After Democrats failed to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show host-of-the-week, Desi Lydic, was not happy. In a likely preview of the next two years, Lydic would attack House Democrats from the left for failing to show up to the vote and taking “a major L.”
In a segment that thumbed its nose at the idea voters want politicians to focus on affordability, Lydic teed up a clip of CNN’s Audie Cornish by declaring, “But you know what: You can bitch all you want, Trump. It won't make a difference, because with all the Democratic energy pouring into Congress, there's no way Pete Hegseth can escape impeachment! Now to pop this $4,000 bottle of champagne I've been saving for just this moment.”
After the brief clip of Cornish explaining the vote failed, Lydic returned to wonder, “What happened? They had him dead to rights! What kind of shenanigans did those Republicans pull?”
Following a local news clip of a reporter explaining that 11 Democrats missed the vote, Lydic attacked, “Are you kidding me? A chance to impeach the secretary of Defense, and 11 of you couldn't be bothered to come to work? Even Mitch McConnell finds a way to show up to work, and he died years ago! This is a major L for Democrats. And to think, I just put the finishing touches on my Hakeem Jeffries back tattoo. Now I just look stupid! What do you people have to say for yourselves? These aren't, like, nobodies – okay, one of them is Haley Stevens – but not all of them are nobodies! Nancy Pelosi, where the hell were you?”
After even more clips, Lydic continued attacking, “Oh, you would have voted no, that's so nice to know. As long as you would have, that's what matters. I also would have voted no. If we add them both together, that's zero [bleep] votes! I can't believe you weren't doing your job because you were out getting an award for doing your job! I hope the rest of you have better excuses! Health emergency, saving kids from a burning orphanage, that kind of thing.”
Later, she criticizes Nancy Pelosi, "Oh, you would have voted no, that's so nice to know. As long as you would have, that's what matters. I also would have voted no. If we add them both together, that's zero [bleep] votes!" as well as Jonathan Jackson "You missed an impeachment… pic.twitter.com/uSijqiLdOZ
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) November 12, 2026
That led to a clip from NewsNation’s Tom Dempsey explaining, “Illinois Congressman Jonathan Jackson posted to social media about a traffic incident, saying it, quote, 'resulted in the vote closing before I, along with many other members, could reach the chamber.’”
Lydic continued lamenting, “You missed an impeachment vote because of traffic? You're telling me there's not, like, a congressional monster truck you can take? Where do our tax dollars even go?”
Later, correspondent Michael Kosta joined Lydic for a skit satirizing Jackson’s explanation. Lydic insisted, “Come on, Kosta, this is just so embarrassing for the Democrats.”
Later, during a skit with Michael Kosta, Lydic says "Come on, Kosta, this is just so embarrassing for the Democrats."
Kosta insists, "Actually, Desi, they've never been prouder. The American people voted to return to normal, and what could be more normal than the Democrats… pic.twitter.com/To33zhJdFE— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) November 12, 2026
Kosta, playing the role of someone stuck in traffic, countered, “Actually, Desi, they've never been prouder. The American people voted to return to normal, and what could be more normal than the Democrats taking a huge opportunity and totally blowing it! I mean, they're back, baby!”
Lydic then tried to suggest that impeaching Hegseth was high on voters’ priority list, “No! No, that is not what the American people wanted! They wanted competent leadership that delivers for working people.”
Kosta reiterated that “Well, maybe they wanted that, but they voted for the Democrats, you know. Not doing their best is what they do best.”
So much for addressing affordability.
Here is a transcript for the November 11 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
11/11/2026
11:05 PM ET
DESI LYDIC: But you know what: You can bitch all you want, Trump. It won't make a difference, because with all the Democratic energy pouring into Congress, there's no way Pete Hegseth can escape impeachment! Now to pop this $4,000 bottle of champagne I've been saving for just this moment.
AUDIE CORNISH: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth narrowly escaped impeachment in a 211-204 vote.
LYDIC: What happened? They had him dead to rights! What kind of shenanigans did those Republicans pull?
LOCAL NEWS REPORTER: The push to impeach Hegseth yesterday might have succeeded if more Democratic lawmakers had actually shown up to vote. Eleven of them were absent.
LYDIC: Are you kidding me? A chance to impeach the secretary of Defense, and 11 of you couldn't be bothered to come to work? Even Mitch McConnell finds a way to show up to work, and he died years ago! This is a major L for Democrats. And to think, I just put the finishing touches on my Hakeem Jeffries back tattoo. Now I just look stupid! What do you people have to say for yourselves? These aren't, like, nobodies – okay, one of them is Haley Stevens – but not all of them are nobodies! Nancy Pelosi, where the hell were you?
…
LYDIC: Oh, you would have voted no, that's so nice to know. As long as you would have, that's what matters. I also would have voted no. If we add them both together, that's zero [bleep] votes! I can't believe you weren't doing your job because you were out getting an award for doing your job! I hope the rest of you have better excuses! Health emergency, saving kids from a burning orphanage, that kind of thing.
TOM DEMPSEY: Illinois Congressman Jonathan Jackson posted to social media about a traffic incident, saying it, quote, "resulted in the vote closing before I, along with many other members, could reach the chamber."
LYDIC: You missed an impeachment vote because of traffic? You're telling me there's not, like, a congressional monster truck you can take? Where do our tax dollars even go?
…
LYDIC: Come on, Kosta, this is just so embarrassing for the Democrats.
MICHAEL KOSTA: Actually, Desi, they've never been prouder. The American people voted to return to normal, and what could be more normal than the Democrats taking a huge opportunity and totally blowing it! I mean, they're back, baby!
LYDIC: No! No, that is not what the American people wanted! They wanted competent leadership that delivers for working people.
KOSTA: Well, maybe they wanted that, but they voted for the Democrats, you know. Not doing their best is what they do best. Hey! I said move your stupid ass, grandma! God, my grandma is the worst driver.
