Comedy Central’s Ronny Chieng is The Daily Show’s first host-of-the-week for 2026, and he got off to a rough start on Tuesday when he declared that in the aftermath of the capture of Nicolas Maduro that the American people are being told that “they are now the Evil Empire.”
Chieng began by questioning the legality of the operation, “The world is still in shock over Donald Trump's surprise DoorDash-ing of Nicolas Maduro to Brooklyn. And he didn't even tip! And I have to say, I did not see this Venezuela thing coming. And I read the news every day. So the lesson here is, reading is pointless. But now Maduro will face justice in the best legal system in the world that we illegally kidnapped him to.”
He then introduced a brief clip of ABC’s Aaron Katersky, “And it all began yesterday morning when he showed up to court. And if this isn't Iraq all over again, why are they reusing Saddam Hussein's courtroom sketches? Let's see how his first day went.”
In the clip, Katersky reported that “Maduro greeted spectators in the courtroom, saying, ‘Buenos dias.’"
For Chieng, this was a good move, “’Buenos dias,’ smart legal strategy by Maduro. If he speaks Spanish, ICE might bust in and deport him back to Venezuela just out of habit.”
Later, Chieng played another clip, this time of White House advisor Stephen Miller telling CNN’s Jake Tapper, “Damn straight we did” capture Maduro. Chieng responded by breaking out his Miller impression, “’Damn straight we did! I can swear whenever I want. I don't give a dick-shit what my parents say, bitch!’ Listening to this guy talk is like if Nazis took helium instead of meth.”
As for the substance, Chieng added, “But still, this is a big change for Americans. They are now being told that their view of themselves as a benevolent force for good is gone, and they are now the Evil Empire. And as we look at this photo of a foreign leader in our custody, every American has to decide how to respond in this moment.”
Chieng then moved on to the bizarre trend that is seeing the Nike tracksuit Maduro wore on the flight to the U.S. being sold out on Nike’s website. However, the evocation of “the Evil Empire” naturally brings to mind President Reagan’s description of the Soviet Union. If Chieng is asking Americans to compare the capture of a man indicted on federal drug trafficking charges who ran an organized crime syndicate masquerading as a country to the USSR, it is not going to end well for him because most Americans, unlike Stephen Colbert, do not have nice things to say about the Soviet Union.
Here is a transcript for the January 6 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
1/6/2026
11:01 PM ET
RONNY CHIENG: The world is still in shock over Donald Trump's surprise DoorDash-ing of Nicolas Maduro to Brooklyn. And he didn't even tip! And I have to say, I did not see this Venezuela thing coming. And I read the news every day. So the lesson here is, reading is pointless. But now Maduro will face justice in the best legal system in the world that we illegally kidnapped him to. And it all began yesterday morning when he showed up to court. And if this isn't Iraq all over again, why are they reusing Saddam Hussein's courtroom sketches? Let's see how his first day went.
AARON KATERSKY: Maduro greeted spectators in the courtroom, saying, "Buenos dias."
CHIENG: "Buenos dias," smart legal strategy by Maduro. If he speaks Spanish, ICE might bust in and deport him back to Venezuela just out of habit.
…
CHIENG: [Stephen Miller voice] "Damn straight we did! I can swear whenever I want. I don't give a dick-shit what my parents say, bitch!" Listening to this guy talk is like if Nazis took helium instead of meth. But still, this is a big change for Americans. They are now being told that their view of themselves as a benevolent force for good is gone, and they are now the Evil Empire. And as we look at this photo of a foreign leader in our custody, every American has to decide how to respond in this moment.
