The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Elon's Email Ultimatum, French Accent Diplomacy, Feet Stuff | Wendi McLendon-Covey
Wed, 26 Feb 2025
Desi Lydic tackles Trump's continued defense of Russia to Fox News's dismay and his captivation with Emmanuel Macron's accent, despite the French president's attempts to sway him. She dives into the recent failures of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, including the “DOGE ultimatum” issued to federal workers via email. Plus, as government workers protest, Michael Kosta unpacks the symbolism in an AI-generated video circulating of Trump and, uh, Musk’s toes. Actor Wendi McLendon-Covey joins Desi Lydic to discuss how her improv background prepared her for a career in comedy and the improvised sitcom pilot they worked on together years ago that led to a misguided boat purchase. McLendon-Covey also talks about the increased appreciation for healthcare workers she’s gained from playing a hospital administrator on the new NBC show “St. Denis Medical,” and the next fake profession she'd like to play.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chapter 1: What are the latest political controversies discussed on The Daily Show?
From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central, it's America's only source for news. This is The Daily Show with your host, Desi Lydon.
We've got so much to talk about tonight. Elon Musk gets marked as spam. Russia and America share friendship bracelets. And Trump sticks a foot in his mouth. But for once, it's not his own. So let's get right into it.
I'm going to cop it.
Chapter 2: How did Trump's comments on Ukraine stir international reactions?
Let's kick things off with the war in Ukraine. Donald Trump promised he could secure a peace deal within one day of taking office, which means he is now negative 34 days ahead of schedule. Good work, sir. As we know, the Ukraine war began in 2022 when Putin invaded Ukraine on three separate fronts while launching missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. Or as Donald Trump puts it...
President Trump has made a series of false assertions blaming Ukraine for starting the war.
You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.
That's an interesting interpretation in that it's not what happened. In fact, it's the exact opposite of what happened. And this has set off alarm bells for a lot of conservatives, including Brian Kilmeade, Trump's buddy and the Joey Tribbiani of Fox & Friends. He tried to gently push back when Trump started to blame the destruction of Ukraine on President Zelensky.
You have a man who's led a country that had the most beautiful cities, they're demolished, had the most beautiful domes. Those domes are the most beautiful in the world. But it's all Russia's.
But that's Russia's fault, though, Mr. President.
Russia did the demolished 1,000-year-old domes. And everything's demolished.
But, Mr. President, that's Vladimir Putin's fault.
Don't you agree? I get tired of listening to it. He makes it very hard to make deals. But look what's happened to his country. It's been demolished.
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Chapter 3: Why is Trump's fascination with Macron's accent significant?
That is the most beautiful language.
I have no idea what he's saying, but that is elegant, beautiful language.
Yeah, Trump just loves the French accent. Probably because it's the native tongue of his hero, Pepe Le Pew. Something about that pervert skunk that Trump finds so relatable. But Macron's accent gives him a lot of leeway to gently correct Trump every time he spews bullshit.
I mean, this war costed all of us a lot of money. And this is the responsibility of Russia, because the aggressor is Russia.
Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine. They get their money back.
No, in fact, to be frank, we paid. We paid 60% of the total effort. And it was through, like the US, loans, guarantee, grants, and we provided real money.
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Chapter 4: What was Elon's ultimatum to federal workers?
Look at him. Look at that smile. The guy is smitten. Usually, if someone confronts him about being wrong, he takes away their security detail. But he's letting Macron do whatever he wants. I think a sexy accent is his kryptonite. I assumed it was vegetables, but to be fair, it's not just Macron. Trump was swooning over anyone with a sexy accent.
I want to know what is your idea about Italy, if you want to make the same thing.
Can you talk a little louder? You have a beautiful voice, but you're not... Where are you from? Italy. From Italy. Oh, I love Italy.
Oh, oh, Italy. I love that restaurant with the grocery store attached. Oh, now... Love it. So good. Now tell me, which section are you from? Fromaggio? Produce? Self-checkout? By the way, Trump is the only person on earth who has ever asked an Italian person to talk louder. Of course, as we saw last week, not every accent does it for him. Sometimes it just confuses him.
I can't understand a word he's saying.
Dude, come on. If you don't understand what someone is saying, don't be rude and dismiss them. Just laugh and go, oh, my God, that's so crazy, like a normal person. I mean, is Trump sure that he wants to be president? Because this is the worst job in the world if you don't understand accents. It's like working as an escort if you're still not 100% sure which hole it's supposed to go in.
Although, would that actually make you a great escort? Hmm. I guess we'll never know. By the way, if you're wondering how tough Indian accents are for Trump, he had to get a translator for it. Not for the language, for the accent.
I can't believe Doge is going around looking for inefficiencies. Meanwhile, Trump has an English-to-English translator.
But if you do have to have a translator for accents, why does the translator also have an accent? Maybe the plan was to have a string of translators with slightly less of an accent until they finally got to something Trump could process. Eventually, it'll just be the word Bangladesh written across the boobs of a swimsuit model. Oh, now I get it. Anyway, back to Macron.
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Chapter 5: How are federal employees and the public reacting to Elon Musk's actions?
Now, you might think that it's not wise for Europe to hinge its survival on the seductive power of Macron's accent, but Trump himself admitted that it works.
I just want to tell you a little story. So we were at the Eiffel Tower having dinner with your wonderful wife and with my wonderful wife, and we came out and he started speaking the French deal. And we didn't have an interpreter. And he was going on and on and on. And I was just nodding, yes, yes, yes. And he really sold me out. Because I got back the next day and I read the papers.
I said, that's not what we said. He's a smart customer, I will tell you.
Hold on. Hold on. Forget the accent. What was going on with that handshake? Are they doing the, no, you hang up, but with their hands? Before we figure out Russia and Ukraine, we need a peace deal for the world's weirdest thumbworm. So maybe this isn't going to come down to words at all, because if you've noticed how Trump and Macron interact, their hands alone tell a story.
Two heads of state. blocked in an eternal conflict. Their hands struggle from the palm to the nails. What do the hands do? They pull. They grip. They push back. But the hands can also join together. Hands that are tense. That touch me. Play the end.
When we come back, we'll tell you who's being mean to Elon Musk, so don't go away.
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Welcome back to The Daily Show. Let's talk about Doge. It's the reason an 18-year-old virgin has your Social Security number. But Elon Musk has been trying to find ways to fire as many federal workers as possible. And this weekend, he tried out his new method by sending an email that shouldn't have been a meeting or an email.
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