Josh Johnson Leaves ‘Daily Show’ Audience Stunned With MLK Jr. Death Joke

On Wednesday night, "The Daily Show" host Josh Johnson left the studio audience in disbelief with a joke suggesting the FBI was responsible for the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Johnson was recapping FBI Director Kash Patel's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, where Patel struggled to answer questions about the FBI's revised hiring standards, including a potentially controversial clause related to bestiality.

Johnson expressed confusion, asking, "Did I miss an episode?" and jokingly questioning if the standard should have been "only needs to do 20 push-ups, and not, can't go to a petting zoo wearing gym shorts." He then turned the conversation toward Patel, asking, "How is the head of the FBI losing an interrogation about animal sex?"

Johnson's comment drew gasps and awkward laughter from the audience before he quickly regained his composure and attributed the joke to the broader perception of the FBI's decline, comparing it to the agency's once-prestigious status. He concluded his segment by sarcastically doubting the sincerity of the FBI's denial of any involvement in bestiality, jokingly speculating on Patel's personal life.