The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Desi Lydic Sits Down with Sec. Pete Buttigieg | Sophia Bush

Episode Date: May 9, 2023

Desi Lydic talks to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg about safety and accountability in the transportation industry, culture wars, and what "woke" even means. And actor, activist and entrepreneur Sophia Bush discusses whether she would consider running for political office, why it's so important for her to speak up about her experiences in the entertainment industry, and her first theater role in London's popular West End production "2:22 A Ghost Story." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. As a basic bitch, one of my favorite interests is travel. It's right after living, laughing, and loving. So when I had the opportunity to interview Transportation Secretary Pete Buda Judge, I took it. Check out my interview with him at the DOT Operations Center. Oh, so sorry. Secretary Buda Judge, thank you so much. I apologize for being late. I took Amtrak.

Okay. Secretary Buda Judge, we are here at the Department of Transportation, which is the hub, the central nervous system of America's infrastructure. Yet, America is a divided nation. So how do you bring us all together with projects that literally bring us together? I think everybody loves a good transportation project. You know, even though not everyone voted for the infrastructure law, I have yet to meet anybody who is upset when we're fixing an airport terminal,

upgrading a bridge so that we can have a better, safer, more convenient experience getting around this country. What have been the biggest accomplishments at the DOT since you took over? So when we got here, you know, first of all, the biggest question back in 2021 about our airlines was whether they were going to go out of business.

But then, as the demand returned, we started finding new tools to hold those airlines accountable for how they treat passengers. What are some of the areas that you think that the DOT could improve upon? Like, have you hit any roadblocks? to see what you did there. Thank you. You know, we're doing a lot right now to hold freight railroad companies in an toraa. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their, th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. their, thi. thi. three. their, their, their, their their their, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their, what are, what are their, what are their, what their, their, their, their, their, th. What, th. What, th. What, th. What, the. What, the. What, the. What is, the. What is thr. What is thr. What is somea. What is somea. What is somea. What are tria. What is somea. What are thra. What are thra. What are their thr. What are their th. But right now the fines are capped. For example, if we catch a railroad company in an egregious violation involving hazardous material to get somebody killed, the highest, toughest fine under the law that we can assess

is about $250,000. That is not enough, in my view, to get the attention of a multi-billion dollar railroad company like a Norfolk Southern. Right now, there's a bipartisan proposal in the Senate. It's called the Railway Safety Act. And it would do a number of things that I've been calling for that I think would make a big difference. Right now we're dealing with some, not all, but some Republicans on Capitol Hill who are saying, well, we don't want to do too much too fast when it comes to getting tough toun, toun, toun, to get to get tou, to get to get tou, to get to get to get tou, to get tou, to get thea, to get to get thea, thea, to get thea, to get to get to do, the the to to the the the the the the the the the the the the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th..a, I Ian, Ian, and thea, and thea, thea, thea, thau, thau, thau, ta, ta, ta, ta, thau.a, thau.a, thea, thea, th thr.to getting tough on the railroad companies. In my view, we need to act now. Why do you think some Republicans are stalling on this? Is it because they're too busy focused on starting culture wars?

Well, I do think the culture wars are getting in the way sometimes. I mean, just the other day, I was testifying in the appropriation subcommittee explaining how our budget was going to help with things like railroad safety, and to......... and toeeee. explaining how our budget was going to help with things like railroad safety, air traffic control, and other transportation needs. And we had to take a break so that they could all go and vote on a bill to kick transgender teenagers off of sports teams. That was the priority for the House GOP that day. So these things really are getting in the way of our ability to get work done. We're literally building bridges, the the their their their their their the ability to get work done. We're literally building bridges and they're

literally banning books. Is the Department of Transportation going woke? I don't think it's woke to build good infrastructure. I just saw Fox News taking a run-of-me for the work that we're doing on safety, including the use of crash-test dummies that simulate men, women, and children. And somehow this is considered a woke priority to have female crash test dummies, even though not something that's been around for a very long time. Fox News has made loads of false statements about you over the years. What do you think?

You think it's lawsuit time? You know, cash in on some of that $787 million coin? It does sound like there's a lot of money in it, but I think that'd probably be a bit of a distraction in my case. Possibly, but you know, I mean, it could help fund some of these projects. Yeah, I think I'd prefer to go through the appropriations process, but the amount of money in that lawsuit is as much as some of our nationwide transportation infrastructure programs. Oh, yeah, I mean, that could repair at least hundreds of feet a tunnel. Depending on the tunnel. Yeah, Secretary Budi Judge, thank you for chatting with us. Thanks for joining us. Real quick before I go, can I just get a quick reimbursement for the train that I took out here? I was literally on the

train for about 12 hours straight. Sorry to hear that. And this was the Acella. This was like the best train that America has to offer. So if I can just get a little refund. You're going to have to take that up with Amtrak. Okay. So you'll turn it in? You know, sure. Happy to send it along for you. Yeah, thank you. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. th. to. th. th. th. to. tha. to send. to send. to send. to set. to set. to set. to set. to set. to set. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their. their their their their their their their thea. thea. train. train. train. train. train. train.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a. train. train. train. thea. thea use your stamp of approval. We don't actually use stamps anymore here. Oh, hey, things are looking up.

Thank you, Secretary. It really was an honor. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Yeah, same here. Hope you enjoy the trip. Oh, this is incredible. Do you mind if I just take a spin around? You're welcome to look around a little bit. OK, or to to to to to to just could just describe things to it. It's okay. No, I'll just sneak into some of these desks. What does this do? Oh please don't

tou tou? This? Don't touch this? Yeah or really any of that. Yeah just could just, yeah. Just, a low operator. Just use your eyes. How do I tu. thu. thi. How do I tu. How do I thu thu thu this I thu thu this I thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. this this tu. tu. this this this this this this this. this. this this this this this this this this this this this this. this. this. this. this. this. this. this. this. this this this this this this this this this this this this. this this this. this. this. this. this. this. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to tu. tu. to. to tu. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to to toe. to to. to. to this. this. this. this. this. to't touch that. What you doing over here? I'm not working, man. Ooh, can I borrow your badge? No. Just quick. I'll give it back. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Welcome back to the daily show. My guest tonight is an actor and activist who will be starring in London's popular West End production 222 of Ghost Story beginning May 14th. Please welcome Sophia Bush. Thank you. Thank you. Wow. This is so nice. Yeah. This is so nice. Yeah. this is so nice.

Yeah. Yeah. It feels good right. Yeah. Yeah. Just ladies running the daily show. That's it. All female guests this week.

That's what we got. I love it. Yeah. All female guests this week. That's what we got. Yeah, it's great to see. Welcome to the show. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Hi everybody. You've been busy on many things, but one of them is your very popular podcast

drama queens. Yes, which is basically a re-watch podcast of One Tree Hill, right? Yeah, yeah, we realized that the nine years of that show that we made were sort of a blur. And people at these lovely events always ask us, oh, you remember when? And we were like, no, we don't, I'm so sorry. I don't remember. And our sort of COVID project was launching this podcast and it's actually been really special to relive it and every so often we're all just sitting on Zoom sobbing and we're like we get it. It's really good. This is super emotional. Very therapeutic I would imagine.

Because when you started that show you were really young you were like 20 years old I had just turned 21 Hillary Burton and I actually our birthdays are one week apart We had both just shredded our fake IDs. I'm so sorry mom and we were like we can get into bars now. We are so grown up turns out at 21. You are still absolutely a child and it's really weird to look back and see Well yeah there there are so many documentaries that have come out recently about? absolutely a child and it's really weird to look back and see. Well yeah, there are so many documentaries that have come out recently about women entering the entertainment industry at that time in the early 2000s, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Pamela Anderson, and hearing their side of the story,

what was that like going into the industry that young? You know that famous adage, it was the best of times and the worst of times. It was that. You know, it's so special to go and do what you love and to get to do art for a living. And we worked for a total pig and that was awful. And so it was very confusing. I'm like, women are laughing. You know what I'm talking about. Where you're like, you're like, you're like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, women are laughing. I'm like, you know what I'm talking about.

Or you're like, I love my job, but I also really hated here. Ugh. What? No, I don't know any pigs at this job. I love this job. I love this job. I love it so much. This is different.

This is different. And you know when I look at sort of what's on my resume, almost everything has been amazing. It just sucks when the things that you've done the longest have been sort of toxic and awful. Yeah. But how amazing that you talk about it with your castmates because having those conversations, and I want to believe that things are different now. Women still struggle with these things but by you talking about it it it makes other women not feel alone. That's been the really special part of it and when people ask women like why are you so obsessed with this? It's like why were you never paying attention? Why when we were all crying for help?

Did you go like, it's not that bad, you're lucky. That's weird. But, you know, I think for us, it's been really, the unexpected side effect of this podcast job is that it's been really healing, and it's been really empowering. And what's been really beautiful is the sort of connections that we've been making with listeners, with other women in our industry, with women who were directing on our show back then, who listened to an episode, reach out and say, that was totally going on. I heard that, or I was told this. It's been really affirming.

And so I don't really care who's mad about it. We're here to heal. And we are very much reclaiming our territory. Good. It feels nice. So much of what you do is is you do so much activism. You are extremely vocal about issues that you care about, gun reform, voting rights, women's reproductive health. You were just honored yesterday by the National Institution of Reproductive Health for your work. How does it feel? Congratulations. Wild. It was so wild and they gave me this big gorgeous heavy award and I was like wonderful I can leave here and feel very special and also have a weapon just in case because

that is being a woman in the world. You know I was like I don't have to carry my keys today I got this. Jokes aside though it was it was it was th th th th th th th th it was it was th th th th th th th th tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho the the the the the the thi thi the thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi th th th th th th th th th th th th th th the you you were the you were you were the you were you were the you were you were you were the the the you were the the the to the to to the to theeee theee the the theeee the I don't have to carry my keys today. I got this. Jokes aside though, it was very special. And I think having a platform is a privilege. And I don't expect anybody to do what I do or believe what I believe necessarily, but I do think for me, knowing that this is a megaphone means that what I've been privileged enough to have access to, you know, study education, the words of women like Gloria Steinem and Brittany Cunningham and my friends

who run the media are like, I get to listen to incredible leaders and to amplify those voices and to talk about equity, whether it's in reproductive justice or justice for women of color or black maternal mortality rates or gun reform because gun violence touches all of us. That's, that's my work. And you know in the same way that we as women need men to talk about sexual violence, because like, it can't just be us. We're like, please help us.

Right. Talk to each other. My God. Like, it's, it's the same way that I feel about as women, when we look at the diversity within, you know, our gender group and then we look outward at how we need to stand up for our trans friends and folks. Like you know all of the beautiful black women I see in this audience like racial justice among in feminism can't be your job like that's our job. Women who look like us are the problem. So... For me, what has been, you know, a privilege and an awakening and hard and inspiring,

has been getting really fired up about an injustice and then starting to pull the thread and going, oh my god, it's all connected, it's systemic everywhere. We have work to do, but I do think we can do it together. Organizations like the NIRH are doing incredible work. They're proactive for us and our freedoms and our rights and it's those sorts of groups and obviously this group because y'all are fabulous that I want to hang out with. You're about to start a play in London called 222 A Ghost Story. Did I get that right? 222, a ghost story.

Are you excited to go work in a country where they have access to health care for women? That might be nice. I realized it was a really big deal when I had to apply for my work visa and they were like, have you ever tried to sneak into the United Kingdom to access health care? And I was like, oh, th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th, oh, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, th, thi, thi, thi, did tho, did tho, did thi, did tho, did tho, did tho, did th, did th, did th, did th, did tho, did tho, did tho, did tho, did th. th. th. th. th. th, did th, did th, did th, did th, did th, did th, did th, th, th, th, th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, to to to the? to to to to thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. to thtried to sneak into the United Kingdom to access health care and I was like oh yeah we have to do that I guess that's weird yeah no but well I'm doing this job can I go to the doctor that would be so cool what tell us what the play is is about it's a supernatural story right it involves ghosts it is so I don't want to give it away but the thing we all th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th that that that that that that that tho tho tho tho that to the the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the. the. the. the. the. the the the the the the the the the te. the try. tell. the tel. tell. the. to th it away, but the thing we all loved about friends was watching a

group of people in an apartment hang out, right? So imagine it's four instead of six friends. And when their dinner party gets like a little bit lit, people start up a conversation essentially of who does and doesn't believe in ghosts. And suddenly we're talking about belief and faith and upbringing and education and what's bigger than us and it's very spicy. Oh that's fun yeah I love a good ghost story to do research for this role did you just go visit the Senate? You know I should have yeah I. I should have. Yeah. Yeah, I should have.

Is this the first time you're doing theater? It is. The West End will be my stage debut unless you count our town in the eighth grade. Same same. Same same. Same same. You're going to be brilliant. I can't wait to see you in this. I'm really excited and completely terrified. And then I have these moments where I'm like, okay we're doing eight shows a week in

front of people. What if someone has a bad day? I'm like what? I don't know. And then it was actually one of my girlfriends from the podcast. Hillary said, dude, when you do a TV show you're on set for like 14 to 17 hours a day. This will literally be the least amount of hours you've ever worked in a week and I'm like oh yeah okay I got oh right maybe I can read more books or something. A lot of downtime. Yeah. It's a great kick plus you're with an audience. Well they're lovely. Yeah. Yeah. You um you once said that you weren't interested in a in working in politics back in 2013 you said this but you said ask me in 10 years so what's up what do you think well so interesting so many people for the last number of years have said to me like please run and then the people to see what a weird thing um. And then Nancy Pelosi is what a weird thing? um in a thin, in a uh in a, in a, in a in a, in a, in a working, in a in a in a in a in a, in a, in a working, in a, in a working, in a, in a working, in a working, in a, in a, in a, in a, in a, in working, in a, in a, in a, in a, in a, in a working, in a, in a, in a, in a working, in a working, in a, in a, in a, in a, in a th, in a th, in, in, in, in a th, in of years have said to me,

like, please run. And then Nancy Pelosi is, what a weird thing I'm about to say to you. Nancy Pelosi said to me one day, like, it'll all be better when you're president. I bet you say that to all the girls, but thank you so much. And that is an endorsement. It was so deeply flattering. And then I went like, well, I guess if we we we people from TV, anyone who knows anything about public policy or public health or education or like women would be cool. Right. You can string a sentence together. Yeah, you know, articulate humans who like other people instead of wish ill upon their lives would be nice. But I, I think as I've, as I've learned so much over the last 10 years, I don't know what it's

going to look like. I don't know where I'm supposed to go yet, because I want to do what is the most useful. And I think a lot of people, whether they want to run for office or run a company, do it because they want to center themselves in the experience. If I could be most useful serving an elected office, great. If I can be most useful raising money for incredible C-4 candidates across the country and making sure we flip state houses so we're not you know thrown back to the dark ages into it. Like literally just tell me how to help and I'm down. You know?

I so appreciate, we so appreciate all the work that you do. And I really appreciate you coming on too. You are a delight. Thank you. My God. Sophia Bouch, everybody. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show, wherever you get your podcast. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes

anytime on Fairmount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.