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 - Paul Rudd
Season 30 - Episode 37 - Aired 3/24/2025
Jon Stewart goes old-school Daily Show on Trump and Republicans who pride themselves on "saving" free speech, all while censoring anybody who doesn't agree with them. Paul Rudd sits down with Jon Stewart to chat about his latest starring roles in the films "Death of a Unicorn" and "Friendship," watching their kids grow up, and, of course, pharmaceutical side effects to the perineum.
#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 - Matthew Desmond
Season 30 - Episode 29 - Aired 3/3/2025
Jon Stewart dives into the Oval Office meeting between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy, which shocked viewers more than John Cena's heel-turn. Plus, Jon calls bulls**t on Elon Musk's challenge to an interview. "Investing in American people and stabilizing communities that need it the most is the best way for all of us." Sociologist at Princeton University and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Evicted," Matthew Desmond sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss his latest book, "Poverty, by America." They talk about America's welfare state, how society benefits from poverty, the opportunity to close the poverty gap if the top one percent paid their taxes, and empowering the poor with better choices like building worker power, and expanding housing choice. They also highlight how Democrats need to get more serious about economic justice to fully commit to poverty abolitionism.
#4 - 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.
#5 - Rupa Bhattacharyya
Season 30 - Episode 25 - Aired 2/24/2025
Jon Stewart dives into Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency, a.k.a. DOGE, and how the Elon Musk-led project masks its allegiance to corporate overlords and negligence to the American people under the guise of slashing the government's budget. "We shouldn't live in a world where the only programs that get saved are the ones Republicans are willing to put their stamp of approval on." Jon Stewart joins Georgetown Law's Rupa Bhattacharyya, former Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, to discuss how Elon Musk and the DOGE project's reckless budget cuts are affecting valuable programs like the one she used to oversee. Bhattacharyya explains how federal agencies and programs were typically non-politicized until Trump's second administration, how similar uncertainty is affecting the World Trade Center Health Program, and why these roles are what the government exists to provide.
#6 - 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.
#7 - 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.
#8 - Bowen Yang
Season 30 - Episode 48 - Aired 4/10/2025
Desi Lydic tackles Trump's cabinet of ass-kissers, his war on water pressure, and Kristi Noem's viral gun photo-op. Plus, Troy Iwata breaks down the White House's top issue: temperamental showers. Michael Kosta dives into America's mad money problems in the face of Trump's tariffs: panicked shopping on the rise, price hikes on everyday toys and goods, and the uncertainty around those precious iPhones. "Saturday Night Live" star and "Las Culturistas" co-host Bowen Yang sits down with Desi Lydic to discuss his new rom-com, "The Wedding Banquet." He shares the process behind his portrayals of hilarious "SNL" villains like JD Vance and George Santos, whether his pop-culture podcast has changed over the years, and why his new film feels like a "warm hug of a movie."
#9 - Rutger Bregman
Season 30 - Episode 57 - Aired 5/5/2025
Jon Stewart sorts Trump's latest barrage of bulls**t into the "OK" and "NOT OK" piles, including telling kids to cut down on dolls and pencils, calling for Alcatraz to reopen, posting AI-generated images of himself as the Pope, and shrugging off the Constitution. Historian and best-selling author Rutger Bregman joins Jon Stewart to unpack his latest book, "Moral Ambition," which is a call to action for people, especially those with education and privilege, to devote their talent and resources to careers and causes that make the world a better place. He describes how the political left has often made the mistake of placing moral purity above political relevance, and what they can learn from conservatives about building small movements into a larger, results-oriented coalition.
#10 - David Remnick
Season 30 - Episode 21 - Aired 2/10/2025
Jon Stewart tackles Trump's attempt to be the Super Bowl MVP and examines the president's rejection of federal agencies, birthright citizenship, and basic constitutional checks and balances. Plus, John Oliver welcomes America to its monarchy era. The New Yorker editor David Remnick sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss the magazine's 100th Anniversary Issue and journey since its inception in 1925. They also talk about the importance of long-form journalism, especially under the overwhelming second Trump administration, as well as how the president is overstepping executive power, the danger of the tech oligarchy, and the need for Democratic politicians and citizens alike to finish licking their wounds and take action.
#11 - Richard Reeves
Season 30 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/8/2025
Desi Lydic covers conservative media's support for Trump's Greenland invasion idea, Trump blaming Gavin Newsom for the LA wildfires, and Trump's plans for pardoning the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Desi Lydic tackles New York's controversial new congestion pricing toll, while Josh Johnson hits the street to hear from real New Yorkers. "People say men don't have problems. They are the problem." Founding president of the American Institute for Boys and Men and "Of Boys and Men" author, Richard Reeves, sits down with Desi Lydic to initiate a national conversation about the issues facing America's young men. They discuss creating a space for dialogue about men's issues without blaming women, how the phrase "toxic masculinity" pushes men from productive conversation, increasing the amount of men in teaching and mental healthcare, and how Trump acknowledged men's issues but encouraged America to move backward.
#12 - Peter Wolf
Season 30 - Episode 36 - Aired 3/20/2025
Jordan Klepper covers Trump's anti-DEI fallout, including the Pentagon's erasure of Jackie Robinson and The Enola Gay. Plus, Troy Iwata joins the Republicans' campaign to revive Tesla stock and keep Elon Musk rich. With many Americans preparing for doomsday, the apocalypse has become good business. Michael Kosta visits Fortitude Ranch, a post-apocalyptic survival community where preppers can wait out the end times in country-club glamour with their own rooms, artillery, and food supplies…for a hefty amount of cash. Legendary musician, artist, and New York Times best-selling author Peter Wolf joins Jordan Klepper to talk about his new memoir, "Waiting on the Moon." The former J. Geils Band frontman recounts the era in which he wrote their album "Full House," and how he strived to write a "not-boring" memoir by sharing vignettes about the people he idolized.
#13 - 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.
#14 - 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.
#15 - 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.
#16 - 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.
#17 - 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."
#18 - 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.
#19 - 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.
#20 - Carole Cadwalladr
Season 30 - Episode 69 - Aired 6/2/2025
Jon Stewart tracks Elon Musk's White House crash, from the high of being Trump's "first buddy" to the low of his black-eyed DOGE send-off. Now that the 100-day honeymoon is over, Jon also checks in on Trump's other struggling cabinet members, like the FBI's burned-out deputy director, Dan Bongino. "I think what is happening in America is they are building a techno-authoritarian surveillance state." Carole Cadwalladr, the award-winning journalist behind the Substack newsletter "How to Survive the Broligarchy," talks to Jon Stewart about how the U.S. government ignored the huge wake-up call that was the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook data breach scandal – a story Cadwalladr broke and which resulted in no legislative protections for citizens' private data. She warns about the unregulated dangers that data-mining and AI pose to individual privacy and freedom, and what people and institutions can do to push back on big tech's authoritarian agenda.
#21 - Oren Cass
Season 30 - Episode 41 - Aired 3/31/2025
Jon Stewart checks in on the state of democracy after Trump considers an unconstitutional third term in office, then takes a look at how all the national security officials involved in Signalgate have managed to skirt any accountability and keep their jobs, all while thousands of hard-working government employees lose theirs in DOGE layoffs. Oren Cass, chief economist at American Compass, who writes the "Understanding America" newsletter, sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss conservative economic policies of the New Right, which will be outlined in his forthcoming book, "The New Conservatives." Cass describes a conservative shift from faith in markets, using tariffs as incentives to pursue profit that supports society, how livable wages are the key to a strong economy, and the U.S.'s ideal economic and security alliance that includes balanced trade, owning defense burdens, and keeping China out.
#22 - 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.
#23 - Sen. Chris Murphy
Season 30 - Episode 33 - Aired 3/17/2025
Jon Stewart highlights how the Democrats' divisiveness over Trump's budget bill is emblematic of their lack of vision, plummeting approval ratings, and continued losses against the MAGA cult. Third-term Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut sits down with Jon Stewart to talk about the Democratic party's path moving forward. He explains why he disagreed over the Dems' decision not to filibuster the GOP budget, why his colleagues should be willing to take more risks, how misaligned priorities cost them voters to Trump, and the need to rally behind long-lasting ideas.
#24 - Tammy Duckworth
Season 30 - Episode 51 - Aired 4/16/2025
Ronny Chieng breaks down how JD Vance's comments calling Chinese people "peasants" have escalated both the shade war and the trade war with China, impacting American industries from automakers to Hollywood. Plus, Troy Iwata chimes in on the one thriving business of the trade war: TikTok luxury knockoffs. Michael Kosta checks in with Canadians to see how they feel about Donald Trump's aims to make them America's 51st state, including one ex-pat who immigrated to Canada when Trump first became president and a gun-loving member of Canada's silent MAGA minority. Iraq War veteran and Democratic Senator from Illinois Tammy Duckworth sits down with Ronny Chieng to discuss the work she is doing in Congress to improve care for veterans and how the Trump administration is setting back that progress by taking jobs away from thousands of veterans and making DOGE cuts to life-saving Veterans' Affairs programs.
#25 - Mark Carney
Season 30 - Episode 5 - Aired 1/13/2025
Jon Stewart examines how Trump's finger-pointing, and the GOP's threats to withhold disaster relief for the L.A. wildfires are missing the bigger picture: nature is f**ked, and helping those in pain shouldn't be a political issue. Mark Carney, Canadian economist and former Governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, chats with Jon Stewart about his country's response to Donald Trump's desire to annex Canada: "It's not going to happen." They also discuss the impending financial crisis Canada faces if Trump follows through on his tariff threats and how the country's upcoming election involving the leader of the opposition Conservative Party Pierre Poilievre mirrors the 2024 U.S. presidential race. Carney also discusses his bona fides as he considers entering the race to replace Trudeau as the leader of Canada's Liberal Party.