Jordan Klepper Reflects On Lessons From 'The Daily Show' & The Power Of The Social Bubble

Joining The Daily Show (1996) in 2014 and returning in 2019 after a stint hosting his own shows on Comedy Central like Klepper (2019), Jordan Klepper has become one of the show's most effective field reporters. While the "character" of Jordan can still be over-the-top for the sake of a joke, the correspondent’s frequent trips to political rallies across the nation have revealed an empathatic curiosity tempered by a bluntly critical perspective on self-delusion and lies.

That quality has made him an invaluable member of one of TV’s best comedic teams, especially at confronting the wild lengths that the modern world keeps pushing things. During an interview with JustWatch, Klepper discussed what he loves about The Daily Show, the value in embracing the rotating host format over having a singular figure running the show, and what his comfort watches are.

Klepper On The Lessons, Surprises, And Realities Of ’The Daily Show’

JustWatch: You’ve been a part of The Daily Show for years now – what would you say has been the biggest evolution of the political landscape in that time?

Jordan Klepper: There’s been a lot of change. It’s been an eventful decade. The function of The Daily Show, pre-Donald Trump, was a different beast in the news cycle. It was always chaotic, but never as fast as it has been the last handful of years. When I came on the show, it was news satire. It’s still news satire, but it has evolved. I came on playing the traditional correspondent role, playing this high-status, buffonish reporter. You can bounce the satire of that. As Trevor came in and the Trump administration came in, Trevor’s desires and comedy changed. There was a bit more of a desire to drop some of the pretense and be a bit more vulnerable – to be yourself. I think comedy shifted in that way. I still got to play the role of correspondent as we do, but I also started going into the field with a little bit less archness and character. I really started to connect with people.

I did a show of my own, The Opposition with Jordan Klepper (2017) that was a parody of far-right news, which was going way into the archness. As I came back to The Daily Show, first with Trevor and then with Jon, and then all of us hosting, the format of the show continued to evolve. It was pretty organic – it was a response to the shifting hosts, the changing times, the chaos of a daily news cycle. We have rotating hosts, which allows us to have different perspectives but still the same Daily Show voice. I still get to go out in the field and have a little bit more earnest conversations with people. Then I get to use the arch tool in my belt when I’m bouncing off the other hosts. The world and the media have evolved. The Daily Show has been around for 30 years. We’ve gotten lucky because there are a lot of smart people around there who kept the show as it is. We find outseloves able to do different kinds of shows and point-of-view approaches.

[As for the political landscape], I will say the folks who are diehard Trumpy and at rallies, they are still telling the same stories. ‘Donald Trump can be both a peace president and a war hawk. I’m not seeing the change there. I think it’s the people who are not showing up at those events who may have a bit more of a keen eye towards [the Trump administration] not being what they bought in on. I was at an event a couple of days ago, and the thing that stood out to me was the story about the $1.776 billion slush fund that could go to the January 6th rioters. It was still up in the air at the time whether Trump was going to push it or not. In many circles, that was a big story. A lot of Republicans pushed back on it.

When I talk to people who were MAGA supporters a couple of days ago, very few had even heard of the story. I had forgotten that is the bubble that we are all in. People aren’t tuned into Trump's more egregious actions, whether stock betting, the money he’s getting from grifts, or even this slush fund. That might be on the major news outlets, but it’s not on other outlets that other folks are getting. I went out wanting to know what people think about this. How are they going to defend that? The answer was that they defended by having no idea what we were even talking about. I was at an event a couple of days ago, and the thing that stood out to me.

As the this this recent story about the $1.776 billion slush fund that could go to J Sixers, which is, I think, still up in the air if Trump is going to push it or not, you know, in many circles that was a big story, and and also a lot of Republicans have pushed back against that, at least that's some of the reporting on it right now, when I talk to people who were MAGA supporters a couple days ago, very few then had even heard of that story, and I forget that that is that bubble that we are in. People are not getting it, they're not tied into the losses that Trump's having or the egregious actions that he's taking. Whether it's the stock betting, whether it's the money that he's getting through different grifts, or even this slush fund here.

That might be on the major news outlets, but it's not necessarily other outlets that other folks are getting, so I'm not sure how much of the base is even aware of some of the shifts that are happening, I think we, that was an example that we went out the door to do a piece, essentially on that, and like, oh, I want to know what people think about this. How are they going to defend this? And the answer was, they defended it by being like, I have no idea what you're talking about. You're like, oh, oh, okay.

I’ve really enjoyed the rotating roster of hosts that has become the norm for the show. What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned from watching your fellow hosts and how they approach the desk?

I love it. It can be lonely hosting a late-night show. There aren’t a ton of people who do it. To be able to actually have pals who are doing it along with you. You can share notes, and that’s huge. I have learned and stolen something from everybody. I remember when Jon came back, [I started noticing] these small, tactical moves. Jon is so good at emotiong through a headline. He watches the show with the audience at home, emotionally responding to it. Part of the performance is the emotional journey that you’re on. I was watching that, thinking ‘I need that in my toolkit!’ I watch how everyone interviews. Seeing how Desi preps for an interview, how Ronnie will play off an interview – we have different styles, but it’s really interesting to watch how people approach each little movie.

We all do it differently. We don’t all use the same tools, but you can see what works on certain nights and in which ways. How do you make a show out of a dark thing happening… There was this terrible event today. How do you find the humor in that? I’ve had days where there was a shooting, and there’s a part of me that wants to do an eight-minute tirade on that. Then, something happened on a Costa week. Instead of a tirade, Costa had these three really pointed, really funny jokes. That was all there needed to be. That was a reminder that sometimes you get bogged down in the point. I think that time or gravitas will be as successful as a clear, thoughtful joke. That wins the day and then gives you space to play somewhere else. It helps the audience digest it better. Every day is different.

I have learned so much from The Daily Show and made so many friends. I learned so much about comedy from Jon and Trevor. I spent 15 years trying to get into this industry with little success and failures. I had friends on [Saturday Night Live] (1975), and you have this dream about being on TV where it’s this amazing thing, and parades are thrown in your honor. I remember the first time I did The Daily Show, I came off stage feeling amazing. I just did a piece with Jon Stewart! He’s a comedy hero of mine, whom I’ve watched forever, and I was on TV with him! I was going around thinking, ‘Let’s go out for shots and celebrate,’ and the team was turning off the lights and like, “We have to do that again tomorrow, see you at 8:00.” It was this beautiful, humbling moment. The thing I love about The Daily Show is that it’s work. It’s joyous work, but there’s no time to sit back and think about the things that you’ve made. There’s only time to keep making. It grounds the people who work there and focuses on the process of creativity instead of the trappings of television.

Jordan Klepper Loved Working With Disney And Talks His Favorites Toons & Comedians

I’ve also got to admit that I’m a pretty big animation fan, so I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed The Ghost and Molly McGee!

The Ghost and Molly McGee (2021) was great! I had so much fun being Pete. I got to channel my inner Clark Griswold to be Pete. I had done some little pieces here and there, but this was my first [animated show] where I was really a voice actor. Before I did The Daily Show, I was a writer and did some voice stuff as an actor. With The Daily Show, I found something that I really loved, and I loved being on the road of finding the comedy in politics. I love working in the world of The Daily Show and doing those specials – but whenever you get a chance to step outside of that and be playful, it’s just really freeing. I got to collaborate with really interesting, thoughtful people.

Are there any other animated properties that you have a soft spot for or would love to appear in?

I grew up as such a huge fan of South Park (1997). That show still amazes me with its longevity and its incisiveness. IT’s still a show that I watch with such love. I also have a five and a half year old at home, so Bluey (2018) would probably be a second one… The pacing of older cartoons is better for kids, I’ve realized. The comedy of Looney Tunes (1929) has a better rhythm for teaching comedy to a kid. All the nerdy Daily Show Dads, we talk about this. All the animated stuff for kids now is very explosion-heavy and loud, heavy cuts. Looney Tunes has the comedy rhythm that you can use to teach a kid that style.

What are some of the films or TV shows that you wish were getting more attention?

I don’t know if it’s getting the attention it deserves or not, but I love everything Tim Robinson does. I knew Tim back in my Chicago days – I thought The Chair Company (2025) was so unique, thoughtful, and surprising on different levels. I was a big fan of that. I’m also a big British comedy fan. My comfort watches are Peep Show (2003) and anything that Alan Partridge is in. That’s the pinnacle of comedy to me. I think Americans should have more access to anything Steve Coogan does. I think he’s created one of the ultimate comedy characters and has sustained it in so many formats for so many decades. I’m shocked he’s not someone we’re always talking about.