Bill Murray Gets Kevin Hassett to Say ‘My Dog Just Died’

Bill Murray interrupted a live CNBC interview with Kevin Hassett on November 2, asking the White House economic adviser to say “my dog just died” to see whether it would change his smile. Hassett repeated the words, briefly adopting a more neutral expression during the exchange on Squawk Box. Murray made the request while standing with the program’s hosts as Hassett joined remotely. “Could you just say the words, my dog just died? I want to see what happens to your smile,” Murray said. Hassett asked whether the dog was Murray’s or his own. When Murray answered that it was Hassett’s, the adviser said, “My dog just died.” The exchange followed Murray’s appearance earlier in the program with author Tom Coyne to discuss A Course Called Ireland, a six-part travel and golf series. Accounts of the interview describe Murray as returning to the set and joining the conversation; one account says host Joe Kernen introduced him before he asked Hassett a question. After Hassett complied, Murray joked that someone had been going to take Hassett’s blood but would now be called off. Kernen then asked Hassett to name a favorite Murray film. Hassett chose Groundhog Day, calling it one of the...