Trump Caves to Tariff Uproar, But Doubles Down on China | Olivia Munn

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition – "Trump Caves to Tariff Uproar, But Doubles Down on China | Olivia Munn"

Release Date: April 10, 2025

In this episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, hosted by iHeartPodcasts and Paramount Podcasts, Jon Stewart and The Daily Show News Team delve into the complexities of President Donald Trump's fluctuating tariff policies and feature an enlightening interview with actress and former correspondent Olivia Munn. The episode seamlessly intertwines sharp political commentary with personal narratives, offering listeners a comprehensive and engaging experience.

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1. The Trump Tariff Saga

The episode opens with Jordan Klepper and the news team dissecting President Trump's erratic tariff announcements. Last Wednesday, Trump declared an imminent imposition of unprecedented tariffs, leading to widespread panic buying and economic uncertainty. The team highlights the confusion surrounding the tariffs' implementation and subsequent reversal.

Key Points:

• Initial Tariff Announcement: Trump’s pledge to impose the largest tariff increase in a century sparked immediate market instability. As Jordan Klepper notes, "Trump's tariffs are off, but they're on again. But they're also off. So who cares?" (00:31).

• Global Retaliation: Countries like China and the European Union swiftly responded with their own tariffs. Ronny Chieng humorously lists the affected goods, including "almonds, orange juice, poultry, soybeans, steel and aluminum products, tobacco, and yachts" (02:07).

• Economic Impact on Consumers: The imposition of tariffs disproportionately affects the "little guy," leading to higher prices on everyday items. Klepper laments, "Why do these trade wars always have to screw over the little guy?" (02:24).

• Trump's Stance: Despite the chaos, Trump remains steadfast. Olivia Munn mocks his unwavering position, stating, "Trump's policy will never, ever change" (03:00).

• Tariff Strategy Reversal: In a surprising twist, Trump announces a 90-day pause on certain tariffs while increasing the tariff on Chinese goods to 125%. This sudden shift leaves the team perplexed, with Klepper questioning, "You tanked global stock markets... Did you just get spooked by the markets?" (04:00).

Notable Quotes:

• Roy Wood Jr. expresses skepticism about the negotiation process: "This is not a negotiation" (02:52).
• Michael Kosta sarcastically praises Trump's strategy: "Absolutely brilliant move" (04:28).
• Olivia Munn creatively critiques the tariff strategy: "Create a global crisis and then dig yourself halfway out. It's truly masterful" (04:46).

The segment concludes with a humorous yet critical take on Trump’s inconsistent policies, emphasizing the broader implications for the global economy and American consumers.

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2. Woolly Mammoths and Climate Change: A Bold Scientific Endeavor

Transitioning from political turmoil, the show explores an innovative scientific proposal aimed at combating climate change: resurrecting woolly mammoths. Troy Iwata and Michael Kosta lead this segment, discussing Dr. George Church's ambitious project.

Key Points:

• Resurrecting Woolly Mammoths: Scientists aim to engineer cold-tolerant elephants using DNA from extinct woolly mammoths. This genetic endeavor is intended to restore grasslands and prevent the thawing of permafrost, which could release massive amounts of methane (10:56).

• Environmental Benefits: The presence of these engineered elephants would help in knocking down trees and maintaining vibrant grassland ecosystems, thereby mitigating climate change effects (11:35).

• Expert Opposition: Dr. Ross McPhee from the American Museum of Natural History argues against the project, emphasizing the impracticality of reintroducing extinct species and advocating for the conservation of existing endangered animals (13:17).

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Kosta outlines the strategy: "They would stomp down the snow and allow the minus 40 winter wind to come in and cool down the permafrost" (11:52).
• Dr. Ross McPhee provides a reality check: "Money that's going to be spent would be much better spent on endangered species that are still with us" (14:24).

The segment balances enthusiasm for scientific innovation with critical perspectives, highlighting the debate between radical solutions and traditional conservation efforts.

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3. Exclusive Interview with Olivia Munn

In the latter half of the episode, Olivia Munn returns to the show, sharing insights about her new Apple TV series Your Friends and Neighbors and opening up about her personal struggles and triumphs.

Key Points:

• New Show Highlight: Munn discusses her role in Your Friends and Neighbors, portraying characters navigating the complexities of wealth and personal loss. She praises co-star Amanda Peet and the collaborative nature of the show (16:03).

• Personal Journey: Munn courageously shares her battle with postpartum anxiety and a breast cancer diagnosis. She emphasizes the importance of awareness and early detection, describing how a lifetime risk assessment test led to her diagnosis despite clear mammograms (27:20).

• Advocacy and Support: Munn advocates for the Tyre Cusic test, a free online tool she links for her listeners, highlighting its role in her survival. She underscores the significance of communal support among women facing similar challenges (28:18).

Notable Quotes:

• Munn on her postpartum anxiety: "I just couldn’t breathe. I just had so much anxiety and it wasn’t... one of the worst experiences of my life" (25:01).
• Discussing her cancer diagnosis: "If I could... I would do it all over again" (30:17).

The interview not only spotlights Munn's professional achievements but also serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience required to overcome personal health battles. Her openness provides comfort and inspiration to listeners navigating similar struggles.

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4. Concluding Thoughts

The Daily Show: Ears Edition masterfully balances incisive political satire with heartfelt personal narratives. By addressing the volatile nature of Trump's tariff policies and introducing groundbreaking scientific initiatives, the show keeps listeners informed and engaged. The intimate interview with Olivia Munn adds depth, offering a humanizing glimpse into the life of a public figure dealing with profound personal challenges. Overall, this episode stands out for its blend of humor, critical analysis, and genuine storytelling.

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Note: All timestamps correspond to the provided transcript and offer precise references to notable moments and quotes within the episode.

Transcript

[Desi Lydic]

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, Desi Lining.

[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Jesse Lydic. We've got so much to talk about tonight. Trump's tariffs are off, but they're on again. But they're also off. So who cares? Let's get into it with another installment of trade wars.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

My favorite word. My favorite word, tariffs.

[Jordan Klepper]

Last Wednesday, Donald Trump announced that in one week he was going to impose the biggest increase in tariffs in 100 years. And after a week of panic buying, a year's supply of toilet paper and air fryers, the day has finally arrived. It is 11:59 and 48 seconds, which means we are just moments away from the President's new tariffs.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's President Trump's long awaited Tariff Day.

[Olivia Munn]

It's reciprocal tariff day. Well, the tariffs are here, all right.

[Troy Iwata]

It is tariff day.

[Jordan Klepper]

Happy tariff day, everyone. It's what Trump is replacing Juneteenth with now. Trump is celebrated by putting tariffs on every country in the world, including 104% on products made in China, which is probably fine. I mean, how many products are made in China? But Tariff Day wasn't just celebrated here in America. Other countries got in on the fun, too. Swift retaliation. Both China and the European Union are responding to President Trump's tariffs. China has announced its own retaliatory tariffs, 84% on all US goods it imports.

[Ronny Chieng]

According to the European Union. Almonds, orange juice, poultry, soybeans, steel and aluminum products, tobacco. And yachts imported from the United States now will have a 25% levy on them.

[Jordan Klepper]

25% on yachts. Why do these trade wars always have to screw over the little guy? I'll be honest, I didn't even know America made yachts. I thought the only thing we made here was Nepo babies. But this really feels like it's spiraling out of control. It seems like the smart move is to back off this whole thing. But Trump's team has been adamant that they will stay the course.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is not a negotiation.

[Michael Kosta]

It's not the kind of thing you can negotiate away.

[Olivia Munn]

I don't think there's any chance they're.

[Jordan Klepper]

Going to that President Trump's going to back off his tariffs. The President made it clear yesterday. This is not a negotiation.

[Olivia Munn]

Trump posted this morning, my policies will never change.

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, that's it then. They're in it to win it. Full speed ahead from the window to the Walls. Skeet, skeet, skeet, motherf ers. Trump's policy will never, ever change.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is CNN Breaking News. The President announcing just minutes ago that he's now, quote, authorized a 90 day pause on some of his new tariffs.

[Jordan Klepper]

What? The trade war's over. But it's tariff day. I shaved my legs for this. Now I have to grow it all back. But, hey, at least we can buy things from China again, right? I mean, Amazon prime, here I come.

[Ronny Chieng]

Notably, though, the President is raising the tariff applied to China from the United States to 125%, effective immediately. So this pause applies to other countries, not China.

[Jordan Klepper]

Hey, Siri, cancel 1,000 air fryers. Trump, I don't understand what happened here. You tanked global stock markets. You put us on the verge of a recession. You told everyone to build factories in America because the tariffs wouldn't go away, and then you took them away. What happened? Did you just get spooked by the markets? The 90 day pause when there was a tariffs, is that because of the whiplash that we've been seeing across the financial market?

[Michael Kosta]

No, this was his strategy all along.

[Ronny Chieng]

Absolutely brilliant move.

[Desi Lydic]

Brilliant not only economically, politically, it was.

[Olivia Munn]

Good for the American worker. He's negotiator in chief. He's landing the plane. He's the master of the deal. I mean, you're watching the art of the deal in real time here.

[Jordan Klepper]

Many of you in the media clearly missed the art of the deal. Yes, the art of the deal. Create a global crisis and then dig yourself halfway out. It's truly masterful. Donald. I'm starting to think that the art of the deal is art in the way that Jackson Pollock is art. Like it looks like someone just threw a bunch of shit at the wall. But now I have to pretend like it's genius and it's gonna cost millions of dollars. Come at me, Abstract expressionism Hive. You know I'm right. Come on, Trump, just admit that you. You started a game of chicken and you got too scared to finish it.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

Well, I thought that people were jumping a little bit out of line. They were getting yippee. You know, they were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, okay. It's our fault. We got too scared. Sorry. I tend to get a little yippee when my retirement plan starts to look like the elevator from the Shining straight down in heavy flow. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be dramatic, but this is the worst tariff day ever. This whole trade war was launched on incoherent arguments. You stuck to your guns for incoherent reasons. And now you're pulling back for incoherent reasons. Is there anything you can say that actually makes sense?

[Roy Wood Jr.]

No other president would have done what I did. No other president.

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, you got me there. I do agree with that. Still, though, I just wish that someone could explain what the strategy is going forward with these tariffs. I mean, is there anyone who can tell me.

[Olivia Munn]

Desi. Desi, Hi. I can tell you. Hey.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, hi. Oh, my God. Olivia Mun. What are you doing here?

[Olivia Munn]

I'm a correspondent on the Daily Show.

[Jordan Klepper]

I thought you left in 2011.

[Olivia Munn]

Oh, no. You know how John comes in one day a week? Yeah. I have the same deal. I come in once every 14 years. My dad's a cicada.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, OK. I see. Well, I'd ask what you've been up to, but I have the Internet.

[Olivia Munn]

That's fair.

[Jordan Klepper]

So break it down for us. What is Trump's strategy here with these tariffs? Everyone's scared. There's so much uncertainty, and there's. This is no way that you can actually run an economy.

[Olivia Munn]

Desi, be cool. Okay? Trump knows exactly what he's doing. He put tariffs that destroyed the global economy, so then he took them off, and now it's only mostly destroyed. Now, to avoid tariffs coming back, other countries will cut deals with us for better trade terms, and our deficit drops to zero. Problem solved.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, I see. And that's when we drop all the tariffs.

[Olivia Munn]

No. Bitch. Then we hit them even harder. 400% tariffs. We bomb their factories. We catch those penguins on that island and we eat them. Then the other countries will really come begging. We can get whatever we want, baby. Ikea furniture comes, assembled Honda Accords, trunks full of Nike sneakers. We'll get to pee on their currency while they watch. Then we've won.

[Jordan Klepper]

Gross. But fine, then the trade war ends.

[Olivia Munn]

Yes, then it makes sense for the trade war to end, but. Psych, bitch. Four billion percent tariffs. You're in our house now. The new iPhone $3 Nike sneakers comes with a Honda Accord. Then we pee on their currency again. They're not even watching. It's just the only way we can pee anymore.

[Jordan Klepper]

Olivia, why? How does any of this make up the trade deficit?

[Olivia Munn]

Desi, baby girl, it's not the trade deficit. This is all to make up for Donald Trump's enormous deficit of attention and love. He said as much last night.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

I'm telling you, these countries are calling us up. Kissing my ass. They are. They are dying to make a deal. Please, please, sir, make a deal.

[Olivia Munn]

See he's just a boy standing in front of the world, asking to have his ass kissed. And once the world fills the aching hole in his heart, the tariffs will end.

[Jordan Klepper]

But that will never happen. There's not enough attention in the world to make him feel like a human again.

[Olivia Munn]

Exactly. Bitch.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, now I get it. Wow, that was really enlightening. Thanks, bitch.

[Olivia Munn]

Who are you calling bitch?

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[Olivia Munn]

I thought we were having a thing. Yeah, yeah, we're not.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, okay. Well, thank you for your analysis.

[Olivia Munn]

No problem. I'll see you in 2039.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, Olivia. Olivia. Well, she's gone. Olivia Munn, everyone. When we come back, you'll find out which prehistoric animal I'll eat on.

[Olivia Munn]

Don't go away.

[Jordan Klepper]

Let me see. Welcome back to the Daily Show. This week, scientists announced that they had produced three cubs with the DNA of the prehistoric dire wolf. Then two days later, a white woman tried to bring one on an airplane as her emotional support animal. But the question is, what animal is next in line for DX extinction? Troy Iwata found out.

[Troy Iwata]

Climate change, it could kill us any day now if we're lucky. But one scientist has a solution. Meet Dr. George Church. He knows exactly how to curb climate change. And the answer is so simple.

[Michael Kosta]

We're engineering cold tolerant elephants using DNA from ancient extinct woolly mammoths to help us with climate change.

[Troy Iwata]

You're going to bring back the woolly mammoth?

[Michael Kosta]

Something like that from the ice age around that era? Yeah.

[Troy Iwata]

Voiced by Ray Romano.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, that's the theme. Oh, yeah, that's good.

[Troy Iwata]

So while some think they're doing their part with their electric cars, George and his company were making Jurassic Park a reality.

[Jordan Klepper]

Colossus Biosciences is a genetic engineering firm working to resurrect the woolly mammoth.

[Michael Kosta]

This process will save animals on the brink of extinction and even improve the environment.

[Troy Iwata]

You know, I never thought about the woolly mammoth angle. I almost feel stupid for not thinking about it because it was right there in front of me. I just have one silly question. How exactly is a woolly mammoth gonna combat climate change? Are we gonna provide them with a canvas tote and metal straws?

[Michael Kosta]

There aren't that many solutions that address the gigantic amount of carbon that could be released in the form of methane from the the Arctic. We're concerned about both keeping that carbon in the ground frozen. Which means it would be nice to have cold resistant elephants stomp down the snow and allow the minus 40 winter wind to come in and cool down the permafrost. And knock down the trees. And elephants are one of the few animals in the world that will knock down trees.

[Troy Iwata]

Got it.

[Michael Kosta]

They love knocking down trees.

[Troy Iwata]

So a big part of this is about knocking down trees and restoring the.

[Michael Kosta]

Grasslands and the vibrant ecosystem that came along with it.

[Troy Iwata]

Right, right. Have you considered monster trucks? I feel like with the right combination of monster trucks, monster truck drivers and meth, you could really knock down a lot of trees.

[Michael Kosta]

We haven't discussed that yet. That's out of the box.

[Troy Iwata]

Well, I am on board. Not because I'm pretending to understand everything that you're saying or comprehend the science behind it, but I would love a pet woolly mammoth. I think that would be fun.

[Michael Kosta]

Okay.

[Troy Iwata]

Just me and my pet Willie Nelson. This is the best idea ever.

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

I think it's a bad idea. Extinct species are extinct. Bringing them back to influence climate change, it's a non starter.

[Troy Iwata]

There's always a buzzkill. Meet Dr. Ross McPhee from the American Museum of Natural History.

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

I've spent most of my career on Ice Age painting, paleontology, on mammoths, on saber toothed cats. You name it, I've been there.

[Troy Iwata]

Wait, so you're a paleontologist who works at the American Museum of Natural History, and your name is Dr. Ross?

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

I know. I know where you're going with this.

[Troy Iwata]

I didn't think today could get any better, but. Oh, my God.

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

Okay, Troy, here it is. This is the mammoth.

[Troy Iwata]

This is what they want to bring back.

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

They want to bring this back in all of its glory.

[Troy Iwata]

Wow. Well, it seems easy enough. The bones are all there.

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

Right. But it's a little matter of the soft tissues that we need as well.

[Troy Iwata]

Oh, right. Kleenex.

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

Yeah.

[Troy Iwata]

So how would they even resurrect an extinct species?

[Michael Kosta]

The woolly mammoth and the Asian elephant are very closely related. We can engineer them to be compatible with genetic engineering tools.

[Troy Iwata]

So in a way, you're making sort of an Asian hybrid.

[Michael Kosta]

Correct.

[Troy Iwata]

Okay, well, now I know why they asked me to do this interview.

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

But here's the problem. Money that's going to be spent would be much better spent on endangered species that are still with us.

[Troy Iwata]

But can you imagine a beautiful world where humans and woolly mammoths play together?

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

On Earth, we're talking about an animal that is eating 300 pounds of food a day.

[Troy Iwata]

£300? Someone called TLC.

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

Yeah, I know. Nobody wants something that's five to six thousand pounds marching around in their yard.

[Troy Iwata]

Oh, my God. Have you been reading my journal? In my childhood dream journal, I wrote, I want something that's five to six thousand pounds marching around my yard.

[Dr. Ross McPhee]

It's a big mistake.

[Troy Iwata]

Well, I was a kid. Both of these geniuses made good points. But only one of them had a secret lab full of prehistoric creatures. And I couldn't believe I was finally going to meet one of these majestic mammoths. Wow. This is. This is amazing. So where are the mammoths? Are they in the back?

[Michael Kosta]

Even a simple engineered elephant's a little short of mammoth. Probably 20, 28 at the earliest.

[Troy Iwata]

2028, are you kidding me?

[Michael Kosta]

We can show you some elephant cells.

[Troy Iwata]

All right, let's see some elephant cells. Fun.

[Michael Kosta]

These are very precious cells. It took us years to develop. It's very sterile. Was sterile. Very rich growth media.

[Troy Iwata]

So you're going to turn this water into a woolly mammoth?

[Michael Kosta]

Well, the cells could conceivably contribute to changing the genome of an elephant.

[Troy Iwata]

Okay. Bringing back a woolly mammoth to curb climate change might seem bonkers, but it's either that or carpooling with co workers we hate. At least this guy will be here when we're all gone.

[Jordan Klepper]

Thank you, Troy. When we come back, Olivia Munn will be joining me on the show, so don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is a former Daily show correspondent, an actor who stars in the new Apple TV series, your Friends and Neighbors. Please welcome back Olivia Munn. Hello. Welcome home.

[Olivia Munn]

Thank you. It is. It's so nice to be here. I love it here.

[Jordan Klepper]

Do you like that we invite you to come on as a guest and then we immediately put you to work.

[Olivia Munn]

I love it. This was one. This was when I got the call to be on the Daily Show. It was like, I mean, at that time, it was like Jon Stewart is, was, Will always be the king of comedy, but to get that call to come on. Oh, yeah, it was. I mean, I remember I was standing right over there. It was my first time, and I was in the dark and I just was like, oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. And just remember, I couldn't breathe. I was like, oh, my God, I'm forgetting to breathe. So I was so nervous. Yes. It was just the best time of my life.

[Jordan Klepper]

And it was probably a whirlwind. Right. Did you get hired and then immediately put on the show?

[Olivia Munn]

I got hired. And then we knew that they were like, we're gonna have you on in two weeks. So there was like a two week writing process behind the scenes. Yeah. Oh, my God.

[Jordan Klepper]

And this was 2011 when you were on.

[Olivia Munn]

That's 2010. 2010. 2011. Like 2010 to 2012.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay. I was meaning to ask you. Do you mind if I finish that Go Gurt that you left in the fridge? I did already. Do you think that's for the best? You know what?

[Olivia Munn]

They do have a lot of great snacks here.

[Jordan Klepper]

They do.

[Olivia Munn]

Although you guys wouldn't know because you're not inside the building like that, but you guys, Trevor did something to the inside of your offices, and it's not good.

[Jordan Klepper]

You guys.

[Olivia Munn]

It used to be, like, all open and everybody could, like, look over their desks and talk to each other. Now it's. It's like you're inside of a train car. Right. It's, like, all compartmentalized.

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, they tried to give everyone their individual space, but we're in really tight little spaces now, so it does feel like you're working inside of a shoebox.

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was already like, my office back then was already really shitty.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Olivia Munn]

So I can't now. They've made them shittier.

[Jordan Klepper]

They're even shittier. Yeah, they really are. You know, Paramount cuts. What do you do? I'm sorry, we don't have Apple TV money. Is it. Is it during crazy political times like this, are you just like, oh, thank God I don't have to cover news anymore?

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah, I don't think I could keep up with it. And honestly, I just. I hear things. You know, I hear some things. Like today I heard something about the tariffs, and I was like, oh, yeah, there's tariffs. And I knew I was coming on, so I learned more because I was coming on here. But I kind of go through life kind of like, I have two babies. We've got a lot of other stuff happening, so it's really hard to think about digesting all of the news that you have to.

[Jordan Klepper]

God, that sounds so nice. Just a day of that. Although you have been tapped in because you've been hosting. Co hosting the Today show with Jenna in the last week. You've been fantastic. Has it been so much fun?

[Olivia Munn]

It's so much fun. It is. Thank you.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, she's great on there. It's a very fun.

[Olivia Munn]

It's a very fun show to be on. They're really. It's just very easy.

[Jordan Klepper]

Do they still give you copious amounts of chardonnay?

[Olivia Munn]

No, they didn't this time.

[Jordan Klepper]

They've let up.

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah, I think that was. Yeah, maybe that's a Kathie Lee thing, but anyways. No, it was very nice and pleasant.

[Jordan Klepper]

You weighed in on the all female space mission.

[Olivia Munn]

Yes.

[Jordan Klepper]

Blue Origin Blue Origin. Were you surprised by the response that you got from that?

[Olivia Munn]

You know, I was actually very happy to hear so many people feel the same way. They think it's ridiculous.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, we'll tell them what you said. Yeah.

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah. Well, do you guys know what we're talking about? Good thing you don't. But they are going on this press. It's like, I can't. Who all's in it? There's a group of women. Jeff Bezos wife, Lauren Sanchez, Katy Perry, Gayle King, they're going to space. They're calling it this whole, like a female exploration or. I don't know, they were on the COVID of Elle magazine as if they were like, making history.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Olivia Munn]

And oh my gosh, the things that threw me was that they said they're gonna put the ass in astronaut.

[Jordan Klepper]

Did they say that?

[Olivia Munn]

They said it a lot. I think Katy Perry said that. And they all talked about going in full glam. And I think it was Gayle King talking about my eyelash glue. I couldn't take it. I just was so annoyed by that. Here's my biggest issue with that. Like, they. This big press push feels like they think they are shattering some outer space glass ceiling. But I think it's just a girls trip. Like, I'm pretty sure that's all it is.

[Jordan Klepper]

Women will stop at nothing for just a good old fashioned girls trip. I will say, though, as a woman on this planet, in this moment in time, I do love the idea of launching myself into outer space.

[Olivia Munn]

Well, can I just tell you that.

[Jordan Klepper]

I will say that I will.

[Olivia Munn]

If this was all about feminism for them, they wouldn't be putting themselves on that rocket.

[Jordan Klepper]

Right.

[Olivia Munn]

There are so many female astronauts who have been training their whole lives to go into space and haven't gotten that call. Give them your seat. Let them have that seat. These are the least qualified people to be in space. And by the way, it's not even space. We could see them right now. Like, it's that easy.

[Jordan Klepper]

Like, they're not gonna be an 11 minute mission. Right.

[Olivia Munn]

You're calling it a mission. She's calling it a mission. What's the mission? What's their mission? Tell me. Hey.

[Jordan Klepper]

To put the ass in astronaut, I guess. I guess.

[Olivia Munn]

Well, now they're done training. I heard.

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, there's so much to. I'm. Now you've gotten invested in this story.

[Olivia Munn]

Well, I only had to get invested because they forced it onto us by telling us in the press all about it. It was such a big press push.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, my God.

[Olivia Munn]

I Have more to say. I want to do an hour podcast on it.

[Jordan Klepper]

All right, well, we'll do. We'll put out an extended cut.

[Olivia Munn]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jordan Klepper]

We should. Congratulations on marrying your love, the John Mulaney.

[Olivia Munn]

Thank you very much.

[Jordan Klepper]

Last year. Thank you. You have two beautiful babies, Malcolm and May I follow you on Instagram. And your baby content is very impressive.

[Olivia Munn]

Those kids, it makes me so happy because that's pretty much all the content I have.

[Jordan Klepper]

That's all I have. What has it been like being at home? Who's the fun parent of the two of you?

[Olivia Munn]

You know, funny you ask. Cause people would think John, because, like, you know of his history, but he is the strict parent.

[Jordan Klepper]

Really?

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it does become, like, a little bit of an issue. John will say, like, the other day he was like, malcolm, no throwing balls in the house. And then he leaves. And I said, malcolm, do you want to throw the ball in the house?

[Jordan Klepper]

You are bad.

[Olivia Munn]

Well, you know, I grew up in a family of five. John grew up in a family of four. So similar. But the difference is, like, we were, like, in martial arts as kids. We were, like, really physical. We fought. I do not think there was, like, you know, hand to hand combat in John's family growing up. It's a very different Irish Catholic kind of upbringing. So I like things to be a little bit more rowdy. And the other day, Malcolm said, mama, can we throw the beach ball up to the fan in the ceiling? And I said, yeah. Should we turn it on first? And then we do that. The ball goes flying. It breaks the glass, obviously. And then John comes in. He's like, olivia, what are you thinking? It's what he says to me a lot, and it's true. And then he said, you know what? I realized the kind of parent that you are. He told me that I'm like, Drop Dead Fred as a parent. Do you guys know Drop Dead? Oh, that's a great movie. Does any you guys too young? Some people are naughty. Some people are old enough like that.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yes. Thank you. Look up Drop Dead Fred.

[Olivia Munn]

I mean, I was like, oh, yeah, that's. Yeah, I am Drop Dead Fred as a parent.

[Jordan Klepper]

You're the imaginary best friend.

[Olivia Munn]

I'm the imaginary best friend that's like, do whatever. Let's, like, make mud pies in the living room. Who cares?

[Jordan Klepper]

I think you're flipping gender stereotypes. I fully support this because, you know all about the fun dads, and then moms have to come in. But no, you're a fun mom. I think you Own that.

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah, I am.

[Jordan Klepper]

Thank you.

[Olivia Munn]

You should be proud of. Are you having fun doing this?

[Jordan Klepper]

Are you kidding me?

[Olivia Munn]

No.

[Jordan Klepper]

I'm just waiting for them to pull the rug out from under me.

[Olivia Munn]

You guys are doing so great. It's so fun to watch you guys.

[Jordan Klepper]

Thank you.

[Olivia Munn]

I remember when I came out, I see you guys on the banners outside. When I was here for two years, I never got a banner.

[Jordan Klepper]

You never got a banner?

[Olivia Munn]

Never got on the. Never got. I asked John a few times ago, can I get the banner?

[Jordan Klepper]

We got to get you a banner.

[Olivia Munn]

Oh, my gosh. Give me a banner now.

[Jordan Klepper]

Just an honorary.

[Olivia Munn]

That would be nice. Maybe next time I come you can put one up for the day.

[Jordan Klepper]

We will, absolutely.

[Olivia Munn]

And then you can take it back down.

[Jordan Klepper]

Then we'll take it back down. It'll be an 11 minute mission. It'll be fine. You actually took quite a bit of time away from acting to spend the time with your family. You had Malcolm and you were very open about experiencing postpartum depression.

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah. Postpartum anxiety.

[Jordan Klepper]

Anxiety, yeah.

[Olivia Munn]

So I had been prepared for postpartum depression because we hear so much about it. But postpartum anxiety came on and it was. I don't know if anyone here has gone through that or their partners have, but it is one of the worst experiences of my life. It came on like a month or two after I had Malcolm and I Woke up at 4am My eyes just pop open and I start going and I keep breathing like that all day long and I keep waking up like that every day at 4am for a year, for a full year. I just. I couldn't breathe. I just had so much anxiety and it wasn't. There was no actual thoughts and thank God I didn't have any thoughts of self harm or harming others. I have so much compassion and sympathy for mothers who are going through that. And I think that people don't understand it enough and we're not compassionate enough about what it's like to be a mother and to birth a baby and everything that happens to your body and the hormones, but it was incredibly difficult. But I did make it through to the other side. Well.

[Jordan Klepper]

The fact that you're so openly discussing it is so helpful to so many other women who have experienced it. You've also been incredibly open about your breast cancer diagnosis, which is not just courageous, but an incredibly generous thing to do. I can't even imagine deciding that in that moment in time, everything you were going through. What made you want to share your story?

[Olivia Munn]

Well, there was a Few reasons, but the biggest is that I was looking back on photos with myself and my son and I. There was this one video I had of me and him, and I was laughing and we were playing and I had had a clear mammogram, like just around that same time. But I had cancer and I didn't know it. And the way that my cancer was found was because my doctor did the lifetime risk assessment test. It's this free online test. It takes a few minutes to take, and I link it in my Instagram bio just because there's a very specific one that does the best calculation. It's the Tyre Cusic test. And she took it and she said, Your score is 37.3%. Anything above 20% is considered high risk. She sent me to get an mri. And after that, I was diagnosed with multifocal, multi quadrant bilateral breast cancer. Stage one. Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

With a clear mammogram.

[Olivia Munn]

Clear mammogram, clear ultrasound, clear genetic testing for any genetic cancer. So no BRCA or anything like that. I was doing everything I thought I had to do to take care of myself. This test has been around for a very long time. It's just not something people have heard about a lot. So that's why I wanted to talk about it. I said if I could. I told John, if every woman just knew that they could have their own score right there and take it to their doctor, it could just change their life and save their life. And that's why I made the decision to talk about it.

[Jordan Klepper]

Such a generous thing for you to do. And you've had women come up and say, thank you so much for sharing that you've impacted other women's lives by sharing that.

[Olivia Munn]

That's the thing that I was not expecting. Because when I was diagnosed, the first thing I said to John was like, don't tell anybody. We're not telling anybody. And it wasn't that I was embarrassed or ashamed. I couldn't deal with other people's worry. You know, I didn't want to tell my mom. I didn't want to hear my sister worry and panic. I didn't want my mom to cry. I. And then I realized very soon that he needs support as well. So I said, you know, let's just tell whoever we need to tell. But the sisterhood of women who have gone through this, it's so beautiful and so amazing. And every time someone comes up and says something to me or wants to stop and talk to me about their own journey or their mother or sister or their wife's it's just. It sounds a little cheesy, but I do get healed a little bit more every single time. And. And it's a strange thing to say it, but. And I can only say it because I've made it through to this side. But I would happily go through cancer all over again. If it meant that I could reach out to this many people and save this many people's lives a million percent. I would do it all over again.

[Jordan Klepper]

I'm so grateful that you're on the other side of it now and you're healthy, and now you have this. You're back to work. You have this incredible new show.

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah, thanks.

[Jordan Klepper]

And you took some time off, but tell us what was so enticing about this project. Was it Jon Hamm's penis? It doesn't just star Jon Hamm's penis. Olivia's also in it. And Amanda P. Amanda P. Great cast.

[Olivia Munn]

Well, it was Apple tv, which I think that they do the coolest content. And then Jon Hamm, Jonathan Tropper, and it was. I love that we're meeting these people, Jon Hamm and myself, specifically at this time in their life where their lives are crumbling. It's about the 1 percenters in the country and these people who are born into wealth and have everything that you think that you could ever want or need. And Jon Hamm's character loses everything and starts to steal from his rich friends and neighbors to keep up his facade. And my character is the only one in the world that wasn't born into wealth. She has a blue collar upbringing, and she married into this. So we meet my character in the middle of a divorce on the precipice of losing everything. And I really. I find it fascinating to watch people who have so much lose it all.

[Jordan Klepper]

Mm. It's a great prem. I mean, there's a ton of conflict. It's. You're phenomenal in it. Thank you. The two of you have such great chemistry. There's, like, a fun banter. There's, like a fun rhythm to the show.

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah. That's Jonathan Tropper's dialogue. He's a fantastic novelist and writer. And Jon Hamm is an executive producer on this, so he had his hand in everything as well.

[Jordan Klepper]

That's great. And your scenes with Amanda Peet are phenomenal. I mean, so far, that's my favorite episode. She's so good in it. The two of you together are very, very good.

[Olivia Munn]

Yeah, I love her.

[Jordan Klepper]

And it just got picked up for a second season, so Congratulations.

[Olivia Munn]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Jordan Klepper]

I adore you. Thank you so much for being here. Congratulations on everything. Thank you for having so much fun with us. We miss you dearly, but we're so happy for all of your success. Thank you so much. Your Friends and Neighbors premieres April 11th on Apple TV. Plus Olivia Munn we're going to take a quick break, but we'll be right back after. That's our show for tonight, but before we go, please donating to Susan G. Komen, an organization dedicated to saving lives by meeting the needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer. If you can, please donate at the link below. Now, here it is, your moment of.

[Ronny Chieng]

Zen if this was the strategy all along to bring them to the table, why did you instruct or advise or or maybe they did it on their own, some of your top aides to say this is not a negotiation to to hold the line that they were going to hold the line that you were not going to change.

[Roy Wood Jr.]

A lot of times it's not a negotiation until it is.

[Desi Lydic]

Explore more shows from the Daily Show 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 plus.

[Olivia Munn]

Paramount Podcasts.