Jordan Klepper interview: ‘Fingers the Globe: Hungary for Democracy’

“Someone smarter than me said, ‘You need to get outside this country to get perspective on it.’ And so we started hearing Hungary pop up in conversation,” says Jordan Klepper about the impetus for his special “The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Globe – Hungary for Democracy.” The Conservative Political Action Conference was hosting an event in the country, “so we decided, let’s see if we can go to Budapest as well and see what it is about Hungary that conservatives here in America are so giddy about.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Klepper above.

“Hungary for Democracy,” which earned an Emmy nomination for Best Variety Special Writing, brings Klepper to Budapest where he examines the country’s politics, Prime Minister Viktor Orban‘s efforts to “chip away at the edges” of democracy, and the American conservative movement’s wish to similarly get around democracy here at home. Klepper noticed the striking similarities between the American and Hungarian right, which all comes down to where you’re getting your information. “The folks that we’re talking to on the ground in Hungary have a lot of talking points that far-right folks in America have … And they’re getting similar news sources that are reaffirming their points of view.”

And the American right is getting much more brazen about their ambitions for this country. “I’ve always been a little surprised at how loud the quiet part has gotten,” Klepper says. “Viktor Orban just a week and a half ago, I believe, very publicly talked about not wanting to mix races,” but he’s still invited to speak at CPAC. “So I hope when people watch this special, they see this somewhat as a wake up call.” And unfortunately, this is not just happening in Hungary and the United States, so while Klepper would much rather travel the globe eating delicious Italian food with Stanley Tucci, “the crumbling of democracy knows no borders, so my passport is ready to go.”