Wednesday night’s Daily Show saw Triumph the Insult Comic Dog led a mini insurrection of his own. The Robert Smigel character infiltrated last weekend’s People’s March, convincing a group of anti-Trump protesters to launch a January 6th-inspired raid on a coffee shop.
Triumph has taken his shtick to a handful of Trump supporter gatherings in recent years, from campaign rallies to the now-president’s hush money trial.
In is latest segment for The Daily Show, Triumph turned his attention across the aisle, visiting the People’s March in Washington, DC two days before Donald Trump’s inauguration. (Rest assured, Smigel’s character still manages to skewer the absurdity of the right in the bit.)
“This diverse crowd covers a full spectrum of literally every stage of depression,” Triumph ribs at the top if the segment.
“I love seeing all these people protesting Trump, despite being entirely powerless. As a neutered dog, I feel like I fit in,” he tells one group.
Chatting with various protestors, Triumph suggests new tactics and rebrands for the left, from engaging in conspiracy theories (“Jimmy Carter was doing just fine until Trump got elected again. Coincidence?!”) to new “pube hats.”
“What about if we rebrand climate change as climate transitioning?,” he suggests at one point. “Then Republicans will want to stop it.”
The remote ends with a Triumph-led attempt to get the People’s March more attention, with a crowd of protestors staging an insurrection as they shout “Whose house? Our house!” The house, in this case, was a local coffee house—but don’t assume Triumph will stop there.
“Today, Zeke’s Coffee House. Tomorrow, Cheesecake Factory!,” he shouts.
While Triumph originated on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the dog now lives a life of his own. Aside from his own regular YouTube videos and live shows, the Smigel character became a regular presence on The Daily Show during this year’s election. Before that, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert had been his unofficial home.
Just last week, the comic dog helped launch CBS’ Hollywood Squares revival, appearing on two of its first three episodes.
