The BEST episodes of The Daily Show season 31
Every episode of The Daily Show season 31, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of The Daily Show season 31!
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 - Jason Bateman
Season 31 - Episode 67 - Aired 6/1/2026
Trump says a peace deal with Iran is imminent, but he’s been making that claim for months. Jon Stewart examines Trump’s shaky record as a negotiator, despite his self-proclaimed status as the best in the world and argues that his "Art of the Deal" is really just the art of trolling. Plus, the Freedom 250 concert continues to unravel as more headliners drop out, and former TDS News Team correspondent Olivia Munn stops by with a heartfelt tribute that was definitely not intended for Stephen Colbert. Jason Bateman also joins Jon to talk about his new projects, Netflix’s Black Rabbit and HBO’s DTF St. Louis, sharing how the latter found its unique voice and reflecting with Jon on aging, fatherhood, and the loneliness of kids leaving for college.
#2 - Jake Sullivan
Season 31 - Episode 36 - Aired 3/23/2026
Trump’s eventful weekend of golfing, sightseeing, and ignoring the imploding effects of the war in Iran has Jon Stewart wondering who the hell the president has been claiming to negotiate with overseas, and whether this "top person" even exists. Plus, airport chaos amid a government shutdown has ICE filling in for the TSA as part of Trump's escalating chaos rampage. Jake Sullivan, former National Security Advisor, Harvard Kennedy School professor, and co-host of “The Long Game” podcast, joins Jon Stewart to break down the war in Iran, U.S. foreign policy, and the future of nuclear negotiations. Sullivan shares his insights on President Trump’s approach to Iran and Iran’s “coherent and clear” strategy. Plus, Sullivan reflects on his time working on secret negotiations with Iranian officials during the Obama administration and tells the story of a historic first direct contact between U.S. and Iranian presidents since 1979.
#3 - Sherrilyn Ifill
Season 31 - Episode 55 - Aired 5/4/2026
As America's situationship with Iran hits the 60-day War Powers Act deadline, Trump brazenly ignores Congress's authority while spouting nonsense about America's depleted weapons inventory, and Jon Stewart marvels at our "genius" president's faulty math and cognitive skills. Plus, a visit from a real monarch, King Charles, shines a light on the lack of checks and balances from America's absent Congress. Civil rights lawyer and founding director of Howard Law School's 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy, Sherrilyn Ifill, sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss the Supreme Court's weakening of the Voting Rights Act. They talk about how the reinstatement for purposeful discrimination overturned the court's own precedent, how the Voting Rights Act protects the voting strength of minorities and their candidates of choice, and the dangerous potential for Trump and Republicans to redistrict using this precedent in an effort to turn seats in the House.
#4 - Ben McKenzie
Season 31 - Episode 50 - Aired 4/23/2026
Michael Kosta dives into America’s naval blockade of Iranian ports as the U.S. Navy frays at home. After Pete Hegseth fires Navy Secretary John Phelan, Trump swaps the unqualified rich guy for Hung Cao, known for anti-witch remarks and calls for more “alpha males and alpha females” in uniform. Desi Lydic explores Trump’s long-running vendetta against wind turbines, tracing how a 2012 eyesore near his Scottish golf course became, to him, the cause of everything. Then Ben McKenzie discusses his documentary “Everyone Is Lying to You for Money,” arguing crypto isn’t real money and that hype, celebrity ads, and opacity mask risk. He says criminals permeate the industry and calls for regulation and jail time for bad actors.
#5 - Aziz Abu Sarah & Moaz Inon
Season 31 - Episode 43 - Aired 4/13/2026
Jon Stewart dives into the backlash over Trump Jesus-ifying himself with AI, the president claiming he was just depicting himself as a "doctor" (treating a bedridden Jon Stewart?), and Trump starting an Easter beef with Pope Leo. Plus, JD Vance fails to secure a deal with Iran while ALSO failing to get Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban reelected. "We don't have to be on opposite sides. We can be on the same side, fighting for justice together, fighting for peace together." Peace activists and authors of "The Future Is Peace," Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon sit down with Jon Stewart to share their inspirational story of family loss and choosing reconciliation over revenge in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Through honest dialogue, visits to Holocaust and Palestinian sites, and confronting painful stories, they spread the message of how empathy can break cycles of violence and war. They also challenge the idea that empathy is naive and share what it was like meeting Pope Francis.
#6 - Maggie Haberman & Jonathan Swan
Season 31 - Episode 79 - Aired 6/22/2026
Jon Stewart examines Trump’s knack for breaking what wasn’t broken, from giving a crony $1.7 million in taxpayer money to clean the D.C. reflecting pool—only for it to turn from “American Flag Blue” to Mountain Dew green—to launching an aggressive war on Iran meant to re-obliterate its nuclear program, then landing on a gentle-parenting-style deal that lets Iran keep its nukes and a few hundred billion dollars. New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, authors of “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump,” join Stewart to discuss revelations about the administration, including Trump being absent when his team discussed the Epstein files, the motives behind the tariff rollout and Iran war, and how he controls the terms when reporters reach him by cell phone. They also compare his first term to his second, describing the latter as a story of hubris, gut instinct, and a cabinet’s belief that he is someone of destiny.
#7 - Cindy Cohn
Season 31 - Episode 40 - Aired 3/30/2026
Happy one monthiversary of the Iran war. With the Strait of Hormuz still closed, Jon Stewart looks at how global shortages are rippling outward, hitting everything from grain and helium to pickleballs. At home, Americans flood the streets for the No Kings protests while CPAC counters with Trump’s Yassss Kings rally. The U.S. also finally gets a detailed explanation of the president’s objectives and exit strategy—limited, for now, to the White House ballroom. Jon speaks with attorney Cindy Cohn about her book, Privacy’s Defender: My Thirty Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance, and her work leading the Electronic Frontier Foundation. She reflects on the post 9/11 surveillance fight, warns how internet regulation can backfire, and argues that meaningful reform requires strong privacy laws, new tech business models, and more choices for users. As she notes, the solution isn’t better dictators—it’s fewer of them.
#8 - Jodi Kantor
Season 31 - Episode 51 - Aired 4/27/2026
Jon Stewart dives into the chaos at the White House Correspondents' Dinner: a shooter interrupts mentalist Oz Pearlman mid-reveal of Karoline Leavitt's baby name, cabinet members ditch their wives to rush to safety, Wolf Blitzer reports from the scene missing a shoe, and Trump claims none of it would've happened in his larger, more secure East Wing ballroom. Plus, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog recounts dodging bullets while avoiding becoming dinner for RFK Jr. Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jodi Kantor joins Stewart to discuss The New York Times' Supreme Court coverage and her book, "How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work," including internal documents, the shadow docket's growth, and her advice to new grads on finding purposeful work.
#9 - Josh Tyrangiel
Season 31 - Episode 59 - Aired 5/11/2026
Jon Stewart dives into the hantavirus cruise ship panic sweeping the news cycle, the landfill visit that appears to have sparked the spread, whether we're getting a pandemic sequel, and the media's eagerness to sensationalize the virus while health experts urge calm. Plus, Trump gets his own version of the golden calf, and cruise ships offer free norovirus. Josh Tyrangiel, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of "AI for Good: How Real People Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter" joins Jon Stewart to discuss why there is a brief but closing window to use public pressure and political will to demand AI that actually works with human beings, and doesn't replace them. Tyrangiel shares how teachers, doctors and caregivers are quietly using AI as a tool to change lives. They also discuss why Fortune 100 CEOs don't want to talk about AI's impact on their workforce and this idea of imagining "tech without the tech companies."
#10 - Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Season 31 - Episode 42 - Aired 4/1/2026
Desi Lydic takes on Trump’s appearance at Supreme Court oral arguments on birthright citizenship as he argues the constitutional right should apply only to “billionaires,” while also pushing ahead with construction of the White House ballroom despite a federal judge ordering it stopped. Trump also unveils plans for a presidential hotel brary. Lewis Black breaks down prediction markets, where people are now betting on everything from future wars to Trump’s next insult, with some markets giving Jesus better odds of returning than the New York Jets have of winning a Super Bowl. Desi is also joined by board certified OB/GYN Dr. Mary Claire Haver, founder of The ‘Pause Life, to discuss her book The New Perimenopause. Dr. Haver explains what perimenopause is, why early mental and neurological symptoms are often misdiagnosed, and how women can advocate for their health and navigate this “second puberty” without suffering.
#11 - Adam Scott
Season 31 - Episode 58 - Aired 5/7/2026
Desi Lydic tackles the latest headlines: A judge releases Jeffrey Epsteins purported suicide note; Republicans pledge midterm loyalty to Trump and his 80-year-old fighting skills; and for Mother’s Day, Trump gifts moms an autocorrect rant. Plus, Troy Iwata, Jordan Klepper, and Michael Kosta face off over who could take Trump in a fight. Josh Johnson digs into a viral JPMorgan sexual-harassment lawsuit, where a male employee accused a female colleague of coercing him into a “sex slave arrangement”, setting off a frenzy of sexist memes and sensational coverage before the claims reportedly fell apart under scrutiny. Award-winning actor Adam Scott joins Desi to talk horror-comedy in his new film, Hokum, plus how Step Brothers shaped his comedy path, his dramatic turns in Big Little Lies and Severance, and playing an asshole after being typecast as the likable guy.
#12 - Weird Al Yankovic
Season 31 - Episode 66 - Aired 5/21/2026
Trump's $1.8 billion slush fund for his allies is here, and the line is already forming: the Proud Boys, the MyPillow guy, George Santos, even the lectern guy. The DOJ says the price tag fits, and Ronny Chieng does the math on what eligible Americans would get. He also breaks down Trump's Coast Guard Academy speech, where the president seemed fixated on hot, muscular men and hinted he may be too busy for Don Jr.'s wedding. Then it's a celebration of the one truly unifying moment in American history: the 1992 Olympic Basketball Dream Team. Boom-shaka-laka. Plus, "Weird Al" Yankovic joins Ronny ahead of his "Bigger and Weirder 2026" tour to reflect on his accordion origins, parody process, permission-first philosophy, and lifelong mission to make polka sexy again.
#13 - Boots Riley
Season 31 - Episode 62 - Aired 5/14/2026
Jordan Klepper covers Trump’s media-saturated China visit, from Bret Baier’s bizarre fixation on a Chinese robot’s sausage to Xi forcing Trump to face history, stairs, and tense closed-door talks on Taiwan that reportedly left him rattled. Ronny Chieng helps Josh Johnson sharpen his Asian references. Grace Kuhlenschmidt tackles the latest tech absurdities, from Prego’s dinner-table listening device to Bebop the Robot’s air-travel disaster, delivery bots menacing pedestrians, and robo-Buddhism in South Korea. Filmmaker Boots Riley joins Jordan to discuss his new film, "I Love Boosters," using fashion and shoplifting culture to critique capitalism and argue that art should inspire collective action long after the credits roll.
#14 - Sterling K. Brown
Season 31 - Episode 37 - Aired 3/24/2026
President Trump cheerfully accepts a mysterious “gift” from his enemies in Iran, yet forces TSA agents to work without pay as travelers slog through nine hour airport lines—all because he refuses to approve a bipartisan deal in Congress. He’s also sending untrained ICE agents into airports, and even though they’re not helping ease the chaos, Josh Johnson is at least relieved they’re not out on the streets. Meanwhile, AI is reshaping the world, warping young minds, stealing jobs, and maybe even plotting humanity’s downfall. Former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower Daniel Kokotajlo tells Ronny Chieng why he believes current AI poses a real extinction threat. Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Sterling K. Brown joins Johnson to talk about his series Paradise, why he became an actor “to entertain, educate, and edify,” and how struggling artists can stay motivated. Plus, Josh Johnson delivers the Mini Roast of Sterling K. Brown.
#15 - Paul Dano
Season 31 - Episode 60 - Aired 5/12/2026
Jordan Klepper recaps the White House maternal healthcare/Teen Mom fan event—Dr. Oz diagnosing America as “under-babied,” RFK Jr. reminiscing about the good ol’ days of teenage sperm, and Trump catching up on his REM in one long blink. Meanwhile, over-babied Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy isn’t lowering travel costs—he’s scoring funding for his own road-trip reality show with sketchy sponsorship cash, and Desi Lydic is taking notes. Can a wearable AI “friend” fix the male loneliness epidemic? Ronny Chieng interviews the founders of two rival AI necklace companies about how it works, what people think, and whether their feud can cool down. Actor Paul Dano joins Jordan to discuss his film “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” his role as a Russian media manipulator behind Putin’s rise, and the movie’s take on complicity and today’s political climate—Russia and beyond—plus whether he’ll do comedy again and what it’d be like to play Trump insider RFK Jr.
#16 - Jane Fonda
Season 31 - Episode 71 - Aired 6/8/2026
Elmo goes viral for staying neutral on a Knicks-Spurs Finals, Trump storms out of his Meet the Press interview with Kristen Welker, and Jon Stewart questions why the media keeps letting Trump’s lashing out, rain-dodging, and question-avoiding slide. “I’m my dad’s daughter.” Jane Fonda joins Stewart to reflect on following her father’s path in acting and activism. Now part of the revived Committee for the First Amendment, she discusses their June 14 NYC event, Rise Up, Sing Out, and its 5,000-plus livestream parties nationwide. They also explore music’s role in resistance and what it takes to organize real change: becoming “living ambassadors to an irresistible future” where everyone is seen, respected, and cared for by their government.
#17 - Gaten Matarazzo
Season 31 - Episode 52 - Aired 4/28/2026
Josh Johnson looks at how the GOP is scrambling to use the shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner to hard-sell Trump's $400 million ballroom on the pretense of national security, with American taxpayers footing the bill. Plus, Jordan Klepper finds out if other countries have security ideas better than just "ballroom." From Peter Doocy to Dr. Oz to Marco Rubio, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog got up close and deeply personal with the D.C. power players and media heavyweights swarming the red carpet at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, aka Black Tie January 6. Actor Gaten Matarazzo talks to Josh about starring in the new comedy, "Pizza Movie." They discuss the foods that Matarazzo would go on a wild goose chase for and how he prepared for this "love letter to stoner movies." He also describes his return to his theater roots in "Octet," an upcoming movie musical directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
#18 - Paul W. Downs
Season 31 - Episode 56 - Aired 5/5/2026
Desi Lydic breaks down how airlines are cutting corners to offset rising fuel prices, from trimmed beverage service on Delta to the total wipeout of service on the now-defunct Spirit. And while President Trump bragged about acing a cognitive test by telling an alligator from a squirrel, a rant about rigged elections and nuclear war to an audience of kids suggests he can’t tell minors from adults. Ronny Chieng and Michael Kosta go another round in Sports War: Cherie DeVaux makes history at the Kentucky Derby, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel faces affair rumors involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini, and 76ers vs. Knicks playoff tickets are limited to Philly fans. Then Emmy-winning writer/actor and “Hacks” co-creator Paul W. Downs joins Desi to talk the show’s fifth and final season, the Jimmy-Kayla chemistry, the real-life inspirations for Deborah’s late-night arc (Joan Rivers and more), his AI concerns, and the pressure to land a finale that works for fans and creators.
#19 - Soumaya Keynes & Chad P. Bown
Season 31 - Episode 63 - Aired 5/18/2026
Trump supposedly went to China to get tough on trade, collect rare earth minerals, and maybe solve the Iran War, but instead he spent his trip telling President Xi what a tall, handsome, and strong leader he is. Plus, it's graduation season, and Jon Stewart gives the Class of 2026 the ultimate guide on how to nail that big job interviews the Donald Trump way. Financial Times columnist Soumaya Keynes and Chad P. Bown of the Peterson Institute for International Economics sit down with Jon Stewart to discuss their forthcoming book, "How to Win a Trade War." They talk about Trump's disregard of the most basic military strategy by starting a trade war on all fronts, how this administration’s-imposed tariffs revealed U.S. trade vulnerabilities, the debate over whether corporations are the soldiers or mercenaries of trade wars, and how wage insurance could transform job security for domestic workers.
#20 - Neil deGrasse Tyson
Season 31 - Episode 61 - Aired 5/13/2026
Jordan Klepper covers Trump calling a reporter a "dumb person" over questions about his expanding ballroom project and dives into the president's CEO-filled trip to a major summit in China. Back home, MAGA turns on Don Jr. and Eric's Trump Mobile phone company over unfulfilled orders affecting about 600,000 people. Though the Constitution bars Trump from another term, he keeps "joking" about a 2028 run. Charlamagne Tha God examines how Republicans brush off the third-term talk while dodging whether Trump is bound by the 22nd Amendment. Plus, Neil deGrasse Tyson joins Jordan to discuss alien etiquette, UFOs, flat-earthers, pop culture's alien mistakes, and his new book, "Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter."
#21 - Dr. Thomas Mather
Season 31 - Episode 68 - Aired 6/2/2026
Michael Kosta covers Trump’s impressive losing streak: his name is being removed from the Kennedy Center, headliners are dropping out of his America 250 concert, Congress is blocking his slush fund, and he still hasn’t delivered on a peace deal with Iran. Plus, Ivanka and Jared buy a private Mediterranean island for about $1.5 billion. Desi Lydic examines two scandal-hit midterm contenders: Maine Democrat Graham Platner faces criticism for sexting other women while married, and Colorado MAGA candidate Victor Marx is under scrutiny for dubious claims about calling in an airstrike against ISIS as a civilian, performing exorcisms by phone, and possibly killing people. Dr. Thomas Mather, aka The TickGuy, joins Michael to share how to stay safe from ticks outdoors year-round.
#22 - RZA
Season 31 - Episode 54 - Aired 4/30/2026
Josh Johnson dives into Trump's telephonic Iran peace talks, a jab at NASA pick Jared Isaacman s ears, and Republicans insisting racism is over after the Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act. Ronny Chieng breaks down why Republicans are celebrating while minorities panic. Jordan Klepper Anal-a-Zones California s pivotal governor race: Eric Swalwell s scandal-plagued exit scrambles the jungle primary, leaving Democrats with a rizzless lineup from Love Actually parodying Tom Steyer to hologram-flexing Matt Mahan. On the right, voters choose between long-talking British expat Steve Hilton and firebrand Sheriff Chad Bianco, all the Village People at once. Legendary Wu-Tang founder RZA joins Johnson to discuss his new film, One Spoon of Chocolate, detailing its 2012 origins, his sample-driven creative process, and why confronting uncomfortable racism on screen serves a larger message of equality.
#23 - Sen. Raphael Warnock
Season 31 - Episode 75 - Aired 6/15/2026
Trump signs a deal with Iran that lands him back at square one, Fox News uses New York's city-wide Knicks celebrations as an excuse to smear Mayor Mamdani, and Jon Stewart dives into what Republicans stand to gain by pitting the Knicks' NBA championship against Trump's UFC fight at the White House. U.S. Senator and senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Raphael Warnock, sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss his book, "The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America." They talk about Ebenezer's long legacy of faith and justice, why he continues to return to the pulpit most Sundays, his "candid conversation" about faith with House Speaker Mike Johnson, and how the acid test of faith authenticity is the depth of commitment to the most marginalized groups.
#24 - Annalena Baerbock
Season 31 - Episode 47 - Aired 4/20/2026
Jon Stewart unpacks Trump’s Iran “Art of the Deal,” tracing threats, consequences, and concessions that add up to winning nothing. Republicans hail a self-declared victory as “a brilliant day for the world,” while Trump signs a bill to fast-track the psychedelic ibogaine, boasting, “You think Biden could do that?” Stewart also sits down with UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, who breaks down the growing challenges facing the United Nations—from tensions in the Strait of Hormuz to the limits of the Security Council veto—arguing diplomacy is both harder and more necessary than ever. She also discusses selecting the next UN Secretary-General, and whether member states will finally choose a woman to lead the body in its 80-year history.
#25 - Chase Infiniti
Season 31 - Episode 69 - Aired 6/3/2026
Michael Kosta covers the California and New Jersey primaries: Spencer Pratt’s L.A. mayoral campaign gets the reality-TV treatment, California hints at its first Latino governor since 1875, and New Jersey candidate Tom Kean remains conspicuously absent. Trump pitches putting his UFC ring on the White House lawn, while Ronny Chieng argues Kean’s disappearing act may be exactly what voters want. In NYC, Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveils his boldest idea yet: repealing bedtime during the Knicks’ Finals. Grace Kuhlenschmidt asks kids what they think, with responses ranging from “awesome” to “Let’s go Knicks!” Plus, Chase Infiniti joins Michael to talk about starring as Agnes in Hulu’s The Testaments, honoring Margaret Atwood’s world, the power of community, her love for Chicago, and lessons from the leadership on One Battle After Another.