The cast of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show had a busy day of activism on Tuesday. First, host-of-the-week Jordan Klepper reacted to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gifting President Trump a German soccer jersey by implying that Trump wished it was a Nazi one. Later, Desi Lydic interviewed four former federal employees who were DOGE-ed who are now running for Congress as Democrats and gushed about how they are “political unicorns” dedicated to service.
With Trump in France for the G7 Summit, Klepper declared, “Now, Trump's goal at the summit is to work with our allies and strengthen America's standing in the world. I am [bleep] with you. No! He's there for the presents!”
The Daily Show's Jordan Klepper is relieved the German chancellor's soccer jersey gift to Trump wasn't a Nazi jersey, "Although if the Germans insist on giving Trump one of their uniforms, this probably is the best case scenario. Just thinking it through. He is into those… pic.twitter.com/Rrygnczp1h
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 17, 2026
That led to a clip of footage of Merz giving Trump a jersey with a reporter explaining, “The German chancellor offering President Trump a customized German football jersey.”
Klepper reacted by retorting, “You can tell he really loves it, ya know! 'Wow, a size medium shirt, yeah, thanks. You know Qatar got me a plane, right?' Although if the Germans insist on giving Trump one of their uniforms, this probably is the best-case scenario. Just thinking it through. He is into those heritage editions.”
When Klepper says German “heritage editions,” he isn’t talking about the House of Hohenzollern.
Later, Klepper’s anti-Trump activism gave way to Lydic’s pro-Democrat activism when she interviewed Alexis Goldstein, Alissa Ellman, Michael Duffin, and Tracy Starr about their new career ambitions. While Lydic utilized heavy amounts of sarcasm throughout the segment, it was obvious the point was to portray the quartet as the epitome of public service. Towards the end she declared, “These people who were fired for waste, fraud, and abuse are about to voluntarily enter a world of waste, fraud, and abuse, and it was obvious from their half-baked revenge plots that they were going to need my help.”
Talking with Ellman, she questioned, “You're about to go up against some seriously corrupt politicians. I need to test you to see if you are ready. Tell me your party platform in 15 seconds.”
Ellman replied with, “Anticorruption, government reform, working mom,” but the sarcastic Lydic replied, “Wrong. You didn't ask me for a donation once. Not once.”
Now speaking to with Goldstein, she wondered, “Ted Cruz is next to you in the lunch line. You can smell his breath on the back of your neck. He has asked if he can sit next to you. What do you do?”
After Goldstein said, “Run away?” Lydic answered, “Okay. You got that one right.”
Summing it all up, she added, “This is something I never thought I would see, like Bigfoot or a hit TV show about gay hockey players, but these candidates seem to want to help. They were political unicorns. I'm getting this feeling that I don't know what to do with. I haven't felt it in a long time. It's like the cynicism is kind of washing away a little bit, and I am slightly less rageful.”
Starr claimed they were offering “hope,” but Lydic quipped, “No, I think it's perimenopause.”
What The Daily Show was offering was free Democratic campaign messaging because seeing that Democrats win is the show’s first goal.
Here is a transcript for the June 16 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
6/16/2026
11:01 PM ET
JORDAN KLEPPER: Now, Trump's goal at the summit is to work with our allies and strengthen America's standing in the world. I am [bleep] with you. No! He's there for the presents!
REPORTER: The German chancellor offering President Trump a customized German football jersey.
KLEPPER: You can tell he really loves it, ya know! "Wow, a size medium shirt, yeah, thanks. You know Qatar got me a plane, right?" Although if the Germans insist on giving Trump one of their uniforms, this probably is the best-case scenario. Just thinking it through. He is into those heritage editions.
…
DESI LYDIC: These people who were fired for waste, fraud, and abuse are about to voluntarily enter a world of waste, fraud, and abuse, and it was obvious from their half-baked revenge plots that they were going to need my help.
You're about to go up against some seriously corrupt politicians. I need to test you to see if you are ready. Tell me your party platform in 15 seconds.
ALISSA ELLMAN: Anticorruption, government reform, working mom.
LYDIC: Wrong. You didn't ask me for a donation once. Not once.
Ted Cruz is next to you in the lunch line. You can smell his breath on the back of your neck. He has asked if he can sit next to you. What do you do?
ALEXIS GOLDSTEIN: Run away?
LYDIC: Okay. You got that one right.
This is something I never thought I would see, like Bigfoot or a hit TV show about gay hockey players, but these candidates seem to want to help. They were political unicorns.
I'm getting this feeling that I don't know what to do with. I haven't felt it in a long time. It's like the cynicism is kind of washing away a little bit, and I am slightly less rageful.
TRACY STARR: Hope.
LYDIC: No, I think it's perimenopause.
