‘The Daily Show’ Takes Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker Drinking, Gets Him to Debate Whether ‘The Bear’ Is a Comedy (EXCLUSIVE)

“The Daily Show” kicks off in Chicago on Monday with Governor J.B. Pritzker taking show correspondent Jordan Klepper around Chicago. And that meant several bars, including The Gman Tavern, Murphy’s Bleachers and Guthries Tavern. While they participated in some daydrinking, Klepper got Pritzker to open up on a few key issues — such as whether Chicago-based Emmy winner “The Bear” should be considered a comedy.

“I don’t know why it’s in the comedy category, but I got to say it’s one of the best shows on TV, and it shows off Chicago,” Pritzker told Klepper in the segment, set to run on Monday’s show. Variety has a first look at the clip, which you watch below ahead of the governors appearance at the Democratic National Convention.

Among the highlights, Pritzker has Klepper take a shot of Malört, a very particular liquer made in Chicago. “If you want to be like Chicagoans, you got to have a Malört,” the governor said. It is potent: “I have this aftertaste like I was sucking on the leg of a wet dog,” Klepper quipped.

Klepper noted that the 1968 DNC left a stain on Chicago for years, although the party did return in 1996 for a much more successful event. “Things have changed quite a lot, and there are protests at every convention,” Pritzker said. “But the truth is that here in Chicago, we protect people’s first amendment rights, and we’re going to put on one of the best conventions anybody has ever seen. There’s no city that has a better summer than the city of Chicago.”

Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” kicks off a week of shows on Monday night at the Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture in Chicago with Michael Kosta as host, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) as guest. Desi Lydic takes over on Tuesday with Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) and then Klepper on Wednesday with Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.). Those shows air at the normal 11 p.m. ET/PT time, while the week will conclude with a love show hosted by Jon Stewart on Thursday, airing at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT, following the closing night of the DNC.

“The Daily Show” actually kicked off the week with a “InDogCision 2024: Rescuing Democracy” event at Gallagher Way in Chicago. The event featured meet-and-greets with “The Daily Show” news team while registering to vote, adopting dogs and grabbing free giveaways with doggie essentials. HeadCount facilitated over 250 voter registrations and checks, while Paws Chicago saw multiple adoptions in progress.

See Pritzker on “The Daily Show” below.