The Daily Show: Ears Edition - If Trump Isn’t Dying, Why Is He Being Treated Like a Make-A-Wish Kid? | Spike Lee

Episode Date: September 9, 2025

Rumors have been swirling about the president's potentially failing health, and between his cankles, a tribute video from the White House, and global leaders throwing Nobel Prize nominations at the guy like he's the oldest Make-a-Wish kid in the world, Jon Stewart can't help but wonder: IS Trump dying? Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee joins Jon Stewart to discuss his new movie, “Highest 2 Lowest,” in theaters and now streaming on Apple TV+. They talk about Lee’s experiences over the years working with the film’s star, Denzel Washington, the high-stakes story, what he learned from his parents growing up in Brooklyn, and if it’s the Knicks’ year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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You're listening to Comedy Central You're listening to Comedy Central From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is The Daily Show with your host, John Stewart. Welcome to the Dalaii Show. How are you? Welcome. Thank you for having us. Goodbye.

Welcome to the Dalai Show. My name is John Stewart. Man, I got a chance. It feels so nice to be back in. work after like four to five weeks of doing whatever I wanted to do whenever I wanted to do

it. I was a little worried we took the back end of the summer off there and I don't have you noticed. We have new owners here at the network. Didn't know if they would let us back in the building? But good news, we have not heard

from them. But one of the windows was left unlocked, so here we are. We do have a tremendous program for you this evening. Spike Lee. We'll be right here. Spike Lee will be here this evening. He will be discussing his new film while I hector him about the New York Knickbockers. So we'll see how we go.

Now, normally, as many of you may know, have been on this. planet for a few rotations. August is considered a relatively quiet month for political doings. But as we have been told many, many times, this ain't normal. I'm going to try and catch you up since we've been gone. The economy hit a brick wall stalling on jobs while inflation continued to rise. So Trump met with Putin in Alaska to force Ukraine to accept crackle barrel's new logo. While Laboo Boo Boo released a new Epstein file and Taylor got engaged. It's a blur.

It's all a blur. But all of it takes a backseat to continuing concerns over the president's health. We haven't really seen much of the president over the last week. Basically absent from the public eye. He's clearly hiding something about his help. Now, hashtag Trump is dead trends it on social media. What the fuck you people? You reporters have no shit.

I can't take a few days for some R&R and a non-surgical breast reduction without everybody suddenly pulling out the toe tags on the president. It does say something about the ubiquity of Donald Trump in our lives that we don't hear from him for 20 minutes and we're like, he's dead. I think he's, check, can we track him? it's how do you know he's dead well it's been seven minutes since the word new scum has come up on

my feet he must be dead but of course trump didn't die in office but i wouldn't put it past him trying once again to take credit for something biden had already accomplished But that being said, Trump is alive, although I definitively would not go so far as to say, alive, and kicking. Something is up with his health. New today, the White House revealing President Trump has been diagnosed with a condition called chronic venous insufficiency. Chronic venous insufficiency, a relatively common condition, something that gets more common as you get older. Oh, I'm sorry. into the wrong classroom at boring university?

Can someone please explain his physical condition to me in a way I'd be interested in the style of perhaps a world weary Brit? His ankles, swollen and straining over his oxfords, aren't just unsightly cancels. They're flashing neon signs of a body under pressure. Put that Attenborough right into my veins! The aging president

struggles to keep up with the herd. And as night falls, it's clear. The lions will eat well tonight. On a menu, on a menu, wait, I want to tell you the menu. On a menu of cancels, approve. It might not have been worth the walk, but I felt I owed it to you. By the way, it's not just the cancles, he's got going. The whole meat bag seems to be having some kind of drainage issue.

These images of the president have drawn attention in recent days showing apparent bruising on his hands that was covered with makeup. Jesus, Grandpa! Put him away. Holy shit! And what's with the makeup? It's not like you can treat leprosy at Sephora. God!

By the way, May I remind you, these are just the parts poking out that we can see. I bet everything on that body not covered by clothes is off up right now. For all we know, the guy's gone full grimace. Blotchy hands, puffy ankles. Although, to be fair to Trump, people got a little nitpicky. We can see that there is sort of like a lumpy situation going on on, Trump's forehead. One of his eyes is half closed.

All right. Now you're just being mean. He's swallowing ankles. He's got a little bit on the thing. But look at his f***in eyes. You're lumpy. See, this is the problem with our superficial Instagram culture. We have unrealistic expectations in this country about the amount of fluid our bodies should be able. To clear subcutaneously, it sends the wrong message to young people. These really, these really are not medical appraisals.

It's just more like insults. Like, hey, according to the Mayo Clinic, why are his eyes so f*** bumpy? Insiders have been calling the president Skippy, because under his skin looks a little extra chunky. Hey, the president's neck looks so much like Betty White's vagina that Milton Burrell The reason was going to do. The reason we did

the tag to that was going to be that that Milton Burrle You clearly rejected the premise. Why should I... I came with the... Hmm? Mm. We're full.

Mm-hmm. Now, normally, we might be able to dismiss these symptoms. But Trump himself seems very focused these days on securing a prime piece of afterlife real estate. I want to try and get to heaven. Sure you do. But you know, hey, look, the first step is always admitting you have a problem. Maybe you can turn this thing around.

If there's a will, there's a way for you to get yourself back up that golden escalator to the heavens. Just moments ago, Democrats on the panel posted this image with a caption that reads, quote, here it is. We got Trump's birthday note to Jeffrey Epstein that the president said doesn't exist. going down. Oh, well. It's okay. But it's not just the physical symptoms that make you think the president is transitioning from this mortal coil.

It's that whenever any of his biggest supporters are with him, it sounds like they're saying goodbye. Mr. President, working for this government for you is the greatest honor of my life. When history looks back on you, how would you like to be remembered? I'll never forget standing in the East Room with you, surrounded by the coal miners from around this country where you said, hey, big, beautiful coal. Remember, Mr. President? And I said, no, these are humans. The coal is what they dig for. Anyway, we'll miss you. And have you ever been to one of those funerals where there's a video of the recently departed? Well, six days ago, the White House released one of them.

Let me share some of the biggest lessons I've learned from a lifetime spent building dreams. First, if you think that you're too young to do something great, let me tell you that you are wrong. You're not too young. There's no such thing as too young. I'm having trouble getting a read on these people. If you're watching this video, I'm already dead. But by the way, once you begin to notice this pattern, you begin to see really the whole vibe around this president is very make a wish kid

everyone who shows up to his office tries to make one of his dreams come true we thought it was only appropriate to present you with our honorary united states martial service badge Look how happy they made him. Gee whiz, Mr. Real Marshal? This is even better than when they let me drive a garbage truck. Now, you might be saying to yourself, and the make-a-wish thing is a little much.

A grown man would recognize when people are condescending to him, treating him like a child, tiptoeing around his fragile ego with the idea that this person is so easily manipulated that even the cheapest of gestures could be persuasive. You would think that.

It is the trophy that the winner of the FIFA World Cup wins. Only the FIFA president and then those who win can touch it because it's for winners only. And since you are a winner, of course you can as well touch it. also

I have in the bag Thor's hammer but only the bravest boy can pick it out only the bravest boy can oh my God you did it you picked it out I'm telling you, though, man, this goes way past trophy fondling and cereal box deputy badges. The people around Trump know that he is a never-ending, insatiable black hole of wishes.

It's well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. When Operation Whirpspeed was started, it was a massive success for our country. And I do agree that President Trump should get the Nobel Prize for it. I'm thinking that since he's basically taught the world trade economics, he might be up for the Nobel on economics. Oh, Donald Trump, the first recipient of the Nobel Prize variety pack. Economics, chemistry. Oh, here's one for monogamy.

It's really entirely made up. Sure, why not just fire up the 3D printer and print all the Nobel's for Donnie? Or perhaps they sell them at Spencer Gifts, which still is. exists. It's a real... You may have killed our bookstores, Bezos, but in America, we still shop in person for our lava lamps and our dildos that suction cup to the wall. By the way, word to the wise, the seal is unreliable. everything about the treatment of this president screams make a wish kid oh you'll meet your favorite celebrities and they'll dress up for you oh i know while you're president you won't be able

to sleep at your home and it probably feels a little scary and a little uncomfortable so Oh, and did you get an owie? No, no, it doesn't look weird at all. In fact, we're all wearing them. It looks so cool. But if you think there are some government institutions that are above this kind of insulting obsequiousness, you would be wrong.

Today, the Supreme Court bent over backwards to grant Trump even his most unconstitutional wishes. Like, maybe you can arrest people for looking Mexican. Breaking at this hour, the Supreme Court again has backed President Trump's approach towards immigration. It is now ruled that they are allowing federal agents to proceed with raids in Southern California if they target people for deportation based on their race or language. Hey, the good news, the Supreme Court supports affirmative action based on race. The bad news is that action is ICE deporting you.

What the fuck? What kind of a make-a-wish kid wants to nullify the full? Fourth Amendment, I'm beginning to think Trump isn't a benign suffering child at all. I'm beginning to think everybody treats Trump like this, not because he's to make a wish kid, but because he's that Twilight Zone kid, that anytime somebody made him mad, he sent them out to the cornfield. You're a bad man. You're a very bad man.

And you keep thinking bad thoughts about me. Think I'm wrong? Let's play a game. I'll play you two clips, and I'll bet you won't be able to tell the difference between scared townspeople trying not to be sent to the cornfield and Trump's sycophants.

It's good what you've done to Dan. You've been doing an amazing job. It was swell. It's just swell. Great job, sir. Okay, the production values give it away. But you got to admit, it's weird.

And it never ends. Good that you've done that. Oh, it's real good. People were applauding you. You're a good boy, Anthony. You're not just courageous. You're actually fearless. Everybody loves you, Anthony.

They love you, son. The most consequential president of the modern era, if not all American history. Only American history? To the cornfields! But this is where we're out, America. This is where we're at.

For your consideration, a nation held hostage by the fragile ego of a man-baby president who may or may not be dying of hand syphilis. But is puffy. He's very, he's certainly, I don't know if he's dying. He's weirdly puffy. and who were trapped with for at least three more years in the Twilight Zone. When we come back, Spike Lee will be joining us. Don't go away.

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Welcome back to the show, my guest tonight. legendary Oscar-winning filmmaker. His latest is called highest to lowest. Please welcome Spike Lee. Oh, boy. Oh, more. Oh, boy. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right. That scene, ASAP Rock, he said he's a young musician. He's going toe to toe with Denzel Washington. Well, that, that was, that scene was not scripted. He came in with Naz.

No, that was Denzel that came one. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. And then, A.S.R. He was right there. He's just right now. Right there. Wow.

Aesf then, I didn't know. I didn't know Denzo, but it made this seem better. That's the genius of Denzel Washington. It's amazing. The young man, the young man was not intimidated, no, to do that. And that's a big thumbs up to, it's a rock, because, you know, Denzel's one of the great, and it's, you know. I get nervous around it.

Even when I'm not acting, just saying hello to him. And I always feel like... But he stood right there, and they were going toe to toe to. So the genius of Denzel lifted that whole scene, which listed the movie, because this is at the end of the film, too. Like, it's a high noon showdown. Oh, it's, yeah. I mean, the scene in the movie, when you see it, like,

it really is the climax between the glass, and they're just two alphas just... Going at it. The young buck and the... You know, the old gun. It's, yeah, it's an amazing scene. It's a Western right there. And the music that he is singing when Denzel first comes in, is that?

Is he just doing that, too? He's singing, he's recording something. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's the song. He had two songs in the film. He was unbelievable. And who's he married to, though? Rihanna.

Rihanna. Yeah. Give it up. Come on, but you think I don't watch the TikToks? I watch the TikToks. Do you have to call him ASAP? Do you... I'd call him not.

You call him ASAP. That's what he answered to? Okay. And Denzel, just Denzel. How many films have you made with Denzel? This is the fifth one. Yeah. Boba Blues.

No, yeah, Boban Blues. Malcolm X. He got a game Inside Man and now. But Denzel did not know the Inside Man was 19 years ago. He didn't realize that? realize that inside man was 19 years ago that's we didn't know it to the journalist told us that why we were doing press and you guys had you know

what's amazing also about your body work is is there's so many things layered into this movie that are nods to all these other whole lot of stuff a whole lot of stuff and it makes it so enjoyable for state mayhem you know all state he's throwing an all state maham he's got Jalen Brunson signed jersey up on the wall. He's got Nick Torturo in a subway car chanting about the Yankees. No, he says Boston sucks. Oh, he did Boston sucks as well, but he's got like New York Yang and he carved into his Eddie Palmyro doing the King of Salza. He died. He passed away three

days before, though. The premiere here in Brooklyn. Oh, I mean, that's a beautiful scene too. And it's so your love of New York and all of it comes through doesn't it oh in all of its chaos i i love that part of it but also the moral themes you know i know like school days where it ends with like some wake up you know what i mean and then you know what you know what do right thing began with sam jacks uh samuel jacks samuel jacks samuel jacks doing wake up wake up yes the first yeah why am i saying it back to You know. I was checking to see if you knew.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wake up, wake up, and this movie feels like that come to life. Well, it was a novel written by Ed McBain. It's called King's Ransom. And then the great Akira Kurosawa did it was high and low. Ninety-63, Post-War Japan. Right. And out of the blue, Denzel called me.

I didn't even know what the number was. He said, Spike, I got this script. I'm not going to tell anything I'm going to send it to you. Before he hung up the phone, I knew I was doing it. But I didn't even know what it was, but I said, I'm doing it. Let me ask you a question. You just answer the phone when you don't know the number? Like, I could just call you up and you'd be like, hello?

I just felt that this was. phone call was going to be a good one. You felt it. It was deep, deep, deep down the side of me. Me and Danzo got that. You do have that. Does that, so in that world, you got an actor who has that kind of charisma and status, and wait.

One of the goats. Does he ever say to you, I think we're done here. Like, with a scene or do you, how do you guys do that dance? Well, he might say Spike. How much more we got. But, you know, he knows when we got it. He feels it. Yeah, I said, okay, can we get to the spike?

Go on. I said, let's go on. Right. Next set up. And the music is so important to this film. There's so much... That's from all my... Yes.

I'm the son of a great, great musician, Bill Lee. Yes. He did my scores for... She's gonna have it, school days, do the right thing. Right. with, he played in Simon Garfunkel's first album, Gordon Life was album, Bob Dylan is all over now, Baby Blue.

That's him on bass. Wow. That's insane. And then... And that history... But here goes the thing, no. Here goes to the thing though. Yeah. When Bob Dylan, when guitar,

I mean, when electric, my mother had to work. He was not... He wasn't going with him. He wasn't plugging in. Purest. Really? She had to take a job. She had to teach her.

St. Anne's in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights. My father was not... He wouldn't do it. He was not going to play electric. And I'm the oldest of five, so there's five of us. Anybody saw Crooklyn. That was

autobiographical. How many times did you, when you were like 11 years old, go, just plug in! You know what? Seeing how hard my mother, she was working, then coming home cooking, cleaning,

five crazy kids, five crazy Brooklyn kids. So he stayed acoustic but he wouldn't do chores. He would cook once. But here's the thing, though. Yeah. As I got older,

I saw, you know, before I was like, I had a certain feeling. But as I got older, I understood, you know, he had scruples, the morals, and he was not going to play electric base. Isn't it interesting to think about where you come from?

You have this. For those of you don't know, Spragley, your work ethic is second to none, when he's not writing film... Jordan got me. Documentary. I'm telling you. You just do it. Like, that's... But you also lace everything that you do

with a moral... There's a moral center to everything. And it feels like, is that both your parents talking through you? Yes. And also, that's why I love this film. Yeah. Because from the novel, the Curacao before us, but Denzel's character is in a dilemma.

Yeah. A dilemma. And he's so great that the audience is in his shoes. Like, if you have, I'm gonna give it even away. Everybody dies. there's a kidnapping and he thinks that it's his son but it was the wrong kid

so he's putting the limit am I going to pay a ransom of 17.5 million dollars for a kid that's not mine and also Jeffrey White and it's just it's not just a random kid

it's really a very loyal employee and friend they grew together They grew up together. In Harlem, they grew up together. That guy's had a rougher life. He went upstate for a little while, now he's back. That's right.

But I'm telling you, if you see the film, I hope you do it's on Apple, you're going to be in it, and you'll be asking yourself. Who, who, let's do a survey up. Raise your head if you, if you had it, if you had it like that. 17.5 million. For a kid is not yours. Who's making that? You're lying. You're lying.

It's not your kids. These are outstanding people. These are good people. I like how a lot of people are just like, yeah, that. I don't know. I only have one real, like, only one, you know, in watching it.

And by the way, the walls of the movie, if you want to live Spike Lee's. language the walls of the movie are just etched with beautiful paintings and artwork and memorabilia that is so much you it really is beautiful thank you but but i was waiting for that if i met the kids in the film play basketball they show up to practice right New York City Brooklyn L-I-U L-I-U

the coach of the team with all the great players that have come through those boroughs is a Los Angeles Laker named Rick Fox How could you, sir? Rick Fox said he got game

Okay, I'll give you that He's a friend You couldn't get Alan Houston. John Starks, LaTrell Spreewell. Bernard. Can I tell you something real quick? Yes. There's a...

I grew up in Fort Green, Brooklyn. There's a hospital called... Come on a hospital. Yeah. Bernard King was born there. Albert King, Mike Tyson, and Michael Jordan. All in that... Michael Jordan?

Yes. Really? Yes. Come on the hospital. Fort Green, Brooklyn. Huh. Yeah. You know...

Brooklyn in the house. So, my grandparents, my father grew up in Brooklyn, Coney Island, and then Abraham Lincoln? No, he went to... It's a high school, Abraham Lincoln. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, no. Jewish, so he went to Stuyveson.

Oh, so he was smart. For those of them, no, you have to take a test in to Stuyveson. You got to take to Stuyvesant. Bronx Science. Yeah, yeah. But back then, this is in 1930, 940. so my grandfather drove a cab they moved to because back then before uber and lifting all that your medallion was your retirement right so he had it was a hard to get to back then right hard to get

so he worked his ass off right got a medallion and then was able to move everybody at a coney island over to bensonhurst 8th street avenue oh and so they lived above this little uh candy store but was like pizzeria bensonhurst it was yeah no it was benton hers back then was not the benson hurs of uh do the right thing. It was slightly, slightly different. Nah. Jungle fever's best one. Not doing the right thing. I'm saying, do the right thing is

Bed-Stuy. Bet-Stuy. You got to really start watching your film. I love your stuff so much, man. I love you so much. I want you to know, me and him are tight. We're tight. We go back. Are we going to have ourselves

a year? The next are going to win the big championship this year. I hope. If they do, I'm telling you, man, that we're going to be in an embarrassing pig, me and you hugging tears running down our faces, and both of our children that we bring

to the games, just looking at us like, this is just sad. You're going crazy. I just have a feeling. Thank you. Highest to lowest, theaters and an appetite of work. The Greek, by three.

Uh, Spike. You're, you're the man. So, before we go. Let's go for the rest of the week, Mr. Michael Kostomiko. What do you got on deck this week, Michael? Well, finally, we got some great news, John. Florida is preparing to overturn all of their vaccine mandates. It's COVID, polio, TB, all gone.

The state will be doing what scientists call raw-dogging the immune system. Why are you so positive about that? That sounds like terrible news. Well, it's terrible for everyone who lives in Florida. That's true. But as a dad looking for a reason not to take the kids to Disney World, it's great.

Telling them, no, sweetie, we can't afford it. that can be traumatizing. But now I can let him down easy and just tell him that Donald Duck got measles and died. Michael Costa, everybody. Thank you. Here it is. Your moment is there.

70,000 monks just broke their vows of silence to nominate Trump for the Nobel. Today, 70,000 Cambodian Buddhist monks are wholeheartedly supportive to nominate you for the Nobel Peace Prize. Please accept Mr. the president. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching The Daily

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