May 12, 2025 - Gen. Stanley McChrystal
After Trump teased an upcoming "big announcement" last week, Jon Stewart contemplates what news Americans are supposed to be so psyched for: the possible suspension of due process, Trump's appointment of Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as D.C. district attorney, Qatar's $400 million luxury jet "gift" for Trump, or lower prices on the "fat shot drug"? "Our character is the essential identity of us as people and us as a nation, and we've let it erode." Retired four-star general who served 34 years in the U.S. Army, General Stanley McChrystal, sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss his book "On Character: Choices that Define a Life." They talk about leading a national conversation on character, employing empathy in war to negotiate with ideological warriors and mercenaries, what upset him most about Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth's Signal chat leak, and how his wife taught him to live "with no use for the rear view mirror."
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More from this season
S30 E1
January 6, 2025 - Jamie Raskin
Jon Stewart kicks off 2025 with an unusually civil Jan. 6 election certification, and right-wing media's desperate attempts to make the Bourbon Street attack about immigration. Plus, Jon unpacks the eerily normal digital footprints of recent terrorists and questions the internet's role in their radicalizations. "We're going to be standing up every single day for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the freedom of the people." Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland joins Jon Stewart from Washington D.C. to discuss the country's future following the certification of Donald Trump's 2024 election win. As the newly-elected ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, he weighs in on Democratic priorities moving forward, engaging young voters through the Democracy Summer project, his friendship with Rep. Lauren Boebert, and positive memories from the day after the 2021 insurrection.
S30 E2
January 7, 2025 - Halina Reijn
Desi Lydic discusses Trump's imperialist push ahead of his inauguration, including making Canada the 51st state, renaming the Gulf of Mexico, and possibly invading Greenland. Plus, Jordan Klepper is hyped about colonialism's apparent comeback. Desi Lydic breaks down how companies like Meta, McDonald's, and Amazon are doing everything from ditching facts to bribing Melania with a documentary to get in the president-elect's good graces. "My movie is sort of a letter to myself to kind of encourage myself to be more unapologetically my authentic self, without shame." Writer and director of the new film "Babygirl," Halina Reijn sits down with Desi Lydic to discuss the questions she set out to explore through the film about shame, sexuality, and authenticity, subverting the tropes of the erotic thriller genre, and how her background as an actress informs her directing.
S30 E3
January 8, 2025 - Richard Reeves
Desi Lydic covers conservative media's support for Trump's Greenland invasion idea, Trump blaming Gavin Newsom for the LA wildfires, and Trump's plans for pardoning the Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Desi Lydic tackles New York's controversial new congestion pricing toll, while Josh Johnson hits the street to hear from real New Yorkers. "People say men don't have problems. They are the problem." Founding president of the American Institute for Boys and Men and "Of Boys and Men" author, Richard Reeves, sits down with Desi Lydic to initiate a national conversation about the issues facing America's young men. They discuss creating a space for dialogue about men's issues without blaming women, how the phrase "toxic masculinity" pushes men from productive conversation, increasing the amount of men in teaching and mental healthcare, and how Trump acknowledged men's issues but encouraged America to move backward.
S30 E4
January 9, 2025 - Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Desi Lydic tackles the historically awkward reunion between Trump and all his political enemies at Jimmy Carter's funeral. Plus, conservatives blame DEI for the raging wildfires in LA, so Michael Kosta is stepping in to help with his straight white maleness. Desi Lydic and Jordan Klepper are back with another Sports War to discuss the latest sports news: from NFL players hitting cash-out incentives to the college bowl's delicious new mascots to whether wokeness killed the NBA's ratings. Academy Award-nominated actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste sits down with Desi Lydic to discuss her critically acclaimed new film, "Hard Truths." She discusses the real-life inspiration behind her character Pansy, who's "a bit of a difficult woman," the collaborative process with director Mike Leigh on set, and gets into character with reactions to today's headlines.