The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Paul Manafort's Spending Sprees & Trump's Twitter Flirtation With Obstruction | A$AP Rocky

Episode Date: August 3, 2018

Parents hire gaming coaches to improve their kids' "Fortnite" scores, Paul Manafort's wild spending habits come to light, and rapper A$AP Rocky discusses his album "Testing." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. John Stewart here. unnebly 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. August 2nd, 2018.

From Comedy Central's World News Headquarters in New York, this is the Daily Show. Thank you so much for tuning in. I'm trying to know our guest tonight. Our guest tonight rapper A.Sap Rocky is joining us everybody. I'm trying to talk about rap and youth culture. Wrapper Asap Rockie is joining us everybody. Yeah! We're going to talk about rap and youth culture. Rapper ASAP, Rocky is joining us, everybody. Yeah. We're going to talk about rap and youth culture.

Word up. But first, let's catch up on today's headlines. Let's kick off with some news from Wall Street. Some major news on Wall Street, Apple just became the first American public company to reach $1 trillion in value. One trillion dollars. That's it, folks. Apple has officially won capitalism. Wrap it up. It's over.

And I'm going to be honest, I don't even know how they made a trillion dollars. Because I saw this headline on my iPhone, and I was like, that can't be right. So I read the full story on my Macbook. And even when I used Excel on my iPad and I blew it up, it seems so unlikely that Apple could make so much money. Because I was listening to a podcast explained it on my second pair of airpods. And then like, my Apple watch told me I had a meeting, so I guess we'll never know. We'll never know how they made the too. the the 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 to the to the to the to the to the the the the the to to to to the to to the the the 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 th th th th th th th to. to. toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo..... toda. toda. too. too. too. too. toe. to turn the other cheek. Pope Francis is changing the church's stance on the death penalty.

The head of the Catholic Church now says it should never be allowed since it attacks human dignity. Previously, capital punishment was allowed if it was the only way of defending human lives against unjust aggressors. The new teaching claims the old policy is outdated and that there are other ways to protect society. A new Pope at it again. Yo, I'm loving Francis, man. He's making religion cool.

First he said gay people are cool. Then he said, dogs can get into heaven. One day he's just going to be like, Tuesday is ladies night at the Vatican. Let's do it. Let's do it. Let's do it. Have price on wafers. Let's do it, let's do it, everybody. Let's do it.

Have price on wafers. But I will say, I was surprised to find out, though, that the church used to be against killing, but they had a few exceptions, which is like something I never thought of. Like, do they do that with other commandments? You know, it's like, thou may cover dead ass Now shall not take my name in vain unless it's about that ass god damn

Moving on moving on Video games are getting harder and harder, but thankfully people are insane The Wall Street Journal reports parents are hiring coaches to tut their children in the popular combat survival video game fortnight. Parents say they want to improve their kids' skills for prize money, college scholarships or bragging rights. Yeah, nothing gives a kid bragging rights like needing their parents to get them a coach to learn how to play video games. Yeah. Guys, I used to suck, but now I got a coach in the game. Do you guys still hate? Oh, you do? You still hate me? OK, OK.

And spending all your money learning video games is definitely a worthwhile investment. I mean, just ask all those Pokemon I collected in 2016. Yeah. You realize if I'd put that money into Bitcoin, I'd only have like what, 19 million dollars?? $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $ $ $19, $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19, $19,000, $19,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,19,000,000,19.1,19,19,19,000,000,000,000,000, $19, $19, pika. You know, in all honesty, in all honesty, I'm actually worried that the more overbearing parents become about playing video games, the more kids are going to rebel against them. She's going to be like, fuck you, dad, I'm reading books. I said, no homework until you finish your video games. Don't you dare pick up that violin.

You get back, I want to be a doctor. Not under my roof. All right, let's move on to our tough story. Robert Mullah, as he continues his methodical pursuit of the world's most brilliant criminal mastermind. We're seeing casualties of his investigation pile up. This week, a federal court in Virginia began hearing testimony in the trial of Paul Manifort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman and world's sketchiest Lego man. Thanks to Moller, Manifort is now charged with 18 counts of tax evasion, bank fraud, money laundering, and using his roommate's HBO Go password.

Oh, you didn't think they could come after you for that? Yeah, you guys aren't in a lot of trouble. But before prosecutors got into the details, they wanted to introduce Paul Manaforts to the world. Prosecutors focused their efforts on betraying Manifort as a man who spent lavishly while cheating on his taxes. Multiple homes, expensive cars and watches. One point one three million dollars for home improvements. Nearly a million dollars that he spent on landscaping, including a flower bed in the shape of an M.

Manifort spent over 18,000 dollars on a karaoke set up. God damn, Maniford was borning. 18,000 dollars on a karaoke set. Yo, if I spend that much money on karaoke, it better come with drunk Japanese businessman to sing for me. $18,000? You know, let me say something. Let me say something.

If I spent that much money on karaoke, best believe at my house, every night is karaoke. Every night. You're like, Trevor, shouldn't we watch the Super Bowl? I'm getting my money. Ebony and ivory, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, every, i i i i. thi, i. thi, it is, it is, it is, it is, it is thi, it is thi, it is, it is to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to come, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, to come, to come, to come, to come, to come, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to too, too, too, too, thi, thr-a, thr-a, thranny, too'a'a'a'a'a, too, to to to to to to to to to to we watch the Super Bowl? I think we should be singing karaoke. I'm getting my money, Ebony and Ivory. I'm singing. And as lavish as all of that sounds, there's one part of Paul Manifort's life where he spared no expense.

In just five years, Maniford spent $929,000 on suits. A $15,000 ostrich jacket, also more than $18,000 python coat. Okay, first of all, if you're trying not to seem evil, maybe don't dress up as a snake. Also, also, what's the point of wearing ostrich if you're going to take off all the feathers? That just seems like a waste. Like if I'm wearing ostrich it had better look like th. I I the feathers? That just seems like a waste. Like if I'm wearing ostrich, it had better look like this. I want to see that I'm wearing ostrich people.

I want to feel it. And look, you know, it's really interesting to see what's happening here. It feels like the prosecution is trying to turn the jury against Manifort by showing that he the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the prosecution is trying to turn the jury against Manifort by showing them that he's the kind of asshole who owns a $15,000 ostrich jacket. Yeah, and after seeing a picture of this jury, something tells me that it might work. It might just work. So, of course, everyone is watching this trial, but nobody is watching closer than Manifort's former employer. President Trump today wading into the trial of his former campaign chairman, tweeting,

who was treated worse? Alphonse Capone, legendary mob boss, killer and public enemy number one? Or Paul Manifort, political operative, and Reagan Dole darling, now serving solitary confinement, although convicted of nothing. Okay, I'm sorry, Alfonce Capone? Who calls El Capone by his full name? Every time I think Trump has hit peak weirdness, he gets a little bit weirder. Like, is that just his thing? It's just like, and then I was talking to Kimberly Kardashian,

and she was so grateful for how I helped her husband, Kanye Westeros. Great guy, great guy. Now, look, Trump is clearly not enjoying the fact that Mueller has his buddy on trial. What's really got the president riled up was finding out that Mueller is a few steps closer to having a chat with him. President Trump was outraged after learning that among the topics special counsel Robert Mueller wants to question him about is obstruction. Sources say it enraged him so.

It prompted this extraordinary tweet that critics say could amount to obstruction. The President writing, Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this rigged witch hunt right now before it continues to stain our country any further. This is so insane. President Trump may have obstructed justice because he's mad about being accused of obstructing justice. He's just proving their point. It's like when someone tells you to calm down and you're like,

what do you mean, calm down? I am calm! I'll kill you for saying that. Calm down, man. And now, although it seems like obstruction, according to the president's lawyer and spokesgremlin, Rudy Giuliani, we are all getting ahead of ourselves because Trump words matter. As we said immediately, it's an opinion.

He used the word should. He didn't use the word must. And there was no presidential directive to follow it. He didn't direct him to do it. And he's not going to direct him to do it. You should get the fuck out of here. Like, Rudy Giuliani is making it sound like Trump's tweet was just a helpful suggestion, and that Trump is not Jeff Sessions' boss and the most powerful man in the world. You know, it's like Darth Vader telling you,

you should really consider joining the dark side. But no presch, no presch, I mean, whatever, just a suggestion. And if you weren't convinced by Kuludi Giuliani, Sarah Hakeby Sanders, Sarah Hacabe Sanders, she had an even more creative defense. There's a reason that the president's angry, and frankly, most of America is angry as well, and there's no reason he shouldn't be able to voice that opinion. Look, the president is not obstructing, he's fighting back.

Ooh, the president is not obstructing. the president is not obstructing, he's just self-defense. Yeah, fighting back against an investigation of you is obstructing. Like Sarah Sanders wants to frame it like it's just self-defense, but that's exactly what self-defense is, obstructing the punch from hitting your face. That's obstruction. Oh, and and team Trump has one more defense. Yeah, President, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani told the New York Times,

if you're going to obstruct justice, you do it quietly and secretly, not in public. What they're trying to do is stitch together an obstruction case based on public tweets, on the exercise of First Amendment rights. You know, people don't obstruct justice in public. If you're going to obstruct justice, you're going to do it in private. That, that is a brilliant argument until you take a moment to think about it. Because obstruction of justice isn't about whether it's private or public. Private is just how most people do it, right? But most people also don't want to bang their daughter.

And even those who do, even those who do, don't talk about it on the view. Donald Trump is not a normal person. Like what's crazy about this is, if there was a tape where Trump told Sessions in private that he should end the Mueller probe, and we discover the tape, that would be the end. It would be obstruction, impeachment, game over. But just because he did it in public, he can get away with it.

Like, it's amazing that Trump has the superpower. He does the bad things in public and then somehow. Like, I don't know how to explain it. Like, there's no other instance where doing it in public, that's better. You know what I mean? Nothing else works like that. Like, when you see someone the the th, the th, th so th so th so the th so thi the th thi thi thi the thi thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi's thi's 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. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. theeeeiiiiiiiiiiiii. theeiiiiii. thi. thi. thi. thi. you're doing it in public. That makes it better. Good job.

We'll be right back. 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. Welcome back to the Daily Show.

My guest tonight is a Grammy Award-nominated rapper, actor and entrepreneur whose latest album is called Testing. Please welcome, ASAP Rocky. Welcome to the show. Man, thanks for having me finally. It's cozy up here. I always dreamed to come in here. Oh, you did? Oh, yeah, for a few, man. That's something I would not think Acehah Baraki would dream about.

I've seen your music videos, and I feel like you only dream about psychedelic things involving weed or something else. That's nice to know that I was in one of your weed dreams. Welcome to the show. Thank you very much, welcome. Thank you very much, man. Since you started this, I've been a fan, man. Since you started to tawn for it and start and start taking to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to the to the the the the to to the to to the to to to to the th. th. th. th. thia, the thiolk, th. thiolk, the the the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, theeea. thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. thiia. toeea. tight. I appreciate it. Since you signed on for it and started taking over, it's lit.

Thank you very much, man. I'm going to put that on the reviews now. He said, Brockie, it's lit. The, um, let's get into the album before we talk about everything else that you're doing in life. Yeah. A highly anticipated album. making you actually said you waited a little bit because you said you didn't want to release the album when everyone was releasing their album like you wanted to release at the same time as everybody else because

you didn't want people to feel like it wasn't fire which is I mean that's a really confident move why three years in the way in the making and why release it now I don't know to me it, I think this is a great time. That's basically what I was trying to articulate, you know. Before in the past, I just feel like, you know, a lot of people that I grew up loving or people that were making amazing music, they got quiet for me and included myself. It's like this year, everybody, everybody's everybody's everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, album. Everybody's dropping at the same time. Yeah. Right. And you were you were born and raised in New York. Yes. Right. New York rapper. Through and through it. Your parents even named, like, is this true? Your parents named you and your sister after Rakeem and Eric B?

Yeah. So like hip hop is deep in your blood. Yes it is. Like I've seen the battle the battle is back again. It's a very nice one this time between like New York. New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New. You. You. You. You. You. the new. the new. the new. the new. the. the. You. the. You. the, like. the, like, like, like, like, like, the, you. the, you. You, you, you, you, you're, the the, the, the, you, you, you, you, the, the, the, the, the, to. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to seen the battle is back again. It's a very nice one this time between like New York versus, you know, like Chicago versus LA, there's the whole like Compton versus, like, what do you think separates New York rappers from everyone else? Well, modern or past? No, modern, modern, I mean like now. I think everything is just a big Milton part, especially America, right? Right. It's hard to even identify somebody's region and rap from the way that they rap. I don't really think anybody stands out, even though there's a few artists who have like this distinguished New York sound.

But yeah, for the most part, everybody's music just sounds like dynamical and just, you know, similar to the other persons in some way, not to diss anybody, so. You say you don't want to dis any to dis any to dis any to dis any to dis any any to dis any any to dis any any to dis any any any to dis any to dis any to dis any to dis any, to dis any, to dis any, their, their, their, to dis any, to dis any, to dis any, to dis any, to dis anybody, their, to dis anybody, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, 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.. I. I. I'm, to dis, to disa, to disa, to disa, to, to, to, to, to, to disa, but I've listened to songs on the album and there's one track where I feel like you are specifically dissing, you call them mumble rappers. And like, I was just like, as a fan of mumble rap. I was like, I literally sat back and I was like, really, A-Sap, you go and send them again, I'm a dun'' bring him away. What are you trying to say man? You know I love mumble, I love certain mumble rappers right.

It's like kind of overstatured. You know what I'm saying? Shout out's little oozy and playboy cardio day man, rock stars. Are you not tempted sometimes to mumble rap because Because I feel like I could like, I could mumble rap. It's just like like the flun, honum and honum, ghillum, ghillam and ghill, woo, and then my jay, and then my brittem, my, hey, I'm, uh, you looking for a record deal? I'm, I'm, I'm ready. to get it. Let's get it. Actually, it's funny that you bring that up because you are not just a rapper, you're an executive as well, you're in the business.

A lot of people refer to you as a fashion icon, they go like, you're always on the forefront of what's happening in fashion. Sometimes people speak to you more about fashion than raping, in fact, which is pretty insane. And then there's this secret organization that is connected to you somehow that no one speaks about or is allowed to speak about, I won't say what is OG, but what is OG doing? Well, OG is a collective of young creatives from artists to musical artists, you know, I think we all get together and kind of like mastermind how we want to take over, manipulate or change, you know, it's the aesthetic and the way things are in culture, music music, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and culture, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, the, the, the, the, the, the, their, thi, their, thi, thi, take over, manipulate or change, you know, the aesthetic and the way things are in culture, music, film, fashion, and art, you know, that's all we do.

It's just a ton of artists and we try to like rekindle that free spirit living and just kind of like making do it yourself kind of stuff and just being ahead of the curve and raising a bar, that's really it. It's interesting you say that you that you that you that you that you that that been really exciting, is that, is that hip-hop artists have now taken control of the culture that they're creating, not just the music. So now you see people like Frank Ocean coming out and there's a brand attached to him. You know, you see people like Tyler the creator, thi, the th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is that, is that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's, is that's, is that's, is that's, is that's, is th, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is thi, is that's that's that's that's thi, is thi, come out and go like, yo, I've got clothes that go with who I am. I've got a style that I represent. I'm not gonna let someone else get rich of this. That's what org is about. The sound should, I feel like your sound should match your outfit. Your outfit should match your video. Your video should match your girlfriend,

you know, it's one of you know I interior decorated everything myself you know I feel like that's what we push I don't know if everybody's you know down for that or if that's just their morals and standards but that's what we push that's what we live right also I got a surprise for you today man speaking of all I hope I didn't you got a you got a surprise like a I got a little surprise, man. Hopefully, you like these. These are made by all. This is our new sneakers right here, that's for you, Treb.

I left the O.R. off your name. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I was told that you were designing a pair of sneakers with under armor and that they were like secret, like no one's a secret shoes. Well, are these the secret shoes? Those are the secret shoes. You brought me secret shoes? I'm supposed to secret shoes? Are you being serious right now? I hope you like them. It's a little complicated to take them out. You might need some assistance with that. Yo, these aren't even out yet? No, not yet. Next month. Yes sir. Next month. Yes, sir.

Yes, sir. And I just tell you, you've made my life. I grew up in a world world where I'd wear shoes off the people. And now I'm wearing them before all of y'all. H.S. Wap! Tusting is available now! Make sure you've got to get it. This is fun.

The Daily Show with Covernoa, Ears Edition. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central and the Comedy Central Act. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. Hey, everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, The Weekly Show coming out every Thursday. We're going to tell you about my new podcast, The Weekly Show, coming out every Thursday. We're going to be talking about the election, earnings calls.

What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast.