The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump Can’t Keep His Hands Off MBS as Epstein Files Release Is Imminent | Sean Sherman

Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Roy Wood Jr. (standing in), with the Daily Show News Team
Featured Guest: Chef Sean Sherman

Overview

This episode features Roy Wood Jr. leading a characteristically irreverent and insightful exploration of topical headlines: Trump’s public coziness with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the political circus around the imminent release of the Epstein files, and technological advances (including "uploading your grandma to the cloud" and the rise of AI in art and music). The episode closes with a deeply engaging interview with James Beard award-winning chef Sean Sherman, who discusses his work revitalizing Native American cuisine and the broader cultural relevance of Indigenous food traditions.

Main Segments & Key Points

1. Trump & MBS: Awkward Power Handshakes and Mutual Interests

[01:18–03:10]

• Roy/“Ronny” Cheang lampoons Donald Trump’s “play date” with MBS, sarcastically calling the Saudi crown prince "an all-around great guy who definitely doesn't hold a grudge."

  [01:22] Roy: "And the two of them couldn’t keep Trump’s hand off each other."

• The show mocks Trump’s exaggerated handshake:

  [02:04] News Clip/Parody: “Trump doesn’t give a fist pump. I grabbed that hand. I don’t give a hell where that hand’s been.”

• Satirical take on Trump’s business dealings with Saudi Arabia:

  [02:33] Roy: “MBS is giving Trump money, the Trump Organization’s Saudi partner pumping more than $20 million into the family business.”

• The segment highlights the hypocrisy of Trump's alliances, contrasting his Muslim ban with friendly deals with the Saudi regime.

2. The Imminent Release of the Epstein Files: Congressional Shenanigans and National Security Redactions

[03:10–11:15]

• The House, with bipartisan support, votes to release Epstein-related documents.

• Republicans like Rep. Nancy Mace highlight their distance from elite circles in ways that sound both defensive and inadvertently lonely:

  [03:54] Nancy Mace (clip): “I’m not part of the powerful...I don’t get invited to parties. I don’t have any friends. I have a dog.”

• Roy doubles down on the show's satirical take:

  [04:06] Roy: “Are you fishing for an invite to the sex party? ... There’s a middle ground between Epstein island and friendless loser.”

• The expected political stalling doesn’t materialize; the Senate passes the bill quickly, stunning the team:

  [05:17] News Clip: “The Senate has unanimously agreed to pass the bill to release the Epstein files.” [05:21] Roy: “Wait...How the f--- did it pass this fast?”

• Roy jokes about how "unanimous consent" could be used to pass any bill, riffing on Congressional ineptitude.

• Trump unexpectedly says he’ll sign the bill, shocking even the typically unflappable Roy:

  [06:39] Roy: “My God. What the hell is happening here? Is Trump really gonna release the Epstein files?”

• The show signals the likely cop-out: “national security” will justify redactions:

  [07:16] Roy: “See, that’s how they’re gonna keep these files secret. National security. America’s go-to justification.”

3. Correspondent Jordan Klepper: Should We Release ALL the Dirt?

[08:05–11:15]

• Jordan Klepper reports from the DOJ, skeptically hoping for a last-minute delay.

  [08:11] Jordan: “We’re all praying our hardest that something happens to delay that outcome.”

• The team riffs on "separating the art from the artist" if beloved celebrities are implicated, culminating in jokes about Kermit the Frog being in the files:

  [09:38] Jordan: “What if Kermit the Frog is in the Epstein files? You think it’s not easy being green? Try being publicly outed as a pedophile.” [10:24] Jordan: “I have to go back to my job waiting tables at P F Chang’s...I’m PF Chang and I’m here to say I hope you have a Changtastic birthday!”

• Roy argues ideally the truth will let us rebuild a better society, while Klepper counters that would take “a lot more work than just not releasing the files”.

4. "Tech Yeah": AI Grandmas and Digital Cowboys

[12:38–18:23]

Segment host: Grace Kulenschmidt aka "Coolant Tech", delivers a jokey, high-octane tech roundup:

a. Russian Humanoid Robot Fails

[13:28] Grace: “Finally, a robot that feels like a real person. Because I also have a drinking problem...’”

b. Uploading Your Grandma to the Cloud

• A new app lets users create a digital avatar of loved ones:

  [14:53] Grace: “I can’t wait for my grandma to die...so I can turn her soul into data.”

• Jokes about the awkwardness of having a deceased grandma on the same device as your porn:

  [15:13] Grace: “Next time you’re struggling to pick a category, your grandma can chime in, like: ‘Anime MILFs with big naturals.’”

c. AI-Generated Country Star

• “Breaking Rust” is #1 on Billboard’s country digital chart. Grace swoons:

  [16:56] Grace: “A guy named Breaking Rust isn’t real? That makes him so much hotter. I’ve been throwing my panties at my computer just to get his attention.”

• AI can generate on-demand songs about mundane topics ("Inside Edition").

  [18:03] Grace: “You wouldn’t believe how horny I am right now.”

5. Interview: Chef Sean Sherman — Reviving Indigenous Cuisine

[20:05–33:32]

a. Why Are Native American Restaurants So Rare?

[21:05] Sean Sherman: “It’s unfortunate that Native American restaurants are so rare in Native America. So a lot of this work was really trying to showcase that this was possible, that we could have a modern Indigenous restaurant.”

• Sherman’s ventures aim to source from Indigenous producers, employ Native workers, and keep profits within the community.
• Dishes purposely exclude colonial ingredients (no dairy, wheat, cane sugar, beef, pork, chicken):

  [22:00] Sean: “The philosophy was...we cut out European colonial ingredients...In the last year alone, the Trump Organization, Saudi partner, pumping more than $20 million into the family business.”

b. Making Native Cuisine Tangible & Modern

• Sherman describes the popularity of Owamni, his Minneapolis restaurant:

  [22:37] Sean: “We’ve been sold out every night since we opened in 21.”

• The health-driven, contemporary approach resonates with today’s growing nutrition awareness:

  [24:21] Sean: “There’s so much plant diversity. Again, it’s low carbs...protein diversity...not over processed food by any means, because these aren’t the foods that I grew up with.”

c. The Cultural, Social, and Environmental Dimensions

• Food as a force multiplier for community, health, and empathy.

  [25:11] Roy: “It’s a cultural force multiplier for you.” [25:13] Sean: “It’s something that pulls us together and...helps put a little empathy into things...Why don’t we have more Native food out there?”

• The book Turtle Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America aims to amplify Indigenous voices and knowledge, not to “mansplain.”

  [26:18] Sean: “It took a community to put this together...we also reached out to this massive network all over Turtle island, in Mexico, US, Canada, up in Alaska...to really get their perspectives.”

• Sherman sees the principles of Indigenous knowledge as applicable to global sustainability and decolonization:

  [27:11] Sean: “Indigenous people had the blueprint to live sustainably anywhere...That’s the point—you can apply these lessons anywhere.”

d. Thanksgiving and Misconceptions

• On Thanksgiving and American mythology:

  [29:31] Sean: “I have a lot of friends and family that don’t celebrate at all, you know, and just completely ignore it. Because it is very damaging to have this mythology...Just remember that time we had dinner together?”

• Sherman also encourages paying respect by supporting Indigenous producers and learning about Native history:

  [30:04] Sean: “If you want to pay respect...think about the land that you’re standing on. Learn a little bit about the history. Learn about the tribes that are living by. Buy food from Indigenous producers.”

e. On Representation and Moving Forward

• Celebrates the increasing visibility of Native chefs, media, arts, and “not being pushed into the shadows.”

  [31:41] Sean: “We are starting to see more Native chefs come out...just everything...I think it is time for us to not be pushed into the shadows...”

• Historical trauma and the ongoing effects of forced assimilation:

  [32:23] Sean: “History can be really hard to read sometimes...My tribe, Lakota, we were still battling the US Government till the turn of the century...boarding schools, having to cut their hair, learn English, learn Christianity, and just changing everything...layering on so much trauma to those generations.”

[33:16] Roy: “Thank you so much for preserving it. And thank you for providing a rally point for people who want to be an ally.”

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• [02:15] Roy (on Trump & MBS): "That was the worst handshake I’ve ever seen. That was like the 9/11 of handshakes. And once again, Saudi Arabia is involved."
• [03:54] Nancy Mace (mocked): “I don’t get invited to parties. I don’t have any friends. I have a dog.”
• [05:52] Roy: “Unanimous consent. Well, then why don’t you do that with every bill? ... In that case, we might need to pass the Jeffrey Epstein Universal Healthcare Epstein Act featuring Jeffrey Epstein.”
• [09:38] Jordan Klepper: "What if Kermit the Frog is in the Epstein files? You think it's not easy being green? Try being publicly outed as a pedophile."
• [15:13] Grace (Tech Yeah): “Maybe you're nervous to have grandma live on the same device you watch porn on. But next time you’re struggling to pick a category, your grandma can chime in, like, anime, milfs with big naturals.”
• [22:00] Sean Sherman: “No dairy, no wheat flour, no cane sugar, no beef, pork, and chicken, no jello. No ranch dressing.”
• [31:41] Sean Sherman: “We see Native American names and culture everywhere, but we never hear from them.”
• [33:16] Roy: “Thank you so much for preserving [Native cuisine and culture]... for providing a rally point for people who want to be an ally.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:18] Trump & MBS Handshake
• [03:10] Epstein Files in Congress
• [05:17] Senate Passes Bill Unanimously
• [08:05] DOJ “Live” with Jordan Klepper
• [12:38] “Tech Yeah!” Segment Begins
• [14:43] Upload Your Grandma to the Cloud
• [16:34] AI-Generated Country Singer
• [20:05] Interview: Chef Sean Sherman begins
• [22:00] Philosophy of Owamni’s Cuisine
• [29:31] On Thanksgiving & Erasure
• [31:41] Increased Native Representation

Tone & Style

The episode follows The Daily Show’s classic formula: sharp, satirical, and irreverent, blending genuine journalistic insight with rapid-fire jokes and absurd hypotheticals. The interview with Sean Sherman stands out for its warmth, intellectual substance, and respectful engagement, giving listeners a nuanced view of Indigenous food, culture, and resilience.

Useful For

• Casual listeners or fans who missed the episode and want a comprehensive highlight reel.
• Anyone interested in Indigenous foodways, American politics, or topical technology trends.
• Educators and advocates seeking engaging ways to introduce complex social topics.

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