The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Trump’s Contradictions & Ta-Nehisi Coates on the Enduring Weight of Oppression

Episode Date: October 1, 2024

Jon Stewart explores the surprising disconnect between Donald Trump’s actual policies and the image his supporters have crafted, as the 2024 election looms. Ta-Nehisi Coates joins the conversation to discuss his latest book, The Message. They dive deep into the lasting impacts of oppression, how history continues to shape our present, and the hidden stories of marginalized communities from the U.S. to Palestine.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, 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 Jon Stewart wherever you get your podcasts. 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, Sean Stewart! Welcome to the Daily Show! My name is John Stewart. We have a fabulous show for you tonight. First of all, let's go Mets. Second of all, Ta-Nehisi Coates is going to be joining the show for you tonight. First of all, let's go Mets. Second of all, Tana Hossie-Coates is gonna be joining us later to talk about his book, The Messy. But, New York, finally getting back to normal traffic-wise,

the UN General Assembly is over. And by the way, what a successful General Assembly it was. The world just exploding with peace right now. Just... Great session, guys. Now that the Assembly's gone, New York is getting ready for its next big event, the vice presidential debate tomorrow night.

Honestly, I'm not even gonna watch it, and I'm gonna tell you why. I already know who I'm voting for vice president-wise. But I'm gonna be honest, president, still undecided. So here's the thing. As an undecided, it's basically me and six people who were kicked in the head by very powerful horses. I've been leaning towards Kamala Harris because of her impressive resume and her ability to switch from Indian to black.

Like that. Like that. Like that. And if we were doing this show 15 years ago, I would probably be doing the voices. A long time ago. But on the other hand about Kamala Harris, I've been hearing some very concerning things about her. She's come under some criticism for being relatively vague in her policy proposals.

They don't have enough specifics on the solutions. When she tried to explain what she would do, it made no sense. It's gibberish. The public demands a detailed plan of action, and they're not getting it from her. We demand that! If there is one thing that the American public demands, it is a detailed plan of, ooh, the Golden Bachelorette. I hope they selected candidates who live nearby her because old people are not known to want to change their lives.

Anyway, back to the point. The point is Harris speaks gibberish because she is part Indian, part black, and part gibber. If Kamala Harris dissolves into gibberish every time she's asked for specific policies, then I dare say she will not earn my completely irrelevant New Jersey vote. I will get rid of unnecessary decree requirements for federal jobs.

Low and no interest loans to small businesses. Expand the tax deduction for startups to $50,000. $6,000 in tax relief to families during the first year of a child's life. Capital gains will be 28%. Excuse me. But as Americans, we demanded a detailed plan of action, not random numbers.

plan of action, not random numbers. You have left the door wide open lady, because clearly Donald Aloysius Trump would not, he would not trifle with America in that manner. What are the specific mechanics of how prices come down, you know, the steps that would be taken in a second term for you? Ooh! LAUGHTER Good question! APPLAUSE

Mr. Trump, what is your detailed plan of action for bringing down prices? And I believe I'll mark your responses on this handy-dandy challenge. I already have my... I'll have my pen ready all the way up here at the top of specificity and make sensitude. Begin! First of all, she can't do an interview. She could never do this interview because you ask questions like give me a specific answer.

She talks about her lawn when she was growing up. This woman is not equipped to be president. I guess I had the wrong chart. The question, sir, was specific to how are you going to bring down inflation? Your answer so far has been, huh? But perhaps I cut you off unfairly. She's not equipped to deal with President Xi, who I was very... I took in hundreds of billions of dollars with him. And Putin, we had no war with Putin.

Remember, and I'm just going to go off just for this, with Bush they took a lot. Russia, with Biden, they're trying to take everything. With Obama, they took a lot. With Trump, Russia took nothing. Just remember that. You know what, maybe he didn't really want to talk about his inflation policy since economists say it would make inflation worse. Which you know, is the wrong direction.

Let's give Trump a second chance. If you win in November, can you commit to prioritizing legislation to make childcare affordable and if so, what specific piece of legislation will you advance? Oh, that's a fabulous question. That's a fabulous question. Children need childcare, whether it's a nanny or duct tape to a chair with an iPad. But it costs money, obviously, duct tape and iPads and in-app purchases. Well, I would do that.

And we're sitting down. You know, I was somebody we had Senator Marco Rubio and my daughter Ivanka was so impactful on that issue. It's a very important issue. But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I'm talking about, that because Now, we could let the tape continue where he says we will pay for childcare with the trillions we're going to receive by levying tariffs on foreign nations, which apparently isn't how that works, but f*** it, one more. Political opponents are saying that you want to ban IVF, those who are watching here tonight who may be going through this same struggle and are concerned about being able to have

this option. And I'd love for you to talk to them about how they should feel. Life is pretty tough. It can be beautiful, but it can be difficult. We are doing something with IVF, because IVF, as you know, from friends, people you know, it's really worked out very well for a lot of people. It gave them a child when they would not have had a child.

And I told my people I wanted to look at this a couple of weeks ago. And as you know, we have no taxes on a thing called tips. You know that? What the actual f*** are you talking about? How do you want people to feel about IVF? Well, I have no taxes on a thing called tips. You know what? I do actually see the connection.

I get it now. So you see, IVF fertilizes an egg with a sperm, and sperm comes from a penis, and a penis has a tip. So... So... I can only assume Donald Trump is talking about circumcision, which... Jews call attacks on tips.

All right, let's move on. Clearly. Clearly. So, clearly, what people like about Donald Trump is not his clear specific policies as they demand from Kamala Harris. But hey, I'm still open. I'm an undecided voter, you know, because the horse kicked him ahead. Let's hear some of Trump's passionate supporters explain what they see as his strengths. He has really become the candidate of the working man, of the everyman.

President Trump cares deeply about rig workers, truck drivers, roughnecks. He worked with plumbers and electricians. He worked with painters and bricklayers. President Trump is the best friend American workers have ever had in the White House. He's our best friend! Donald Trump is the champion of hardworking men and women. He's behind every kind of worker from auto to sex. The kind of people who have to work overtime to pay the bills.

I know a lot about overtime. I'd hate it to give overtime. I hated it. I'd get other people, I shouldn't say this, but I'd get other people in I wouldn't pay. I hated it. You're right. You shouldn't have said that. You shouldn't have said that.

You shouldn't have said it at all because you're admitting to f***ing people over who worked for you. I mean, it's funny. But it undercuts the working man's friend thing. It's fine. You don't want to give them overtime. But it's not like you think it's funny to fire them when they complain about something like not getting overtime. Well, you, you're the greatest cutter. I mean, I look at what you do. You walk in and you just say, do you want to quit? They go on strike.

I won't mention the name of the company, but they go on strike and you say, that's okay, you're all gone. You're all gone, so every one of you is gone. Ha ha ha. Oh! I got to say, every time Trump talks about workers, it's like watching a Christmas carol

in reverse. I just fired these three ghosts who are trying to get overtime. So the supporting the working man thing is nonsense. What other things do his supporters like about him? I think in 65 days the American people are going to vote for President Trump because they know he's the guy who will defend their right to speak. We are aligned with each other on other key issues like protecting freedom of speech. Okay, I get it now.

So it's not really a policy case for Trump. It's a principal case for Trump. The man, no matter what is said about him, he believes in the Bill of Rights, the Constitution. The government should never punish speech, even if you don't like the speech. Mr. Trump saying publicly the FCC should revoke ABC's license over unfounded claims about ABC News allegedly rigging the presidential debate. Former President Trump says that he will deport students who participate in pro-Palestinian protests. Donald Trump said that anyone who criticizes the Supreme Court justices should be arrested and jailed.

Donald Trump earlier today said you burn the American flag, you should get a year behind bars. During the 2024 campaign, Trump has been quote, venting about the need to punish late night comedians for their anti-Trump material. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!

Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!

Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! on basic cable at 11 p.m. punishment enough? All right.

So we know the policy thing about free speech and the hero of the working class thing are all bullshit. But I'm still undecided. I'm still open. Give me something I can work with. He's an anti-war guy. He is going to get us out of these endless wars. President Trump believes that the next four years, we need no new wars.

First of all, I didn't know Max Headroom still had a show. But still, anti-war! I'm anti-war. I'm absolutely behind that sentiment. If I were the president, I would inform the threatening country, in this case Iran, that if you do anything to harm this person, we are going to blow your largest cities and the country itself to smithereens. We're going to blow it to smithereens. You can't do that that's it that's it that's just war with Iran Middle East doesn't count we've

been bombing them for 40 years they love it okay forget about ideals forget about policies. What are the personal qualities you're voting for? People just like that, that honesty of Donald Trump. He tells it like it is. A man of his word. He's a truth-teller. Are you f***ing kidding me right now? Are you?

Are you? Are you f***ing kidding me right now? He is a true killer? They're eating the dogs. Oh! And by the way! They're eating the cats. Anything else? They're eating the pets of the people that live there.

Meow, meow, meow, meow. Meow, meow, meow, meow. Of the people that live there. Am I the only mother****** on TikTok? No? Nobody else? My wife sent me that like 10 times. And so we find ourselves not in a dilemma but in a bit of a conundrum. The qualities and policies that people profess to be what they admire and love about former

President Trump don't seem to be an accurate reflection of said former president. It's as though they've created a fictional character, a bizarro Trump, whose accomplishments and character bear little resemblance to the self-aggrandizing perpetual victim guy. He continues to tell you explicitly that he is. He continues to tell you explicitly that he is. It makes you wonder, what country does Donald Trump think he's running to lead? Our cities have already become hellholes. A crime-ridden, gang-infested, terror-filled dumping ground. Bloodshed, chaos, and violent crime. A deluge of illegals pouring in by the millions and millions. Drug dealers, human traffickers, bloodthirsty terrorists, savage gang members,

pedophiles, stone cold killers. You can't walk across the street to get a loaf of bread, you get shot. Teenagers cut to shreds. They'll walk into your kitchen, they'll cut your throat. Oh wait, I see. This fictional Trump, who is portrayed as much better than he actually is, is running to be president of a country he paints as much worse than it actually is. But I got to tell you, whatever country that is, where families are routinely murdered several times

while making breakfast, could really use actual Donald Trump. The rest of us, not so much. When we come back, Ta-Nehisi Coates will be here. Don rest of us. When we come back to the house, he goes to be here don't go. John Stewart here unbelievably exciting news my new podcast the weekly show we're going to talk talking about the election economics ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, whatever you get your podcast. Hello, welcome back to The Daily Show. My guest tonight, a critically acclaimed,

best-selling author. His new book is called The Message. Please welcome back to the program, Ta-Nehisi Coates. -♪ friend, you are grappling. This is a book of grappling. It's reparations, the purpose of art, the purpose of writing, your role, your responsibility, the Israel, Palestine. I can see you don't wanna go back to just writing comic books again for five years. This is, what was in you that you thought,

I need to take on these big questions, including what is this for? What is writing for? I have, for a long time, had in the back of my head that we do not have a complete understanding of politics. That is to say, we think of politics as what happens inside of a voting booth. You go in and you choose, you know,

pull a lever for whatever. But there's a whole entire architecture that happens outside of that voting booth that defines what goes on inside of it, what issues are appropriate, frankly who is human and who is not. And that is the work of stories, movies, television shows, writing, all of that. And being a writer and this coming out of me talking to my students at Howard University at the time, I really, really wanted to address that.

So often I get the question, why should I write? Your students will say that? No, in general, but by the time they get to me, they're usually, my students are like there. But a lot of, you know, other times when I'm, you know, out in the world, what is writing going to do? Like, what is it actually going to change? And what I want people to understand is writing actually shapes the world around you entirely.

Right. Yeah. See, I would have said basic cable, but okay, right. But somebody has to write the scripts, right? That's exactly entirely. Right. See, I would have said basic cable, but OK. Right. But somebody has to write the scripts, right? That's exactly right. Exactly. Is that, do you grapple with that as a burden or a call

to arms? What is, for you, how do you wear it? Oh, it's exciting. It's exciting. Yeah, it gets me up in the morning. Right. It like pumps my blood. Like, I can't wait. You know what I mean? Like there are people who I got a friend who's an ER doc, right? And I was texting this morning about, you know, everything that was going on. Right. And he disappeared. He said, sorry, this guy

just got shot. I'm sorry. And I said to him, how beautiful is it to have work that actually matters? Like y'all, they're saving people's people's lives and I'm not a doctor, but it is a blessing to feel like what I write actually matters in the world right and it gives me meaning and purpose and I kind of wanted to convey that you know to all the young writers, you know who hopefully as inspiration. Yes, yes, the beautiful friend was at work when the guy got shot. Yes. That's the beautiful thing.

Your friend was at work when the guy got shot, right? He was. Yes, he was. Because for a second, I was like, wait, he was at work, right? Yeah, he was. He was at work. It wasn't like you were talking to him.

He was like, no, no, no. He was at work. All right, that's very good. Do you get frustrated, and this is something that I think about sometimes, that the world that you would prefer to see, that the arc of the moral universe bends towards justice and the work of writing is trying to help facilitate that

that it is that that that arc of moral justice is so resilient against bending that it's so hard to matter in that form. I get sad right. And a lot of moments in here where I was really sad right.

You know but at the same time, like I said, it fills me with purpose. I don't know if I would have had that purpose I talked about just a few minutes ago without that great difficulty. Honestly, it feels great to know that if I actually try really, really hard at the thing, if I actually work really, really hard to write the best book I possibly can you know that could be a talking to you.

They actually you can read the she book and then on. You have to work nearly. But it is it's it's a beautifully felt book I want to ask you there's a certain aspect of your career that has really tried to reconcile not with things in the present, but their vestiges the structures. Racial politics slavery economic injustices where it might not be the active virus, but it's these vestiges of it that still, you know, leech into the groundwater and make it toxic and polluted.

This book felt a little different in that you were also going into the present and bringing those lessons with you. And I thought that was a really moving part of the book. Yeah, that's true. And I guess I'm going to be the one to broach this. But it was obviously most active when I was in Jerusalem, when I was in Haifa, when I was on the West Bank. I mean, it was the history, but the history was active.

And that was tough. That was tough. I'm used to going to some slave plantation and say, well, yeah, this did happen 150 years ago. But here's how you know, you can still feel the impact. And you got no, no, it's right now. Right. It's right now. And it comes on the heels of so in the book, you're also you take a trip to Senegal. I do. Yes. Is is that in relation to your trip to Israel and the West Bank in that same timeframe or was that split up? It was about, it was so I think I went in this would have been like September of 2022 to Senegal then May of 23 to the West Bank and to Israel and weirdly enough they are in conversation with each other. I can't say I intended that. Right. Well that's why I was curious. Because there is a music there

between the two. Yeah, yeah. No, there is. I mean, Senegal is very much about me frankly investigating the very stories that gave me my name, you know, and gave me my identity and trying to work through that and frankly not completely working through it by the time I got over there. And then, you know, I take this trip, you know, with this wonderful organization, a Palestinian, Palestine Festival of Literature, and I get over there, you know, for five days and I spent another five days with these ex-IDF guys, you know what I mean, who had had their own political evolution.

And this is very weird to say, but as much sympathy as I had for the Palestinians, watching Zionism in the world, even feeling like this is wrong, what I'm saying is wrong, I was like, my god, I know how you get here. I know how you get. I know how it happens. And I don't mean like I approve of it. But I mean like, I see.

I see how it happens. I totally see how it happens. Is how you see how it happens, because you talk about Yad B'shem and going there and being moved, is the idea, because you have a line in the book that I think is one of the most powerful, which is, and I want to make sure that I get it right, which is, your oppression will not save you.

Yeah. Which is, and you write about that in relation to the black experience in America, but also about the Jewish experience in the Holocaust as well as in Israel. And what did you mean by that? I think we would like to think that you go through, you know, a horrific experience, be it the Middle Passes, Jim Crow here, be it the Holocaust or the centuries before that of pogroms, oppression, et cetera,

and somehow you will be morally improved by coming out of that. You might be. You might be. But it's just as likely that you will conclude that, in fact, the world is a cold, hard place, and it's a zero-sum game. You know what I mean? And what matters is who has the guns and who doesn't.

Right. You know? I stand opposed to that, just on principle, period. You know what I mean? But I get how people take that lesson. Right. You know what I mean? And I think it's disconfident for us to feel, because we feel sympathy for people.

You know what I mean? I'm walking through Yad Vashem and I'm feeling it on a very, very deep level only to come back here and realize I was, you know, about a mile away from a massacre of a Palestinian village. That's hard to take. You know what I mean? Listen, I'm raised in, obviously,

cultural Jewish tradition. And I imagine if you were to feel like people in the name of your people did some things that you found objectionable, it hits you different. Yeah, yeah, no, it does. It does, it does. And it's not a complete parallel,

but that's why in that chapter I wanted to talk a little bit about Liberia, for instance, you know what I mean? And just the idea. I get it, the appeal of, hey, we're gonna have a state of our own, we're gonna get away from these people that did, you know, X, Y, and Z for us, we will have safety there. And yet, then you find yourself enacting, you know,

systems that, if not are the same or similar, are at least, you know, morally deeply problematic. And having to justify them through either threat or the situation or you don't understand. And what I'm wondering is, is that the story in a condensed form of all of us? Is, does for society to progress, does there also have to be exploitation do you grapple

with this idea that when we think about anything whether it's the American story or the Israeli store or any of those it's stories of empire whether it's the Ottoman Empire or the Caliphate its groups of people living under the grace of a leader who controls their lives and can we progress outside of that is there an is there do you think about is there another way to do this has there been another way to do this yeah if we shine that light on any

country yeah that that that grew through won't there be a story of exploitation and mistreatment that we find maybe not as horrific but but we find it. Yeah, I think though we have to guard against the temptation to accept that history is not so the limit of who we are right

beings that just because I mean you know that that's been you know it's been that way that it necessarily has to be that way I will for instance highlight you know, that's been, you know, it's been that way, that it necessarily has to be that way. I will, for instance, highlight, you know, the underlying role of nationalism and the belief that a nation state is the way to secure and safeguard a minority. That is a very recent development as a belief system, actually. Right.

You know, that is not eternal. That's not eternal. But prior to that, wouldn't it have been tribalism or wouldn't it have been something a looser collection of- It would have been a king. It would have been a pope. It would have been, you know, my allegiance is X, Y, and Z. But what I'm saying is it is not innate in us to say, I am of this ethnicity.

We should all have a state together. And perhaps more importantly, we should deny rights to people who are not of that ethnicity. Right. We don't have to be that way. We don't have to be that way. We don't have to be that way. A man from your lips to God's ears, I always wonder, you know, there was that, I can't remember the experiment, but it was, they assigned a class where people with brown hair got privileges. Yeah.

And all of a sudden, the people with blonde hair were like, and they got set. And then the people with brown hair started to kind of abuse the people with blond hair. And there's a part of me that thinks, boy, we could solve religious differences. And somehow we would go back to killing each other over something else equally as arbitrary. And that I'm wondering how you get that that zero sum game element that you witnessed up front out of

it because I'd like to believe it's not malevolence right. But ignorance and fear. I think it's a lot of fear. I frankly I think is a lot of anger. Right. I think and obviously for

obvious reasons you would know this better than me. But I sense that a lot of it is the humiliation of the Holocaust I think that is you know, very very much present, right? And not feeling like I will never be in that position again. Sure, you know Well never I mean never again, right? I think that the thing that so many Jewish people and not everybody look it's not a monolith either

Jewish religion Jewish culture is certainly not a monolith and there's many different opinions. I think if we start from a baseline of I would like a safe and secure Israel and a safe and secure Palestine. And that's my starting point to any argument. And then we're just talking strategy. But I think the idea of never again, you don't... You try to internalize it not just as a self-defense

kind of dictum. You hope to think of that as never again for anyone. Right, right. And that's the part that feels the worst. Yeah. When you look at it in that way. Yeah, yeah. And I'm curious how you feel, you know, so in Africa, you know, I'm curious about what you think about this idea of diaspora. Yeah. When people are in diasporas and it carries this weight of you are lost. You are not in a place where you can...

You know, I don't think Italian people who live in America think of themselves as, I'm in a diaspora. They think of themselves as like, I'll take a tour. Maybe when I'm older, you know what I mean? But Jewish people, black people, there's this feeling of somehow we're not safe. And I feel like that's a dangerous. That's a dangerous thing.

Does it does it not come from being degraded and being made to feel like you are outside of the place that maybe you would like to call home? This is great. That's interesting. Look, the pity of it all. It's about Jews in Germany pre-Holocaust. Are you going to make me read something else? No, no, no, I promise to be quick about this. I'm still just getting through Breaking Bad.

I can't even. But it's all of these Jews, all these German Jews who want to be German, right? Like they really, really want to believe in Germany. Right. And they get the Holocaust. Right. You know what I mean?

Like that has to assault your sense of, you know, the idea that you can somehow be safe out. And then how much then does humiliation play a part in all of it, including kind of what has been what we would consider the modern age version of exploitation and colonialism? Like, I mean, even when we think about the regions that you were that you went into, were kind of a post-World War I mandate that was drawn, you know, Lebanese, Syrian, Palestine mandate, the French are going to take this, the English are going to take that. I mean, it's, you know, pawns on a board that people are moving around.

And does that humiliate a region to the point where if we don't address that, we can't get through it? Yeah, I think so. I think so. I mean, I will say that one of the hard things about that and getting a little too psychological about this is, I spent 10 days there. So you know it all. Exactly.

Right, right, right, right. One of the tough things was, I have to tell you, the perspective of Palestinians and the extent to which their perspective has been pushed so far out of the frame was incredible. I felt like I was seeing a new world. You know what I mean? And that's like shameful for me to admit. I'm not bragging about that. You know, it's not because that world wasn't there or that world doesn't, you know, hasn't

been trying to present itself But I mean, I just wonder how many of these conversations would be improved if our media organizations Made a concerted effort whenever they talk about this topic to ask do we have anybody? Palestinian that we've invited that we've invited to be part of it all. Allow it on the Democratic convention floor. Yeah, I mean, I saw it. I think access to different stories has always been a difficulty for America in general

because of that sort of solicistic worldview. You know, we tend to be slightly narcissistic when it comes to the vision of it. And it's such a necessary thing. I wonder if it really improves it. I mean, here's something that I grapple with. I've known about it forever. I have friends who have Palestinian families

who've suffered through it. I have friends in Israel who suffered through it. And it sometimes feels as though the only people that benefit are the powers that be. And all these good people are so left behind by this weird power structure that we left in place there. Yeah.

And I don't, but you bring up an interesting point which is a path forward of Reconciling humiliation, and I don't know What is the mechanism of that is there one and is it that sort of you know you think about South Africa and truth and reconciliation, but is there a mechanism to Heal that for people or is it purely self-determination and that's... You know, I don't know. Well, that's all the time we have.

I don't know! I don't know. But it is, I wonder, because you bring up such an interest. It is such a powerful river of emotion. And when you say it, I can almost not cry talking about it. Because it's so deeply gets at the heart of our humanity. Like people just want to be seen and just want to be. No, and it's palpable, I can feel it. Yeah.

I could really feel it. One thing I would suggest is, and we have actually had to struggle with this as African Americans, and I'll tell had to struggle with this as African-Americans, and I'll tell you this from the black perspective, there is great not always spoken shame in the black community over the kind of physical traumas we've endured. You have to understand, man, every single one of us, every single African American is a child of sexual violence. All of us. All of us. There is not a single pure African American who came through asleep. There is an amount of humiliation in that.

There is an amount of humiliation in watching, and I've written about this, you know, films from the 60s and watching these kids and these children get beaten by the cops. There is humiliation in watching today, you know what I mean, George Floyd, a knee on his neck. And I do think a significant part of it is understanding, particularly with the past, these people didn't want to be enslaved. You know what I mean, these people didn't want to get beat. And it's not true that these people did nothing. It's not true that these people just willingly went you know, you know, went to it.

There was a slogan out for a while that a lot of us shouted down. We are not our ancestors. As if to say we somehow are more resilient and resistant. You know what I mean? We're not going to be punk than Trump. Yes, we would have if we had been them. The same thing would have happened. We're no better. We're no braver. You know, there's such an analog with that with the Jewish community.

And there is, you know, and you hear it a lot about, you know, the first thing Hitler did is he disarmed the Jews. And you're like, the Jews were not like gun totem mother f***ing play. You know, if you were taking our violins, maybe that would have been something like, oh, they disarmed the Jews. And that's how Hitler was able to get the Jews to do that. And you're like, oh, you know who had guns and didn't do too well with Hitler? France. Right, right, right, right, right.

But you're right. There's that sense of like, how could you let your people, how could you allow that to happen? Yeah. And it does skew their perspectives. And I can already see your next book. that to happen. And it does skew their perspectives. And I can already see your next book, where you fix it all.

It's really, it's an amazing piece. And the main thing is, and listen, man, let's not kid ourselves. Once you delve into Israel Pass Line, you're going to take a ton of shit. I don't know where it's, it'll not kid ourselves. Once you delve into Israel Palestine, you're going to take a ton of shit. I don't know where it's going to come from everywhere. And I hope you don't wear it personally. But you've done the most important thing.

Can I just say one quick thing? Yes, please. It will not measure up to the burdens of what I saw. Palestinians on the West Bank Barrier. It's not your fault. That's an excellent point. The only point I was going to make is through your discomfort, albeit not the same discomfort, you've done the most important thing,

which is try to advance and delve into an understanding of a complexity that we haven't figured out in 10,000 years. And so I applaud that. And your writing, as always, is so beautiful and moving. So thank you so much for being here. The message, I'm gonna ask the coach, we're gonna take a quick break.

I really am. That's the stuff. I'm gonna take a quick break. I really am. That's the stuff. I'm gonna take a quick break. I really am. That's the stuff.

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, you'll be saying to yourself, TGIT. 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 Jon Stewart wherever you get your podcast. Before we go, we're going to check in with your host for the rest of the week, Michael Costa.

Michael Costa is here. What do we got going this weekend? It's going to be big. What do we got, Michael? You know, we've got a big day tomorrow, Jon. Michael Koussos here. What do we got going this weekend? It's gonna be good. What do we eat? What do we got, Michael? You know, we got a big day tomorrow, John. The vice presidential debate is tomorrow night,

and the Daily Show will be airing live right after it. Balls, butthole, dicks, titties. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!

Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! I'm... I'm... What? Well, so I don't want to let a curse word slip out on live TV, so I'm getting all my bad words out now. Skull-fucking-nutsack jizz. You see, John, I want tomorrow night to be classy. Ass nipple. Laughter

Cheers But isn't, I mean, just on a, like, strategic basis, isn't that gonna make you more comfortable swearing on TV? Well, I think it'll be okay, f***face. Laughter Michael Kosta, everybody! Here to make you a little bit of a jack. Migrants that came in illegally that were so vicious, face. Michael Kosta everybody! Migrants that came in illegally that were so vicious

like you've never seen before. If you wanted to do a movie there's no actor in Hollywood that could play the role. There's nobody that could do it. These actors, you know, they're a little bit shaky. They can't play the role. They bring in a big actor and you look and you say, oh he a little bit shaky. They can't play their role. They'll bring in a big actor and you look, you say, oh, he's got no muscle content. Got no muscle.

We need a little muscle. 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. Paramount podcasts.

Hey, everybody, Jon Stewart here. I am here 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 Jon Stewart wherever you get your podcasts.