GOP Gets Ghoulish in Last-Ditch Midterm Fearmongering | The Daily Show

What this episode is about

The piece argues that Republicans have exhausted traditional messaging and are leaning on fear-mongering and horror-story rhetoric to rally voters, accusing Democrats of radicalism and societal decay while providing sharp, satirical critique of these tactics. It highlights the lack of a substantive platform and mocks the over-the-top scare tactics used in campaigns.

Key takeaways

• Campaign fear-mongering is the GOP’s default, but voters crave specifics and credible plans, not horror-story marketing.
• The piece keeps circling back to identity and fear, revealing a strategy built on social panic rather than policy.
• Humor exposes contradictions: fear techniques feel hollow when everyday concerns (costs, safety) outrun scare tactics.
• Messaging fatigue is real: over-the-top scripts may harden audiences instead of mobilizing them toward concrete proposals.
• The tension between fear and policy highlights a pivot point—stakeholders demand accountability, not boogeyman theater.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Ted Lieu (Guest) · 3 min speaking
• Abdullah El-Sayed (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• Hasan (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• Vivek Ramaswamy (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• Donald Trump (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• Pete Hegseth (Guest) · 1 min speaking
• Kimberly Guilfoyle (Guest) · 1 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Donald Trump
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan, United States (states), Abdullah
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, United States (states), Hasan
4. 9:00 – 10:38: Kamal Harris, Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Notable quotes from "GOP Gets Ghoulish in Last-Ditch Midterm Fearmongering | The Daily Show"

• President Trump, you've got a pumpkin spice tint to you, all right?

  about Donald Trump · at 1:59

• Ooh. Ooh. Pete Hegseth's haunted liver is right here.

  about Pete Hegseth · at 3:27

• Abdullah ba da He sounds like an Islamophobic minion.

  about Abdullah · at 5:30

• What is it about Abdul El-Sayed that I should be scared of? Maybe somebody needs to tell the story in a more gripping way. J.D. Vance took a swing at that, and people seem to.

  about Abdul El-Sayed · at 6:23

• A werewolf transformation, he would know how to scare me. Come on. Come on. Land the plane, Ted. Give him a frightening title like the Michigan Madman or the Detroit Demon.

  about Detroit · at 8:03

• Transgendered giants. I took the governor. Came in and Kamala Harris came in and Kamala Harris I love it.

  about Kamal Harris · at 10:01

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Abdul El-Sayed — Person · Referenced political target / Senate candidate (referenced boogeyman) · 3 mentions · first at 4:28
  Central figure in the segment's critique of GOP fearmongering; Republicans repeatedly use his name as a purported threat to scare voters.
• Donald Trump — Person · Referenced political figure (source of fearmongering bits) · 1 mention · first at 1:59
  Referenced as part of GOP messaging and fearmongering examples used in the segment.
• Kamal Harris — Person · Referenced political figure · 2 mentions · first at 10:03
  Mentioned in a mock-possessed rant example used to satirize fearmongering rhetoric.
• Vivek Ramaswamy — Person · Referenced political figure / GOP rally mention · 1 mention · first at 6:08
  Mentioned as a Hindu candidate whose rally was referenced when discussing GOP messaging about religion and who can hold office.
  Whoa. Yes. And there is no better place to declare that only Christians should hold government office than at a rally for Hindu candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
• J.D. Vance — Person · Referenced Republican commentator/politician · 1 mention · first at 6:29
  Quoted as having tried to craft a frightening narrative about El-Sayed; used as an example of GOP attacks that partly landed with audiences.
  He says that he wants to pass the green new scam and kill the auto industry of the state.
• Pete Hegseth — Person · Referenced media personality (joke props) · 1 mention · first at 3:27
  Name used in a comedic bit (haunted liver) to lampoon GOP personalities and their scary theatricality.
• Kimberly Guilfoyle — Person · Referenced media personality / GOP figure (joke props) · 1 mention · first at 3:34
  Used in a comedic gag (cursed credit card statement) to satirize GOP fundraising/celebrity figures.
  And what Oh, and Kimberly Guilfoyle's cursed credit card statement, huh? Ooh.
• Jesus of Nazareth — Person · Religious reference used in GOP rhetoric · 1 mention · first at 6:00
  Invoked in a GOP quote about rights coming from God and Jesus — used to highlight religious appeals in the attack messaging.
  Do you think he understands that concept that our rights come from God Almighty?
• Kennedy — Person · Referenced historical/political figure in parody · 2 mentions · first at 9:30
  Name appears in a quick list with other historical figures during a mock-possessed rant; used as part of satirical soundbite.
  RFK's go-to Halloween costume is a pirate? I would have guessed like Jack-o'-lantern or baseball glove from polio times or guy in the zombie movie who gets bit but.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — Person · Referenced public figure (mentioned re: costume/habit) · 1 mention · first at 9:30
  Referenced humorously regarding a favorite Halloween costume; used to poke fun at Republican/independent personalities.
  RFK's go-to Halloween costume is a pirate? I would have guessed like Jack-o'-lantern or baseball glove from polio times or guy in the zombie movie who gets bit but.
• Eleanor Roosevelt — Person · Referenced historical figure in satire · 1 mention · first at 10:09
  Invoked in a rapid-fire list spoken by a demon-possessed parody; used to heighten absurdity of fear-mongering rhetoric.
  Transgendered giants. I took the governor. Came in and Kamala Harris came in and Kamala Harris I love it.

Places & events

• Michigan — Place · Location / electoral battleground · 3 mentions · first at 5:40
  State where Abdul El-Sayed is running for office and the GOP attack ads referenced target Michigan voters.
  He says that he wants to pass the green new scam and kill the auto industry of the state.
• United States (states) — Place · Context / national polity · 2 mentions · first at 3:47
  Referenced within rhetoric about American values, threats, and comparisons to foreign terrorist groups.
  A man who says the United States is worse than Al-Qaeda.
• September 11 attacks — Event · Referenced historical event used to criticize associations · 1 mention · first at 7:00
  Referenced when quoting accusations about someone 'deserving 9/11' — used to show extreme allegations in GOP attacks.
  A man who says the United States is worse than Al-Qaeda.
• Washington, D.C. — Place · Referenced political center / antonym to local office · 1 mention · first at 5:41
  Invoked as the place GOP speakers argue certain candidates should not be near; used to contrast local/state politics with national government.
  This character, Abdul El-Sayed can be nowhere near Washington, D.C.
• Detroit — Place · Referenced locale tied to candidate / imagery · 1 mention · first at 8:13
  Used as part of labeling El-Sayed (e.g., 'Detroit Demon') and ties the campaign messaging to a major Michigan city.

Media & podcasts

• Abdullah — Character · Mocked fictional name variation · 1 mention · first at 5:20
  Used in a mocking parody of how Republicans caricature Muslim names; appears as a gibberish/derisive variant in the sketch.
• The Rockettes — Media · Cultural reference / comedic target · 1 mention · first at 4:13
  Referenced as part of a joke about what people would miss if 'hordes of jihadists' came — used to underline the absurdity of fearmongering.
  I got to tell you, when I'm being beheaded by ISIS, am I supposed to be thinking, Damn it, I had tickets for the Rockettes.
• Abdullah Sub da da da — Character · Mocked fictional name variant · 1 mention · first at 5:20
  A nonsensical variation of a Muslim name used to satirize fearmongering and caricature in political attacks.
  His name is actually Abdullah Sub da It's Abdullah ba ba.

Sponsors

• Hasan — Person · Referenced associate of El-Sayed (alleged supporter) · 1 mention · first at 7:00
  Mentioned in the GOP attack line as El-Sayed's 'best friend' who allegedly made extreme statements; used to escalate fear messaging.
  All year, Abdul has campaigned with his best friend Hasan a man who said that we deserved 9/11.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 The GOP is still struggling to find a campaign message beyond check out the dump truck on this guy. Because as compelling as this is,

0:10 His ass was like a big piece of muscle. It somehow hasn't resonated with voters. Sorry, our nation's more of a boob guy. What can I say? But time is running out and based on the barrage of recent campaign ads, Republicans have landed on their final message. Boo.

0:30 How far left are today's Democrats? They want to turn America into a socialist crime-filled dystopia.

0:35 The enemy isn't just at the gate. They're in the house and they're coming for you.

0:40 Higher taxes, more crime. Putting parents in jail. Evil totalitarian control. Today's liberals are full of hate. I can't even show my face because my skin is white and they'll spit hate at me.

0:58 I'M WHITE. THAT VIDEO GAME CHARACTER I HAVEN'T UNLOCKED yet is right. It's a scary time for us. I mean, I can tell you personally, I can't go into a store without being followed around. They keep saying, "Sir, are you looking for cable-knit sweaters? This way. This way." But I see what's going on here. In the absence of any compelling platform or record of success, Republicans are desperately trying to scare voters with fear-mongering, boogeymen, and horror stories. And you know what? I am here for it. Halloween is right around the corner and I am in the mood for chills and thrills.

1:38 I mean, you guys like SCARY STORIES, HUH? YEAH. YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S HEAR SOME OF THESE REPUBLICAN spooky tales. Can we Can we get a a spooky mood in here? Can we do that? Ooh, ooh, I love it. Love it. And here we go. Here. Ooh. Ooh. Ooh. All right. President Trump, you've got a pumpkin spice tint to you, all right? Go ahead. Fearmonger me.

2:07 Transgender mutilation insanity. A child goes off to school as Tim and comes back as Tammy. Three or four days, that's true. Goodbye, Timmy. I love you so much. I'll see you later. And you say, "Where's my son?" My son is in the hospital. Can you imagine? Can you imagine?

2:29 Ooh. Can you imagine? Can you imagine? Actually, no, I can't imagine that. Actually, can we Can we get the lights back up? I'm I'm I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Do you really think public schools have the budget for transgender surgeries? I have to send my son to school with his own pencils and paper towels, but somehow they have vagina money just lying around? Look, I I Okay, you know what? You know what? The scary stories need to be at least a a little believable. The schools are not going to transgender Timmy. At most, they'll put him in drama club and turn him gay, but that's it.

3:09 Look, you know what? You know what? I didn't mean I don't mean to nitpick. This is your last-ditch effort fearmongering. How about we uh Let's hear another one, okay? Let's You know what? Let's set the mood with I got some uh Here we go, some creepy taxidermy right here. I got a Oh, a lovely jack-o'-lantern. Ooh. Ooh. Pete Hegseth's haunted liver is right here. Oh my gosh, the smells on that thing. And what Oh, and Kimberly Guilfoyle's cursed credit card statement, huh? Ooh. Ooh, spooky. Okay. Okay. All right. Give us a another another nightmare about what will happen if the Democrats win.

3:47 They will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadists to our shores, creating a nightmare of violence and terror until you cannot even have a Christmas.

3:58 Ooh. No Christmas? Is that supposed to be the worst part of the hordes of jihadists bringing violence and terror TO OUR SHORES? I MEAN, I got to tell you, when when I'm being beheaded by ISIS, am I supposed to be thinking, "Damn it, I had tickets for the Rockettes." You know what? Maybe a a believable scary story isn't the GOP sweet spot. But, you know what always gives me the creeps? A scary monster. What do you guys got?

4:28 Abdulrahman El-Sayed. Abdulrahman El-Sayed? Abdulrahman El-Sayed. Abdul, whatever his name is.

4:39 Abdulrahman El-Sayed. ABDUL EL SAYED. NO. NO. NO. NO. STOP. NO. NO. Stop it with the lightning. Look, I know their tone was scary, but that name wasn't scary at all. It was just Muslim. No. No. No. No. No. No, we don't do the lightning. Do not do a lightning crack for that. It's not scary just because he's Muslim. No. No. No werewolves, either. Stop. I'm going to I'm going to report these sound effects to HR. I am. Come on, Republicans. That name's not scary, no matter how you say it.

5:20 His name is actually Abdullah Sub da da da It's Abdullah ba ba ba ba ba ba. Abdullah ba da ba da ba da ba da ba da ba da He sounds like an Islamophobic minion. That's Despicable You, sir. You. Okay, so the Senate candidate for Michigan is their new boogeyman. But, it can't just be that he's Muslim. There has to be something else, right?

5:47 This character, Abdul El-Sayed can be nowhere near Washington, D.C. Do you think he understands that concept that our rights come from God Almighty? That Jesus came here for our salvation?

6:03 Whoa. Yes. And there is no better place to declare that only Christians should hold government office than at a rally for Hindu candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. What is it about Abdul El-Sayed that I should be scared of? Maybe Maybe somebody needs to tell the story in a more gripping way. I mean, J.D. Vance took a swing at that, and people seem to be on board. Although, see if you can spot the moment where he might have lost the crowd a bit.

6:40 He says that he wants to pass the green new scam and kill the auto industry of the state. El-Sayed says that he wants to defund the police and abandon Michigan to crime. All year, Abdul has campaigned with his best friend Hasan a man who said that we deserved 9/11. A man who says the United States is worse than Al-Qaeda. A man who says that we shouldn't care about black Americans.

7:26 They were very enthusiastic up until that last part. I'm not saying the crowd is racist, but I am saying that that guy in the middle there might want to slip out a bit early. You know, I still don't get it. What is it that you actually think will happen if El-Sayed gets elected?

7:45 And if I am correct that he is a passionate supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood, there is a very real risk that Americans will die as a result.

7:57 Yes. Yes, that is scary. That is scary. Yes, I knew this man, stuck halfway into a werewolf transformation, he he would know how to scare me. Come on. Come on. Land the plane, Ted. Give him a a frightening title like the the Michigan Madman or the Detroit Demon.

8:16 My nickname for the guy is the Jihadist Leprechaun. And you blew it, Ted. A Jihadist Leprechaun? Really? That's the mascot of my favorite cereal, Death to America's, you know? Jihadist Leprechaun is not scary. Although, it would be a pretty fun Halloween costume. Any other tips on what people can dress up as?

8:45 Blue-haired transgender witches. Uh I I was that last year. Sorry. Uh Although, if anyone else is interested, blue-haired transgender witch is an easy costume to make. You just send Timmy to school as a blue-haired witch. They do the rest. No. Maybe. It's simple. Very simple. Just a minute. Maybe someone else in the mogul world has a a favorite Halloween costume they can recommend.

9:15 Ted, did you ever have a favorite Halloween costume? Me? Yeah. Yes, I do. What was it?

9:22 It's a pirate. I wear I use the same same theme every year. Wait a minute. RFK's go-to Halloween costume is a pirate? I mean, I would have guessed like Jack-o'-lantern or baseball glove from polio times or guy in the zombie movie who gets bit but doesn't tell anybody. So, yeah. The Republicans' efforts to terrify people aren't quite landing. But, there may be one way they can still pull it off. You ever see a movie where someone gets possessed by a demon and they start speaking in some weird ancient tongue? Because that is scary.

10:01 Transgendered giants. I took the governor. Came in and Kamala Harris came in and Kamala Harris I love it. Eleanor Roosevelt and me. Kennedy's a

10:23 Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "GOP Gets Ghoulish in Last-Ditch Midterm Fearmongering | The Daily Show"?

Ted Lieu (Guest), Abdullah El-Sayed (Guest), Hasan (Guest), Vivek Ramaswamy (Guest), Donald Trump (Guest), Pete Hegseth (Guest), Kimberly Guilfoyle (Guest).

What is "GOP Gets Ghoulish in Last-Ditch Midterm Fearmongering | The Daily Show" about?

The piece argues that Republicans have exhausted traditional messaging and are leaning on fear-mongering and horror-story rhetoric to rally voters, accusing Democrats of radicalism and societal decay while providing sharp, satirical critique of these tactics. It highlights the lack of a substantive platform and mocks the over-the-top scare tactics used in campaigns.

What is mentioned in this The Daily Show episode?

20 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan, Donald Trump, United States (states), Kamal Harris, Vivek Ramaswamy. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "GOP Gets Ghoulish in Last-Ditch Midterm Fearmongering | The Daily Show"?

The episode runs 11 min; the transcript is about 1,489 words in 27 timestamped sections.

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