A Modest Manifesto, Pardons for All, and an American Cocaine Empire

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition – Episode Summary

Episode Title: A Modest Manifesto, Pardons for All, and an American Cocaine Empire
Release Date: December 12, 2024
Host: Michael Costa
Featuring: Jon Stewart, Grace Kohlenschmidt, TJ English
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and MTV Entertainment Studios

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1. Introduction and Key Headlines

Host Michael Costa opens the episode by highlighting several major topics, including the arrest of Luigi Mangioni, discussions around President-elect Donald Trump's ambassadorial appointments, and President Joe Biden's use of pardon power. The show balances serious news analysis with comedic elements, maintaining a signature blend of satire and insightful commentary.

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2. Luigi Mangioni's Arrest and Manifesto

Main Discussion:

• Arrest of Luigi Mangioni: Alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangioni’s arrest is the central story, capturing widespread attention.
• Conjugal Visits Trending: Concurrently, the concept of conjugal visits is trending on Google, creating public curiosity about Mangioni’s motivations.
• Mangioni’s Manifesto: The manifesto introduces unexpected content, including criticism of the U.S. healthcare system, ranking it as the "most expensive" yet with a "life expectancy" around 42nd place.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Costa [00:00]: “We have so much to talk about tonight. It's happy hour at the Pentagon.”
• Jon Stewart [02:30]: “This is the first murder manifesto I've read that could have ended with but.”

Insights:

• Healthcare Critique: Mangioni's manifesto provides a critique of systemic issues within the U.S. healthcare system.
• Behavior in Court: Grace Kohlenschmidt shares observations on Mangioni's demeanor during court proceedings, highlighting his confidence and defiance.

Humorous Take:

• Mangione's Influence: Jon Stewart humorously remarks, “Mangione is making everyone manjo horny,” blending the serious topic with comedic relief.

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3. Donald Trump's Ambassadorial Appointments

Main Discussion:

• Kimberly Guilfoyle Appointed Ambassador to Greece: President-elect Donald Trump nominates Kimberly Guilfoyle, a Trump loyalist with no prior diplomatic experience, raising eyebrows.
• Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense: Another controversial nomination, Pete Hegseth, faces scrutiny over allegations of excessive drinking.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Costa [03:52]: “President elect Donald Trump tapping another loyalist with close family ties to fill out his administration.”
• Jon Stewart [04:08]: “Kimberly Guilfoyle. Why does that ring a bell? Why does that hurt my ears?”

Insights:

• Loyalty Over Qualifications: The discussion emphasizes Trump’s pattern of appointing loyalists regardless of their qualifications, questioning the implications for the administration.
• Pete Hegseth’s Allegations: The segment humorously explores Pete Hegseth’s alleged drinking problems, juxtaposing his potential role overseeing national defense.

Humorous Take:

• Jon Stewart’s Satire: Jon Stewart mocks the situation by saying, “If you were a drunk Daily Show host, you’d just pee yourself behind the desk,” highlighting the absurdity of the qualifications versus personal issues debate.

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4. Joe Biden’s Pardon Power

Main Discussion:

• Biden’s Pardons: The show delves into President Joe Biden’s use of pardon power, referencing controversial pardons such as that of his son, Hunter Biden.
• Public Opinion: Grace Kohlenschmidt surveys New Yorkers on who else Biden might pardon, sparking discussions about the ethical implications and political motivations behind these pardons.

Notable Quotes:

• Michael Costa [12:40]: “President Biden pardoned two turkeys named Peach and Blossom on Thanksgiving and a human man named Hunter Biden a few days later.”
• Jon Stewart [14:14]: “I would like to be pardoned for the occasional mistake of missing an item on self-checkout.”

Insights:

• Political Maneuvering: The segment critiques the possible political motivations behind pardons, suggesting they may target Trump’s enemies.
• Public Perception: By engaging with public opinions, the show highlights the divided perspectives on presidential pardons and their fairness.

Humorous Take:

• Interactive Pardon Cam: The comedic "pardon cam" segment invites participants to humorously request pardons for trivial or exaggerated offenses, blending satire with audience engagement.

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5. Interview with TJ English – "The Last Kilo"

Guest: TJ English, journalist and bestselling author of "The Last Kilo"

Main Discussion:

• Book Overview: TJ English discusses his latest book, which explores the intricacies of the American cocaine empire, delving into the historical and sociopolitical factors that fueled the cocaine trade.
• Cuban Anti-Castro Movement: The conversation covers the involvement of Cuban exiles in cocaine smuggling to fund the Contras in Central America.
• Criminal Operations: Emphasis on the sophisticated methods used by smugglers, including non-violent approaches and intricate money laundering schemes.

Notable Quotes:

• Grace Kohlenschmidt [18:26]: “Write something every day... You gotta learn. Let go of the side of the pool and push yourself out into the deep end.”
• Jon Stewart [22:20]: “I love this stuff because it’s so entertaining, but you are diving in.”

Insights:

• Historical Context: The interview provides a deep dive into the historical context of cocaine smuggling, highlighting key figures like Willie Falcone and the systemic challenges they faced.
• Cultural Impact: TJ English illustrates how the cocaine trade influenced American culture, politics, and societal norms during the respective eras.
• Ethical Dilemmas: The discussion touches on the moral complexities faced by those involved, including the impact on families and communities.

Humorous Take:

• Jon Stewart’s Banter: Jon Stewart injects humor by questioning TJ’s research methods, saying, “How much cocaine did you do to research this book?” adding levity to the intense subject matter.

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6. Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

Host Commentary:

• Moment of Zen: The show concludes with a light-hearted segment questioning the mysterious drone sightings, blending ongoing geopolitical concerns with comedic speculation.
• Charity Appeal: A charitable appeal encourages donations to One Simple Wish, emphasizing the show's commitment to social causes.

Notable Quotes:

• Grace Kohlenschmidt [34:00]: “I don’t understand why we have no information on this.”
• Jon Stewart [34:04]: “Am I right? If the drone is large enough, we are going to be able to find out who made it and who brought it into effect.”

Insights:

• Geopolitical Satire: The drone segment satirizes government secrecy and public frustration over unexplained phenomena, maintaining the show's critical perspective on authority.
• Community Engagement: By promoting charity work, the show underscores its role in fostering community support and social responsibility.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition masterfully intertwines serious political discourse with sharp humor, offering listeners a comprehensive exploration of current events. From the arrest of Luigi Mangioni to the controversial nominations by Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s pardon powers, the show provides insightful analysis wrapped in comedic delivery. The interview with TJ English further enriches the episode, offering a deep dive into the historical cocaine empire with a balanced mix of factual discussion and entertaining banter. Overall, the episode delivers a well-rounded and engaging experience for both regular listeners and newcomers alike.

Notable Timestamped Quotes:

• Jon Stewart [00:00]: “My new podcast, the Weekly Show. We're going to be talking about the election economics, ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches.”
• Grace Kohlenschmidt [03:57]: “These reports of excessive drinking.”
• Jon Stewart [08:19]: “No, you know what? Actually, I couldn't.”
• Michael Costa [12:40]: “President Biden pardoned two turkeys named Peach and Blossom on Thanksgiving and a human man named Hunter Biden a few days later.”
• Jon Stewart [14:14]: “I would like to be pardoned for the occasional mistake of missing an item on self-checkout.”
• Grace Kohlenschmidt [32:27]: “Write something every day.”
• Jon Stewart [34:04]: “Am I right? If the drone is large enough, we are going to be able to find out who made it and who brought it into effect.”

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Transcript

[Jon Stewart]

Jon 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 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, Michael Costa. Yes, welcome. Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Michael Costa. We have so much to talk about tonight. It's happy hour at the Pentagon. Joe Biden is making a list and checking it twice. And Mangione drops a manifesto. So let's see. Let's get into the headlines. Let's begin with the story everyone is still talking about. The arrest of Luigi Mangioni, alleged CEO killer. And the reason conjugal visit is trending on Google. Everyone's been wondering what his motivation was and now they have his manifesto. Although for a manifesto, it's surprisingly modest. The US has the number one most expensive health care system in the world, yet we rank roughly number 42 in life expectancy. Obviously, the problem is more complex, but I do not have space. And frankly, I do not pretend to be the most qualified person to lay out the full argument. Okay, okay. I don't really know what I'm talking about. It's a surprising thing to put in a manifesto. This is the first murder manifesto I've read that could have ended with but. But no worries. If not, you know, E either way, you never see the Taliban like death to America, although we're not experts, so grain of salt. Now, whether he's guilty or not will be decided by a trial. But one thing we know for certain, Mangione is making everyone manjo horny. And Lilia, I know you were inside that courtroom today with the suspect. How was he behaving? Norah? It was remarkable. He walked in confident at times. He seemed defiant. He was looking around. He kept looking back at a couple of times. I felt like he was making eye contact. He looked at me. He saw me. We had a moment. And Nora, I'm getting new reports just now that I can change him. Okay, can I just say this is confusing as a straight man to me. I don't know what I'm supposed to do to attract women. One day it's do more work around the house, the next it's be a better listener. And now apparently, it's execute the leader of a Fortune 500 company. Which one is it? Ladies, let's move on to Someone who never has to go to court again. In another edition of Trump 2.0. Coming for the White House. I'm going to come. Look, look, There are over 20 countries in the world, and the President has an ambassador to every one of them. And being an ambassador, it's a pretty sweet gig, all right? You get paid six figures to move to some mansion in another country, and you can't even get arrested when you plow into a group of tourists with your motorcycle. It's basically a dream. And Trump just announced the latest lucky person to get one of these coveted positions.

[Michael Costa]

President elect Donald Trump tapping another loyalist with close family ties to fill out.

[Jon Stewart]

His administration, naming Kimberly Guilfoyle to be Ambassador to Greece. Kimberly Guilfoyle. Kimberly Guilfoyle. Why does. Why does that ring a bell? Why does that hurt my ears?

[Michael Costa]

She has no diplomatic experience, but she's a longtime Trump loyalist firing up the Republican national convention during his 2020 reelection campaign.

[Jon Stewart]

The best is yet to come. That's it. I remember the screaming lady. It's the screaming lady. Although I guess in Greece, that's considered normal volume. Maybe now you might be wondering, why is Trump appointing Kimberly Guilfoyle if she has no diplomatic experience and seemingly no ties to Greece? Well, it turns out it might be a consolation prize.

[Michael Costa]

In a statement, the President Elect calling.

[Jon Stewart]

Her a close friend and praising her sharp intellect.

[Michael Costa]

But he made no mention of her four year long engagement to his eldest.

[Jon Stewart]

Son amid tabloid rumors that Donald Trump Jr. Is now dating someone new. Wow. Wow. What a great way to end a relationship. Forget about. Listen. It's not you, it's me. Now we've got. Listen, how would you like to be the ambassador to Greece? Good for Kimberly to score this position after a breakup. Last time, one of my relationships ended, I couldn't even get my Valtrex back. Now it's okay. She needs it now, too. So bon voyage, Kimberly. Your relationship is over, but now you get to move to Greece. Or as you might say, the best is yet. Oh, my God. It still hurts. Still hurts. Meanwhile, things are a little rockier for a different Trump appointee. Pete Hegseth, nominee for Secretary of Defense and veteran of multiple tours with Captain Morgan last week. Last week, his nomination looked like it was in big trouble, probably because people were worried he'd have to blow into a breathalyzer before entering the Situation Room. But let's check in on how it's going now after a rocky start. Pete Hegseth, President elect Trump's intended choice to lead the Pentagon is On the rebound. He's much better off this week than he was last week. Some Republicans, including ones like Senator Tommy Tuberville out of Alabama, someone who's very close to Donald Trump, have brushed off.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

These reports of excessive drinking.

[Jon Stewart]

Is he a drunk? I mean, does he hang out in bars every night? Does he drink for lunch and dinner and breakfast? Does he piss martinis and shit olives? No. Well, then give this man security clearance. I'm sorry, but he's not drunk every second of his life. It's a pretty low bar, which, by the way, is the only bar that Pete Hegseth hasn't been thrown out of. Look, you can argue what the exact definition of a drinking problem is, but I think a good barometer is, is everyone in the country talking about how much you drink, then you probably have a drinking problem. So that's one excuse for putting Hegseth in charge of the Defense Department. But let's hear another one from Oklahoma. Senator Mark Wayne Mullen. Yes, that's his name. What I'm saying is, when you're talking about drinking at 10 in the morning, that's a drinking problem. Now, it doesn't mean that there should be stigma. And there's a lot of politicians that have a drinking problem, Jake.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yes, of course. But I guess my question is.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah, and then there's probably a lot of media that has a drinking problem, too. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of people have drinking problems, but they're not trying to run the Pentagon. So. Yeah, it's different.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

It's different. And you agree.

[Jon Stewart]

That's why you're clapping. It's like he's saying, oh, nobody cared about my drinking before I got behind the wheel. And now all of a sudden, it's a problem. Yeah, it's a problem. Yeah. Ultimately, it's worse if you're an alcoholic in certain jobs, like, you don't want to have an alcoholic pilot, but a drunk Daily show host. What. What's the worst that happens? I pee myself behind the desk, and I need latoya to bring me new pants right now. Latoya, new pants. Latoya, new pants. But even if he's confirmed, Pete seems to understand that being blackout drunk 23 hours a day might be a problem, which is why he's offering to change. He's been telling members of the Senate Republican Conference that he, if he were confirmed as Secretary of Defense, he would.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Not drink alcohol at all.

[Jon Stewart]

He would abstain from drinking. This is the biggest deployment of my life, and there won't be a drop of alcohol on my lips while I'm doing it. It's good enough for me. When has an alcoholic ever promised to do better and not followed through? What a deal. Just put me in charge of the largest military in history and I'll stop drinking. By the way, jello shots don't count as drinking. That's eating. That's a solid. And it seems like it's good enough for Donald Trump too.

[Michael Costa]

The fact that there are these allegations.

[Jon Stewart]

Against him, the fact that he said to some senators reportedly he'll stop drinking if he gets this job. Does that worry you? No.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I think that everybody has something that they can stop.

[Jon Stewart]

Some people can stop eating.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I'm lucky I'm not a drinker, but I could stop eating.

[Jon Stewart]

I think I speak for everyone when I say, sir, no, you couldn't. I guess he means eating junk food. But still, there's a big difference between alcoholism and eating. No one's ever said, dad, you came home full again. You know what's weird? It's almost like the revelations about Hegseth's drinking have helped him because now it feels like if he can just steamroll the senators on this one issue, he wins. Like the whole completely unqualified part about his resume is totally forgotten. But don't forget, if this guy quits drinking to become Secretary of Defense, his only qualification is that he quit drinking to become Secretary of Defense. But hey, maybe this nomination isn't the worst way to get someone off the sauce. In fact, some rehab centers are already adopting this strategy. Has your drinking problem gotten out of control? Then visit Five Star Recovery. Our program gets you back on your feet by giving you full control of the entire US military. You don't have to face alcoholism alone. At Five Star, you will face it while managing a trillion dollar budget and 2 million soldiers. Put your mind at ease at our lush grounds and spa like facilities as we receive constant overwhelming updates on the position and force posture of our forces around the coll. When I went to five Star, I was a drunk. They gave me peace of mind and the nuclear codes and it got me clean for like six and a half weeks. Become your best self with our patented two step program. Step one, admit you have a problem. Step two, determine how to redeploy our special forces in Syria without destabilizing Kurdish positions across the Euphrates. Do not. Our treaty with Five Star, the journey to recovery starts with one confirmation vote. And by the way, if anybody see those those codes eyes help. When we come back, we'll find out who Joe Biden will party next. Don't blow up. How do you feel when you switch to GEICO and save on your car insurance? It's like going to work on one Thursday morning and thinking to yourself, just one more day until Friday. But then somebody in the elevator says, happy Friday. Then you check your phone quickly and discover today is actually Friday. So, yes, Happy Friday, random stranger in the elevator. Happy Friday indeed. Yep, switching and saving with Geico feels just like that.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Get more with geico.

[Jon Stewart]

Jon 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 Jon Stewart wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the Daily Show. Last month, Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter, causing people to ask. Joe Biden is still president. But he is and he still has pardon power. For another month, our own Grace Kohlenschmidt hit the streets to ask New Yorkers who they think he should use it on. Next.

[Michael Costa]

President Biden pardoned two turkeys named Peach and Blossom on Thanksgiving and a human man named Hunter Biden a few days later to find out who else he might pardon. Before leaving office, I decided to ask my fellow friendly New Yorkers. Oh, sorry. Pardon me.

[Jon Stewart]

Pardon me.

[Michael Costa]

Pardon me. That's my purse. That's my purse. That's my purse. I love this city. So they're saying that Biden might pardon enemies of Trump. Can you think of anyone else who might be on Trump's enemy list?

[Jon Stewart]

Yes, me and all of my friends.

[Michael Costa]

Okay, gotcha. Should Dr. Fauci be pardoned for the crime of doing science?

[Jon Stewart]

We have to pardon Fauci. He got us through a hard time.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, he got me through, actually, a really, really bad breakup. Do you think he should pardon Eric Adams?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Eric Adams. Eric Adams.

[Jon Stewart]

Eric Adams. Who's Eric Adams? The mayor of New York City. Oh, no.

[Michael Costa]

Do you think that he should pardon Giuliani for going Goblin Mode 24 7?

[Jon Stewart]

What's Goblin Mode?

[Michael Costa]

Well, he just kind of looks like a goblin.

[Jon Stewart]

I think he's really disgusting. He shouldn't be pardoned for anything.

[Michael Costa]

Okay, so if he committed a crime, you're president. Are you pardoning him? The crime is actually disgusting. It's heinous murder. 100 people. We just had a conversation about Our.

[Jon Stewart]

Love is actually conditional, and murder is one of the things.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Oh, my God.

[Michael Costa]

All right, let's play Mary Parton. You ready?

[Jon Stewart]

Okay. Yeah. Let's do it.

[Michael Costa]

The QAnon trauma.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Oof.

[Michael Costa]

Donald Trump.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Oof.

[Michael Costa]

Eric Adams.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Okay.

[Michael Costa]

And you can't them all.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Okay.

[Michael Costa]

I probably Eric Adams. You could watch this so you might have a chance. Just cause he's weak and you know you can like put your fingers on his balls and like make him square.

[Jon Stewart]

Okay, you know what?

[Michael Costa]

I'll marry Donald Trump.

[Jon Stewart]

You know what? Okay. I think I'd live a good life.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I'm gonna marry Eric Adams.

[Michael Costa]

Interesting choice.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Just so that I can play mind games with him.

[Michael Costa]

Love it.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Hide things. Gaslight Gatekeep, you're a boss.

[Jon Stewart]

Being in the city of New York.

[Michael Costa]

I guess I'll pardon Sure.

[Jon Stewart]

Adams.

[Michael Costa]

Congratulations. You're f the qanon shaman. I forgot about that. No, you didn't. If you could get pardoned for one crime, what would it be?

[Jon Stewart]

Arson.

[Michael Costa]

That was a really quick answer.

[Jon Stewart]

I like fire.

[Michael Costa]

You like fire. Let's get the matches away from this guy. Have you ever done anything that you would need a pardon for?

[Jon Stewart]

Marrying my first husband. I did pirate a lot of you know limewire back in the day.

[Michael Costa]

All Limewire users should be pardoned.

[Jon Stewart]

Absolutely. Do you ever, like if you're at CVS or something and you're holding a bunch of things and you forget to.

[Michael Costa]

Ring something when you're doing self checkout? To me, part of self checkout is maybe I am going to shoplift. Do you want to look into the pardon cam right here and ask Joe Biden to be pardoned for your limewire usage?

[Jon Stewart]

Joe Biden. I'm sorry, I just really wanted that.

[Michael Costa]

Linkin Park Single President Biden.

[Jon Stewart]

I would like to be pardoned for the occasional mistake of missing an item on self checking. Right.

[Michael Costa]

She does it every single day, but she doesn't mean to. Is there anything that you've done that you think that you should get a pardon for?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I guess telling people I love them when I don't.

[Michael Costa]

If you wouldn't mind looking into our pardon cam here and asking Joe Biden for a pardon for that.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yes, Joe Biden, please pardon me for.

[Jon Stewart]

Lying to men all over the world.

[Michael Costa]

That's why I date women.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I'm bisexual too.

[Jon Stewart]

Oh my God, I love that this is the first time I admitted on camera.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I guess I am growing up.

[Michael Costa]

Biden, I need a pardon. I outed someone on national television.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

That's right.

[Michael Costa]

To be fair, she said it herself.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

That's right.

[Michael Costa]

But I feel as though I was the lesbian accomplice in this situation.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Well, I would date you.

[Michael Costa]

Biden. I need another pardon. I've picked someone up on camera. I'm absolute player.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Thank you.

[Jon Stewart]

Grace. When we come back, TJ English will be joining me on the show. Don't go away. 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 podcast. Welcome back to Daryl show. My guest tonight is a journalist and bestselling author whose new book is called the Last Kilo. Please welcome TJ English. TJ.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Mary.

[Jon Stewart]

DJ English it's got it all. It's got it all. This book is so fun to read.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Thanks.

[Jon Stewart]

When I was the first half of this book, I said, you know what? I want to quit my job and become a cocaine smuggler. It changed.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah. But would that be at the end of the book? You had a whole different view on that, I'm sure.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah. I mean, should I do that? Should I? Should I?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

If you do it as well as they did it.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

You could possibly create a whole era of cocaine that would last for 10 years. Yeah. And you'd be very popular and you'd be the king of the hill.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

And then it would all come crumbling down.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah. And who and who's they? Who? Who do you write about so well in here?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I write about a group that was called Los Muchachos. They were led by a man named Willie Falcone, who was a Cuban exile whose family had been chased out of Cuba at the time of the Cuban revolution. And he came to the United states in the 70s. He kind of was working construction. And then some members of the anti Castro movement.

[Jon Stewart]

Right.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Came to him and said, we need some young guys who will partner with us on a plan we have to bring cocaine into the United States and to sell it in the United States and use the proceeds to buy guns and explosives for the Contras in Central America.

[Jon Stewart]

And Willie said, drugs are not my thing. Goodbye. End of the story.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

He probably maybe wishes he had said that. But no, he said, I can do that. I mean, his main motivation was to get rid of Castro. I mean, that was that generation of Cubans.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Woke up in the morning dreaming of a dead Fidel Castro. In fact, they woke up in the morning dreaming of strangling Fidel Castro to death with their own hands.

[Jon Stewart]

But in a way, doesn't that. Romanticize this a little bit. I mean, it's like, it's easy for Willie Falcone to say, it's okay that I'm doing all this because it has. Has a good. I have credibility because I'm overthrowing this regime.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah.

[Jon Stewart]

I mean that. But I mean, it grew bigger than that for him. Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I think we refer to that as a false value system. I mean, he, he, he believed in it. He believed in it. He believed in the cause.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

And he was willing to do anything for the cause. And so when they. They asked him to do this, he was all for it. Now, you got to remember, in the late 70s when this started, cocaine was only used by the very rich. Yeah. In Hollywood, rocket rock stars and some professional athletes. Nobody else could afford it.

[Jon Stewart]

Right.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

So the first thing they did was they made it affordable. They brought in so much quantity that they could lower the price and sell. And they started to sell it. And it was available at the working class level. Everyone was using it.

[Jon Stewart]

How much cocaine did you do to research this book?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Well, if you look at the COVID of the book.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

They showed me the COVID of the book. I said, could we make the cocaine embossed so it looks like a real. Looks like a real line of cocaine? I think we'd sell more books out.

[Jon Stewart]

Right. And they probably said, sell more books and then we'll emboss it.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah.

[Jon Stewart]

This book has 40 pages of reference notes.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah.

[Jon Stewart]

So, you know, this is an entertaining read about cocaine smugglers and speedboat racing and sex and women and buying sheriffs to create airfields so they can fly in cocaine from Colombia. But you're telling me you actually researched this shit?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Hey, man, when I started this book, I thought I knew this era like a lot of people. I saw the movies Scarface, Miami Vice, you know, this era existed in our culture. And I came to believe that a lot of that is not untrue, but sensationalized. Sure, there's a lot of stereotypes in the presentation of the cocaine era. For instance, this group did not use violence as part of their. As part of their operation. That was startling to me. I was even concerned. I was like, how do we tell a cocaine story without Uzi submachine guns and chainsaws?

[Jon Stewart]

It seems like their philosophy was, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I mean, there's examples of people, of people lying to them, and they actually don't use violence. If anything, they would call them in for a meeting and give them some money and say, we should be friends. Right.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Well, you know, what they would do, they would cut him out of the business. And Willie and his partner, Salma Gluta. Willie and Sal and Los Muchachos, that was the name of the organization, were so predominant in the cocaine business. If you got cut out of their operation, you were cut out of the business. They had the best product at the best price, and we're talking about Miami as a base. But what they were known for was their distribution system.

[Jon Stewart]

Right.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

So bringing cocaine to la, to San Francisco, to Chicago, to New York, they really created a system that touched off that entire era.

[Jon Stewart]

And you sat with Willie Falcon?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I sure did, yeah. Once, twice, Seven or eight times.

[Jon Stewart]

Wow.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

And then we communicate a lot through Z.

[Jon Stewart]

Is he still doing blow a lot of times or what?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

No, you know, I kind of wondered that.

[Jon Stewart]

It's like, he's doing blow. He's on speedboats. They're doing this. And then I'm like, then he goes to prison. I'm like, well, he's got to be addicted to cocaine at this point.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

He was doing blow in prison, I'm sure.

[Jon Stewart]

Oh, wow.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

That's one of the easiest places to get blow.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah. You don't have to tell me, tj.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah.

[Jon Stewart]

I've never been to prison. So you sat with Willie a bunch?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I sat with him a bunch, yes. And I traveled to where he. To the country that shall remain nameless where he is.

[Jon Stewart]

Sure.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

And it wasn't easy because we're the middle of the COVID crisis. So flying in and out of the. In the country was really difficult at the time, but it was really important. I knew I couldn't do the book unless we. I could take stock of him face to face as a person.

[Jon Stewart]

There's kind of a funny party vibe with cocaine. It's done at the club.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

That's what I hear.

[Jon Stewart]

Right. And then. But then you say crack, crack. And it changes quickly.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Oh, man.

[Jon Stewart]

And I wonder if Willie Falcone feels any remorse or does he feel. I mean, the crack epidemic, you know, it's not a laughing matter. It's not a. Cocaine isn't either. But does he feel any of this or.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah, the crack. Crack. The emergence of crack, which they had nothing to do with, was a phenomenon that was created kind of at the street level. Changed everything.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Up until then, you could say that the cocaine era was all parties and good times. Crack was ugly. It was violent. It brought it down to a street level and took all the fun out of it. Yes. All of a sudden, if you were a cocaine dealer.

[Jon Stewart]

God damn it.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Crack. Yeah. All Of a sudden, you had blood on your hands. If you were a co. Cocaine dealer.

[Jon Stewart]

I remember in 1989, watching George H.W. bush Dublo it Dublow. And that's when I said, I will. No, it was in. In the White House. He. He did this press conference.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

You ever tell anybody about that? Him doing blow in the White House?

[Jon Stewart]

You know what? It would. It would help. Yeah. If there's a party that does blow, it's probably Republicans, to be honest with you. But he showed everybody this bag of crack. I was watching it with my father. I remember thinking, holy shit, drugs are bad. He says in this press conference that they bought this crack outside at the White House. I dare. Don't do drugs, Nancy Reagan. Holy shit. Then I read your book. I find out that that whole bot crack at the White House thing was.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

It was fake.

[Jon Stewart]

It was fake. In fact, the DEA said to a drug dealer, you gotta sell us crack outside of the White House. And the drug dealer says, where the is the White House? I mean, this is all made up, right? Let's talk about the American government's role in all this. Yes.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

The war on drugs.

[Jon Stewart]

The war on drugs. And also helping fund the rebellion that started this whole thing.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Listen. Opened my eyes, and again, I thought I knew a lot about this era going into it, the ways in which cocaine was used as a political tool. Here's something that's interesting. Willie and Sal's main money launderer was a banker in Panama City known as Guillermo Indara. He was burying their billions and billions of dollars in bank accounts in Panama.

[Jon Stewart]

That they would ship in drywall pallets. Right down to Panama.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yes.

[Jon Stewart]

I mean, I read this stuff, and I'm like, this guy should be the head of Walmart or something. You know what I mean?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

They're inventive, right?

[Jon Stewart]

Absolutely.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

They basically were making it up as they went along. These are guys who are high school dropouts. I mean, it's ingenious. I find this in the criminal world quite often, criminal organizations of people with very little formal education that construct these phenomenal criminal operations. If they had chosen legit form of business, they probably would have been really successful, for sure. Yeah. Willie's Guillermo Indara. So they depose Manuel Norrega in Panama. The United States is done with him. He's no longer their buddy. They force him out. They bring him to the United States, put him away in prison as a successor. You know who President Bush chooses to be president of Panama? Guillermo Andara.

[Jon Stewart]

Right.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Willian, Sal's money launderer, becomes the President of Panama.

[Jon Stewart]

And there's an interesting part in here where they get worried that they're not going to get. Get their money from him.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah.

[Jon Stewart]

And he says, don't worry, I'm going to become president.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah. And they thought they were going to get their money, and they lost $400 million in those accounts.

[Jon Stewart]

Wow.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah. The money. And then he ends up being in a cell next to Noriega, and they're kind of chatting to each other, and he was kind of like, noriega's annoying. I don't want to talk to this guy.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Strange bedfellows. Yeah.

[Jon Stewart]

You write so much about the criminal underworld. You know, some of your other books. The Westies, Havana Nocturne, Dangerous Rhythms, Born to Kill. It's about the bloodiest Asian gang, the Cuba Mafia, the Irish mob. Just admit it, you want to be a criminal.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

This is what keeps me from being a criminal.

[Jon Stewart]

It is?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yes, absolutely.

[Jon Stewart]

What is it that attracts. I mean, it's very entertaining to read this stuff, but you are diving in.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I've always thought of organized crime not as some fringe aspect of American culture, but as the main vein of American culture. And if you research it that way and you look at it that way, you learn a lot about America. Politics, sociology. It really is an interesting prism or angle to look at. I call it from the gutter. It's looking at America from the point of view of the gutter. And you learn so much about it. It's an inexhaustible topic to me. I can go back in history and tell stories. I can do contemporary versions of it.

[Jon Stewart]

I can't walk around Manhattan anymore. Because when Willie Falcone was hiding.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yes.

[Jon Stewart]

He had to hide from the federal government. He did it here in New York.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

He's on the lamb.

[Jon Stewart]

He's on the lam. He didn't want to stay home where I think his wife was. Where were they living? Upper east side or something.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Along the west side.

[Jon Stewart]

Upper west side.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Along the park.

[Jon Stewart]

So his. His work partner would pick him up in a van, and he had this CB radio, and they would drive him around Manhattan. He would talk to Escobar on the CB radio, organizing. Every time I see a van out there, I'm going, that's cocaine smuggling happening right now.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

You might be onto something there.

[Jon Stewart]

Right?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah. A mobile headquarters where he was consummating cocaine, international cocaine deals from the back of the van.

[Jon Stewart]

They were doing encrypted messaging. Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

They really. I mean, I'm telling you, if you bend your mind around what it is they had to do to create this operation. It's pretty extraordinary.

[Jon Stewart]

I love. There's a speedboat on the COVID here.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Because they also were powerboat racing champions.

[Jon Stewart]

Champion power. I mean, it's like. But also, if you're doing coke, you want to go fast. So I.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

That's true.

[Jon Stewart]

If they became powerboat champions and they were high on marijuana, that'd be different. Now you're only going three miles an hour. Willy Falco.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

If they were high on marijuana, they'd be doing their power bow racing in the bathtub.

[Jon Stewart]

I hate to say this because it romanticizes them, but it does seem like they were winners or at least they went big. Now, everyone should know it ends poorly. It ends very, very poorly. And there's also a part of me that gets so mad at all the rules they broke.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah.

[Jon Stewart]

That's not fair.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yeah.

[Jon Stewart]

You can't buy a sheriff fixing the jury they fixed. I mean, that blew me away. And tell me a little bit about that.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Well, they finally go to trial, a big federal racketeering trial. And they're so popular in South Florida.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

That they not only fix the jury, they fix 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 jurors out of 12.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

They buy off to give them a not guilty verdict and they're found not guilty. It was a shock to everybody.

[Jon Stewart]

Right.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

They owned the system. They were like Robin Hoods in South Florida. They were revered by many Cuban Americans because they funneled money back into the community. They built baseball parks and they spread the money around. They were very popular.

[Jon Stewart]

Some of the more powerful moments in the book are when they're faced with those decisions through their families.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yes.

[Jon Stewart]

Where parents who came over in dangerous situations and almost act now embarrassed of their children.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

That's very poignant. It was very poignant to me because, you know, their parents were kicked out of Cuba. Some of them had been professionals, and they lost everything and they wound up in South Florida with nothing.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

And here's the kids, 11, 12, 13 are looking at their parents. They grow up watching their parents suffer.

[Jon Stewart]

Yeah.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I think what was driving a lot of this cocaine generation was to succeed and to make their parents proud. Ironically, that was their goal, to show that they could make it in America in a way that would make their parents proud. And it was the parents that came to them, knew they were in the cocaine business and came to them and said, son, you got to get out of this business. It's not going to end well.

[Jon Stewart]

And it's. That's easy. It's easy to cheat. It's hard to do it the right way.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

No, it's hard to cheat, too.

[Jon Stewart]

It's hard to cheat, too. And that's the lesson. I want to ask you this. This is your 10th book.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Yes.

[Jon Stewart]

For any young writer, author out there, Advice for anyone who wants to write. I don't even know if these kids read books anymore, but there is a kid out there that wants to write books. What would you say to him or her at this point?

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Write every day.

[Jon Stewart]

Okay.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Write something every day. Okay. And get out into the world. Because writing is basically transforming your experiences into the written word down on the page. And so get out. If you're a kid who's in school, get away from school. And I don't mean drop out. I don't mean drop out, but I mean, there's a reality other than school, right? And that's the reality. You gotta learn. Let go of the side of the pool and push yourself out into the deep end.

[Jon Stewart]

I love that.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

That's how you become a writer.

[Jon Stewart]

Well, you write wonderfully. My family was happy when I finished this book because I. They were talking to me and I'm going like sex in prison. What the hell? It's cocaine. But it's a great book. Thank you for coming and talking with us today. The Last Kilo is available now. TJ English going to take a quick break. We'll be right back after this.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

Thank you.

[Jon Stewart]

So that's our show for tonight. But before we go, please consider donating to One Simple Wish, a charity that grants wishes to children in foster care. If you can grant a wish or donate towards their holiday wish fund, please do so at the link below. Now, here it is, your moment of Zen. Isn't that enough to figure out what.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

The drone is and who's behind it? I don't understand why we have no information on this.

[Michael Costa]

It feels. I don't believe it.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I think they do have information on it.

[Jon Stewart]

They're not telling us.

[Grace Kohlenschmidt]

I mean, my guess is that it's.

[Michael Costa]

China and they just aren't doing anything about it.

[Jon Stewart]

Am I right? If the drone is large enough, we are going to be able to find out who made it and who brought it into effect. 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 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount plus Paramount Podcasts.