Bill Murray asks Trump advisor to say his ‘dog just died’ in awkward TV exchange

Kathleen PerriconeTue, November 3, 2026 at 12:56 AM UTC

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Bill Murray and Kevin Hassett on ‘Squawk Box’Credit: cnbcKey Points -

Bill Murray asked Trump economic advisor Kevin Hassett to say his “dog just died” in an awkward exchange on live TV.

“I want to see what happens to your smile,” the actor explained.

Hassett did as requested, and then told Murray his favorite Murray movie is Groundhog Day.

CNBC’s Squawk Box aired a bizarre squabble between Bill Murray and President Trump’s top economic advisor Monday.

After appearing on the morning news program to promote his new Paramount+ golf docuseries, the Ghostbusters actor stuck around the studio for Joe Kernan and Becky Quick’s next interview with Kevin Hassett about the state of the U.S. economy — but Murray wasn’t seeking financial advice.

“Could you just say the words ‘My dog just died?’” Murray asked Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, who appeared remotely from the White House lawn. “I want to see what happens to your smile.”

“Oh, well, is it your dog or my dog?” Hassett replied.

“Your dog,” confirmed the actor.

“Okay. My dog just died,” Hassett said with a straight face, as requested.

Attempting to change the subject, Squawk Box cohost Kernan jumped in to ask Hassett if he had a favorite Bill Murray movie. Spoiler: It’s not Scrooged.

“Obviously there are so many,” he gushed. “Groundhog Day is one of the top five movies ever made. It’s just a fantastic movie.”

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“Top political people know that movie,” acknowledged Murray, who was then reminded of a story about the time he ran into Jane Reno at the airport during her tenure as attorney general under President Bill Clinton.

Groundhog Day, which stars Murray as a TV meteorologist who is stuck repeating the same day in an endless loop, was released in theaters in February 1993, a month before Reno took office.

“Two guys came and got me and dragged me back to her,” Murray recalled. “She said, ‘Bill, the first thing I do to everyone at Justice is I show them that movie and I say, ‘This is what your job is going to be: Groundhog Day.’”

The awkward moment between Murray and Hassett went down on live TV, though CNBC seemed to clip it from the version of the interview later posted on the network’s YouTube channel.

Kevin Hassett and Donald Trump in the Oval OfficeCredit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty

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That clip reveals how the exchange got off to a strange start: After the actor asked why Hassett is “always smiling,” Trump’s advisor replied, “Because I’ve been thinking about you all the time, Bill.”

“He’s always smiling,” Murray repeated. “I’m a little concerned — not worried, concerned.”

on Entertainment Weekly

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”