The Daily Show - Season 31 Episode 97 : September 8, 2026 - Gov. Spencer Cox 2026

Trump escalates his trade war with Canada, renames Lake Ontario “Lake America,” denies rising U.S. food and gas prices, and keeps winning the Iran War. As his polls sink, loyal acolytes like “human printer” Natalie Harp glaze him into a comforting alternate reality—and Jon Stewart wants in. Republican Governor Spencer Cox joins Jon to discuss his book, “Off Ramp: How to Be a Peacemaker in an Age of Contempt,” and how Charlie Kirk’s assassination in Utah drove him to finish it. Cox says good-faith debate is America’s way out of polarization, citing Utah’s approach to religious freedom and LGBTQ+ rights as proof opponents can find common ground. Jon asks whether change starts with people talking—or with reforming the system itself.