The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Trump Tries to Catch Reflecting Pool “Vandals” & Miami Gets a Scottish Takeover | Lou Diamond Phillips

Episode Date: June 24, 2026

Josh Johnson dives into the Scottish takeover of Miami for the World Cup, the flock of tourists visiting D.C.'s bright green reflecting pool, Trump’s security escalation to catch possible pool “vandals,” and whether Trump's pool disaster is karma for trashing Obama’s previous reflecting pool fix. Plus, conservative media can’t stop talking about the pool, while Michael Kosta can’t stop dreaming about drinking it. Summer is here, and Lewis Black kicks it off with a look at some of the dumbest and most dangerous fitness trends of the season: sword yoga, which combines the health benefits of yoga with the hazard of lopping off a body part, neck hanging, which is turning Chinese youth into Christmas tree ornaments, and pistols and Pilates, the perfect workout for anyone whose fitness routine needs more guns. Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe-nominated actor Lou Diamond Phillips talks to Josh Johnson about starring in the new film “Gangland.” They discuss what draws him to making westerns and how this film shows an evolution of the neo-western genre by centering Indigenous stories and talent, both in front of and behind the camera. Phillips also shares what still excites him about the creative process as an actor, speaks to his mission as a recently re-elected governor of the Actors Branch of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to seek out and uplift new talent, and encourages young artists not to build their careers on fleeting trends that might be a “foundation of sand.” -- The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central. Stream full episodes on Paramount+ Follow TDS: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Center, it's America's only source for new. This is The Daily Show with your host, Josh Johnson. Listen, we've got so much to talk about tonight. The Scottish teach Miami that not all music needs rhythm. Lewis Black gets bent out of shape about getting in shape, and Donald Trump's reflecting pool is having issues,

or was it, murder? So, let's get into the headlines. Let's start with the biggest story in sports right now. The World Cup fans have come from all over the world to see which country has the most athletic black people. But one country has been making their presence known a little more than the rest. South Florida's getting taken over by the Scottish this week

for the World Cup, turning Little Havana into an international street party. This is so fun. Also, I'm just happy to see an all-white parade where they're not chanting about the Jews. I'm not sure about the bagpipes, though. You know the Loch Ness Monster is back in Scotland right now. Like, finally, I can get some sleep.

The only reason I'm so elusive is because I don't want to hear those damn bagpipes. But let's get to the big story. It has now been 10 weeks since the start of the war that has come to define Donald Trump's second term. So let's get right into our continuing coverage. of the Washington, D.C. reflecting pool. It looks like shit.

Ever since the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool turned bright green, which is a thing I just said like it's totally normal, it's become the first breakout hit of the summer. Tourists are actually flocking to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to catch a glimpse of the controversial renovation.

It was kind of disgusting. Like, it looks like, it's green. Like, it looks like, it looks like vomit. And it smells really bad. I had to see for myself, I couldn't believe it. Hey, kids, remember you wanted to go to Disneyland? Instead, we're going to go see the world's largest kombucha. You know, everybody's complaining about the pool, but they're coming out to see it.

I'm not saying it's better this way. I'm just saying it seems to be pretty popular. This is how far America has fallen. The last time we collected this many people around the reflecting pool was for civil rights. People were like, we must come out to support Dr. King. 60 years later, we're like, a slimy pool, this I gotta see. Now, anyone who's ever owned a swimming pool or a fish tank or a bong that they never wash

will not be surprised that there's algae in the pool and a shallow pool like this with a dark bottom in hot weather is particularly hard to keep clean. I know that because half the people I follow on social media are pool experts all of a sudden. This is a completely natural and expected development, but Donald Trump thinks there's something else

We have a, I think, 290, 300 foot slit right through it, probably a box cutter or a knife of some kind. They cut it very violently. The same thing with the floor, they cut it. And then they lifted it, they pulled it. I can't help it if somebody goes in with a knife and starts hacking it up. Who would think that somebody would go into a pool and take a knife and start cutting it? Yeah, who would think of something like that two months ago? This will last for at least 50 years.

and you'll never have a leak. It's very strong. You couldn't, if you had a knife, I don't want to give anybody ideas. If you had a knife, you can't even cut it. I've never seen someone have a light of logic so stupid they reverse inception themselves. Me from before had the idea to never. I told myself it couldn't be done, and then I forgot. That's why it happened. Look, I'll admit right now, I'm one of Trump's biggest haters, but Donnie, let me help you out. You have got it. Got to chill. People are not shanking the pool at night. Also, algae can't be that hard to get rid of. I mean, damn, you got one of the biggest algae eaters in your cabinet. Send him down to the pool. He'll be like, hmm, looks like soup.

Broccoli cheddar. The point is, don't go around escalating the situation. This morning, the National Guard and Park Police patrolling the reflecting pool on the National Mall. There are cameras stationed every 50 yards or so. The president had Marine One do a flyover around the reflecting pool. According to the White House, 17 police reports have been filed for vandalism, leading to six arrests. Dang, you're treating the reflecting pool like Epstein drowned in it. Just imagine what Iran must be thinking right now. They turn on the TV like, where are the Americans plotting to send their force?

Damn. Are they even thinking about us? And I get Trump's disappointed because according to him, this was going to be the best pool in the history of water. President Obama, President Biden, spent much more than $100 million on the reflecting lake. You know what they got out of it? A closed lake. I'm doing the super job, and it's going to be much better. It's going to be something very special. It'll be, I think, very reflective.

Very, very good. It's like a piece of glass, beautiful color, beautiful everything. You could never get anything like that. It's going to look better than it did it. in 1922 when it was built a Lincoln Memorial. Look at that. Beautiful. Look at how that reflects.

It's like a mirror. See, that's your problem right there. You talked it up so much, you jinxed it. Now I want to let him build the ballroom. Just see how bad it turns out. I bet it disintegrates at the first cha-cha slide. The lesson here is Trump. You gotta wait until after you do something to flex.

If you had never made a big deal out of the pool, no one would have noticed. I mean, RFK would still be down there because to him, that's yummy. But Trump basically shot a buzzer-beating, game-winning shot, turned around and threw his hands up in the air to celebrate, and then instead of going in, it missed and killed a baby duckling. Now you've got people across the country coming over to gawk

at the fact that you turn the reflecting pool into a Kool-Aid bucket. And all your supporters in the media who should be defending your Iran disaster or your economic disaster have to defend this disaster. I think this is Trump derangement syndrome, its finest. The far left will never get behind or celebrate anything that Donald Trump does. News flash, algae grows in stagnant water.

President Trump is trying to make D.C. nicer. Because guess what? President should care about beauty. Only the Democrats could hate beautifying our nation's capital. They are rooting for his failure. And in this case, they're even rooting for algae. I'm sorry, this is not the point. But what is going on with Sean Handy's face?

I mean, I have never seen white cheeks that big. that hadn't been wrapped about. Like, I'm not trying to make fun of his looks or anything, but I mean, is he auditioning for a new Chipmunks movie? Where Alvin eats Simon and Theodore? I bet you squirrels look at handy like, how my nuts taste. It looks like the dentist's added wisdom teeth. Sean, you gotta address this.

You can't just walk in a room and sit down in front of a camera with a BBL on your face and act like we're not gonna notice. You gotta address what's happening anything. Like, sorry about my face, y'all. I'm currently going through a nutty professor type situation. It should be cleared up once I learned to love and accept myself for who I truly am.

For more on the status of a Reflecting Pool, we go live to Washington, D.C., with Michael Costa. Josh, I'm down here with Reflecting Pool, and it is still a disaster. The once clear water, now a cloudy mixture of green sludge that reflects not the Washington monument, but the corruption that runs deep in this administration. It is disgusting.

and I want to drink it. Back to you, Josh. Wait, Michael, did you say you wanted to drink the pool water? What? Of course not. It's a green swamp. An intoxicating green. Unnatural and yet dancing and a hypnotizing swirl of foam.

Sorry, Josh, you were saying that I should drink the water. No, Costa, you cannot drink the water. I'm pretty sure you'll die. Of course, I will. I probably will. I mean, one thing's for certain. whether it's the Iran War or his January 6 pardons President Trump has shown

that he's unable to lead this nation with dignity and ethics. So cheers to you, Josh. Michael, did you just scoop up the water from the pool? Did I? I just blacked out. The next thing I know was in my hands. Oh, it smells. It smells of a dark and

powerful bargain. A bargain that I am willing to make. Michael, do not drink that water. Of course not. That would be crazy. I mean, what's even crazier is that Trump's administration has bid to no contract, which allowed one of his corrupt...

Wait, wait. Why are you dressing up the glass, Costa? Don't drink it. Josh, okay, I'm going to level with you. I am dying to drink this water. I mean... Yeah, I know. It appears the combination of chemicals and negligence

has made the algae some kind of sentient being looking for a host to spread itself all across the country. It's really a metaphor for Trump's America if you think about it. Maybe. And maybe giving it and maybe drinking it will give me superpowers. You ever think about that? What if it turns me into the Hulk? You know, his penis becomes incredible, too.

It won't. At best, it will make you shit your pants. Pour it out, Michael. Fine, I'll pour it out. Into my mouth. Costa, no. I'm, I'm shitting my pants. It's! Why did you make me do that?

I didn't. Maybe if I drink more water, it'll help. No, Michael Posta, everybody. When we come back, the days are longer, the calendar's filling up, and I want to feel as good as this beautiful summer weather. That's why I've been loving grooms. It's one daily pack of gummies that covers my greens, vitamins, minerals, and even has six grams of prebiotic fiber. So I don't need to juggle a complicated wellness routine on top of everything else. They taste amazing.

They're easy to toss in my bag on the go. Plus, they're vegan, gluten-free, and HSA-FSA eligible for reimbursement. Save up to 52% off with code podcast at grooms.co. That's code podcast at g-r-un-s.co. When a new story falls through the cracks, Lewis Black catches it for a segment we call Back in Black. Ah, Summer.

The only season. where it's acceptable to see another man's knees. And now the beach season is upon us, it's time for you, idiots, to get in shape. As you can tell, by my chiseled abs, and capital J. Juwee juicy ass, I'm a total gym rat,

and I mean an actual gym rat. I secretly live in the walls of the YMCA and steal food from their trash. cans. Hey, it's better than paying 13 bucks a month. Regardless, if you want to get in shape for summer, the best way is to hop on the dumbest, most dangerous

workout trend you can find. And this season, there are plenty of them. Fitness enthusiasts are taking a swing at a new trend called Sword Yoga. Strike and block into a side lunge. Mixing elements of kung fu,

yoga, and dance bringing centuries old tools to a new crown. Wow! Sword yoga! This combines my two favorite activities, doing yoga and accidentally lopping off my penis. Oh, oh, the irony. I got into yoga so I can suck my own b-knock-knock. My only question is, do I have to buy my own sword?

Or can I borrow one from my virgin neighbor who's really into Japanese stuff. And by stuff, I mean pornography. Of course, if you like the idea of combining exercise and weapons, sword yoga isn't your only option. Pistols and Pilates is turning heads with its unexpected mix of fitness and firearms. Pilates is all about control.

And so is holding a gun. Just finished Pilates and I am sweating bullets. Now it's time to go fire some. Let's go. I've always liked Pilates. but I think that this done thing might become a new hobby of mine. Wow. She's starting to sound like noted Pilates freak Lee Harvey Oswald.

Personally, I think exercising with a gun is a great idea. Maybe we'll finally get a mass shooter who's hot. Have none of you murderers heard of exfoliating? Plus, this is great self-defense training. for women. If an intruder breaks in, just do an hour of these. Uh, and then shoot him. So between pistol Pilates and sword yoga, clearly Americans want to exercise while holding weapons.

And yet everyone gets mad when I bring a live grenade to Lamaz class. But if exercising with swords and guns isn't dangerous enough for you, you can always give this a swim. give this a swing. A decades-old fitness routine in China is gaining renewed attention. For years, neck-hanging has been a popular exercise among the elderly in China to help relieve cervical tension. But now, doctors are sounding the alarm as the practice has recently gone viral

among the Chinese youth, with some warning that it could lead to serious spinal injury. Oh, that's dangerous? Thanks for the heads up, Doc. Take my chances, because I'm trying to to get a six-pack on my throat. And I know it's only, it's months away, but an old Chinese guy would make one hell of a Christmas tree ornament. Hey, kids, look what Santa left you. It's our neighbor, Mu Yang. Don't touch him.

He's exercising. But remember, this summer, not all exercise trends need to be dangerous. For example, tomorrow, I'm doing a fun run in Central Bank. Park. First one to find my severed penis wins. Josh? Lewis Black, everyone. When we come back, we Diamond Phillips and joining me on the show, so don't go away.

...and Golden Globe nominated actor who stars in the new film, Gangland. Please welcome Lou Diamond Phillips. For the sign that said, please stand up. No, no. You know, I ain't slim, shady? That's all you. Oh, that's awfully sweet. That's ridiculous. Thank you. Thank you for joining me, by the time.

A thrill, Judge. Thank you so much for having me, brother. You are an icon of the sort of modern Western. Like you've been in Young Guns, there's Gangland, there's Long Island, there's so many different things. And I'm wondering what specifically draws you to the genre? Good roles. I mean, first of all, I grew up in Texas.

My dad was in the military. There's a lot of my dad in that particular performance. And he's kind of turned into Foghorn, Leghorn, now, but I love him. You know, but raised with some manners, you know, code of honor, you know, some ethics, all that stuff. And, you know, you look at a show like Longmeyer, where my character Henry Standing Bear embodied all of that, you know, and whether it's old-school westerns like, you know, Young Guns or sort of the neo-Westerns like Longmire or Gangland, you know, these are stories of morality, and they're hopefully aspirational.

And the characters are people that we can look up to, you know, everyday heroes. And so that appeals to me. It seems like you look at older westerns, and there's this aspect of like a big wide sort of unknown. And when you look at the earliest westerns, people still felt that way about the people that were in the movies they were watching. Not just like the character and the morality side of it,

but just actually like, what is the middle of Arizona? Exactly. And so I think that now we're just in this new side of, what makes up a Western. Yeah. And I'm wondering how you think they've evolved from like what they used to be to what they are now. Yeah. In the 70s, and I love

this man, this is a great line of questioning. In the 70s, you know, you had, you know, Butch Cassidy and you know, a little big man, one of my particular favorites. And all of a sudden, you had these revisionist Westerns that started looking at things from both sides of the line. You know, gangland is about indigenous people. You know, it's about

gangs, which happened in practically every ethnic community in this country. You know, but this is on the res. It's very much like Training Day, Denzel's Training Day, on the reservation. And it still tells big themes. It has big characters, life or death situations. And it's interesting that you say that,

because we shot this in Oklahoma on Chey and Arapahoe land. So, you know, massive thanks to them. And the land is part of it. You know, you think of John Wayne, you know, out in Monument Valley or something. We shot this in Oklahoma and froze our nuts off. Yeah. I didn't have to cut mine off like Lewis Black.

I just, you know, just falls right off in Oklahoma. That wind comes sweeping down the planet. Oh, my nuts. But, you know, it informs the performance. You know what I'm saying? Being there, being in the middle of that, that's why we shot both young guns in Santa Fe, you know? Longmeyer shot just outside of Santa Fe.

It really is a connection to the land that helps to tell that story. And so it's much more than a background or an aesthetic. It's like... It's another character. Yeah. Yeah, it's beautiful. Vincent Grashoh, amazing director, brilliant director,

and this cast is unbelievable, Gus. It really is. Introducing a lot of young indigenous actors who are getting their first real breaks. James Whitecloud, who was in that, Elisha Pratt, Nathan Lane Factor from Reservation Dogs. Just a wonderful cast. But there's a series of shots that Vincent did of... the police car with the lights on going through these vast areas, and you get that feeling.

It's the lone ranger out there trying to keep everything together before it blows up. And so when you are acting in a movie like this, does it have an even more special place, not just in your heart, but like in your hopes for its reach because of the native cast? I mean, first of all, thank you. You know, it's an independent film. And we're seeing, you know, a lot of independent films break through now. We're seeing artists come from, you know, social media in a lot of different places.

We, and I'm currently, I just got reelected, woohoo, governor of the actors branch of the Academy. And that's our, yeah, thank you, brother, but that's our mission. Finding those artists, finding those storytellers from whatever community in the U.S. and around the globe that can tell these stories. And so my heart was with this one from the beginning because it's an interesting. indigenous story that employs an amazing amount of indigenous talent, both in front of and behind the camera. And it's one that has affected every audience that's seen it. We've won a number of awards at festivals. We're 100% on Rotten Tomatoes right now.

And it's going wide very soon. But we need people like you in this show to help get the word out because, I mean, it's artisanal, man. I am hand carrying this bad boy everywhere, you know? No, that's amazing. I mean, 100% on Rotten Tomatoes is wild. It means everybody, even because people, so many different people come to watch a movie. So then there are people who knew about the movie that were excited. Then there were people that were like, I'll give it a try.

Then there's haters. And the haters, that means even they were like, oh, yeah. It's good. Yeah. It's good. Oh. And I'm curious in your journey with acting how you sort of navigated what feels like a new era. There's this thing now looming over the industry,

even if it's not materializing in the way that people are afraid of yet, of trying to be an actor or any sort of artists in an age of AI and trying to fight for your stories to be told while the people with money are just looking to do things cheaper and cheaper. And faster. And so what is your sort of thought process going into your art practice now,

versus years ago? You know, we're the sentinels. We're the sentinels making sure that, you know, that this doesn't take over, you know. And actors, you know, they're going to have a harder time replicating performances from living actors. I mean, you know, we have our first AI performance in Val Kilmer in that upcoming film.

He will not be recognized by the Academy because it's not a human-based performance, you know, and we have set rules to do that where every performance has to be human-based. The Academy is now doing a lot of things. things that are making sure that we stay within those guidelines, you know, of what is, you know, human generated. Now, yes, AI is going to be a tool. Many people are going to use it. We're trying to figure out how to navigate that. You know, I think writers, you know, are probably a little more

worried. Certainly, you know, storyboard artists and production designers, visual artists. They're a little bit more worried about that. But once again, you know, we're going to try to maintain that. And you talk about talking to a new generation of artists. It's like, I'm going to sound like an old fart, man. But, you know, I've been around for 40 years. And the reason is, you know, I love the work. I got into it loving acting, loving telling stories, directing, writing, all of that stuff I still do. And I do it the old school way.

And you can get famous really quickly. You can make a lot of money really quickly. But is that going to turn into longevity? Is that going to become a career where you can talk about this again in 40 years? Or is what you are doing so true? that everybody's looking for the next thing that comes along. You know, once again, as they say, you know, don't build your foundation on sand. Yeah, absolutely.

Absolutely. I think that there's something so interesting about actors who are willing to have this huge filmography, like, you know, like 100 plus movies, 70 movies, you know, like TV shows and doing a little bit of everything. You feel like that love for the work that you have. have and that longevity of a career, do you look at those things as completely intertwined? Like, do you think that you would be able to do as much work if you didn't love it so much? I ask this because I feel like you are seeing more projects than ever. And I feel like it's, maybe I'm giving myself too much credit, but I'd like to believe that I can kind of tell when someone's heart is in a project and when it's not.

and in a world where so many things are getting made and getting made just to be made. I mean, where do you think that that sort of puts you as you add on? Because you've got other things coming up. I get asked a lot what my favorite genre is, role, film, whatever. My stock answer is my favorite genre is the genre of employment. Right, yeah.

Thank you. It's a work ethic that comes from Texas, it comes from my dad. But, you know, I'm theater training. degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. And back then, man, you know, sometimes you were the lead, sometimes you were supporting, could be comedy, could be Shakespeare, could be a mammat, you could be running

the spotlight, and I painted all the backdrops. So for me, it was about loving so many different aspects of what we do and feeling really lucky that I continue to get to do it. You know, and so we got gangland and start the second season of chair company, you know, in a couple of months. Thank you. You know, and they couldn't be more difference, you know. I just finished a wonderful mini-series called Count My Lives with Shailene Woodley and Kit Harrington and Lindsay Lohan,

Catherine LaNasse. I get to be a love interest at my age, you know. So, yes, I'm constantly looking for it. I never do anything that my heart isn't in. But I have to say that, you know, I mean, however the universal lines, I'm getting roles that challenge me, that interest me, that, you know, really make me stretch. and I haven't repeated myself yet only once, and it was called Young Guns 2.

But, you know, I've been able to build fresh new characters for everything I've ever done. And, you know, I mean, that means a lot to me. Yeah, well, your characters challenge and interest us. And thank you so much for being. Thank you very. Dan Gland is in select theaters and all digital platforms for live 10.

Move down and Phillips. We're going to take a quick break, but we'll be right back after this. This episode is brought to you by L'Reel Group. Beauty is a powerful force that moves us. That's why L'Oreal Group has built a business that is inclusive at its heart with 100% of its brands, championing diversity. With 25,000 professional opportunities for people under 30 worldwide and 54% of leading positions held by women, diversity is a strength that helps L'Oreal Group create the best beauty products for all people.

Visit laurel.com to learn more. for the night. Now here it is. Your moment is then. The second order I'm signing directs federal agency to transition to what is called quantum cryptography. Do anybody know what that is? You're going to hear very soon. So you're going to find it interesting cryptography. 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 Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.