the news industry is over. Marco, come on. You can do this. What's the matter, Mr. Secretary? Afraid of a little dog? I'm down on my luck. Marco, please, just one question. Just tell me which country you're attacking next. I'm trying to win some money on poly market. I'm trying to win some money on poly market. Man. Just give me a wink. If it's Kazakhstan, it's illegal for dogs to gamble.

[Josh Johnson]

Thank you, Triumph. When we come back, Gaydon Matarazzo will be joining me on the show. So don't go away.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Zootopia 2 has come home to Disney Plus. Let's go get ready for a new case.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We're going to crack this case and prove we're victorious.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Partners of all time.

[Gordon Klepper]

New friends.

[Guest/Interviewer]

You are Gary the Snake.

[Gordon Klepper]

And your last name.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

The Snake Dream team.

[Josh Johnson]

Hidden new habitats. Zootopia has a secret restaurant.

[Gordon Klepper]

How population? You can watch the record breaking phenomenon at home.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

You're clearly working it.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Zootopia 2.

[Gordon Klepper]

Now available on Disney Plus. Rated PG.

[Josh Johnson]

Lowe's has the brand's pros trust to get the job done. You can now shop new Catalyst Fencing Solutions and save big when you do. 10% off when you buy in bulk. Plus save $180 on a DeWalt 12 inch dual bevel sliding compound miter saw now just $449. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Valid through 5, 6. Wall supplies. Last selection varies by location. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an actor and producer who stars in the new comedy Pizza movie. Please welcome Gaten Mahar.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I like this.

[Josh Johnson]

M. Thank you so much for coming.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for having me.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I'm a very big fan of yours, I have to say, before really starts. I have been for a very, very long time. So I'm very, very excited. I'm a fan of yours. That you are, that you are here. This makes me very happy.

[Josh Johnson]

I feel the same way about you. This is very cool.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I appreciate it.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, I agree. Even if it was just us, even if they weren't here, this would be very cool.

[Guest/Interviewer]

This is great.

[Josh Johnson]

So this movie is like a new age Harold and Kumar.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Sure.

[Gordon Klepper]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

You get that reference.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Maybe I do.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I love that movie for a very long time. And that was a movie that was mentioned in the pitch when I first read the script. And it was pitch as well. It's just like a love letter to stoner movies in general. This is a very funny thing to talk about on this show, which I

[Josh Johnson]

love very, very much.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah, it was a blast to make. And what was really fun is that they knew they wanted to go for and mention as many kind of usual tropes that stoner movies kind of tried to go into all the time. That can be a bit of an eye roll and kind of just go so far into them that it's self referential and bizarre and really fun and kind of spin on it. It was so much fun to make. It was nuts.

[Josh Johnson]

How do you prepare for the world?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Oh, man.

[Josh Johnson]

What?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Plenty of research. Tons of things. Things to watch. Yeah. Experiences to have.

[Josh Johnson]

Oh, man.

[Guest/Interviewer]

You could go on and on. Yeah. In ways, for sure.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

My dad's here.

[Gordon Klepper]

All right.

[Josh Johnson]

All right. That's fair. And the thing is, the drug in the movie doesn't exist anymore.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Fictional drug.

[Josh Johnson]

Yes.

[Guest/Interviewer]

That was explained to me specifically as the reason that we can do whatever we want is that we made up the drug so we can just. Just go for it.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

And that was really cool. The drug. I think I can say this without spoiling too much, but the drug that we take is an experimental drug that was made in our dorm by a previous tenant or a previous student there. And when we take it, we realize it is going to hit us in distinct phases that are representative of several comedic movie Tropes. And that to stop ourselves from our worst nightmares finding us and shoving chainsaws up our ass. We have to eat. We have to eat pizza. Specifically pizza, or else it will go horribly wrong.

[Josh Johnson]

Okay. All right.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I feel like.

[Josh Johnson]

What a synopsis.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I wish that clip before. I wish I could say that that's out of context, but that's pretty much in context. That's as much context as you can before that starts.

[Josh Johnson]

No, that's fair. And then this movie is about you and your friend in search for that pizza.

[Guest/Interviewer]

In search for that pizza.

[Josh Johnson]

What is a food or a dish? Something that you would sort of go through hell to get?

[Guest/Interviewer]

That's a good question. Oh, man. I think just things I grew up enjoying that, like, my family would make a lot of. I would put pizza in there. My grandfather makes one of the best pizzas I've ever had, which is great. He had pizzerias growing up, and so did my uncle, so. So I would go through a lot for a slice that he would make for me to be nice. My mom makes a pretty crazy Mac and cheese, but it's like nostalgia food, for sure. I think I would do a lot for. Absolutely.

[Gordon Klepper]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

But I don't know if I'd go through too much.

[Josh Johnson]

I don't know.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I'd like to say I would.

[Josh Johnson]

You would? Like, be, like. It would be nice. Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Within reason.

[Josh Johnson]

Like, I'm not gonna drive.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I won't drive or anything. Yeah. I certainly won't make anything. Absolutely.

[Josh Johnson]

I know that so often in stoner movies, it's about getting the thing that's gonna taste the best while you're high.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

But I'm curious. What is the worst meal that you've ever had?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Oh, man. I'm not picky.

[Josh Johnson]

Okay.

[Guest/Interviewer]

If it's edible and if it's not gonna make me sick.

[Josh Johnson]

Right?

[Gordon Klepper]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

If it's not gonna make me sick, I'll usually find something to enjoy about it. It's kind of the same way I feel about movies in general.

[Josh Johnson]

Okay.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I'm like, if there's a. This is exactly what it's trying to be, then I'll usually enjoy it. But I remember one time I was out to eat with my girlfriend, and we shared a dish, and I think something was off, something had spoiled, and it was just. It was rank. It was. Weirdly, it was a little bit stinky and not in a good way. And it wasn't a dish that would have been something to do expect.

[Josh Johnson]

And so it wasn't stinky in, like, a Cheese way.

[Guest/Interviewer]

No, no, no, no. It wasn't, like, funky or, like, fun or, like, what's that? It was more of like, this is not going well, and that's him chewing. And the manager of the restaurant was a fan of the show that I do and wanted to talk about it for a little bit, and I didn't want to be rude, and so I just kept eating the food. I know. And I must hustled a lot of it down for. It was. It was tough. I didn't get sick, though. Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

Okay.

[Guest/Interviewer]

All right.

[Josh Johnson]

That's fantastic.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Which is a win, I think, in that department is a clear win.

[Josh Johnson]

You definitely didn't deserve to get sick because you were over here not just, like, having a good conversation, but also be like, oh, it was delicious.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

It was great, man.

[Josh Johnson]

It was awesome. He's like, you want more?

[Guest/Interviewer]

You want to take it home? Like, no.

[Josh Johnson]

I don't know.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I'm stuffed. I'm stuffed.

[Josh Johnson]

No. I'm so full of poison, I couldn't possibly.

[Gordon Klepper]

I couldn't possibly eat more.

[Josh Johnson]

So you are actually gonna be in the movie musical coming up that is directed by. Am I not supposed to say?

[Gordon Klepper]

No, please.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Okay.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

I'm so happy. You have.

[Josh Johnson]

When your eyes got big, I was like, I'm still new to this. So then when you were like. I was like, oh, no, no.

[Guest/Interviewer]

This is very good. I love to talk about this.

[Josh Johnson]

Okay, great. Cut off for sure. No, no, no. This is. This is. This is perfect. I just want to make sure I wasn't.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Please do.

[Josh Johnson]

Did you see those clips that, like, the person is, like, hosting, and then they spoil something?

[Guest/Interviewer]

That's so good.

[Josh Johnson]

And then you're like, oh, you weren't supposed to.

[Gordon Klepper]

No, no, no. Tell anyone.

[Guest/Interviewer]

You can tell whoever you want.

[Josh Johnson]

Okay, great.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Please.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

You

[Josh Johnson]

are in the movie musical coming up that is directed by Lin Manuel Miranda.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yes, I am.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah. Very, very exciting. Very, very good reaction.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yes, indeed. He usually gets one for sure. Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

And so tell me about the not just, like, process. Cause I know you started in theater and everything. Sure. But, like, what that is like to get yourself in the head. Space. Project to project. Because this is gonna be very different.

[Guest/Interviewer]

It's tremendously different. It's a really cool musical that I actually didn't know much about until Lin approached me with him making the movie of it. It's called Octet, and it's a musical that consists of eight people. It is sung completely a cappella, and it takes place in a church basement for an addiction support group for people who are addicted to technology. And it's crazy concept and the cast is really cool. There's some really awesome people. Yeah, I'm geeking out every day I'm there. I just got back from rehearsal today, which it's just been an absolute blast. It's really, really cool. That's awesome. Yeah. Getting into a weird new headspace like that or even just jumping into a project that is. Even the process of it is just so distinctly different from anything that I've done before because I worked in musical theater, I've worked in film and tv. And this meshes those two things in a really cool way. We have a rehearsal process before we even start shooting, which we're in now. So we're rehearsing it as if we were gonna put it on a stage. And yet there's still a bit of pre production and worrying about filming it, which is bizarre to me. And certain things will be shot in long takes that we have to rehearse for as if we were doing a play or a musical. And that's gonna be really cool. But. But Lin's a brilliant guy and is, I believe, a true genius. I think that word gets thrown around a lot. And I think he is a real one. And anything he puts his hands on, it's just kind of magic. So it was just a no brainer. He's incredible.

[Josh Johnson]

That's incredible. That's so exciting.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

I'm really excited. So excited.

[Josh Johnson]

Thank you so much for being here with me. Thank you so much, dude.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

I know.

[Josh Johnson]

I'm so glad y' all give it up one more time.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Thank you.

[Josh Johnson]

Incredible Pizza movie is available to stream on Hulu and Hulu on Disney. Plus get Matarazzo. We're gonna take a quick break, but we'll be right back after this.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

That is so awesome.

[Gordon Klepper]

Now at McDonald's, a McDouble is 250.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

So you can get your gym gains

[Gordon Klepper]

on or just get lunch for only 250. Get more value on the under $3 menu. Limited time only.

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher for delivery. Amazon presents Jeff versus taco truck salsa. Whether it's verde roja or the orange one. For Jeff, trying any salsa is like playing Russian roulette with a flamethrower. Luckily, Jeff saved with Amazon and stocked up on antacids, ginger tea and milk. Habanero. More like habanero. Yes. Save the everyday with Amazon.

[Josh Johnson]

That's our show for tonight. Now here it is, the moment of Zen.

[Gordon Klepper]

The argument that it's a lavish vanity

[Josh Johnson]

project, maybe, but it's mostly for national security.

[Gordon Klepper]

They're building a nerve center for the

[Josh Johnson]

Defense Intelligence Agency underneath, and you can't get a drone through a missile. Through is the safest place on planet Earth. We can have not only White House correspondence centers, we can have kid rock concerts in there.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Explore more shows from the Daily Show

[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]

Podcast universe by searching the Daily Show Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.

[Narrator/Reporter]

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