Actor Bill Murray caught National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett off guard with an unusual on-air request during a Monday appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Murray, known for “Ghostbusters” and “Groundhog Day,” was on the program to promote his new six-part travel and golf docuseries, “A Course Called Ireland,” which premiered last week. Host Joe Kernen later invited Murray to put a question to Hassett.
“I would regret it if I didn’t take this opportunity,” Murray said. “Could you just say the words, ‘My dog just died?’ I want to see what happens to your smile.”
Hassett, still smiling, asked for clarification: “Oh, well, is it your dog or my dog?” Murray told him it was his dog. Hassett obliged, saying “OK. My dog just died,” and his expression briefly turned neutral.
Murray followed up with a joke of his own: “We were gonna have someone go take your blood. We’re gonna call them off. Not gonna happen.”
Fox News Digital reported reaching out to the White House and to Murray’s representative for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
After the exchange, Kernen asked Hassett to name his favorite Bill Murray movie. Hassett picked “Groundhog Day,” calling it “fantastic” and “one of the top five movies ever made.”
Murray said he suspected other political figures shared that view, recounting a conversation with former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno about her time at the Department of Justice.
“She said, ‘Bill, the first thing I do to everyone at Justice [Department] is I show them that movie and I say this is what your job is going to be. Groundhog Day,'” Murray recalled.
Hassett agreed with the sentiment, drawing a comparison between the film’s premise and the rhythm of midterm election cycles.
“It seems like every election, everybody’s angry at each other. Everybody thinks this side is going to win. That side’s going to win. And when it comes to Election Day, it feels like it could go either way,” Hassett said.
