Charlie Kirk Criticism Ignites MAGA Cancel Culture Spree | Jay Duplass & Michael Strassner

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You're listening to Comedy Central.

From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central, it's America's only source for news.

This is the Daily Show with your host, Denzy Leiden.

We've got so much to talk about tonight.

Someone needs to take away America's phone.

The National Guard's getting its own eras tour.

And Trump is building an entire room just for his balls.

So let's get into the headlines.

All right, I'm not going to sugarcoat it.

It's been a tough week for America.

No matter what side of the aisle you've been on, we have all been processing what happened to Charlie Kirk and what's happened since.

Honestly, I don't even know if I have the right words for this, but I do take comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one who can't seem to find the right words.

Michael Dolphin

Sense

for a person always holding up for the last three and a half years.

I think very good.

And by the way, right there, you see all the trucks.

They've just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House, which is something they've been trying to get, as you know, for about 150 years.

And it's going to be a beauty.

It'll be an absolutely magnificent construction.

Well, we all grieve in our own way.

To be fair to Trump, he is an old man.

And when an old man wants to tell a story, it doesn't matter what you asked him about.

Uncle Marty, you want some coffee?

You know my dentist is an Asian lady.

She She dyed her hair pink.

I told her, you look disgusting.

But while the president is retreating into home renovations, the internet has been processing Kirk's death in a different way.

If you've been on social media over the past week, you've probably seen some pretty shocking reactions to a public figure getting assassinated.

There was celebration, there was mockery.

Honestly, I found a lot of it so disturbing, I almost went back to threads.

I mean, I didn't.

Nothing could could make me go back to threads, but I did think about it.

And as expected, when people are being this shitty on the internet, there's gonna be backlash.

On social media, people who've criticized Kirk are being called out, their names and photos widely circulated.

Some people who celebrated his death are now under scrutiny from conservative activists.

Those activists have created online websites to hold accountable those behind the messages.

The website claims it's received more than 63,000 submissions so far.

Some employers already firing or suspending people for their posts about Kirk.

Impacting teachers, commercial pilots, doctors, and even NFL staff.

Even the NFL staff are getting fired?

Oh, that's why the giants suck.

Unfortunately, this is a pattern we've gotten used to because we live in an internet landscape that is so toxic, even RFK wouldn't swim in it.

So every horrible event tends to have the same cycle.

One side starts posting their hot takes for clicks and the other side tries to cancel them for it.

But one thing is different this time.

This time, the government's getting involved.

Employers, you have an obligation to get rid of people.

People say, oh, people have a right to say things.

Well, actually, they don't necessarily have a right to say things.

I think it is time for this to

be a crackdown on people.

So when you see someone celebrating Charlie's murder, call them out in hell.

Call their employer.

Hold on.

The vice president wants me to try to get people fired from their jobs?

First off, as a white woman, we've been doing that for years, okay?

Stop appropriating our culture.

But secondly, is this what we want?

The vice president's job isn't to lead an online mob.

The vice president's job is to.

Okay, he doesn't really have a job, but you get my point.

You get it.

And look, a lot of people are saying that this is a left versus right thing, but truly, I think this problem goes so much deeper.

Our discourse has been so poisoned by the internet that our elected officials are now using the power and resources of the federal government to carry out social media-style justice.

Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed his staff to look for posts from service members.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio floated revoking critics' visas.

The power of law enforcement under President Trump's leadership will be used to find you, will be used to take away your money, take away your power.

Republican Congressman Clay Higgins of Louisiana posted he will use his congressional authority to get people banned for life from social media platforms, blacklist their businesses, and they should be kicked out of school and have their driver's licenses revoked.

All right, first of all, revoking someone's driver's license is not a punishment for them.

It's a punishment for their friends.

Okay, I'm not driving Amy to the airport because you got mad at her tweets, Clay Higgins.

You drive Amy to the airport.

But do you see how far this has gotten out of control?

We're going to revoke a person's driver's license just for having shitty tweets?

And our Attorney General is in so deep that she doesn't think it's going far enough.

There's free speech and then there's hate speech.

And there is no place, especially now, especially after what happened to Charlie, in our society.

We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech, anything.

And that's across the aisle.

First of all, you would think that the Attorney General would know that hate speech is protected by the First Amendment.

Even if you're not a big reader, it is the first one.

Okay, you have to read it to get to the one you like.

Now, honestly, if I went back in time and told the founding fathers that this is what would become of the First Amendment, they would say, that's insane.

And why are you wearing pants, woman?

To which I would say, why are you wearing a wig?

Anyway,

I'm getting off track.

I'm getting off track.

The point is, we need to understand that no matter how mad someone makes you online, that's not enough to make it illegal.

That said, if you are going to crack down on hate speech, can I request that we start with the YouTube comments under my lasagna recipe?

My mozzarella portions are not gay.

Very good.

Now I was heartened to see a lot of conservatives criticize Pam Bondi for what she said about prosecuting hate speech.

Unfortunately, one guy thinks she didn't go far enough.

And what do you think?

Pam Bondi's saying she's going to go after hate speech.

Is that, I mean, a lot of people, a lot of your allies say hate speech is free speech.

She'll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly.

It's hate.

You have a lot of hate in your heart.

Yikes, someone's ballroom construction is not going well.

For more on how we can move forward as a country, let's turn now to Michael Costa.

Wait,

Costa, why are you dressed like that?

Dressed like what, Desi?

This is just how people look now.

Totally rad.

Quit being such a freakazoid.

You look like an undercover cop trying to take down the breakfast club.

Oh.

Well, thank you.

But look, if you want to fix a society poisoned by social media, the only solution is to return to a time before the internet.

So all of us need to pretend that it's the 1980s again.

No Twitter, no algorithms, just the sweet sounds of Duran Duran playing whatever music is they play.

Totally tubular.

Okay, okay, even if this made any sense, why the 80s?

Why not the 1950s or the 1800s?

None of those times had social media.

Yeah, they did.

Psych, they didn't.

No, Desi, the 1980s is right.

The music is fresh.

The fashion is bitching and we're in that sweet spot after the smallpox vaccine, but before RFK Jr.

said we couldn't get the smallpox vaccine.

You know, he was just a cool heroin addict back now.

Cowabunga, where's the beef?

Come on, I think it's clearly an overcorrection.

That era wasn't all stupid hair and wearing neon.

There was still political violence in the 80s.

Yeah, but I didn't know about that.

You know?

I was just a little kid back then.

Do you remember any of that?

No, of course not.

I was born whenever 29 years ago was.

Don't Google it.

I can't Google it.

It's the 80s.

Plus, the 80s being awesome is one of the only things conservatives and liberals agree on.

Liberals have early Madonna, the dawn of hip-hop, thongs on the outside of pants.

Conservatives get to run politics, hang out with Mr.

T, and hate gay people even while being secretly gay.

We all get something to the max.

Our entire country can't just pretend it's the 80s.

Why not?

What's your damage?

E.T.

phone home, gag me with a credit card and put me on layaway.

Okay, stop, shut up, shut the f ⁇ up, Costa.

We can't solve our issues with mass delusion.

We have to address our social media addiction, not to mention our widespread gun use, the collapse of our social bonds, mental health treatment.

There is so much that we have to fix if we want to move forward.

And you think fixing all of those systemic issues will be easier than just pretending it's 1980?

Shit, I'll have what she's having.

Yippee Kaye, Denzi!

Psychopaths, everybody!

We come back, we'll find out how New York will deal with an occupation, so don't go away.

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Welcome back to the Daily Show.

President Trump has sent federal troops into Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and now there's more on the way.

President Trump's federal crackdown on crime is heading to Memphis.

The president announcing he's sending new deployments of the National Guard and other federal agents to the city.

He is calling it the Memphis Safe Task Force.

He says it will mirror the large police and military presence in Washington, D.C.

Basically, the National Guard is going into every American city except Party City.

Trump would never do anything to disrupt the slutty Halloween industrial complex.

Now, some say it's only a matter of time before Trump brings a National Guard right here into New York City.

Our own Grace Coolin-Schmidt hits the streets to find out what New Yorkers think about that.

Hey, Donald Trump's National Guard.

We heard you had a great time in LA and DC.

As one Marine summed it up, quote, there's not that much to do.

I really don't think he thought he would just be walking around for 12 hours every day.

When I talked to him, he was just like, yeah, this is crazy.

And now, just like the Muppets, you're about to take Manhattan.

Chicago will be our next, and then we'll help with New York.

So I'm here in Midtown Manhattan, home to iconic eyesores like Penn Station and commuters from New New Jersey to see just how excited New Yorkers are for your deployment.

Are you excited for them to come?

Nah, nah, nah.

We got police.

Police need to do their job.

We don't need to have the whole government coming in the city.

So are you excited that the National Guard might be coming to New York

City?

That's horrific.

They could put that some other state, but New York, we don't need that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We built for this.

We've heard that the National Guard and other states have been staying in parking garages and in tents.

Would you be up for hosting a member of the National Guard?

You know, I've just just never been a big fan of roommates in general.

They're always messy.

They're loud.

They don't take accountability.

They don't know how to clean.

I think it's also unconstitutional.

What would you recommend for these officers to do while they're in New York?

Eat a hot dog.

I mean, we got museums, we got plays.

Well, if they're hot, I would go to the West Side Highway.

Okay, sure.

Okay.

Maybe there's Saturday.

Or if they're cute, like there's like date night at the hot.

So like

I'll be there.

So you guys are both single, presumably, or do you just not give a f about your boyfriends?

There's a great diner, it's called Hector's Good Bacon, Egg, and Cheese, Polk Ladder.

We've got the Empire State Building right there.

We've got Times Square, Ground Zero.

There's so much to do.

It's in New York.

Any nightlife you'd recommend?

Seeing any shows, going to any clubs?

For the National Guard?

Yeah.

Go to the project.

You're going to get all the shows you want.

So, as a New Yorker, what do you hate more?

The National Guard or tourists?

Oh, that's tough.

That's tough.

That's tough.

That's a tough question.

Tourists, I would have to say, you know,

they take up the whole sidewalk, they take pictures of the dumbest things.

Right.

And it's like, buddy, you gotta walk faster.

Like, what are we doing here, you know?

Come on.

What do you hate more, the National Guard or tourists?

So while we're here, is there anyone you want the National Guard to kind of like help you out with?

I think they should arrest Eric Adams.

Who else?

Oh, man.

You know what?

Throw Cuomo in there for good measure.

Okay, sure.

Do you think Donald Trump will send the National Guards to the projects?

I don't know.

That man is crazy.

He just might, so y'all better be on the lookout.

If Trump does end up sending troops to New York, they'll have a lot to deal with.

There's some serious violence happening on these steps right now.

But don't take my word for it.

Donald Trump, you from Queens like Nefro.

You know we build strong.

Ideally, you don't come, but if you do, just chill out, man.

You know, and just hang out, you know, and smoke a joint with a guy on the corner.

Make sure you're wearing comfortable sneakers.

Treat people the way you like to be treated.

You know, when people are upset or mean, you kill them with kindness.

Wait, hold up, hold up.

Fill them with kindness, okay?

Don't kill them, please.

You probably won't have much to do, so just relax.

Relax.

You're that National Guard?

Relax and embrace that welcoming New York spirit.

We don't want you here.

That's just genuinely what it is.

Thank you, Brad.

When we come back, Dave Clark and Michael Translate will be joining on the show, so don't go away.

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Welcome back to The Daily Show.

My guest tonight co-wrote the critically acclaimed independent film, The Baltimore-ons.

Please welcome Jay DeBlas and Michael Krasner!

Thank you both for being here.

I am so excited about this film.

Congratulations to both of you.

Thank you.

Jay, I've been such a fan of your work for such a long time.

You've been at the forefront of independent film, true character-driven stories.

And Michael, it's been so awesome to get to know your work in this film.

Your performance is outstanding.

Oh, man.

Thank you very much.

It's true.

I only speak the truth.

Oh, I heard.

Yeah.

We have fact-checkers here and we tell the truth.

That's good.

That's good.

For legal reasons.

Correct, absolutely.

Refer to the first act.

No, but I heard that the two of you started your collaboration from a DM.

On Bumble.

Yeah,

you know, he was director looking for actor.

And

no, it was on Instagram.

Private audition, I think it was.

Exactly.

But yeah, no, I saw that J.

Duplas followed me because I was putting up, you know, crazy comedy videos like Buffalo Bill talking to his Alexa.

It was like,

Alexa, where can I buy skin?

And then Alexa would respond back being like, you can get skincare products at.

I'm like, no, human skin.

And that's JD Boss's humor.

And I saw that he followed me and I was like, this is the coolest thing in the world.

And I took my shot one day.

I was trying to make this thing.

And I'm like, I'm just going to DM him, tell him how much of a fan I am, and then see if he can help me.

And then he made a boy wait.

It took six months to get back to him.

Guys,

I'm 52 years old.

I didn't know what a DM was.

I thought it was for sex.

I really thought, I was just like, what is that i don't know but i i caught up on the dms and i saw this guy and we started hanging out yeah he invited me over his house immediately and i was like i was doing buffalo bill impersonations and you want a stranger to come over your house okay

the trick is he showed up at my house and i saw him get out of his car completely shirtless wafting his sweaty body with a towel i don't have heat in my volkswagen um and it was a hot day in la so i always bring two shirts and i just see jay come out and i'm like hey bud sorry i'm just

just got to get the sweat off and then I'll head on in.

Nice house, really nice neighborhood.

I was like, yeah, come into my house where my children are.

This will be good.

What an adorably dark and disturbing meet-cute that

you see people, good things can happen when you DM words and not just butt pics.

Correct.

So inspiring.

Yes, indeed.

Oh my God.

So

the two of you together wrote the screenplay.

Jay, you directed.

Michael, you starred in.

Yes.

And it all started from based on a true story.

Yeah, I mean, you know, that opening scene of the movie is a failed suicide attempt.

And that is how I got sober, you know.

And I told Jay over at lunch, you know, the only reason why I'm still here is because

the belt broke and I was holding a bit of holiday weight.

And

he smiled and I was like, you can laugh.

It's okay.

You know, I'm here.

And

little did I know, he was planning to kind of start a little origin story on my life.

And,

you know,

I'm so happy I'm here because I almost missed it.

How was that for you diving into the character when it's so close to home, going back to that period of time?

How did it feel?

Did it feel cathartic to be able to channel it into your performance?

Oh, yeah.

I mean, like, you know,

it was really like that, that opening scene we did, like, a couple times,

and I think it was the stunt coordinator.

He was like, what kind of idiot couldn't kill himself?

And I'm like, this guy right here

couldn't figure it out.

He did not know the origin story.

Didn't get the memo.

Didn't get the memo.

But, you know, like, I think since I've worked through that time in my life and have been able to, you know, clean up the wreckage of my past and all that stuff and, you know, just just my side of the street, and was able to,

it was really cathartic because I was like

finally doing

my art in a way that

he finally took a chance on me, and it was like the coolest thing.

Well, and you were able to turn the toughest moment of your life into kind of one of the best things that's happened.

Truly, it's been amazing.

Jay,

when you met Michael, what was it about his story that made you go, I have to direct this film?

Well, yeah, it did start on Instagram.

I was watching him dance and prance across my computer screen and just enjoying him.

I was like, started to get to know him a little bit, and I was like, this is the most gentle, sensitive man trapped inside the body of a 1978 Chicago Bears linebacker.

You know what I mean?

I was like, I have not seen this before.

He told me he was alive because he was holding a little bit of holiday weight.

And also that the first six months of getting sober, you know, he was convinced that he would never be funny again.

And that that actually wasn't true.

So,

you know, all those elements just got me brewing a story inside that was like, this is an original thing.

I hadn't made an original movie in 14 years and I was trying to come back to it.

And I was like, I think this is it.

I want to back a movie into somebody's life, do it really low budget, and make something that matters.

You achieve.

I love the note that you gave Michael,

the one piece of direction that you gave him.

Well, you probably gave more direction than that.

The one that stood out to me was.

Enunciate.

Enunciate, clearly.

Louder, faster.

Yeah.

Louder, faster, funnier.

No, you gave gave the note, you're enough, just be you.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean.

I feel like we're on Sesame Street all of a sudden.

It's getting real sweet.

But yes, I mean, I think it was definitely like,

you know, you're mainly a sketch comedian.

You know, our co-star Liz Larson, she was a musical theater star.

Like, we're kind of just...

Going off of instinct and mysticism kind of making this movie that the three of us really wanted to make.

But I think, you know, it is a documentary style realism that we're capturing.

And that was kind of the idea is like, you're enough.

Do your thing.

You are amazing.

I want to make this movie because of who you are.

So, you know, just be you.

Yeah.

You bring up.

You bring up Liz Larson who's fantastic in this movie and the two of you have such great chemistry.

Did you meet each other beforehand?

Was there a long rehearsal process before you started filming?

No, we really just met like a couple days before we started.

Jay had lunch with her and you know they kind of talked about everything but the movie

about her life and where she was in her life and

you know she kind of felt like

similar to the character of Dee Dee like you know when she go to parties nobody would or no one even invited her to parties anymore and

that she just felt kind of like not seen anymore.

And that's very much what Dee Dee's character put in.

And we literally didn't have trailers or anything.

So we had the Cadillac or the Mercedes.

And the Cadillac, similar, didn't have heat.

All my cars don't have any type of air conditioning or heat.

Yeah, it's kind of like a nice way to live.

Feel memo, actually.

Exactly.

Wow.

But we just sat in the Mercedes and we just got to know each other.

And that's truly like

how I think our chemistry just was so beautiful.

Yeah, it was a tiny movie made by 15 people, so it was kind of like going to summer camp in Baltimore in Christmastime, freezing our butts off, you know, just kind of making a movie on the streets of Baltimore.

Oh, that's the best, though.

It was nice.

There's, can I tell you, my one scene that really stuck with me was a pivotal scene in the movie.

And it's an improv scene.

The two of you are doing improv together.

Yes.

And I will tell you, as someone who did improv for exactly probably three people tops who show up to our shows, it was the most accurate depiction of improv that I've ever seen in a movie.

It was awkward and cringy and uncomfortable in some parts, but hilarious.

It's hilarious all the way through, but then there were these like beautiful little moments of magic and then it takes off.

And it was so cool to see that.

Was that, you talk about that scene as being one of the hardest, most challenging scenes to write.

Yeah, that scene was, you know, it's kind of like he goes back to his heart of darkness where he's gotten sober and he doesn't think he can be funny again on stage and he gets thrown on stage and,

you know Liz Larson basically has to go up there and save him and it was you know it was a really complicated scene that is hilarious because a lot of audiences are like did you guys just like improv that when it happened I'm like no I've never written harder on any scene in my entire life there's like seven acts to the scene but it's probably good that you think it just happened that way but yeah it truly is and like you said they are teetering on the edge of disaster at all times and

you know, not to give too much away, but it's because of his sobriety.

It's because of him being able to be in the moment that they're able to turn the corner in that scene and create something new, different than what he thought it was going to be, which is kind of what the movie is about: saying yes, and to life, you know, jumping off a cliff and hoping there's warm water down there.

That's really what the movie's about.

Do you consider yourselves yesanders or no-butters?

I'm a huge yesander.

Huge yes, ander.

Truly.

I'm about half and half because I think a lot of

directing is nobody.

But I do like to, I'd like to give a compliment sandwich.

It's like compliment, direction, compliment.

Beautiful, beautiful.

You were told, Jay, that this movie would never be in theaters.

Yeah, I mean, you know, we made a tiny little movie with no stars.

I mean, look, this guy's a movie star of the world, doesn't know it yet.

It's true.

But yes,

we made a tiny no-budget movie at the tail end of the pandemic and the strikes when people thought, okay, maybe independent film is dead.

But, you know, we followed our hearts.

We told the story that we wanted to tell.

Nobody was begging us to make a suicide sobriety menopause comedy.

They weren't banging down our door for that story, but we just did what we wanted to do.

You know, we went to South by Southwest, we won the audience award.

We're in 500 theaters right now, you guys.

It's truly insane.

It's truly like unprecedented yeah amazing and so deserved Michael how do you feel now in this moment in time having made this beautiful film and receiving so much accolades for it recognition how does it feel it's insane like truly like it's beyond what I could have ever imagined like you know I came from the sketch background so I always just wanted like

just to be on SNL or do the you know that and

this has been something I could never have imagined and it's been so much better.

And I'm just like, I'm so happy that he took a chance on me.

And that also I get to share it with so many amazing family and friends.

A lot of nepotism in the movie.

It's half his family.

He's in the damn movie, guys.

Yeah, my mom's in it.

My dad's in it.

My sister's in it.

My sister's in it.

My fiancé's in it.

There's about five people in the movie that aren't related to Michael Strasser.

But that's Hollywood.

A ton of nepotism.

Oh, exactly.

So don't come for him, okay?

Exactly.

We had enough.

Bring it on.

But it's the coolest, truly.

And I'm just, like, again, I hate to repeat myself, but it's like, I almost missed it.

So, like, that's.

I'm so grateful that you didn't.

I'm so grateful that you made this movie.

Thank you both for keeping Independent Film alive.

Congratulations on all the success.

I couldn't be happier for you.

Thanks for having me.

Congrats.

The Baltimore Is now in theaters.

Louis and Run.

Michael Castle and Jayden Juan.

We're going to take a quick break, but we'll be right back after this.

But before we go, happy National Voter Registration Day.

Today is the day to make sure you are registered to vote.

Go to headcount.org to find out everything you need to know about the status of your registration.

Now here it is, your moment of Zen.

It's National Guacamole Day.

Guacamole.

How do you say it?

Guacamole.

Guacamole.

National Guacamole Day.

I know.

Abacuddle from Mexico.

Yes.

That's right.

I could swim in this stuff.

I love it.

I love guacamole.

It's good.

Guys, we got guacamole back there.

We'll work on it.

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