Trump Makes Milk Whole Again, Europe Defends Greenland & MAGA Blasts Mamdani | Wagner Moura

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump Makes Milk Whole Again, Europe Defends Greenland & MAGA Blasts Mamdani | Wagner Moura
Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Jordan Klepper
Guest: Wagner Moura

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Overview

This episode of The Daily Show with Jordan Klepper is a sharp, satirical look at the current political climate in the United States and abroad. The team skewers everything from President Trump’s fixation on whole milk to the absurdity of U.S. foreign policy (the Greenland “crisis”), and New York’s supposed descent into "communist hellscape" under newly elected Mayor Zoran Mamdani. The episode features a lively tech segment from Grace Kuhlenschmidt and a thoughtful, illuminating interview with Golden Globe winner Wagner Moura discussing his new film and the enduring legacy of dictatorship on Brazilian politics and global democracy.

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Headlines & Political Satire

Trump’s Whole Milk Crusade (01:13–03:01)

• Main Point: The show opens by mocking President Trump’s latest, bizarre priority: staging press events around whole milk.
• Satirical Highlights:
  • Jordan Klepper lampoons Trump’s penchant for visual aids:

    "Mr. President, thank you for shining a light on this important issue and also for having a big jug of milk on your desk as a visual aid in case people forget what milk is." (01:34)

  • Commentary on lactose intolerance and misplaced presidential focus.

The Greenland Crisis & Europe’s Response (03:01–04:25)

• Summary: A fake-news breakdown of the Trump administration's push to "take over Greenland," escalating tensions with Denmark and Europe.
• Grace Kuhlenschmidt:

  "Top officials from Greenland and Denmark traveling to Washington to plead their case... but they emerged saying the two sides have a, quote, fundamental disagreement." (03:11)

• Jordan Klepper’s Snark:

  "Germany, Sweden, France, Norway all sent soldiers because of us. And you know they're pissed. They're supposed to be on one of their 37 weeks of vacation right now." (04:25)

New York’s ‘Communist Dystopia’: Mayor Zoran Mamdani (04:25–10:49)

• Premise: The team burlesques right-wing panic over Zoran Mamdani’s mayoral win in NYC.
• Bits Include:
  • Mamdani fixing bike paths (“Classic communism. First they level out the roads, then they level out the social classes.” – 07:04)
  • Public bathrooms initiative, expanding free childcare, and collaborations with Ms. Rachel (satirical “red scare” spin).
  • Jordan’s recurring joke:

    "Better to piss your pants as a free man than to use the toilet as a slave." (07:48)

• Segment Ends: Klepper jokes about New York’s hygiene dystopia and sets up a field piece with Josh Johnson.

Field Piece: New Yorkers React to Mamdani’s First Two Weeks (10:49–13:40)

• Reporter: Josh Johnson hits the streets for comic interviews.
• Recurring Gags:
  • “The city is going to hell” because the Halloween store closed—not because of socialism (11:28–11:37).
  • Faux-outrage over not having snow plowed in a snowless two weeks (12:22–12:28).
  • Bathrooms as “nanny state” overreach, leading to the segment's signature joke:

    "Welcome to New York, we know you gotta poop." (13:00)

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Tech Segment With Grace Kuhlenschmidt: “Tech Yeah” (14:27–20:15)

CES 2026 Debrief & Gadget Satire (14:52–20:15)

• Opening Bit:

  "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Especially when you lose your fingertips in a robot's eegina. Ouch." (15:20)

• Highlights:
  • Bone-Conduction Lollipop for Audio:

    "I'm so tired of headphones that don't feature bone conduction. And just so you know, the music lollipop doesn't work in your butt—a little heads up would have been nice." (16:04–16:25)

  • Smart Hair Clipper: Promising instant barber skills, joking about “abused Barbie doll” results (16:36).
  • Robot Fights:

    "I was just thinking, I'd love to beat up a small child, but without having to feel too bad about it. And if you love this video, good news, because this robot has already agreed to fight Jake Paul." (17:47–18:06)

  • Socially-Aware Robots: Discussion of robot “Aria Vision” that can see and verbally comment (18:13–19:36).

    "Eat shit, mirror. Now I know what I'm wearing." (18:34)

• Closing Line:

  "Tune in next time where I'll show you how to avoid dropping your phone in the toilet by shitting in your yard." (20:04)

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Interview: Wagner Moura on Art, Dictatorship, and Democracy (21:03–34:26)

Wagner Moura’s Golden Globe Win (21:03–21:42)

• Celebration:

  "We played some samba and then we celebrated... looking for some caipirinhas but they weren’t quite good, so I went to, like, some vodka with sparkling water." (21:29–21:41)

“The Secret Agent”: Art in the Shadow of Dictatorship (21:43–24:24)

• Film’s Core:

  "This is a film about a man who is sticking with his values when everything around him says opposite of what he believes." (21:53)

  • Set during the Brazilian dictatorship (1964–85), it addresses governmental oppression and its echoes in modern Brazil.
• Klepper observes:

  "It just established this tension that felt very resonant right now in a time where we're all feeling a certain tension about the government." (22:30)

Brazil’s Political Trauma and Memory (24:24–26:52)

• On Memory:

  "Preservation of memory is a very important thing... There are things that cannot be forgotten, there are things that cannot be forgiven." (24:50)

• Bolsonaro & Legacy: Bolsonaro’s rise as a “physical manifestation” of dictatorship’s lingering effects (23:14–24:15). Moura notes Bolsonaro is now in jail.
• Film’s Theme: Generational trauma explored via narrative device—a survivor receives a pen drive of dictatorship-era crimes:

  "That man can't deal with that information because the trauma is too big." (26:41)

Political Art, Censorship, and Polarization (26:52–28:58)

• Art vs. Fascism:

  "The first thing fascist governments do is attack journalists, universities, artists. They were very effective in transforming artists in Brazil into the enemies of the people." (27:41)

• Cultural Resurgence: Encouraged by current public support for Brazilian artists and film.
• Warning to America:

  "Polarization, I think it's the biggest thing that can lead to social conflicts nowadays. And it's a big threat to democracy." (28:58)

  • Moura contrasts swift Brazilian response to attacks on democracy with perceived American complacency.

Institutions, Collective Action, and the Danger of Apathy (30:33–33:10)

• Klepper:

  "Institutions will not save you. It's the people who sort of fight for those things and uphold those moralistic points of view." (31:28)

• Erosion of Truth:

  "Truth as we know it is kind of over... facts, they don't matter anymore. It's about versions. People have versions of the truth. And that, I think, is very scary, especially with the development of technology..." (33:02)

On Activism and Responsibility (33:45–34:26)

• Moura:

  "I don't see [outspokenness] as a responsibility. I think that this is me, this is how I behave as a human being... you have to be strong enough to survive that backlash. And not everybody's ready for that." (33:45–34:21)

• Klepper closes:

  "The movie is fantastic. I really hope people go see it. Congratulations on everything." (34:26)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Trump’s priorities:

  "How are these people intolerant of everything except lactose?"
  — Jordan Klepper (01:45)

• On communist infrastructure:

  "First they level out the roads, then they level out the social classes."
  — Jordan Klepper (07:04)

• On the 'nanny state':

  "Better to piss your pants as a free man than to use the toilet as a slave."
  — Jordan Klepper (07:48)

• On preserving memory and trauma:

  "There are things that cannot be forgotten, there are things that cannot be forgiven."
  — Wagner Moura (24:50)

• On erosion of facts:

  "Truth as we know it is kind of over... facts, they don't matter anymore. It's about versions."
  — Wagner Moura (33:02)

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Notable Timestamps

• 00:00: Intro & sponsor (skip)
• 01:13: Show opens; Trump and milk headlines
• 03:01: Greenland crisis coverage
• 04:25: European military response satire
• 05:46–10:49: Satirical coverage of Zoran Mamdani’s NYC
• 10:49–13:40: Field piece: New Yorkers on Mamdani
• 14:27–20:15: Tech Yeah segment
• 21:03–34:26: Interview with Wagner Moura
• 34:48: Show wrap-up & outro

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Tone

• Comedic, incisive, and self-aware throughout.
• Blend of sharp satire, cultural critique, and moments of earnest reflection during the Moura interview.

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For New Listeners

If you missed the episode: expect a quick-witted breakdown of the day’s weirdest political moments, an irreverent look at tech gone mad, and a nuanced, personal conversation about dictatorship, memory, and activism with a major Brazilian artist. The show dances between exaggerated parody and grounded insight, poking fun at both real and imagined political calamities while pausing to ask what democracy—and art—actually require from us today.

Transcript

[Sponsor/Announcer]

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[Jordan Klepper]

This is pro linebacker TJ Watt. And I'm back with YPB by Abercrombie for another activewear drop.

[Wagner Moura]

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[Jordan Klepper]

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[Wagner Moura]

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[Jordan Klepper]

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[Wagner Moura]

You're listening to Comedy Central.

[Jordan Klepper]

From the most trusted journalist at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Jordan Klopper. Welcome to Daily Chocolate Clapper. We got so much to talk about tonight. Trump cheats on Diet Coke, America adds Greenland to its cart, and New York is officially a communist hellscape. We did it. So let's get into the headlines. I'll tell you what, There is so much going on in the world today. Domestic strife, international uprisings. Verizon went down for four hours yesterday, so I had to Google myself on my desktop like a loser. But with all the chaos in the world, I'm so glad we have a president who's laser focused on the issues that matter most. You see that beautiful milk? That's what we're here for, discussing milk and whole milk and how good it is. Yes, milk. Mr. President, thank you for shining a light on this important issue and also for having a big jug of milk on your desk as a visual aid in case people forget what milk is. I mean, how are these people intolerant of everything except lactose? But while Trump was focused on his his domestic priorities, his underlings were taking care of the smaller issues. You know, like invading Europe tonight as.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

President Trump escalates his push to take over Greenland. Top officials from Greenland and Denmark traveling to Washington to plead their case to the vice president and Secretary of state.

[Jordan Klepper]

But they emerged saying the two sides.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Have a, quote, fundamental disagreement.

[Jordan Klepper]

It's clear that the president has this.

[Wagner Moura]

Wish of conquering over Greenland.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, first of all, why are they doing a press conference from the cocktail hour at a wedding? This is dark day for Greenland. Hold on to those crab cakes. Yes, you can. You can tell this meeting didn't go well by the way the entire delegation rushed to smoke immediately after. I mean, look, look at him watching. Look at this guy. He's literally sprinting to the car to grab a smok. Nerves. One meeting with J.D. vance and Marco Rubio will turn you into the Ben Affleck meme. So these diplomatic talks might not work out and Europe's not waiting to take action.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Denmark says it's expanding its military footprint in Greenland over President Trump's push to annex the Danish territory. You've got Germany, France, Sweden and Norway all sending military personnel to the island this week for a joint exercise with Denmark.

[Jordan Klepper]

Now this is wild. Germany, Sweden, France, Norway all sent soldiers because of us. And you know they're pissed. They're supposed to be on one of their 37 weeks of vacation right now. But no, we have to go to war. Yesterday illustrates what a strange mixture this administration is. Some some hybrid of warplanes and clown cars. Because everyone from resistance libs to his own vice president has compared Trump to Hitler. But I'm pretty sure Hitler never took a break from invading Poland to be like, today. I just want to talk about milk. It does oot fuzzy gooch. Never happened. I don't think it happened. But while the authoritarian experiment is playing out on an international level, right here in New York City, we're in the midst of our own political experiment. Two weeks ago, our capitalist utopia was invaded by a communist dreamboat, Zorad Mamdani. And our American patriots have been sounding the alarm on what's to come. A foreign born Muslim communist who hates the greatest nation on earth and wants to change it is now in power. Zoramdani's bread line's coming to the city soon. It's going to be extreme.

[Josh Johnson]

It's going to be anti American.

[Jordan Klepper]

As he plunges the city ever deeper into the mess his socialism helped create. New York is going to be bankrupt in six months. Another great American city is going to swirl down the drain. Down the drain, down the drain. Have you guys been to New York during a flash flood? Nothing goes down the drain here. Nothing. Nothing. At best, New York will be floating down the curb next to a used condom. But we've been warned and we didn't listen. So let's find out what's in store for us in our new segment on Zoran Mamdani's. New York. I can see the door of a better day for humanity. No, That's a graphics package. Okay, it's been two weeks since Zoran seized power in a brutal democratic coup d'. Etat. Or what some are calling an election. So what nightmare dystopian agenda has he pursued since taking office? On Tuesday, Mermaidani grabbed a shovel and joined Transportation Department workers to fix a bump at the foot of the bike path before Delancey Street. Yeah, see, that's. Oh, whoa, whoa. That's how it starts. Classic communism. First they level out the roads, then they level out the social classes. What else is he doing here?

[Josh Johnson]

Zoram Hamdame. He says he's making a $4 million.

[Jordan Klepper]

Commitment to bring modular, high quality bathrooms.

[Josh Johnson]

Like these to the five boroughs.

[Jordan Klepper]

Wow. Wow. Straight out of the well known communist playbook. Everyone poops? No, sir. In America, the free market decides who poop. Better to piss your pants as a free man than to use the toilet as a slave. Okay, Mamdani, what else are you gonna force down our freedom loving throats?

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Mayor Mamdani spent this morning announcing plans for expanded free childcare.

[Jordan Klepper]

No longer do New Yorkers have to make the choice between this city and their family. No, no, no. New Yorkers should be watching their own kids at all times. It's called personal responsibility. Isn't that right, Jordan Jr. Jordan Jor. If anyone sees my child, feed him, please. Besides, if you're watching right wing news, you know what a Mamdani childcare scheme is going to look like. Do you remember that cringy YouTube star for the toddler set? And Palestinian advocate, Ms. Rachel? Well, she's teaming up with your favorite mayor, Comrade Mandani.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

If you're happy and you know it.

[Jordan Klepper]

And you really want to show it.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

If you're happy and you know it's.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, man, that's terrible. I think. I think, yes. I think. You know what? Why don't you tell me why this is terrible? She's normalizing these socialist ideas for children and their parents. Ah, right, right. We can't normalize the socialist ideas of being happy and knowing it and. Really wanting to show it. No, no, no, no, no. You know what? I am sorry. I am. I am really trying hard to get into this hole. Anti Mamdani red scare fever. But you know what? I'm gonna give him a chance. From everything I've seen, it does not look like he's an UN American extremist looking to add foreign influence into this city. One thing that we will change is we will be installing a few bidets into Gracie Mansion. A bidet? A bidet. You monster. 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. Huh? But while we watch New York collapse into a nightmare of belabored rectal hygiene before our very eyes, I think it's fair to ask the question. Two weeks into the Mamdani administration, is it a total failure? Josh Johnson hit the streets to find out.

[Josh Johnson]

Zoram Mamdani has only been in office for two weeks, but it's felt like hundreds of hours, and things in New York are already falling apart.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Hi, guys.

[Jordan Klepper]

From the New York City bus for mayor.

[Wagner Moura]

Mom.

[Jordan Klepper]

Donny.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

He promised us a free ride, but guess what we got instead.

[Jordan Klepper]

Higher bus fares. Yes. That is right. Today, the price of this bus went up to $3. Yes.

[Josh Johnson]

Just like the lady on that immaculately clean bus said. This city is going to hell. So I hit the streets just to see how bad hell is.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

I feel like he holds great promise, and I'm really excited by all the things that could happen, but all the.

[Josh Johnson]

Businesses are going to leave and everything. I mean, a couple months ago, there was a Halloween store where you could buy any Halloween supplies you wanted, and now they're gone.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

You know, is that Mandani?

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

That seems like it's the calendar.

[Wagner Moura]

From what I can see, he's been going pretty strong.

[Josh Johnson]

I mean, have they even released the monthly crime stats yet for the first two weeks that he's been in office? I mean, what's he hiding?

[Jordan Klepper]

There are so many issues, but I feel like he's. He's going in strong, but he wants to first, like, assemble a strong team.

[Josh Johnson]

Affordability is definitely an issue in New York City. I mean, the Knicks and the Rangers have to be roommates above a train station. Why don't you think Mom Daniela's done anything about that yet?

[Jordan Klepper]

You got to give him a chance. You can't expect the world to turn around in two weeks.

[Josh Johnson]

Where do you rank him as far as recent mayors in these first two weeks?

[Jordan Klepper]

As of today? Yeah. Number one.

[Josh Johnson]

Number one. So two weeks is both. Nothing. And he's the best mayor we've ever had.

[Jordan Klepper]

I don't disagree.

[Josh Johnson]

Does it bother you that Mamdani hasn't plowed a single inch of snow so far?

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, we haven't had snow.

[Josh Johnson]

I mean, is that an excuse?

[Jordan Klepper]

Really?

[Josh Johnson]

In the past two weeks, how long have you waited to get into a restaurant?

[Sponsor/Announcer]

30 minutes.

[Josh Johnson]

Did you ever think you'd see food lines like that in America. Sadly, the public has already been brainwashed by the party. They're eager to conform to whatever mom dying decrees. And he's bringing government into the most private place possible. So I heard the bathrooms he's installing in Midtown are going to be mandatory. I mean, that is the nanny state, you know, telling you when to poop, when not to poop.

[Jordan Klepper]

I think it's an issue of welcome to New York, we know you gotta poop. That should be a slogan. I agree.

[Josh Johnson]

That should be, welcome to New York.

[Jordan Klepper]

We know you gotta poop.

[Josh Johnson]

This guy was so on board with Zoron's propaganda, he wouldn't let the free press ask any more questions. There are some people who would say and did say leave the election.

[Jordan Klepper]

All you. All you people who are saying, oh, he sucks. He sucks. You don't know the answer to that.

[Josh Johnson]

Question because it's been two weeks.

[Jordan Klepper]

It's only been two weeks.

[Wagner Moura]

They're assholes.

[Jordan Klepper]

You don't even know what them.

[Josh Johnson]

And auntie. With that.

[Jordan Klepper]

When we come back, we find out about the latest in tech. Don't go away.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Checking off the boxes on your to do list is a great feeling.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

And when it comes to checking off.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Coverage, a State Farm agent can help you choose an option that's right for you. Whether you prefer talking in person on the phone or using the award winning app, it's nice knowing you have help finding coverage that best fits your needs. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. Technology will one day kill us all, but until then, it's pretty cool. To find out more, we turn to Grace Kuhlenschmidt in our new segment, Tech. Yeah.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

What's up, tech bags? I'm Grace Kluhlenschmidt, AKA Go Go Gadget Grace, or as my brothers like to call me, C3 pee my bed. Love you, Pete and Alejandro. Anyway, this is Tech. Yeah. Where I tell CPU all about the biggest stories in tech. I just got back from the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas. And it's true what they say. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Especially when you lose your fingertips in a robot's eegina. Ouch. Oh, hurts so good. This year, CES was all about products designed to make our lives easier. For example, we're all so tired of listening to music with our ears. But good news. Now you can do it with your teeth.

[Jordan Klepper]

Check out Lollipop Star. It's candy that plays a song when you put it in your mouth, I could hear someone singing. And like, it just sounds like I'm listening to an MP3. It uses bone conduction technology so only you can hear it. There are truly voices in your head.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Now with this lollipop, more voices in my head. That makes it a baker's dozen in tech. Incredible. I'm so tired of headphones that don't feature bone conduction. And just so you know, the music lollipop doesn't work in your butt. A little heads up would have been nice. Moving on. CES didn't just introduce us to cavity causing music. It also showed us the tech and future of haircuts.

[Jordan Klepper]

Glide is the world's first smart hair clipper that doesn't need snap on plastic guards. Instead, it uses an auto fit blade system that automatically adjusts the cutting length as you move it around your head. The goal is to make anyone an instant barber. But the company did admit that cutting the sides is easier than the back.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Heck yes. I've always wanted the same haircut as an abused Barbie doll. And the best part is, no more going to the barber and accidentally drinking that blue water because I thought it was Gatorade. But the tech at CES isn't just for making our lives easier. This year it also showed us the AI of the tiger.

[Jordan Klepper]

Robots were everywhere at CES 2026. There were robots that dance. We saw robots fighting humans at CES 2026. Unitree is letting people kick the absolute crap out of their robots. They're actually like, tough.

[Wagner Moura]

Well, I think he's done.

[Josh Johnson]

F.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Hell yes. I was just thinking, I'd love to beat up a small child, but without having to feel too bad about it. And if you love this video, good news, because this robot has already agreed to fight Jake Paul. I can't wait. A brainless hunk of spare parts versus a cute little robot.

[Jordan Klepper]

Let's go.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Moving on. Not all the robots at end the CES wanted to knock us out with their fists. Some just wanted to knock us out with their brains. This is Aria Vision. She is the very first robot being unveiled today with. She can actually see you. She can look at you. She can tell you what you're wearing.

[Wagner Moura]

Wow.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

She can tell you what you're wearing. Incredible. I can't tell you how many times I've been dying to know what I am wearing. Eat shit, mirror. Now I know what you're wondering. Is there a robot that doesn't look like Pippi Longstocking survived a fire? Wish granted. I also want you to meet Aria and David over here. Hi, Aria. How are you doing today? How are you today? Aria takes one second.

[Jordan Klepper]

Hi. She's.

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Just say hello. What are you doing today at the ces?

[Jordan Klepper]

Do you want. I think the mic is on mute. Is it on mute?

[Grace Kuhlenschmidt]

Hello, beautiful. Did it hurt when you fell off the assembly line at a Shane Dong warehouse? Anyway, this is pecking. Awesome. A robot that is so depressed it can't even talk. She reminds me of my mom. And did you notice David? Judging by that sculpted face, I can already tell he's gonna be an absolute diva in the Fire island house. All in all, I'm certifying Aria and David as TILFS technology I'd like to focus my attention on and. Well, that's all the time we have for Techia. Tune in next time where I'll show you how to avoid dropping your phone in the toilet and by shitting in your yard.

[Jordan Klepper]

Great. Cool. It's been everyone. When we come back, Vondra Moore will be joining me on the show. Don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight just won a Best Actor Golden Globe for his role in the Secret Agent. Please welcome Wagner Mora. Thank you very much. Oh, that's nice.

[Wagner Moura]

That's very nice. Thank you very much.

[Jordan Klepper]

I. I should be saying Golden Globe winner Wagner Moore is what I should be saying. Thank you. That's a big prize. Best actor, Best Dramatic actor. The Golden Globes. What do you do to celebrate something like that?

[Wagner Moura]

I drank.

[Jordan Klepper]

Drank? Yeah.

[Wagner Moura]

I was drinking. There was a bunch of Brazilians there.

[Jordan Klepper]

Right.

[Wagner Moura]

My friends were there. We were around. So we played some samba and then we celebrated.

[Jordan Klepper]

What is the drink of choice? Is there a specific Brazilian drink of choice?

[Wagner Moura]

So, yeah, man. So we were looking for some caipirinhas, but. But they were not quite good. So I went to, like, some vodka with sparkling water.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, classy.

[Wagner Moura]

Classy, right?

[Jordan Klepper]

You keep it classy. Right. Well, the movie is. It really is a remarkable film. I can't stop thinking about it.

[Wagner Moura]

Thank you.

[Jordan Klepper]

I really can't stop thinking. How would you describe this film to our audience? Ooh.

[Wagner Moura]

Okay. I think this is a film about a man who is sticking with his values when everything around him says opposite of what he believes.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, Yeah. I think that's what's so resonant about it. Right. It takes place in Brazil in 1977. There's a dictatorship.

[Wagner Moura]

It was a heavy dictatorship.

[Jordan Klepper]

It was a heavy dictatorship from 64 to 85, I would say, right off the bat, I didn't know much about this movie going into it. And there's a scene that kicks it off where you drive into a gas station. There's a dead body that is there.

[Wagner Moura]

Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

That the police aren't going to deal with. They haven't dealt with for days. And the police come and they shake you down for. For money.

[Wagner Moura]

For money.

[Jordan Klepper]

And it just established this tension that felt very resonant right now in a time where we're all feeling a certain tension about the government and what have you. And this film was able to sort of sum up this feeling within seconds. I felt like that felt very fresh and new to me to see that represented on screen. Yeah.

[Wagner Moura]

It's a scene that sort of establishes, like, the logic of a dictatorship. Right. So I would even say the logic of Brazil, because the dictatorship ended in 85, but it didn't really end in 85. I mean, the echoes of the dictatorship are still there. When we elected a far right president in 2018, that man was sort of like a physical manifestation of those echoes.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yes. You talk about. I mean, Bolsonaro, you've had a relationship with. At least you guys, you dated for a while, Right?

[Wagner Moura]

I just. I was seeing one of the. This film has been. You know, we've been having an amazing career since Cannes. It's been great. And one of the awards that we received. And I went up there to thank. I thanked him. You did? I was like, thank you. Because without him, we would never had done this film. Because this film comes from the director club. Her Mendonce Filho and I sharing our perplexity over what was going on in Brazil from 2018 to 2012, when this man came elected democratically. But he came to bring back the values of the dictatorship to Brazil in the 21st century. So we were perplexed and we were calling each other to go, like, how can we deal with that? How can we react to that? So how the film came about, I.

[Jordan Klepper]

Mean, that is so fascinating. Essentially, you're articulating a resurrection of a loss of values or a resurrection of the values of dictatorship.

[Wagner Moura]

Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

And then having to articulate that through art. Like, what do you connect that to? You know, I think there's such a. Such a desire here. People feel like we're living under these. We see these fascistic police state images on the news, and there's a lot of conversation around, like, how do we just get past this? Philly, you're talking about getting past this, but not actually getting past this, seeing this resurgence there. Like, what did you want to articulate in Having live through that, I think.

[Wagner Moura]

That preservation of memory is a very important thing. You know, back in 79, we had this law called the Amnesty Law that basically forgave all the torturers and killers and people that did despicable things to civilians. And I think that was a very bad thing for our collective memory, or our lack of memory, because, you know, there are things that cannot be forgotten, there are things that cannot be forgiven, you know, And I think that Brazil, I have to say, is finally getting even with that memory problem when we finally sent people that attempted against democracy in Brazil to jail for the first time. So Bolsonaro himself is now in jail. And I think that this.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Thank you.

[Wagner Moura]

And I think that this is. I hope that this is going to be a new phase for young Brazilians. Bolsonaro would never had existed politically if it wasn't because of that law that made people forget how bad the dictatorship is.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yes, I mean, the movie reckons with that idea of memory as well. There's a narrative device that transports us to the future, to sort of see people grappling with the stories of the past. And it's very tenuous, you see how easily the stories of the past can be lost if it's not for the vigilant in the present.

[Wagner Moura]

Yeah, yeah. It's about generational trauma, because many people had to live with that, you know, like. Because in a dictatorship, people would just disappear. And you couldn't go, like, you couldn't call the police, you couldn't hire a lawyer. It's just that you had to deal with that. So one of the characters of the film, in the end of the film, he receives from a woman from the future, a Brazilian from the future, a piece of memory in terms, in the form of a pen drive. And that man can't deal with that information because the trauma is too big. So, again, I hope that from now on we'll be able to deal with our. With our memory and with our past.

[Jordan Klepper]

I'm curious about your experience before this film. You also directed a film that was very unpopular with the Bolsonaro administration.

[Wagner Moura]

Bolsonaro, that's this one too.

[Jordan Klepper]

So you want to make something a little more mainstream.

[Wagner Moura]

But the film. But it's interesting because, of course, the country is totally polarized, as, you know, the U.S. and I guess, the entire world. But the film also became an unexpected blockbuster in Brazil because many people engaged with the film and went to see the film and were rooting for us during this award season, which is very beautiful. The engagement that Brazilians are having. With. With our film. It's very beautiful because this fascist government, as you know. Well, first thing that they do is they attack journalists, university and artists. And they were very effective in transforming artists in Brazil into the enemies of the people. Like there's this intellectual elite in Brazil that is against the people, which is insane because there is another elite that. That they work for. That's the elite that's against the people. But they were very effective with that kind of propaganda. So to see nowadays Brazilians rooting for a cultural product, a film, their artists. It's actually really beautiful because Brazil is a very unique country culturally. It's this gigantic country in South America that speaks Portuguese with people from all over the world, is a very diverse and beautiful country. So it's. I feel again that we are finally, you know, getting back on track.

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, it is. It's a remarkably entertaining film. It feels like watching a great 70s film with like such thoughtful pacing.

[Wagner Moura]

Yes.

[Jordan Klepper]

But also a human story that you're watching somebody just a moral person trying to stay good. Yeah, I guess I'm curious. This plays in Brazil and you've gotten feedback there. And now, especially with. With the Golden Globe winds, like, what are you hoping an American audience who's seeing this for the first time, living through the time that we are living in, what are you hoping that they resonate with. With a movie like this?

[Wagner Moura]

I think. I mean, I did this film called Civil War a couple of years ago, which is a film about the aftermath of a polarized situation. Right. That could, you know, that in that case led to a civil war. But polarization, I think it's the biggest thing that can lead to social conflicts nowadays. And it's a big. A big threat to democracy. And I remember that back then I was saying that Brazilians act were really fast. And because what happened in Brazil, like an election denier empowered their people to go. To go to the institutions and break things down and invading situations. It was exactly the same thing that happened here, happened in Brazil. But Brazil was very fast in finding who the financiers were and sending people to jail. Bolsonaro lost his political powers and everything. He's now in jail. And the reason why I think Brazil did that is precisely because we know what a dictatorship is. We know how bad it is. And I was very concerned with the fact that. That sometimes I think, or I thought back then that Americans take democracy for granted. And democracy is something that has to be. Has to be. You have to fight for it every day. But now I Think differently. I think that now I see American citizens and American institutions sort of waking up. Do you see that?

[Jordan Klepper]

You know what. I will say I can speak for myself. You know what? I see a veil dropping with the general trust that we had in institutions. I will say even as somebody who grew up in the Midwest, there was just a general baseline trust in our institutions that they would be the things that brought us back to the core American values. And I think what is becoming realize, at least to me and a lot of people I see, is that like those. Those ideas of institutions that hold things up or what an American ideal or what our morality is, are simply decided upon by people in the moment. And the ways in which they fight for those things, the institutions will not save you. It's the people who sort of fight for those things and uphold those moralistic points of view. Yes. And so I think that. I think people grappling with that now is you're not gonna be saved by that person that you hope the person you vote for is not necessarily gonna be your savior. You have to create a collective action.

[Wagner Moura]

Exactly.

[Jordan Klepper]

And morality's not just something. I think what's so scary about this Trump administration, too, is that we used to believe the politicians had to give you the lie as to what the American morality was, and now the politicians no longer feel that need to lie to you about American morality. They feel like they can impose it upon you.

[Wagner Moura]

Yes, yes.

[Jordan Klepper]

That's what worries me.

[Wagner Moura]

Everything is clear. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's no yeah, That's a very strong point.

[Jordan Klepper]

Did you. Have you studied journalism? Did you not? I did, yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you still feel a connection to that as an actor?

[Josh Johnson]

I do.

[Wagner Moura]

And I think that journalism is such an important thing, such an important pillar of democracy. It's not by chance that any autocrat attacks, they attack journalism. Because you know what really scares me nowadays, and I've said that before, is that the truth as we know it is kind of over. You know, people are living the facts. I remember a time where, I mean, I'm a left winger, man, and we had, like, discussions in Brazil. The left and the right would discuss and we would fight, but we would discuss over the same thing, over the same fact. And I think that now, facts, they don't matter anymore. It's about versions. People have versions of the truth. And that, I think, is very scary, especially with the development of technology where you can see now you speaking, and it's you, it's your face, it's your voice, but it's not you.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Wagner Moura]

And how can we deal with it? That kind of thing.

[Jordan Klepper]

You know, we're now all given plausible deniability to the things that we see, which I fear leads to apathy and distrust. I mean, it's curious. I'm talking to you right here. You're very, you're very open and engaged politically, which I don't always see with high profile actors. You know, it seems as if like your ability to engage with these conversations in art and publicly, like that comes with a risk. Do you see that as a responsibility with you? Like activism and performance, they don't always make beautiful bed.

[Wagner Moura]

Yeah, I don't see that as a responsibility. I think that this is me, this is how I behave as a human being. And that's also why I'm drawn to political projects, because it's something that I like. But I don't see that as a responsibility because there also the pressure to so called public figures to go out there and speak. I don't think that's even fair because many people are not ready to talk, you know, and the backlash is very strong, you know, and you have to be strong enough to, you know, to.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Wagner Moura]

To resist there. To survive that backlash. And not everybody's ready for that.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, the movie is fantastic. I really hope people go see it. Congratulations on everything. Thank you, guys. The secret agent the theater's been. Tomorrow we'll take a quick break. Right.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

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[Jordan Klepper]

That's our show for tonight. Now here it is, the moment of time. Howard, would you like to say something? What's amazing is that the president has.

[Wagner Moura]

The leadership and common sense to drive the right outcomes. Why should kids not be given the choice to drink whole milk?

[Jordan Klepper]

How is that even possible? So it's amazing to work for you.

[Wagner Moura]

Because you just own common sense.

[Jordan Klepper]

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, This has been a Comedy Central podcast.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

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