The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Trump Renames U.S. Institute of Peace After Himself & Epstein Island Was a S**thole | Ken Casey

Episode Date: December 5, 2025

Images of Epstein’s island reveal a penchant for creepy decor and a commitment to oral hygiene, Pete Hegseth gets cagey about turning over his phone for the Signalgate investigation, the Pentagon’s press team is replaced by MAGA personalities, and Jordan Klepper investigates Trump’s commitment to being labeled a “president of peace,” signage and all. Afraid of the woke leftists’ war against Christmas? Keep the sanctity of the holiday season alive with the brand-new Trump Tinsel, made from recycled shreddings of the Epstein files. The president promised he was going to release them, but he never said how! Frontman of the band Dropkick Murphys, Ken Casey, sits down with Jordan Klepper to discuss their latest album, “For The People.” They talk about the roots of punk in political activism, getting inspiration from bands who sang about Reagan, Bush, and the Queen of England, encouraging other musicians to speak out for social justice in their music, and a viral bet with a fan that led to an open political dialogue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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I have never been in my life out this way about any other woman. Jesus! I wasn't counting your mother! It's a perfect holiday comedy about an imperfect family. You can use a scream, Ella. Starring Emma Mackey, Jamie Lee Curtis, Camel Nanjani, Iowa DeBerry with Albert Brooks and Woody Harrelson. You should do that every afternoon. Ella McKay. You're listening to Comedy Central.

From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central, it's America's only sorts for news. This is The Daily Show with your host, Jordan Clever. Welcome to the Daily Show. I am Jordan Clapper. We got so much to talk about tonight. Jeffrey Epstein's island was as creepy as he was. We'll show you this year's must-have Christmas tree decoration.

And Pete Hanks says got nothing to hide, but no, you can't look at his phone. So, let's kick things off with another installment of the very normal and not shady handling of the Epstein Files. It's pretty boring stuff. We are just two weeks away from the deadline for the DOJ to release the Epstein files. And Pam Bondi, if you're listening, it's still not too late to release them Advent calendar style, you know? Let's see December 4th.

Okay, what's in it today? Oh, Bill Clinton. In the meantime, House Democrats continue to release their own Epstein document. So, what's in this latest drop? Is it emails? Maybe a bank records? We're seeing new images of the notorious Caribbean estate dubbed Epstein Island. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee releasing more than 150 photos and videos of the sprawling mansion,

videos of the pool area, bedrooms, and bathrooms. There are also framed photos of the financier and his partner, Galane Maxwell, like this one with the late Pope John Paul the second. Wow. Wow. I can't believe it. The face of the world's most notorious pedophile ring got to meet Jeffrey Epstein. Wow. Wow. Wow. Amazing. That's the most game-recognized game photo I've ever seen.

Fun fact, you know who took that photo? Bill Cosby. This release doesn't contain any major bombshells. We did learn one new thing. Epstein Island look like shit. How does a billionaire's private island look like a two-star Airbnb? I'm not even talking about the sex rooms. The common spaces are even worse.

Images show a room that appears to be used as a library with forearm chairs and a chalkboard with scribbled words. What the fuck is that layout? Look, I know the sex crimes are the main story, but I cannot remain silent about this furniture placement. Who places four lazy boys that close together? Come on, boys. Come to my library.

We can smoke cigars and rub knees together. I mean, what happens if all four of you decide to recline at once? It's chaos. This man is sick. You don't want to throw a table in the middle, at least. No, it's a sex compound, but what if a couple of guys want to do a puzzle while their fluids replenish, you know? Jeffrey. Jeffrey, come on!

You have all the money in the world, but you don't have one pal who gets a Herman Miller catalog? The pedophile billionaire couldn't find one pedophile decorator to help out here. And look, and don't say it was Galane's job to decorate because that's sexist. She was a working professional who was very busy with her own sex trafficking career. And that wasn't even the only eyesore in the room. Another image shows a blackboard in his study. There are the words, power, deception, plots.

What are they brainstorming evil plans? What are we got? We got power, deception. What else? Come on. We're an evil cabal here, people. No bad ideas. Plots, okay.

Kind of the same thing, but all right. And then I guess there's one guy who threw out music. Not really on the same page, but okay, Diddy, thank you for contributing. Please tell me there was one room that didn't feel like a sad dad riddle. The pictures revealing a room with a dentist chair and masks along the wall. Masks of men's faces on the walls and what may be one of the most unnerving images that we saw today. Nice choice. I myself am a little squeamish about going to the dentist, but if there's

One thing that puts me at ease, it's haunted orgy masks. But this is the problem with being a pedophile. This is a problem with being a pedophile. Everything you do suddenly seems creepy. But this is actually one of those things that has an explanation. A dentist chair, which a source tells CBS News, was put in for one of Epstein's girlfriends, a European studying to be a dentist. Okay, all right.

I thought this was a weird sex thing, but they're actually doing dentistry here? That is somehow way worse. Imagine being the one guy on the flight to Epstein Island who's only going for a tooth cleaning. Honey, honey, Prince Andrew goes to the same dentist as me. She must be a really good dentist. You know what? Enough of that.

Enough. Let's move on. Let's move on to that drunk raccoon who's going viral for all the chaos he caused. Defense Secretary Pete Hexon. This poor guy has spent all week dodging accusations of war crimes just because he might have committed war crimes. And now he's got this to deal with.

A new Pentagon Inspector General's report found he put U.S. service members at risk by sharing sensitive details of an active bombing mission in Yemen in March in a signal group chat with other top officials, which mistakenly included a journalist. Hegset denied wrongdoing when the story broke this past spring. Nobody was texting war plans. Oh, okay, okay, buddy.

No need to be that close to me. We're not sitting in Epstein armchairs right now, okay? No one's saying you were texting war plans. Remind me, what did you text? He detailed the times F-18s would launch and, quote, when the first bombs will definitely drop. Okay, kind of sounds like you were texting war plans. In fact, texting those words makes the iPhone send little bomber jets across the screens.

Regardless, an investigation couldn't hurt. Pete, I assume you'd be happy to cooperate. Heggseth refused an interview request, would not turn over his phone, and handed over only a couple of screenshots. Oh, you know, that sounds innocent to me. Look, I have nothing to hide. See, there's my phone. See?

It's right there. Clearly, clearly. Clearly, there are a lot of outstanding questions at the Defense Department that investigative reporters could get to the bottom of. Unfortunately, last month, they banned any journalist who didn't agree to only publish

what the government allowed them to publish. But, don't worry, because the DOD just welcomed in a new crop of approved journalists. Let's see who the new fresh faces are. We're welcoming new media outlets that actually reach Americans, ask real questions, and don't pursue a biased agenda. Yes, Matt. Kingsley, if Nicholas Maduro leaves Venezuela today,

what role will the Department of War have in a post-Moduro Venezuela? Matt Gates is a reporter now? This feels like when you're watching an episode of Law and Order and you're like, wait a second, that grieving father played a defense lawyer three seasons ago. Yes, the entire Pentagon Press Corps has been replaced by MAGA personalities. You got Matt Gates, Laura Lumer, James O'Keefe, Jack Posobic, and if you know who all these people are, I am begging you,

please get offline. Touch grass or snow or... Or whatever. A little bit of moss. Whatever's lying on the ground outside right now. Dog shit, really, anything. Anything would be better. Go touch it.

Although those are just the big names. Let's meet some of the newer people whose personality disorders we just haven't discovered yet. Brandon Meyer, Tim Kass Media here at the Pentagon hanging out in the Department of Board briefing room. And I am here with Lance. Lance, who are you? What do you do?

So I used to be a TikToker back in the day before I got banned at 150,000 followers. Okay. I'm just going to put down didn't attend journalism school. Cool. But I'm, I will say, I'm, I am confused. I'm confused.

If you guys are at the Pentagon, then who's vaping in your mom's basement? Like, how does this work? But hey, you know what? Maybe this kid is more impressive than he looks. I mean, he did get banned from TikTok, I assume, for speaking truth to power. Before I got banned at 150,000 followers,

for basically saying I don't and would never have sex with a transgender. Oh, was that a big problem for you, buddy? Lots of people, all different genders, just breaking down the door for a chance to ride that Lance train Is that what's going on? Look, all I could say is that you, sir, are no Wolf Blitzer.

That dude will fuck anyone. Enough about the War Department. Enough. Let's move on to the U.S. Institute of Peace. You may remember it was once one of the first agencies President Trump tried to shut down when he took office in January. But now it looks like he's had a change of heart and wall. The U.S. Institute of Peace now has a new name, the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. Wonderful. Wonderful. The Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.

I look forward to seeing it alongside the Benjamin Netanyahu Bureau of Urban Planning and the RFK Junior School for Singing. But the renaming. Keep an eye out for it. Keep an eye out. The renaming happened on the occasion of Donald Trump attending a peace ceremony between Rwanda and Congo, where we got to experience one of the most beautiful moments

known to man, Donald Trump trying to pronounce an African leader's name. I want to thank the two courageous leaders. They are courageous leaders. They really are courageous leaders. Great people. President Chisaki Teke. He really just went for it, right?

Yeah. Like a driver plowing over the school's own speed bumps at 90 miles an hour. Boom! I love how he pauses and lets people say, oh no. Right before pronouncing the name. This guy is a dummy.

Everyone knows that leader's name is to sh-de-s-chicken. F*** you guys, I'm not president, okay? Give me a break. But look. Give me some leeway. But Trump's desire to be known as the president of peace is nothing new.

It's actually the subject of my new special that is coming out on Monday. And tonight, we got a sneak peek. I should get the Nobel Peace Prize. I should have gotten it four or five times. I deserve it, but they will never He should have got the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize. Yes, sir. President Trump is targeting Democratic-led cities. This is a naked bike, right? How hard is it for you to keep looking up at any time? I don't know where to look. There's sticks and breasts everyone. I know.

He's going to interview people like this. This is what the resistance looks like, apparently. Donald Trump's on shitting on the other side. Exactly. He did put that video. You see that video? He does troll on Twitter and everything. He's got that video where he flies over and he shits on the other side.

Yeah. Those are some jobs, I gotta tell you. You're nearly as still as I thought you were. How the hell do you become a Trump supporter in Norway? Your questions are impossible to answer. He will get the Nobel Peace Prize. Do you think Donald Trump forget the Nobel Peace Prize? No.

Do you have any reason he shouldn't get it? Well, like, maybe everything he does. I love that guy. We'll be right back. Thank you. Welcome back to the Daily Show. December has just started, but you can already feel Christmas in the air. The music, the decorations, the wailing of

elves yearning to be free, but not everyone is feeling so holly jolly. A woke church set up a truly horrifying nativity scene featuring a zip-tied baby Jesus, Roman soldiers as ice agents, and Mary and Joseph wearing gas masks. I guess the war on Christmas is back, isn't it? I knew it. I knew the war on Christmas was coming back, mostly because Pete Hanksett texted me the Christmas war plans last week. The dude can't stop.

Learn a lesson, Pete. But yes, a church in Illinois decided to turn their nativity scene into a political protest, and Sean Hannity is not happy. You know, I'm a big... I am a purist when it comes to free speech. Even stupid speech, even

ignorant speech, and this is it. However, this is done on purpose. Yes. I, too, am a big supporter of free... free speech, unless it's done on purpose. Now, accidental free speech, that's where it's at. Sleepwalking Tourette's, that I fully support. But that nativity scene was just the opening salvo in the war on Christmas.

Over in Portland, they're launching a full invasion. Portland, Oregon is back in the news. Outrage has spread across the country after speakers there failed to mention the word Christmas during the city's annual tree lighting. The celebration was only referred to as the tree lighting with a group leading the event erasing the word. Critics tearing the city apart on social media, for example, wondering why they can't say the word Christmas, questioning how things got so divisive, so ridiculous. And one person going as far to say that it will always be a Christmas tree.

Yes, it's obviously a Christmas tree, even if you don't say it. No one sees this and thinks the tree of the Dark Lord Cthulhu, comes earlier and earlier every year. Maybe they just forgot to say the word Christmas. This time of year, people forget shit. Haven't you seen Home Alone? The parents in that movie are so busy with Christmas, they forget to find competent assassins to murder their son.

It's worth to watch. I think the real story here is that Portland is putting up a Christmas tree at all. I'm surprised it's not a non-denominational indigenous pop-up matcha cafe with a star on time. But, despite these indignities, don't think Christmas is defeated yet. In fact, our very own president has just released a new product to keep everyone proudly in the Christmas spirit. Looking to make your Christmas tree great again? Well, now you can with Trump Tinsel.

Trump Tinsel. Trump Tinsel is eco-friendly, made right here in the USA, and looks great on any tree. But what really sets Trump to Trump. tinsel apart is that it's the only tinsel that's been upcycled from 100% genuine Epstein files. That's right, we took the only copy of the Epstein files in existence and ran it through an industrial shredder. And now what's left of them can be yours for just 4999. President Trump promised to release the Epstein files, but he never said how. Now he's turned him into

tinsel because that's just how much he loves Christmas. I love Christmas. I love Christmas. I love Just don't try to piece your Trump tinsel back together. That would ruin the Christmas spirit. Wait, I think these two pieces line up. Donald... I said, don't piece them together. Don't do the thing from that scene in Argo. Good.

Now toss your tinsel and act merry. Trump tinsel. Don't piece it together like that scene in Argo. go. When we come back, Katie Casey will be joining me on the show. Don't go away. Welcome back to the daily show.

My guest tonight is the front man of the band Dropkick Murphy's. Their latest album is called For the People and features the song, Who Will Stand with us? Please welcome, Ken Casey. Ken. I'm finally at the desk. Look at the desk, right? We usually play on these shows, and then we're looking at the host, like,

am I coming over? And they're like, no, he'll leave it. No, yeah. Now you actually have to say something. Do you think you might break into song at any point? I definitely won't break into song. Do you want that? Yeah, if you want me to drop a beat at any point,

just give me the signal, okay? Who will stand with us? That's a banger. Yeah, it's a banger. That's a banger, right? There are people... It's curious. Seeing that, that video is politically charged,

the music is politically charged, but there's still people who are surprised sometimes to hear them. Is that embedded in what punk music is in general? I thought so, apparently, until we started, you know, getting a lot of hate mail that said, just play, don't talk politics. And I just scratched my head because the bands that inspired me and that I thought, you know, during my growing up listening to punk and band singing about whether it be Reagan or, you know,

the queen or Thatcher, you know, around the world, standing up to speaking about governments and then even in the Bush era. And then now in a time that, in my opinion, is worse than all those situations. A lot of bands have gone quiet because they don't really want the negative attention. They don't want the backlash. They don't want the attacks. They don't want the cancel culture. But, yeah, this to me is like what, if you're a punk band, this should be your moment.

you know, this is when you should stay. Why do you think that is? Is it the fear of cancellation in this moment? I think you are right. You articulate that punk music in itself has been talking about fighting fascism for quite some times. Like, was that performative, in essence?

Is this the time where it should be happening or is that no longer in vogue musically? Like, where do you see what you see? I think back in the day, you didn't have this army of online trolls coming at you, and have threats. But, you know, as we've recently learned from Twitter, you know, opening up where their accounts are from, you know, people would say, the country's so divided. It's 50-50. You must hate that 50% of your fans hate you now.

And I said, is it really 50% of our fans? No, I think it's, you know, it's a lot of hype and it's a lot of loudmouths that seem like they're more than they are. So we feel like when we speak out, it's not necessarily to, I know we're not going to change anything on But maybe we'll inspire another band to feel like, oh, we better do it, too, because there's nothing to fear out there. If you're a band, you know what I mean, or anyone, whether it's a protest or whatever, stand up, speak up, don't be afraid to let your voice be heard. Whatever you...

You have a varied fan base and a dedicated fan base. What have some of those fans who are more conservative, who are... MAGA supporters, what do they thought recently? Yeah, we have a lot of fans that, you know, probably don't aren't as far left as we are, but know that since 1996, we have always had the same message, and it's always been workers' rights, social justice. You know, we've always had the same message. So when you say, what are you talking about?

I say, who's changed? A lot of these people were lockstep with our values and things that were important to us, until that guy came down the escalator and started to divide everybody and feed everyone the lie to get regular people, working people to fight amongst themselves so they could steal all the money out the back door.

Everyone's so concerned about Snap and everything else. But they don't mind a billionaire, you know, making what it is. If anyone, you know, you hear the term million and billion thrown around. Like, a billion is so much more than a billion. And, you know, people just making billions and billions in tax breaks while people fight over someone getting, you know, $6 a day in food subsidies is just, it's maddening to me. And, you know, I don't think my politics are radical. It's like, you know, I get to travel around the world. I get to talk with friends that talk about their free health care.

And I tell them how much I pay a month and they're, you know, and, you know, it's just insanity what's happening. has really insanity. It's like, we're the richest country in the world. Can we all just take it down a notch, come back together again, and just have a little empathy and help some people. And in the, it's curious. Some people are introduced to Dropkick Murphys this year when that video went viral of sort of you interacting with a Trump supporter at one of your concerts. what is what a lot of people that I've talked to who maybe didn't know about the Dropkick Murphys before that were surprised to see a punk band,

Boston-based, masculine, aggressive punk band that connects with young men be open and liberal with their politics. There's a larger conversation right now happening about masculinity in America and what those images of masculinity should be like and how the right tends to take those or people can, young people can find their way into rabbit holes

that take them farther and farther, right? Like, how do you see it as somebody who's, like, a strong, aggressive, liberal performer and your young fans who watch you? You know what? I don't find to be masculine at all. Someone who talks all the time about masculinity and tries so on to be masculine.

No, no, not you. I was going to say. You're purely natural. I'm just trying to ask a question, Ken. That was just a question. I just trying here, man, okay? But, you know, like Pete Headset, the whole thing, it's like, come on, man. You know, that's why it's like, if you're trying too hard, why are you trying so hard?

And we just, we don't try so hard, but, you know, yeah, we are a punk band. We're all regular, regular guys. We're not afraid to confront the situation. But I think what people like the most about the video, you're talking about, because I've had some other videos go semi-viral where the interaction wasn't as friendly with someone in the crowd, but what people liked about that video is there was dialogue to it. These fans were in the front row, MAGA shirts on clearly front row, and they had a blow-up of Donald Trump's head, so they wanted to be acknowledged. And I

confronted them and made a bet because Dropkick Murphy's Sells Only Made in America merchandise. We don't brag about it. I am on TV talking about it. But, you know, Considering we just go about our business and do it to support American workers, meanwhile, the other group, every shirt they have is all about how patriotic and American they are, yet they get their merchandise cheaper from sweat labor in another country. So I made a bet because I was pretty sure that his shirt was not going to be made in America, and I said, I'll trade you, a drop kick Murphy shirt, and $100 if yours is made in America. it isn't, I'll just give you the shirt. And the guy was a good sport. He took off his shirt, and he threw it up to me on stage, and he had a smile on his face doing it. And after, I talked to him after the show. And this was a lesson for me, because I just, I had assumptions about what he was like, by the way, this show was in Florida. So it wasn't like we were

shooting, it wasn't like we were shooting fish in a barrel. And, and, you know, and I went down afterwards, and he said, hey, man, I've been coming to see you for 20 years, and I consider you family, and I don't fight with family. And I was like, wow, that made me not necessarily want to judge a book by its cover all the time, you know, so it was, you know, there's some people that

nowadays it could be just as little as like, who's the people you live around, what channel was put on in your house? And you just fed a narrative that's just ridiculous. And so I try my best to always think about that as I'm making fun of someone or whatever. You and me both, my friend.

You and me both. Oh, hey, hey. It's my daughter's 23rd birthday, Emma Casey, and I said, should I stay home or should I come do this? And she said, fire. Go do the show. That's the kids say fire. Emma, you're fire.

Happy birthday, Emma. Thank you for giving us your dad for just a matter for the people. It's available now. Ken Casey. We're going to take a quick break right back after this. That's our show for tonight. Now, here it is. Your moment is there. She's getting hotter, and they're so jealous, right?

So she's getting, they're like, she's so Republican. She gets hotter by the minute, right? And so my advice to all the ladies, our side is better, and you get hotter, right? All Republican women are hot. Tell me that's not true. That is true. So when you register a Republican, you just get hotter. You do.

It's like you get hotter with age. Like, you get wiser and hotter. more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching The Daily Show, wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.