The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Episode: Trump Puts the Squeeze on Venezuela's Oil & Eyes Greenland as Next Target | Stephen J. Dubner
Date: January 8, 2026
Host: Roy Cheng (with Ronnie T. and Jordan Klepper)
Featured Guest: Stephen J. Dubner
Episode Overview
This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition dives deep into the Trump administration's recent invasion of Venezuela and its implications for democracy—and oil—in Latin America. The team also takes a satirical look at America’s outsized ambitions (including threats toward Greenland), skewers the new breed of White House influencers, and welcomes Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of Freakonomics, for a wide-ranging, irreverent anniversary interview.
Key Segments & Discussion Points
1. Trump’s Oil Grab in Venezuela
[01:02–07:22]
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Occupation and Oil-Seizure: The hosts lampoon the U.S. military action in Venezuela, where President Trump has seized control of both the country and its oil, arresting the Venezuelan president and demanding vast oil transfers to the U.S.
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Mocking 'Freedom': Satirical praise is given to Trump’s declaration of “freedom” while the U.S. imposes strict terms on Venezuela’s sovereignty and economy.
"Trump is stinking up the joint with freedom. Can you smell it? It's just crop dusting our hemisphere of democracy. Breathe it in, people."
— Roy Cheng [02:09] -
Direct Corruption, Mafia Analogies: Trump’s approach compared favorably (?!), at least in terms of transparency, to past secretive dealings (e.g., Cheney/Halliburton).
"Donald Trump is like, yo, just give me the oil, I'll open a gas pump outside the Oval Office..."
— Roy Cheng [02:46] -
Military Blockade & Extortion: U.S. demands Venezuela kick out Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and Cuban interests, establishing exclusive partnership with America. The team mocks the coercion, likening it to a mobster isolating a partner from their friends.
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America's Next Targets: Segue to jokes about America “liberating” more countries, e.g., Cuba and Nicaragua, raising alarm about perpetual interventions in Latin America.
"Democracy is coming back to this hemisphere."
— Jordan Klepper [05:35]
2. America Eyes Greenland—Even Against NATO
[06:10–07:22]
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Wild Expansionism: The show lampoons the Trump administration floating the acquisition of Greenland, despite it being a NATO-protected Danish territory.
"The only thing we hate more than a brutal authoritarian regime is whatever the complete opposite of that is."
— Roy Cheng [06:17] -
NATO Tensions: The hosts underline the absurd risk of breaking the NATO alliance by attacking Greenland, with jokes about “sneak attacks” on allies.
3. Live from Caracas: The Venezuela “Mafia” Model
[07:22–11:01]
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Michael Costa in Caracas: "Extortion" is reframed as legit international business: “protection” in exchange for steady payouts.
"This is just Venezuela tucking an envelope of cash into Donald Trump's pocket every week. Because it would be a real shame if they forgot to pay..."
— Ronnie T. [08:24] -
Mafia Parallels: A volley of mob-movie references and comedic banter reinforce the analogy while highlighting the dangers of abandoning international law.
"If we abandon international law, what will stop the next superpower from extorting us once our run as an empire is over?"
— Roy Cheng [10:25]
4. Meet the New “White House Reporter”: Benny Johnson Exposé
[12:48–21:22]
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Rise of Online Influencers: The "News to Meet Ya" segment, led by Jordan Klepper, calls out the trend of influencer-reporters like Benny Johnson, lampooning his history of plagiarism and hyper-partisan clickbait.
"How bad of a writer do you have to be to cheat on a BuzzFeed article with Yahoo Answers?"
— Jordan Klepper [14:41] -
Bombastic, Derivative Content: The segment plays clips of Benny’s inflammatory rhetoric and shallow political commentary, mocking his focus on Batman analogies and performative masculinity.
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Astroturfing & Foreign Influence: Reports surface that Johnson and others are being paid by Russia to amplify divisive narratives.
"Oh, he's just being paid by foreign forces to destroy America from within. Phew. I thought my neighbors actually liked the guy."
— Jordan Klepper [16:28] -
Batman Obsession: Klepper ridicules Johnson’s self-image as “Batman”:
"You're not Batman. You are a thirsty influencer. Cosplaying as a journalist at best. You are the nipples on George Clooney's Batman suit."
— Jordan Klepper [20:48]
5. Interview: Stephen J. Dubner (Freakonomics Anniversary)
[23:38–39:11]
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Publishing Underdog Story: Dubner recounts how Freakonomics almost never happened due to publisher resistance to the title, only for it to become a cultural phenomenon.
"Our publisher thought... there's no way we can call this book Freakonomics. ...But we persevered."
— Stephen Dubner [24:50] -
What Made Freakonomics Work: Dubner credits the accessible, countercultural tone and the focus on “hidden causality” (like abortion and crime, collusion in sumo, cheating teachers) backed by real data.
"We just told stories like you do in a regular book, but with a lot of data. And we showed our homework."
— Stephen Dubner [27:05] -
Validity After 20 Years: Recent follow-up studies affirm the accuracy of their controversial findings.
"Levitt and his coauthor on the abortion crime study... did a whole new study with 20 years more worth of data. And yeah, the book is legit."
— Stephen Dubner [30:48] -
Writing in 2026—Is It Possible?: Dubner reflects on how today’s hyper-reactive media climate makes bold, judgment-free social science harder, but emphasizes the continued need for evidence-based analysis.
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Quirky Data Models: He shares two tidbits—a tip that asylum judges make harsher decisions when hungry, and curious insights on artificial insemination in turkeys (all are artificially bred due to breast size) and racehorses (must be naturally bred for economic reasons).
"The one [animal] that always is [bred by artificial insemination]—turkeys... The one that never is—racehorses..."
— Stephen Dubner [36:03] -
Value of Nonjudgmental Analysis: Dubner underscores their style: presenting connections without telling the reader what to do or what to think, an approach praised by Roy Cheng.
"We were trying to just lay out: this is the way the world works, using these case studies or stories. And you smart person...you go in the world and do something with it without us telling you what to do."
— Stephen Dubner [34:05] -
Surprising Book Resurgence: Despite expectations, book reading is up—thanks in part to independent bookstores and changes at Barnes & Noble.
6. Moment of Zen
[40:57–41:17]
Mocking Trump’s Greenland ambitions:
"You know what Denmark did recently to boost up security in Greenland? They added one more dog sled..."
— Ronnie T. [41:00]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On U.S. Foreign Policy:
"Just because you dictate doesn't make you a dictator. Okay? Because... No, it doesn'. Dictators, they live in, like, a gold palace or something. Ah. Oh."
— Roy Cheng [04:33] -
On American Exceptionalism:
"Your brain is like a cannoli with no filling."
— Ronnie T. to Roy Cheng [10:15] -
On New Journalism:
"You are the nipples on George Clooney's Batman suit."
— Jordan Klepper on Benny Johnson [20:48] -
On Publishing:
"Cause you assume that, like, you work hard on it, but most books, you know how many books are published every year? It's like 250,000. And most people, the average American reads like zero..."
— Stephen Dubner [25:42]
Important Segment Timestamps
- Venezuela invasion & oil satire: [01:02–07:22]
- Plans for Greenland, NATO parody: [06:10–07:22]
- Mafia model & Michael Costa in Caracas: [07:22–11:01]
- Benny Johnson/News influencer roast: [12:48–21:22]
- Stephen J. Dubner interview: [23:38–39:11]
- Moment of Zen (Greenland): [40:57–41:17]
Summary
This episode showcases The Daily Show at its sharpest: lampooning U.S. foreign adventures, skewering the pageantry and menace of influencer “journalism,” and giving airtime to genuinely thoughtful analysis as Stephen Dubner reflects on Freakonomics. Listeners are treated to equal parts irreverence and insight, with the underlying message that data, skepticism, and critical humor are all more needed than ever.
For more, catch full episodes weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central or stream on Paramount+.