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 - 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.
#2 - 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.
#3 - 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.
#4 - 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.
#5 - 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.
#6 - Zohran Mamdani
Season 30 - Episode 119 - Aired 10/27/2025
After Trump echoes a complaint that he's unappreciated by Americans for his "sacrifices," Jon Stewart looks at all the things the president has accomplished without getting proper recognition, like going against protocol to tear down the East Wing of the White House for an ostentatious ballroom, or blowing up Venezuelan boats without due process. Jon also takes a look at the Republicans properly eating s**t for the president and determines that a third term is the only appropriate show of gratitude for this poor little billionaire. New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss building a campaign on delivering politics that "aspire for more than what you're living through," ensuring his tax plans aren't just popular but precedented, taking safety beyond the NYPD to job and housing security, reaching the hearts of young voters with inviting rhetoric, and whether the days of endorsements deciding elections have come to an end.
#7 - Asi Wind
Season 30 - Episode 137 - Aired 12/3/2025
Josh Johnson tracks Trump's flimsy war on narco-terrorism, from threatening more war-crimey attacks on suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers to pardoning the Honduran ex-president who smuggled enough cocaine to get the whole world high, and Troy Iwata just wants a clear answer: drugs good or drugs bad? Is the AI bubble at risk of popping? Ronny Chieng sits down with Peter Wildeford of the Institute for AI Policy and Strategy to investigate the risks of AI taking our jobs and tanking our economy as the "circle jerk" of AI companies goes all-in on robots. "People have a desire to see magic, I'm only there to help them." Award-winning magician and mentalist Asi Wind talks to Josh Johnson about his "More Than Magic" U.S. and Australia tour, the trick that (literally) sparked his passion for the craft, and why he sees magic as a collaboration with his audience. Plus, Wind treats Josh Johnson to a few mind-blowing tricks.
#8 - Sanna Marin
Season 30 - Episode 124 - Aired 11/4/2025
As Election Day wraps up, Jordan Klepper recaps the suspenseful NYC mayoral race infused with Islamophobic fearmongering of Zohran Mamdani and an uphill battle for Andrew Cuomo, culminating in an 11th-hour scandal over a Billy Joel song. Plus, Ronny Chieng reports that Cuomo is feeling confident, thanks to his lucky O.J. Simpson-style Ford Bronco and other criminal-lookalike charms. The eyes of the world seem to be on the New York City mayoral race, so Grace Kuhlenschmidt conducted her own Times Square exit poll to ask non-New Yorkers which candidate they endorse for an election they can't vote in. "There's always hope if there's action." Former Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, talks to Jordan Klepper about her new memoir, "Hope In Action."
#9 - Ken Casey
Season 30 - Episode 138 - Aired 12/4/2025
Images of Epstein's island reveal a penchant for creepy decor and a commitment to oral hygiene, Pete Hegseth gets cagey about turning over his phone for the Signalgate investigation, the Pentagon's press team is replaced by MAGA personalities, and Jordan Klepper investigates Trump's commitment to being labeled a "president of peace," signage and all. Afraid of the woke leftists' war against Christmas? Keep the sanctity of the holiday season alive with the brand-new Trump Tinsel, made from recycled shreddings of the Epstein files. The president promised he was going to release them, but he never said how! Frontman of the band Dropkick Murphys, Ken Casey, sits down with Jordan Klepper to discuss their latest album, "For The People." They talk about the roots of punk in political activism, getting inspiration from bands who sang about Reagan, Bush, and the Queen of England.
#10 - Miguel
Season 30 - Episode 130 - Aired 11/13/2025
In the wake of new Jeffrey Epstein emails implicating Trump, the GOP unhelpfully backed up the president by releasing 20,000 new Epstein files of their own, and Josh Johnson unpacks new revelations, including the two men's frenemy relationship and apparent connection to cosmetics heiress Celina Midelfart, as well as conservative pundits like Megyn Kelly's attempts to downplay the bombshell. Plus, Troy Iwata offers a scathing critique of Epstein's email grammar. The AI revolution is integrating chatbots like Grok and ChatGPT into all aspects of life, from education to friendship, so Ronny Chieng fights the dumbing effects of AI on college campuses by transforming himself into a real-life chatbot. Grammy award-winning artist Miguel talks to Josh Johnson about returning to music after an eight-year break with his new album, "CAOS." Miguel shares how that time of personal reflection and connection to his Mexican heritage informed his new album through celebration of his culture.
#11 - Scott Galloway
Season 30 - Episode 125 - Aired 11/5/2025
Jordan Klepper dives into the big wins for Democrats across the country last night, including in the hotly contested mayoral race in New York City, which ended in a historic victory for Zohran Mamdani that sparked threats of a mass exodus of Cuomo supporters from the city. Plus, nobody is more eager to get out of the city than Eric Adams, the guy who's still in charge at City Hall, so The Daily Show takes a final look back at the legacy the outgoing mayor is leaving behind. In the Art of the Altercation, Desi Lydic unpacks Donald Trump's long and tumultuous relationship with New York, a home he once called "the greatest city in the world," but now, as president, thinks is a crime-infested hellhole that needs to be punished. NYU professor, co-host of the Pivot podcast, and bestselling author, Scott Galloway, joins Jordan Klepper to discuss his latest book, "Notes on Being a Man."
#12 - Elizabeth Kolbert
Season 30 - Episode 135 - Aired 12/1/2025
Trump spent the weekend celebrating Thanksgiving the traditional way: abusing reporters, calling Tim Walz the R-word, and bragging about his "perfect" MRI score. Plus, while the president spins a National Guard shooting for his anti-immigrant agenda, Jon Stewart slams the double standard of criminal justice for immigrants and J6 insurrectionists. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and staff writer at The New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert, sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss her latest book, "Life on a Little-Known Planet: Dispatches from a Changing World." They talk about matching the awareness of climate problems with an effort for change, humans wasting 10,000 years of "climate stability" by inventing ways to disrupt it, the Trump administration's climate policy regression, and how developing countries are reaping both financial and environmental gains by leaning into clean energy.
#13 - Rob Riggle
Season 30 - Episode 128 - Aired 11/11/2025
The Democrats' popular affordability platform has Trump jealously weaving plans for 50-year mortgages and socialist-seeming tariff rebates, and Josh Johnson deciphers how the "money man" president thinks $2,000 checks will solve everything. On this edition of Who Won It Best, Desi Lydic and Troy Iwata dive into the crèmè de la crème of awards season: the Fox Nation Patriot Awards, where Sean Hannity tortured the crowd with his singing, Mike Waltz got an adoring shoutout, Melania Trump plugged her Amazon flick, and Jason Aldean shined as the biggest star they could muster. Actor, comedian, former Daily Show correspondent, and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Rob Riggle joins Josh Johnson to discuss his memoir, "Grit, Spit, and Never Quit: A Marine's Guide to Comedy and Life."
#14 - Ethan Hawke
Season 30 - Episode 126 - Aired 11/6/2025
Trump plays dead fish during a medical emergency in the Oval Office, the White House's Ozempic announcement has Americans losing 400 pounds each, the president finds a new enemy in Nigeria, and Jordan Klepper reports on shutdown-induced flight cancellations that will have people walking home for the holidays. On another episode of Sports War, Jordan Klepper and Ronny Chieng fight over whether the Dodgers deserved to win the World Series, the integrity of the NBA amid a sports gambling scandal, and an Aussie darts player whose dirty nickname sparked controversy. Academy Award-nominated actor Ethan Hawke sits down with Jordan Klepper to discuss his new movie "Blue Moon," which takes place on an "important night in art history," after Lorenz Hart attends the premiere of his former collaborator's musical, "Oklahoma!"
#15 - Sean Sherman
Season 30 - Episode 133 - Aired 11/19/2025
Ronny Chieng dives into Trump's friendly meeting with Saudi Crown Prince MBS despite the president's famously anti-Muslim past, and covers the latest updates on the release of the Epstein files, which was quickly approved by the House and Senate and now seemingly has the endorsement of the president himself. That said, Jordan Klepper offers a few reasons why we might not like what we see. Grace Kuhlenschmidt tackles Russia's first face-planting robot, an AI version of your dead granny, and does America want music that's fully AI-generated? Tech yeah, they do! James Beard award-winning chef Sean Sherman sits down with Ronny Chieng to discuss his new book "Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America." They talk about using food as a tool for promoting curiosity and empathy, focusing on Indigenous and healthy foods at his restaurant.
#16 - Jay Jurden
Season 30 - Episode 129 - Aired 11/12/2025
Josh Johnson dives into newly released bombshell emails from Jeffrey Epstein that might implicate Trump, considering he referred to the president as the "dog that hasn't barked." Plus, on the heels of whistleblower revelations that Ghislaine Maxwell's prison accommodations include puppies and TV time, Ronny Chieng explains why this is all perfectly normal. Nick Offerman holds a microscope to Trump's "I love farmers" act to expose the policies, corporations, and advancements in processed food that have Americans yearning to eat like Europeans and small farmers struggling to stay afloat. Writer, actor, and comedian Jay Jurden sits down with Josh Johnson to discuss his debut stand-up special, "Yes Ma'am" on Hulu. He shares why his Southern charm prevents him from feeling like a real New Yorker, his experience studying theater at a football school, how studying the dramatic arts helps him stay present on stage, and his favorite jokes that both he and Wanda Sykes have ever written.
#17 - Aubrey Plaza & Dan Murphy
Season 30 - Episode 121 - Aired 10/29/2025
Desi Lydic covers Trump's state visit to South Korea, where he was honored with a "Yas King" rally, a golden crown, and the unofficial U.S. presidential anthem, "YMCA." Meanwhile, millions of Trump's constituents face a hunger crisis as SNAP benefits run out of funding due to the never-ending shutdown, and the GOP pretends there's nothing they can do about it. Not to worry, though, because Michael Kosta has a list of billionaire sugar daddies who are happy to step in and help, as long as Americans don't mind getting a little freaky. Democrats have been riding high since the success of the "No Kings" protests and the emergence of Democratic prospects like Zohran Mamdani. But why is the Democratic Party so afraid to harness this energy? Charlamagne Tha God breaks down how to swap this tired system for an energetic change. Emmy-nominated actor Aubrey Plaza and writer-producer Dan Murphy join Desi Lydic to discuss their new children's book, "Luna and the Witch Throw a Halloween Party."
#18 - Sebastian Maniscalco
Season 30 - Episode 134 - Aired 11/20/2025
Ronny Chieng dives into Trump's signing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Pam Bondi's shell-shocked statements about a new Epstein investigation aimed at Democrats, U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan's monumental screwup in the Comey case, Grok's ego-stroking of Elon Musk, and Melania Trump's unlikely speech to Marines about AI warfare. Plus, Michael Kosta looks into Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy's current problem with air travel: bad manners. America might be getting sick of RFK Jr. as health secretary, but much like the worm in his brain, he doesn't appear to be going anywhere. While you won't find his brand of non-professional medical advice on "Grey's Anatomy" or "The Pitt," you can find it on a bold new medical drama: RFK Hospital. Record-breaking comedian, actor, and podcast host Sebastian Maniscalco sits down with Ronny Chieng to discuss his latest Hulu special, "It Ain't Right."
#19 - Annie Leibovitz
Season 30 - Episode 141 - Aired 12/10/2025
Desi Lydic catches a Fox News closed caption writer's "minor" Freudian slip during Trump's economic rally, an event that focused less on affordability and more on Joe Biden. Plus, Michael Kosta explains why the president has been lashing out at female reporters so much lately: he's going through man-o-pause. TikTok's biggest trends in 2025 had "6-7" becoming the word of the year, high school seniors cosplaying assassins, people damaging property Kool-Aid Man-style, and Lewis Black wondering what the f**k is wrong with our society. Legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz joins Desi Lydic to discuss her powerful new collection of career-spanning work titled "Women." They talk about breaking stereotypes of pregnant women with Demi Moore's Vanity Fair cover, capturing Michelle Obama as she found her laid back self after eight years as first lady, her favorite unsmiling image of her mom where the camera "disappears," and Gloria Steinem's message in the book about women "not going backward."
#20 - Ryan Holiday
Season 30 - Episode 117 - Aired 10/22/2025
While thousands of government employees are working without pay during the ongoing government shutdown, Donald Trump is squeezing $230 million from the Department of Justice as compensation for the "damage" of being federally investigated. Michael Kosta breaks down the conflict of interest that's so bad, it even has legal experts saying "duh," and Troy Iwata gives a peek into what new grifts the president is cooking up in his corruption lab. Lewis Black takes a look at the new health craze tricking Americans into thinking they can have their protein-filled cake and eat it too. Ryan Holiday, creator of "Daily Stoic" and author of "Wisdom Takes Work," sits down with Michael Kosta to discuss teaching children Stoicism by example, how wisdom calibrates courage, discipline, and justice, the difference between schooling and true education, and the spectrum of Stoicism in public figures from Abraham Lincoln to Elon Musk.
#21 - Lonnie Thompson
Season 30 - Episode 142 - Aired 12/11/2025
The U.S.-Venezuela conflict escalates as the Department of Homeland Security TikTok-ifies the seizing of an oil tanker, and Trump can't resist taking credit for the "Captain Phillips" moment. Plus, the State Department bans the font Calibri for being "too woke," and Michael Kosta unpacks the new beef between conservatives and the font's creator. This Christmas, gather round from all sides of the political spectrum for the holiday rom-com "Oh, Trolly Night!" Watch online enemies and unlikely lovers come together to find out the answer to the question: Can love Trump hate? Paleoclimatologist at The Ohio State University Lonnie Thompson sits down with Michael Kosta to discuss his groundbreaking work collecting ice cores in tropical glaciers – the subject of the film "Canary," which is available to stream for free on YouTube over the holidays.
#22 - HIKARI
Season 30 - Episode 132 - Aired 11/18/2025
An (almost) unanimous vote in the House to release the Epstein files has Trump reversing his opposition to save face, Marjorie Taylor Greene looking like she's severed from MAGA, and Saudi Arabia's visiting crown prince getting a pass for murder. Ronny Chieng reflects on the road to releasing the Epstein files and Trump's key to uncovering the elite sex trafficking scandal: "Don't talk about it." You thought holiday travel was miserable? Try being an air traffic controller. Leslie Jones breaks down how the people with one of the most important jobs in America are being treated with Spirit Airlines-level disrespect and asks airlines to quit thinking so much about luxury perks and to start supporting these vital employees with better technology, better pay, and maybe some of that TSA-confiscated cocaine. Writer, producer, and director Hikari joins Ronny Chieng to discuss her new movie, "Rental Family." The award-winning filmmaker talks about discovering her love for American media.
#23 - Justine Lupe
Season 30 - Episode 122 - Aired 10/30/2025
Desi Lydic recaps Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where they had an unsurprisingly fruitless discussion about tariffs. Then, after Marjorie Taylor Greene calls out the GOP's lackluster response to the government shutdown and demands the release of the Epstein files, Desi is haunted by the question: Does she (gulp) agree with Marjorie Taylor Greene? Ronny Chieng takes a look at Neo, the new robot maid designed to help with everyday tasks, such as cracking walnuts, loading the dishwasher like a drunk person, and giving a remote human operator a glimpse into your home. Justine Lupe sits down with Desi Lydic to discuss her role in the hit Netflix series, "Nobody Wants This." Lupe dives into playing codependent sisters with Kristen Bell, navigating her character's ambiguous dynamics with Timothy Simons, being adored by her partners on and off screen, and what her girlfriends have taught her about love and strength.
#24 - Nikki DeLoach
Season 30 - Episode 136 - Aired 12/2/2025
Desi Lydic covers Melania getting into the mandatory Christmas spirit by decorating the un-bulldozed parts of the White House, Kash Patel refusing to do his job without a big girl FBI jacket, and Pete Hegseth responding to possible war crimes charges by throwing his admiral and a cartoon turtle under the bus. Plus, Jordan Klepper wants YOU to join Hegseth's scapegoat army. Michael Kosta drops the hottest tips for a cash-tacular Christmas: Skip expensive Christmas gifts by converting religions, swap pasta for wringing sauce cloths, and gift an AI teddy bear that covers sex ed. Actor and philanthropist Nikki DeLoach sits down with her friend Desi Lydic to discuss starring in the latest Hallmark movie, "A Grand Ole Opry Christmas," how working on the film was a healing experience for her after losing her father, and why Hallmark movies seem to resonate with viewers during hard times.
#25 - Jeff Tweedy
Season 30 - Episode 118 - Aired 10/23/2025
Michael Kosta dives into the alleged involvement of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat star Terry Rozier in illegal gambling schemes. Plus, Donald Trump continues to defend the construction of his mega-sized White House ballroom as he fully demolishes the East Wing. And Josh Johnson thanks the contractor-in-chief on behalf of waltz-loving podcast bros everywhere. Jeff Tweedy, Grammy award-winning frontman of the band Wilco and bestselling author, sits down with Michael Kosta to discuss his new solo album, "Twilight Override," named to evoke his feeling of getting older and watching a world that "appears to be getting darker." Tweedy also discusses why he's glad to have spent his formative years as a musician in the midwest, his theory that repressed trauma after Covid is one cause of present-day chaos, and the need for everyone to spend less time on their phones and more time with people who love them.