In his latest Daily Show monologue, Josh Johnson tackled a range of topics from a surge in ranch dressing sales tied to the World Cup to the results of New York's primary elections and the contrasting kingmaker roles of Zohran Mamdani and Donald Trump.
TSA and the Ranch Dressing 'Sauce Craze'
Johnson opened with reports that the World Cup has sparked a 'sauce craze,' leading TSA to confiscate numerous bottles of ranch dressing from fans flying home. 'Come on, TSA, do you really need to be so strict about this?' Johnson asked. 'No one's going to blow up a plane with a bottle of ranch. The bathroom, maybe, but not the plane.'
Zohran Mamdani's Kingmaker Status
Turning to New York's primary elections, where democratic socialists won two House seats and several state positions, Johnson highlighted Zohran Mamdani. 'While every election has its winners and losers, there was one guy who came out on top last night, who wasn't even on the ballot,' Johnson said, referencing Mamdani. All three candidates backed by the New York City mayor won their races, prompting a commentator to label him a 'kingmaker.' Johnson quipped, 'A socialist making kings? That's crazy! That's like if a capitalist made a hospital everybody could afford.' He added, 'Obviously, Republicans are mad about Mamdani's wins, but it also pissed off the Democratic establishment. Which is pretty insane, because they're in your party.'
Trump's Sarcastic Response and Endorsement Strategy
On Truth Social, Donald Trump sarcastically congratulated Mamdani for 'pulling through three solid communists' and complained about 'zero media attention' for his endorsed candidates' primary wins. Johnson joked, 'Trump sounds like someone at a birthday party trying to remind people it's also his birthday. He's just walking up like, "Happy birthday Margaret, looks like we're both Geminis, huh? And technically, I've been having this birthday longer so you kind of stole it from me."'
Trump has endorsed Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton, who has faced accusations of bribery, fraud, and abuse of office over the past decade. Last year, Paxton's wife filed for divorce on 'biblical grounds' after reports of infidelity. Johnson remarked, 'Biblical grounds? I've never heard that before. Imagine showing up to your divorce with a Bible, going, "He committed all the sins."' Paxton has expressed his 'love' for Trump, saying 'every time I'm around him, it's infectious.' Johnson responded, 'That's a weird way to describe your relationship. Did you cheat on your wife with Trump?'
Loyalty Over Competence
Johnson argued that Trump prioritizes loyalty over competence in his endorsements. 'That's why he endorsed Ken Paxton over John Cornyn in Texas and Ed Gallrein over Thomas Massie in Kentucky, even though Massie was more MAGA.' Johnson contrasted this with Mamdani's approach, who seeks allies with a desire to 'fight' and 'reject a politics of big money and small ideas.' Trump, on the other hand, said, 'When people like me, I like them. It's a very simple formula.' Johnson noted, 'That's not really a formula.' He concluded, 'Whatever you think about Trump and Mamdani, it's very clear that they are controlling the vibe of their party. And voters are eager to see, come November, which base is going to sound like [audio of woman screaming].'
