The BEST episodes of The Daily Show season 30
Every episode of The Daily Show season 30, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Daily Show season 30!
The Daily Show's intrepid news team dives into the biggest headlines of the day, providing fearless coverage, expert analysis, and no-nonsense commentary.
#1 - Maria Ressa
Season 30 - Episode 102 - Aired 9/18/2025
A humble, obedient Jon Stewart heaps praise upon America's Glorious Leader, Donald J. Trump, and provides an FCC-approved refresher on the rules of free speech in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's suspension. Plus, the TDS News Team serenades the world's greatest, large-penised leader. "It's both deja vu and PTSD." Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist and author of the book "How to Stand Up to a Dictator," sits down with Jon Stewart for a conversation about Trump's authoritarian attacks on free speech in the wake of Disney taking Jimmy Kimmel off the air in fealty to the president and his hand-picked FCC Chair. Ressa, who in 2020 was jailed in the Philippines for her journalism criticizing the country's former president Rodrigo Duterte, warns about the similarities between the dictatorship she lived under and the Trump administration.
#2 - John Mulaney
Season 30 - Episode 77 - Aired 6/16/2025
Jon Stewart breaks down Netanyahu's "urgent" strike on Iran's nuclear program, MAGA's sustained focus on battling protesters and immigrants in Democratic cities, and how Trump's unattended parade of weaponry explains America's muted response to the Minnesota assassination. "This isn't the most important message you'll hear tonight, but everyone should fight three teenagers once a year." John Mulaney, actor, writer, comedian, and host of the Netflix show "Everybody's Live," fought three 14-year-old boys on the finale of his talk show and lived to tell Jon Stewart the tale. They get deep into fighting strategies, masculinity, father-son competition, the guy who threw his shoes at George W. Bush, and more. Plus, a game of Daily Show Interview Guest Jeopardy.
#3 - Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong
Season 30 - Episode 88 - Aired 7/21/2025
Jon Stewart dives into Trump's crude birthday card to Epstein and his desperate attempts to distract MAGA with Hillary's emails, the release of the MLK files, and the return of racist football mascots. Plus, Jon reacts to CBS cancelling "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and calls upon corporations, advertisers, and institutions to "sack up" with the help of the "Go F**k Yourself" choir. Chairman of the Los Angeles Times and of ImmunityBio, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong sits down with Jon Stewart to share how his groundbreaking work in cancer research and his surprising purchase of the Los Angeles Times in 2018 are both part of his vision to heal the country and give everyone an opportunity at the American dream. He offers a background to his work in finding cancer treatments that harness the body's natural immunity – a departure from decades of the harmful, money-making chemotherapy standard – and shares how growing up in apartheid South Africa gave him a deep appreciation for news media.
#4 - Patrick McGee
Season 30 - Episode 65 - Aired 5/19/2025
Jon Stewart critiques the media spin on Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis, from CNN's shameless promotion of Jake Tapper's book to Fox News's "but"-tainted sympathies. ward-winning journalist Patrick McGee joins Jon Stewart to discuss how Apple built China in his new book "Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company." They talk about Apple "sleepwalking" into this crisis, building a competitive market in Xi Jinping's authoritarian state, the vocational training that boosted rivals, how Trump's attempted Apple boycott backfired, and whether investments may be facilitating the annexation of Taiwan.
#5 - Chris Hughes
Season 30 - Episode 53 - Aired 4/28/2025
Jon Stewart takes a look at Trump's first 100 days: from plummeting approval ratings to unfulfilled promises on immigration, health, and the economy, to destroying his reputation as a shrewd negotiator with China and Ukraine. Chris Hughes, an economist and the author of "Marketcrafters," sits down with Jon Stewart to unpack the economy's fall under Trump and how understanding how politicians have shaped markets to work better could be its solution. They discuss how both parties have used marketcrafting to benefit Americans, whether the current economy requires an intervention, the need for institutions to help marketcrafting directly affect people over corporations, and his belief in a positive agenda for the future. Plus, as a co-founder of Facebook, Hughes weighs in on the company's involvement with the Trump administration.
#6 - Nimesh Patel
Season 30 - Episode 50 - Aired 4/15/2025
Ronny Chieng tackles the Trump administration shirking responsibility for a Maryland father's mistaken deportation to El Salvador, their aggressive media tirade invoking Osama Bin Laden, and Harvard's defiance of Donald Trump. Plus, Josh Johnson explains how Trump's power changes from Harvard to El Salvador. Trump promised that under his presidency, the rest of the world would fear and respect America "like never before." Desi Lydic takes a look at how other countries are responding to his massive trade war with a little less "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" and a little more "F-U." Emmy-nominated writer and comedian Nimesh Patel sits down with Ronny Chieng to discuss his upcoming stand-up tour. They chat about the first time they met in the New York comedy scene, the importance of crashing out on stage, why his daughter is "the biggest tariff" he's encountered thus far, and the well-known Indians of MAGA.
#7 - Jon Meacham
Season 30 - Episode 55 - Aired 4/30/2025
Desi Lydic covers Trump's 100th day celebrations: inviting ABC News into the White House to misunderstand the Declaration of Independence, grooving to his famous "YMCA" dance, and putting the economy on financial Ozempic. From the dark halls of Santa Monica to the caves of the Trump administration, Stephen Miller has been working in the shadows as the White House Chief of Staff. From influencing election denial to mass deportations, can Stephen Miller's vampiric bite kill American democracy? "If we get things right just enough of the time… that's what democracy is, because it's the fullest expression of all of us." Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential biographer Jon Meacham joins Desi Lydic to discuss the impact of Trump's presidency on democracy.
#8 - Nancy Kwan
Season 30 - Episode 52 - Aired 4/17/2025
Ronny Chieng covers Elon Musk's mission to have babies over DM, Pete Hegseth's Air Force diversity purge, RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine coded attack on autism, and proof he has never seen "Love on the Spectrum." Michael Kosta & Ronny Chieng go head to head over Rory McIlroy's Masters Tournament takeover, brand-new Barbie Lebron James, Bryce Harper's on-field gender reveal, and Baltimore's oyster rebrand. "There will always be political clashes, that's what makes the world interesting." Hollywood icon Nancy Kwan sits down with Ronny Chieng to discuss her trailblazing career and new book, "The World of Nancy Kwan: A Memoir by Hollywood's Asian Superstar." They talk about an accidental screen test that brought her to Hollywood, a friendship with Bruce Lee that began in Hong Kong, and Kwan offers her perspective on what the West can learn from the East.
#9 - Gen. Stanley McChrystal
Season 30 - Episode 61 - Aired 5/12/2025
After Trump teased an upcoming "big announcement" last week, Jon Stewart contemplates what news Americans are supposed to be so psyched for: the possible suspension of due process, Trump's appointment of Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as D.C. district attorney, Qatar's $400 million luxury jet "gift" for Trump, or lower prices on the "fat shot drug"? "Our character is the essential identity of us as people and us as a nation, and we've let it erode." Retired four-star general who served 34 years in the U.S. Army, General Stanley McChrystal, sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss his book "On Character: Choices that Define a Life." They talk about leading a national conversation on character, employing empathy in war to negotiate with ideological warriors and mercenaries, what upset him most about Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth's Signal chat leak, and how his wife taught him to live "with no use for the rear view mirror."
#10 - Bernie Sanders
Season 30 - Episode 115 - Aired 10/20/2025
Jon Stewart examines the "No Kings" protests that failed to meet Fox News's violent expectations, why Trump fits the mold of a gold-smeared monarch, and how even the Declaration of Independence foreshadowed Trump's king-ish antics. "It's got to be a bottom-on-up revolution, not a top-down." Senator Bernie Sanders sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss his latest book, "Fight Oligarchy." They talk about harnessing the energy of the "No Kings" rallies to build a clear vision for the Democratic party, prioritizing universal healthcare and affordable housing expansion, how Trump has embraced some socialist policies, the danger of corporations and oligarchs regulating the government, and making AI work for working people.
#11 - Kyla Scanlon
Season 30 - Episode 84 - Aired 7/14/2025
Jon Stewart delves into the MAGA furor over Trump's handling of the Epstein case, Trump's cheap distractions-turned-threats against Rosie O'Donnell, and the president's double standard on red state vs. blue state relief. Plus, Jon demands accountability from Elmo for his antisemitic rant on X. "Most economic problems are political problems at the end of the day." Economic commentator Kyla Scanlon sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss her book, "In This Economy? How Money and Markets Really Work." They talk about the importance of teaching Americans about the economy in accessible ways, how the government has weaponized people to justify Medicaid cuts under Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, why labor and capital don't have to be mutually exclusive, and why she's optimistic about the future.
#12 - Steve Kroft
Season 30 - Episode 80 - Aired 7/7/2025
Jon Stewart covers the passage of Trump's Big Beautiful Bill: Republicans bashing then endorsing the megabill, trading tax cuts to sway senators, giving a $40 billion infusion to ICE, boosting billionaires at the expense of Medicaid and SNAP, and more. Former CBS "60 Minutes" correspondent and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist Steve Kroft joins Jon Stewart to discuss a $16 million settlement in President Trump's lawsuit against Paramount Global, CBS and Comedy Central's parent company. They discuss how an incoming corporate merger and pressure from Trump's FCC may have influenced the settlement, why journalists and legal experts consider it a "shakedown," its impact on freedom of the press, and the one thing Trump didn't get: an apology.
#13 - Malala Yousafzai
Season 30 - Episode 139 - Aired 12/8/2025
Trump contradicts his phony FIFA peace prize by cranking up the heat on military action in Venezuela, a country Newsmax host Greg Kelly couldn't find on a map, and Jon Stewart gets an assist from The Daily Show archives and a time-traveling Rob Corddry to show how MAGA's drumbeat for war with Venezuela is Iraq all over again. "True bravery is still doing what you believe in, even when you're scared." Malala Yousafzai, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, education activist, and bestselling author, returns to The Daily Show to chat with Jon Stewart about her new memoir, "Finding My Way." They talk about how much her life has changed since she first visited the show at 16, including graduating college and getting married, and how she came to realize she doesn't have to be perfect. She also opens up about managing mental health and societal projections while pursuing activist work and the school for women she founded in Pakistan, which just graduated its first-ever class.
#14 - Katherine Maher
Season 30 - Episode 54 - Aired 4/29/2025
On Trump's official second 100th day in office, Jordan Klepper delves into his lack of follow-through, including the division he's sown, his back-and-forth on tariffs and firings, and taunting Canada until they elected a liberal prime minister. Trump let Elon Musk take a chainsaw to the federal workforce in order to save taxpayers money, but after hearing from some of the government employees who lost their jobs, Desi Lydic is starting to think the real waste, fraud, and abuse was living inside DOGE this whole time. "We know that the existence of local news, and public radio in particular, contributes to lower rates of polarization, higher rates of civic engagement, and higher rates of civic trust." NPR CEO Katherine Maher joins Jordan Klepper to stress the important functions of public media that are under threat from the Trump administration, especially educational children's programming and local reporting in rural areas where public radio is often the only source for local news.
#15 - Simon Pegg
Season 30 - Episode 67 - Aired 5/21/2025
Ronny Chieng tackles the president of South Africa's uncomfortable White House visit and a MAGA couple shortchanged by a "RUMP" watch. Plus, Trump sets his heart on a $542 billion "golden dome" to protect America from hypothetical attacks, including those provoked by international roast comic Grace Kuhlenschmidt. Charlamagne Tha God looks at Republicans' obsession with Trump as a father figure and reminds them that not only is Trump a bad dad to his own kids, he's an abusive dad to Americans. Screenwriter, comedian, and actor Simon Pegg joins Ronny Chieng to discuss the final installment of the legendary franchise, "Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning." They talk about Pegg's humble beginnings doing standup with his goldfish, how "Mission: Impossible" Director Christopher McQuarrie weaved earlier films into the franchise's ending, the power of movie theaters to unite people in experiences, and Tom Cruise's comedic timing while performing epic live-action stunts.
#16 - Christiane Amanpour
Season 30 - Episode 131 - Aired 11/17/2025
A batch of newly surfaced Epstein emails sparks Trump's fight-or-flight mode, a diversionary DOJ investigation into the Democrats, and a Fox News crash out as pundits try to downplay the Epstein files. While rumors swirl about a jaw-dropping degree of closeness between Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, Jon Stewart urges the GOP to hold their Epstein sleuthing to the same standard as their investigation into the QAnon Pizzagate conspiracy. CNN's Chief International Anchor and host of the global affairs program, "Amanpour," Christiane Amanpour sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss how the Epstein scandal has highlighted the importance of truth-based journalism. They talk about using investigative journalism to combat authoritarianism and hold the "invincible" elite accountable, and how the "drip, drip, drip" story of the Epstein files has fed itself and divided MAGA.
#17 - Rep. Chris Deluzio & Rep. Pat Ryan
Season 30 - Episode 127 - Aired 11/10/2025
In the wake of Democrats' decision to end the government shutdown, Jon Stewart returns to his prediction that they were going to piss away last week's hard-earned electoral victories. With nothing to gain from caving, momentum on their side, and a deeply unpopular president, Jon compares the Democrats to the New York Giants, who at least had the good sense to fire their coach. "A lot of politicians who voted to send guys like us to places like Iraq, spending trillions, all of a sudden want to count pennies when it's time to care for the veterans they sent to fight." Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania and Rep. Pat Ryan of New York, who are both Iraq war veterans and members of the House Armed Services Committee, talk to Jon Stewart about how the Trump administration prioritizes a trillion dollar military budget over the livelihood of veterans and service members.
#18 - Joe Manchin
Season 30 - Episode 123 - Aired 11/3/2025
Between Trump throwing a lavish "Great Gatsby"-themed party on the night that SNAP benefits ran out for millions of Americans, dragging his feet to open court-ordered emergency funding for food stamps while throwing billions of bailout dollars at Argentina, and the GOP's general racism-tinged disdain for SNAP recipients, Jon Stewart seriously doubts that the president's "big heart" goes out to anyone but himself and the toadies on his VIP list. Former U.S. senator and West Virginia governor Joe Manchin sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss his memoir, "Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense." They talk about whether centrism exists in the Trump era, Manchin's experience working across partisan lines in the Senate, the state of the Democratic Party in West Virginia, why he never voted for a government shutdown, and how he thinks the country can move forward.
#19 - Peter Beinart
Season 30 - Episode 92 - Aired 7/28/2025
Jon Stewart dives into Trump's golf shenanigans in Scotland, the Republican "caddies" providing him cover on the Epstein scandal back home, and the possibility of a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell. Plus, Jessica Williams will NOT allow Beyoncé to be roped into Trump's use of exceptional Black people as a distraction. Editor-at-large of "Jewish Currents," who writes "The Beinart Notebook" on Substack, Peter Beinart sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss his book, "Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning," and speaking out against Israel. They talk about learning from Jewish history to be the saviors rather than the oppressors, America and the U.N.'s failure to hold Benjamin Netanyahu accountable, the urgency of engaging in critical discourse with other Jews, and how listening to Palestinian stories can illuminate the dehumanizing conditions.
#20 - Rob Franklin
Season 30 - Episode 89 - Aired 7/22/2025
Josh Johnson kicks off his first day behind the host desk with possible new intel from Ghislaine Maxwell and Trump's latest batch of Epstein distractions: a 2016 Obama conspiracy, releasing the MLK files, and even admitting that he's not a medical marvel. Plus, you won't believe the 100% real Epstein bombshells that Grace Kuhlenschmidt found in the MLK files. Charlamagne Tha God unpacks the 79-year-old Trump's recent memory loss, agitation, inappropriate behavior, confusion, and disorientation, all of which just so happen to be symptoms of dementia. Fiction and poetry writer Rob Franklin sits down with Josh Johnson to discuss his critically acclaimed debut novel, "Great Black Hope." They talk about exploring respectability politics through the main character, Smith, the tension between race and class in the justice system, and how not knowing your height is true tall privilege.
#21 - Cory Doctorow
Season 30 - Episode 140 - Aired 12/9/2025
Ronny Chieng covers the latest on the Trump administration's petty changes to free-entry days at national parks, the president's promise to bail out farmers after f**king up the economy, Melania's attempt to spread some yuletide cheer, and Sean Duffy's Department of Transportation press conference that turned into a d**k-measuring contest against RFK Jr. On another edition of Who Won It Best, Desi Lydic and Troy Iwata recap the FIFA World Cup Draw and Peace Prize Ceremony, the biggest award show you've never heard of, where the balls were mingled, the Village People performed the "YMCA," and Trump received a trophy, medal, and certificate before jetting over to the Kennedy Center Honors to make KISS's big night all about himself. Journalist, internet activist, and author Cory Doctorow talks to Ronny Chieng about the concept behind his latest book, "Enshittification," which breaks down how tech giants made the internet worse for everybody by locking in users only to turn on them.
#22 - Bryan Cranston
Season 30 - Episode 74 - Aired 6/10/2025
Desi Lydic has the latest updates from the L.A. ICE protests, including Trump's outsized military deployment to the city, which defies both California Governor Gavin Newsom and the... "P***y Comitatus Act"? Plus, one soldier sends a letter home from the frontlines of the L.A. war. Where does the public stand on Trump vs. Elon? Grace Kuhlenschmidt and Josh Johnson head out to ask New Yorkers to pick: Team Douche or Team Pedophile? Bryan Cranston joins Desi Lydic to discuss his new movie, "Everything's Going To Be Great," and a busy year of work, including his third film with Wes Anderson and playing a hilarious exec on "The Studio." He shares how he navigates portraying vastly different characters, why he had to really sell himself to get the role of Walter White, and his passion for live theater.
#23 - Spike Lee
Season 30 - Episode 96 - Aired 9/8/2025
Rumors have been swirling about the president's potentially failing health, and between his cankles, a tribute video from the White House, and global leaders throwing Nobel Prize nominations at the guy like he's the oldest Make-A-Wish kid in the world, Jon Stewart can't help but wonder: IS Trump dying? Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee joins Jon Stewart to discuss his new movie, "Highest 2 Lowest," in theaters and now streaming on Apple TV+. They talk about Lee's experiences over the years working with the film's star, Denzel Washington, the high-stakes story, what he learned from his parents growing up in Brooklyn, and if it's the Knicks' year.
#24 - Jenny Slate
Season 30 - Episode 93 - Aired 7/29/2025
Desi Lydic covers Trump opening a new golf course in Scotland before tending to his side hustle of president of the United States to strike a new trade deal with the E.U., which will finally bring product prices to... another all-time high? Plus, Michael Kosta and Grace Kuhlenschmidt take advantage of the government's latest workplace policy: Take Your God to Work Day. Ever wonder what happens when 911 calls YOU? In this edition of "Everything Is Stupid," Ronny Chieng roasts the 911 dispatcher who messed with a real-life Karen by awarding her a Booby Prize for incessant calling, and suffered the consequences. Actor Jenny Slate joins Desi Lydic to discuss her Emmy-nominated role in "Dying for Sex." They talk about the show's powerful story, based on a podcast about a woman going through Stage 4 breast cancer (portrayed by Michelle Williams), and her experiences playing the woman's best friend, Nikki.
#25 - Colum McCann
Season 30 - Episode 63 - Aired 5/14/2025
Jordan Klepper covers Trump's lavish welcome in Qatar and lifting of Syrian sanctions, while RFK Jr. lands himself in muddy waters over swimming in a contaminated creek. Plus, Grace Kuhlenschmidt and Troy Iwata fight over investigating Trump's $400 million jet vs. the sewage-tainted Rock Creek. The Trump administration is full of corruption, bigotry, and incompetence, but there's one thing about them that Leslie Jones hates the most: They're f**king GOOFY! She breaks down how Elon's dad jokes, RFK Jr.'s sewage-swimming, and everything about JD Vance are only Making America Goofy Asses. Colum McCann, National Book Award-winning author, sits down with Jordan Klepper to discuss his latest novel, "Twist," which follows the people who fix the underwater cables that carry the world's digital information at the extreme depths of the ocean.