The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Jordan Klepper dives into the headlines with Republicans unleashing a last-ditch tactic in this final midterm sprint: spooky stories. From socialist dystopias to jihadist leprechauns to forced gender reassignment surgeries happening at your kids’ school, nothing is off the table for these GOP tales, just in time for Halloween. But hey, that’s what happens when you can't convince voters with your actual ideas or accomplishments.

As calls to tax the rich reach a fever pitch in the U.S., billionaires have become America's newest oppressed minority. Michael Kosta traveled to California to hear both sides of the wealth tax debate, with March for Billionaires organizer Derik Kauffman fighting on behalf of the nation's beleaguered top earners, and wealthy investor Tom Steyer calling his fellow billionaires "insanely selfish and delusional" for opposing it.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and actor Tracy Letts joins Jordan to talk about his new film, “I Play Rocky,” which chronicles the making of the 1976 film, “Rocky.” Letts shares why he doesn’t buy the legend that Sylvester Stallone wrote the entire “Rocky” screenplay in three days and what it’s like to film in the same Philadelphia neighborhoods where the original was shot. Plus, Letts explains the wonders of his physical movie collection of over 12,000 titles and what he learned performing improv in Chicago.

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With less than a week until the 2026 midterms, Republicans are running out of ways to expose their own weaknesses, so Tennessee congressional candidate Brent Taylor chose the most literal way: with a d**k pic scandal. Jordan Klepper breaks down Taylor's "youthful indiscretion" from when he was 53, Trump's ongoing ass tour, and the president's DOJ moving to block certification of Alaska's Senate race over confusion around two candidates named Dan Sullivan, but only if the Republican Dan loses.

In this installment of In My Opinion, Charlamagne Tha God looks at how politicians and pundits are turning the 2026 midterms into a masculinity contest. From Fox News trashing Troy Jackson's manhood over a cup of boba tea to Democrats going hard at the gym in campaign ads, Charlamagne takes on the cartoonish machismo in America's political discourse with a reminder that, in the end, "being a man" comes down to character.

Legendary musician, artist, and author David Byrne chats with Jordan about his new book “Sleeping Beauties: Why Good Ideas Go Dormant and How They Wake Up.” The two discuss Kafka, Melville, and other historical luminaries whose greatest works often went overlooked until their rediscovery later on, how modern hubris repeatedly ignores wisdom of the past, as well as Byrne’s research process for unearthing these forgotten stories. Plus, Byrne shares his writing process behind the song “Let Me Sell You A Dream,” which he wrote and performed for the documentary, “Musk.”

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Obama roasted Trump’s White House renovations, so conservative media rushes to the defense of… The Cheesecake Factory? Jordan Klepper dives into the headlines as we approach the 2026 midterms, and chats with a very fishermanly John Hodgman, who comes bearing updates on Maine’s contentious Senate race.

With the 2026 midterms just a week away, one group might have an outsized influence: influencers! Desi Lydic breaks down how social media stars are becoming the lifeblood of American political campaigns, with candidates joining them to answer illuminating questions like "What are your icks?" But not all influencers are motivated by civic duty. Amid reports of candidates using campaign funds to quietly pay influencers large sums of money, Desi urges everyone to vet their sources ahead of the election. Because casting your vote on the advice of a paid political hack will always be an ick.

BAFTA-winning comedian and actor Morgana Robinson chats with Jordan about her new film, “Ali G: Who Iz I.” The two discuss what it was like to stay in character through long shooting days, how they pulled off the raunchy hijinks in the film, and what the audition process was like for such a unique project. Plus, Klepper learns some new NSFW British slang.

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The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central.

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Jon Stewart breaks down Trump’s closing argument ahead of the midterm elections, including his celebration of huge profits for oil and gas companies amid high prices, his Islamophobic vow to keep Abdul El-Sayed out of the Senate, and his plan to secure settlements for Camp Lejeune veterans… only IF Republicans win. Plus, Jon tackles Trump’s defense of abusive mothers, Obama’s slam-dunk Cheesecake Factory insult, and who the "you" is that Trump claims to represent.

Investigative journalist Matthew Cole sits down with Jon to talk about his new book, “Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East.” Cole’s book chronicles a five-year investigation into Jared Kushner’s alleged “secret financial agreements and arrangements” made between Trump’s son-in-law and the rulers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Cole points out that Kushner’s lawyer unequivocally and emphatically denies everything in his book, but Cole remains “very confident that I have the story right.”

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The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central.

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Jordan Klepper and Daily Show Supervising Producer Ian Berger kick off the week with a preview of Klepper's special, Red Flags, which premieres TONIGHT after The Daily Show.

They discuss the whirlwind experience of turning around a 24-minute special in only 20 days and how, with the midterms approaching, the GOP is serving up a "turducken of fear" in an incoherent mishmash of McCarthyism and Islamophobia.

Plus, Klepper explores how MAGA rallygoers in Middle American states like Nebraska have positioned NYC Mayor Mamdani as their unlikely boogeyman, while their Texas counterparts are obsessing over God's genitals in their attacks on Senate candidate James Talarico.

Finally, Klepper and Ian wrap things up with a round of Daily Show & Tell and look ahead to this week's guests: Morgana Robinson, David Byrne, and Tracy Letts.

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The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central.

Stream full episodes on Paramount+

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices