The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Jon Stewart Calls BS On The GOP's Performative Patriotism | Steven Levitsky

Episode Date: March 12, 2024

Jon Stewart unpacks Biden’s fired-up State of the Union and Sen. Katie Britt’s disastrous GOP kitchen rebuttal, then calls bulls**t on conservatives branding themselves the party of “true American patriots” and wrapping themselves in the Constitution, while their leader Trump's rhetoric sounds more like that of an undemocratic king. And Harvard University professor Steven Levitsky, co-author of the bestsellers “Tyranny of the Minority” and "How Democracies Die," joins Jon to talk about how the Founding Fathers shaped elected democracy through improvisation, the challenge of constitutional reform, and the importance of improving and evolving democratic institutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show. It's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, TGID. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance it's probably second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday?

I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central, it's America's only sorts for news. This is the Daily Show with your host, John Stewart. Oh, three times! Happy Buddy! Boom! Humble! Showtime! Welcome to The Daily Show. My name is John Stewart. We have a fabulous show for you tonight.

You know what I'm not going to do tonight? I'm not going to overthink it. Honestly, I'm just going to come out here, like Pacino at the Oscars. I'm just going to mumble a few words there, and eventually you'll figure out what I was getting at. It's fine. The big event we need to talk about is the Oscars of politics. The State of the Union address last Thursday night. Joseph Raisinette Biden the 12th.

He had the unenviable task of having to lay out his vision for the nation whilst also demonstrating that he is not too old, not too tired to be the President of the United States, and that he wouldn't rather just tie thousands of balloons to the White House and head to Paradise Falls. And so President Biden entered the House Chamber navigating through our divided Congress and barely, barely getting past the bridge troll who guards the podium. What say you, sir? I say to the American people, when America gets knocked down, we get back up. My message of President Putin, I've known for a long time, is simple.

We will not walk away. Bending books, it's wrong. I say, stop it. Stop it. Stop it, stop it. Pass universal background checks. Send me the border bill now. The state of our unit is strong and getting stronger. Which one of you pricks wants to fight? Put up your nukes! Biden's back, baby! I know that all the haters have been out there talking their shit. He's too old. He's too weak. He can't make it. He won't be able to stand.

Oh, I see you haters. I know who you are. Really. You know, we said in rehearsal, can you get me a prettier mirror and boy, boy did they deliver? That is... That is... Of course, by the way, the State of the Union was just the democratic message. Would that message survive a concise and intelligent rebuttal? Would that message survive a concise and intelligent rebuttal? I'm ahead of it. What happens? It happened on Thursday. I should read the whole thing, though.

I should... Would it survive a concise and intelligent rebuttal from the GOP? Or whatever it was that Alabama Senator Katie Britt... To the kitchen, Batman! Our families are hurting. Our country can do better. President Biden's border policies are a disgrace. Mr. President, enough is enough.

End this crisis and stop the suffering. We see you. We hear you. We hear you. And we stand with you. If you're, if you're going to stand with me, could you stand a little bit further away? I imagine one of her kids just came downstairs and was like, I'm sorry mom, I just came down to get a bowl of cereal. I didn't realize you were losing your fucking mind. I'll come back when the Zanis kick in. Now look, everybody's had a bit of a go at Senator Britt because her rebuttal was objectively terrible.

But there was one moment in a rebuttal that didn't get as much attention that I thought was quite interesting. We are the party of hard-working parents and families. So I am asking you for the sake of your kids and your grandkids. Get into the arena. Never forget. We are steeped in the blood of patriots, who overthrew the most powerful empire in the world. Two things. One, who smiles when they say the line steeped in the blood of patriots? And number two, this is just one more entry in the Republican mythology, that they are

the inheritors of the American revolutionary tradition, that they somehow are more American-y than non-Republican Americans. We are the party of the real American people. Real America, where people work hard, they're patriotic. They don't want to transform America like the Democratic Party wants to do. This liberal bubble in New York or, you know, in California, they don't understand where real Americans are at. The Democrat elite very simply hate America.

I don't think they hate America. They hate room temperature yoga is really... Yoga is supposed to be very hot. Just out of curiosity, what is it about the Republican Party that makes it Americanier than the rest of us? We're the party and ideology of the Constitution. Every decision that I make starts with asking the questions, is this constitutional? I believe in this document I carry it with me next to my heart because I refer to it daily.

As we all know, the Constitution starts with the three most important words outside the Bible. We the people. The power of we the people. We the people. The Constitution. We believe in it. They do not. Why did you f-feep it up? That was your copy. You said that that's what they do, but you did it, you ripped it up? Why, why'd you f-ripped it up? That was your copy! You said that that's what they do, but you did it, you ripped it up. Like, Shonade O'Connor's like, I believe in the Pope.

Whomp! But oh yes, it's an article of faith that Republicans love the Constitution. They give speeches in front of the Constitution. They cover their buses in the Constitution. They dress up like the people who wrote the Constitution. They cover their buses in the Constitution. They dress up like the people who wrote the Constitution. Do you? Communists? With your unconstitutioned buses? And zero-cornered hats? That's why these Patriots love Donald Trump. For he alone will restore the rule of law in our constitutional republic.

Trump's lawyer claimed the president has a legal license to murder his American political rivals. Just gonna check my, just gonna check my, hold on, I'm gonna, check my, I actually keep my heart next to my constitution. That's how important. My hands are shaking. I'm so nervous. I don't see anything in here about assassinating your political rivals. Oh, wait, bye, baboo. Here it is, hold on.

Ah, yes. It says the president must faithfully execute. Well, I think we're done here. Sorry, the laws of the land, never mind. Well, I don't want to be a nitpicker, but I do not remember the assassination episode of Schoolhouse Rock. Under the Constitution, wouldn't you get in some trouble for that? I feel that as a president, you have to have immunity.

Very simple. Yes, it is the bedrock American constitutional principle. The president must be above the law. Out of reach of the law. Look, forget the Constitution. Accountability to the law of the land is basic Magna Carta shit. Keep a tiny Magna Carta in my, you know what, I'm sorry, this is just a flip book. Hold on. Oh, a dog's never going to catch that car. Maybe they like Trump because he's more of a Bill of Rights guy.

President Trump attacking the First Amendment and freedom of the press. You take the writer and or the publisher of the paper, a certain paper and you know, and you say, who is the Laker? National Security and they say we're not going to tell you they say that's okay you're going to jail and when this person realizes that he is going to be the bride of another prisoner very shortly. I believe it was Thomas Jefferson who once sat in. Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, though obviously as with any right, there is some wiggle room for non-consensual ass-fixing.

Don't blame me, that's Jefferson. He said that. Thomas Jefferson. Look it up. Hold on. Let me get. But that's the press. The press are the enemy of the people. How does Trump feel about freedom of assembly? He says, can't you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something. And he's suggesting that that's what we should do, that we should bring in the troops and shoot the protesters. The commander in chief was suggesting that the U.S. military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military military.... th. th. the. th. th. th. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. Hold. he. he. Hold he. Hold he. Hold he. Hold he. Hold. Hold. Hold. Hold. Hold. Hold. Hold. Hold. Hold. Hold. he. he. he. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. he. the, he. that we should bring in the troops and shoot the protesters. The commander in chief was suggesting that the US military shoot protesters. Yes in the straits of our nation's capital. That's right. Well they'd still be free to assemble just

the assembly would be more of a pile that's all. But that's just hearsay from Trump's Secretary of Defense at the time. Look... That's all. But that's just hearsay from Trump's Secretary of Defense at the time. Look, how about the Fifth Amendment, due process? Very simply, if you rob a store, you can fully expect to be shot as you are leaving that store. What the fuck are we doing? You know, I'm pretty sure that shooting a guy on suspicion of stealing a pair of khakis violates not only the Constitution, but the end of the things in my jacket.

Now, we've had our fun dancing around the former president's rather eccentric interpretations of our country's founding document. May I offer you something more explicit. I only want to be a dictator for one day. Just so you know, that is how it starts. I'm not saying anybody has to do the arms salute. Let's just start with a few people doing the arm salute, and we'll see if the arm salute catches on. Ignoring the bill of rights, tearing up the Constitution, pining for a brief stint as a dictator,

well that settles it. When the good patriotic constitution loving real Americans hear Trump's disrespect and disdain for our sacred constitutional principles, they will be outraged. I'd rather have Donald Trump as a dictator for four years. Absolutely, this country needs a dictator. I hate to say that, but it's the truth. He could stand on the front steps of the White House and commit murder, and I'm with him. If he says it, then I'll go with it. And if he wants to be a dictator, then so be it.

This is it. The Thomas Nass's cartoon. Patriots, festooned and American flags, co-signing dictatorship. Remember we the people? You know there's more words after that, right? Smaller font, still binding. Look, if you want to love Trump, love them. Go to the rallies, buy

the sneakers. You want to give them absolute power? You want them to be the leader Uberalis. You want them to have the right of kings? You do you. But stop framing it as patriotism. Because the one thing you cannot say is that Donald Trump is following the tradition of the founders. He is advocating for complete and total presidential immunity. His words, not mine, that is monarchy shit and it's your right to support it, but just do me a favor for historical. Next time you want to dress up at the rallies, wear the right fucking colored coats. That's what you are. And I just want to know.

We see you. We see you. We hear you. We hear you. You know. We hear you. No. I don't. When we come back, Scholar Steven Levitsky will join me on the show. Stick around.

John Stewart here. Unbelievable. Thank you. John Stewart here, unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show. We're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with my guest tonight, a professor of government at Harvard University. He is the co-author of two best-selling books, How Democracies Die, and Tyranny of the

Minority. Please welcome the program Stephen Levitsky. Sir! How are you? How are you? Let's go. Look at you. Look at the book. The tyranny of the minority. Let's go. Look at the tyranny of the minority. Look at the book.

The book is called The Tyranny of the Minority. What is, so you wrote how democracies die, a recipe to kill our democracy. And now tyranny the minority. What is tyranny the minority about? Well when we wrote how democracies died many years ago now, before it seemed so imminent to some of the Americans, that democracy is in danger, we wanted to write a book that described for Americans what it looks like when a democracy gets into trouble. I studied Latin America, my co-author, Daniels, the the the the the minority, the minority, the minority, the minority, the minority, their their minority, their minority, theirity, theirity, theirity, theirity, theirity, theirity, theirity, theirity, theirity, theirity, theirity, theirony, ty ty of tyi and tyi, ty tye, and ty, and ty, and ty ty, and tyty, ty, ty, ty, ty, ty, their their their ty, and their their ty, and ty, and ty, and ty. And ty. And, and tie, and tie, and tie, and tie, tie, tie, and tie, and tie, tie-tie-tie-tirnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynyniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiia, and tia, and tia, and tirnynynynynyny, and tie, book that described for Americans what it looks like when a democracy gets into trouble. I studied Latin America, my co-author Daniel studies Europe and the interwar period, so we've we've seen democracies

get in trouble, we've seen democracies die, and we wanted to describe to Americans what this look like, so they would be warned. After we wrote the book, we got a lot of questions about what the hell do we do? How do we get out of this mess? And so the book is an effort, first of all, to better understand how we got into this mess, but also to think a bit about how to get out. So how, when you talk about how we get into the mess, the Constitution is really our, you know, touchstone. Is that the document that actually got us into this mess? The Constitution I should say is a brilliant document. It is the world's... Don't hedge

sir. It is the world's oldest written constitution. It's done us a lot of good. Yes. But it is also part of the problem today. We, a majority of Americans support democracy. A majority of Americans support the really interesting experiment with multiracial democracy that we are evolving into in the 21st century. A majority of Americans every day, since Donald Trump came down the golden escalator, have opposed Trump. But we have a Constitution that protects, that enables, and that empowers an authoritarian minority party. And that's a problem. But isn't that the very nature of the cune of the con-a????, of 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 thiaic, thi, thi, 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 tri., uh.eau.eau.eau.eau.eau. Ieau.ea-m. Imeau. Imeau.ea.ea.ea.ea.ea.ea.ea. tri. triau. triau. Iea that empowers an authoritarian minority party.

And that's a problem. But isn't that the very nature of the Constitution was was the contradiction at its, when it was being written, all men are created equal. Black people are three-fifths. I mean it's a mathematical equation that from the get-go was absurd. It was absurd. Now, in some fairness to the founders, the elites across the world were undemocratic in the 18th century. But over the course of 200 plus years, democracies across the world have gone about fixing

the original citizens of the Constitution. The Constitution was a balance between that ideal and the practicalities of, well, how do we let the southern states who have less population not be steamrolled by a pure democracy? Right, it was a couple things. First of all, it was a document created by people who feared democracy, who feared majority rule, because the majority rule didn't exist in the world in the 18th century. What did they think, if it wasn't kings, what did they think it was going to be? They didn't know. They were in completely new terrain. There had never been a republic like this before.

We'd never had an elected leader before. The Electoral College was a third choice. It wasn't Madison's first choice. Madison designed a system that would have looked more like Europe's parliamentary democracies. That was shot down. A number of folks in the convention pushed for direct election of the president, which is what all other presidential democracies in the world today do. That got voted down.

Not even for a unitary executive. Didn't they push for the executive would be a panel, would be a group of individuals? There were, that was one suggestion, but so they were, they were, they were scrambling, right? They did, they couldn't reach a majority and they didn't know how to elect a president. So the electoral college was an improvisation. Was it an improvisation to bring a compromise to the southern states? Is that because the north was more industrialized and the south and the smaller states?

Right. So this was the compromise to bring the union together. Yeah, I mean, this was a really tough problem, right? Right? We had 13 colonies that were, and there was a fear that they would break apart, that there might be civil war, that there might be violence, the articles of Confederation had failed miserably, and there was a real fear that if we didn't hang together, the Brits or the French would come in and make things very difficult for us.

The whole project could be blown to bits. So these guys had to forge a compromise, and they made concessions that were imperfect. In fact, George Washington, let me just say this. George Washington just weeks after the Philadelphia Convention wrote a letter to his nephew describing the Constitution as an imperfect document and saying that it would be up to future generations to improve on it. But do you think it's strange then that a lot of the Constitution really is a practical matter, sort of a pragmatic document that is very much nuts and bolts of how do we do this mechanically, logistically, and yet we infuse such

almost religious dogma. We almost view the founders now in a kind of a fundamentalist way of it was spoken through them from God, it was they were absolutely sure this is scripture. Right, we didn't always see it that way. For much of US history, Americans, both politicians and American citizens of all types of all thiiiii thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi. thi, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and this thi, and thi, and thi, and thi, and thically, and thically, and thically, and thically, and thically, and thically, and thically, and thically, and thically, and thi, and thi, and thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi Right, we didn't always see it that way. For much of US history, Americans, both politicians and American citizens of all types have worked to make our system more democratic. The expansion of suffrage, the reconstruction reforms, the progressive era.

But oftentimes that was brought through violent upheaval. I mean, the Civil War is what brought that about suffragette, even the Vietnam War when they lowered the voting age, if there hadn't been the drive, people hadn't gone to Vietnam, I don't think you would have seen the expansion of voting to 18-year-olds. Constitutional reform is tough. It's costly. It takes work, but we've done it throughout our history. And it's really only only the last only only only only only onlyetimes, that we've kind of stopped thinking about how to make our system more democratic. We stop doing the work of improving our democracy. Let me ask you, and this is a slightly different point then.

You know, some may be, it's the design of the Constitution that allows for rural states to have maybe an outsized influence, especially in the Senate, which is a relatively minotarian body........ to to to to to to to to to to to to be to be to be to be to be to be to be with to be with the to be with the to be with the to be with the to be with to be with to have maybe an outsized influence, especially in the Senate, which is a relatively minotarian body to begin with. One person can blue slip something that people can constantly stop things as one person. And that person is always Rand Paul. No. But, but, is there also an issue, as the world changes so rapidly, is democracy foundationally an analog system,

and that in an increasingly digital and fast world, it's unwieldy even in its best iteration? And is that what also gives a kind of shine to the idea of dictatorship or authoritarian principles where Things can be mobilized more quickly decisions can be made, you know democracy is painstaking. It's a grind It is and this is not the first time we've been around this band, right? In a century ago, whether it was the Russian Revolution or the rise of fascism, during a period of dramatic change, industrialization, the entry into the modern era, people looked around and said, yeah, Stalin, that works better.

That works better. Hitler or Mussolini, that that works better. The trains run on time. Turns out in the long run there are costs to dictatorship and that dictatorships don't, they may shine for a while but in the long run you don't much like the results. So we always have to be, we've got old institutions and we constantly have to be thinking about how to improve them, but the basic idea of electing our governments in electing our governments in a context in which we enjoy a wide range of individual liberties, I don't think that's outdated. Right, that stays no matter what the kids say on, I'm going to say Instagram. I think the kids are, kids get a bad rap sometimes. They are among the, our strongest defenders. Well you teach them in college so you see the the their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. their. their. their. their. their. I, their, their, their, I their, I their, I their their, I'm their, I'm their their their their their their their, in their their, in their, in their, in their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I their, I. I their, I. I their, I their their their th. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm tea. I'm tea. I'm tea. I'm tea. I'm their their th. I'm their their their the are among the our strongest defenders well you teach them in in college so you see them I see them I

find them to be fascinating you know there's there's always that uh millennia is this or later whatever they're saying I don't find that they're the ones you're gonna save our emerging multi racial they better they better somebody somebody's got to the the already the tory the the the the the the the the the of the minority. It's available right now. Stephen Mavitsky. Thank you so much for being here. Tell you a quick one back.

Thank you. Awesome. You're going to be talking about the election. John Stewart here. Unbelievably. Un-Broad here. Unbelievably. podcast, The Weekly Show. We're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio, on sandwiches. Listen to the Weekly Show with John Stewart, wherever you

get your podcast. Before we go, we're going to check in with your co-host for the rest of this week. Desi Leidick and Michael Costa, everybody, that's our show for tonight. Before we go, we're going to check in with your co-host for the rest of this week. Desi Lydick and Michael Costa, everybody. Boom. So excited, what do you guys have planned for the week? John, we'll be looking at the latest inflation report and whether new possible legislation banning it will spread to other social media platforms. coming down with the Democrats are hoping will provide a needed boost for the Biden campaign.

You guys are going to be doing that all week but they're talking at the same time. Of course not, John. That would be ridiculous. Looking forward to it. Desilie Lyddeke and Mike Cost everybody. All week, this week, here it is your moment is out. And what does President Biden do? Well, he bans Tick-Tock for government employees, but creates an account for his own campaign. Y'all, you can't make this stuff up.

Explore more shows from the Daily Show Podcast Universe by searching the Daily Show, wherever you get your podcasts. 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. John Stewart here. Unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show.

We're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio, on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast.