Hasan Minhaj may be out of the running to host The Daily Show, but that doesn’t mean he’s stepping back from the talk show scene entirely.
The former Patriot Act host’s new YouTube series, Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know, premiered Monday morning—just hours after Minhaj announced the project via Instagram: “Tomorrow. The debut of my new show ‘Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know’. Available on the single worst place on planet earth: The World Wide Web 💻🌎See u there.”
Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know reunites Minhaj with Patriot Act’s head writer Prashanth Venkataramanujam, who serves as co-creator and executive producer of the new project. Another former Patriot Act writer, Scott Vrooman, also serves as showrunner.
The debut episode centered on a half-hour sit-down with Senator Elizabeth Warren. During the conversation, which was filmed at the senator’s home in Massachusetts on April 3, Minhaj tried to gauge Warren’s thoughts on President Joe Biden’s age and his fitness to serve a second term.
“With the 2024 election just months away, the Dems are in big trouble,” Minhaj said in the episode’s opening. “It’s prompted some tough questions from voters like: How old is too old to be president?, How dumb is too dumb to be a democracy?, and How the f*ck are members of Congress still allowed to trade stock?”
Warren largely pushed back on the notion that Biden is “too old” to serve another term. “I know you want to have fun, but I’ve just got to tell you this. I talk to the man, and the man is sharp,” she said. “The man knows what he’s talking about. He does the job.”
However, as Warren spoke, a graphic flashed across the screen reading, “Remember that this was recorded before the first presidential debate.”
Minhaj also critiqued the Democrats’ electoral messaging, asked the senator to reaffirm her commitment to pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza, and touched upon ways the party might reach young progressives.
The comedian has interviewed a number of prominent political figures in the past, including former president Barack Obama.
Previously, Minhaj was reportedly the frontrunner of potential candidates to replace Trevor Noah as the host of The Daily Show; he served as a senior correspondent on the show from 2014 to 2018. However, he was taken out of the running after a story in The New Yorker highlighted alleged falsehoods and embellishments in his stand-up routines.
At the Netflix Is A Joke Festival in May, Minhaj acknowledged the controversy and poked fun at himself for losing the gig. “We’ve all failed in our lives,” he said. “But have you ever failed so bad, you bring back Jon Stewart? I saved a dying institution. You’re welcome.”
