America's "Hot Felon" Obsession and the Fox Nation Patriot Awards

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Episode: America's "Hot Felon" Obsession and the Fox Nation Patriot Awards
Release Date: December 11, 2024

Hosted by Michael Costa, The Daily Show: Ears Edition delves into America's latest headlines with a comedic twist. In this episode, the focus is on the nation's fascination with the recent arrest of Luigi Mangione, dubbed the "Hot Felon," and a satirical exploration of the Fox Nation Patriot Awards.

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1. The Arrest of Luigi Mangione: A "Hot Felon" Phenomenon

Overview:
The episode kicks off with the breaking news of Luigi Mangione's arrest, highlighting the media's intense scrutiny and the public's peculiar fascination with him.

Key Points:

• Details of the Arrest:
  Mangione, a 26-year-old from a prominent Maryland family, was apprehended after allegedly committing a high-profile murder. The arrest included evidence such as a 3D-printed ghost gun, fake IDs, $8,000 in cash, and a handwritten manifesto.
  Quote:
  Michael Costa (00:30): "It's okay. I can make fun of Italians because Italians annoy the shit out of me."

• Media and Public Reaction:
  The narration takes a humorous jab at the media's obsession, comparing Mangione's case to a celebrity saga. Social media support for Mangione is mocked, with hashtags like #FreeLuigi trending.
  Quote:
  Michael Costa (07:28): "These horrible comments should never be repeated."

• Mangione's Background:
  Despite his privileged upbringing and education, Mangione's descent into criminality is portrayed as unexpected. His time in Hawaii and associations hint at underlying issues.
  Quote:
  Michael Costa (06:53): "I support public education. Thank you."

• Public's Strange Admiration:
  The podcast satirizes the public's tendency to idolize criminals based on superficial traits, labeling Mangione as the new "hot felon" due to his attractiveness.
  Quote:
  Michael Costa (09:32): "He has the incredible abs. I'm sorry, what are we talking about?"

Notable Discussion:
The segment underscores society's bizarre fixation on the allure of criminals, blending dark humor with social commentary.

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2. Satirical Coverage of the Fox Nation Patriot Awards

Overview:
Shifting gears, the host and co-hosts delve into a mock coverage of the Fox Nation Patriot Awards, lampooning conservative media and their award ceremonies.

Key Points:

• Event Description:
  The Patriot Awards are depicted as an exaggerated version of mainstream award shows, filled with over-the-top conservative figures.
  Quote:
  Desi Lydic (14:32): "The Fox Nation Patriot Awards, the very real awards show where Fox honors the patriots brave enough to share a room with Jesse Waters."

• Hosts and Presenters:
  Figures like Sean Hannity and Kirk Cameron are humorously critiqued for their roles and acceptance speeches.
  Quote:
  Michael Costa (17:08): "There's such a wind of hope and optimism in the air, and people can smell the fragrance of freedom."

• Award Highlights:
  The segment parodies the awards themselves, mentioning absurd details like trophies made from 9/11 steel and acceptance speeches filled with clichés.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng (17:33): "This year's award has a commemorative stripe in the middle of it."

• Humorous Elements:
  The co-hosts engage in playful banter, mocking the superficiality and political undertones of the event.
  Quote:
  Desi Lydic (16:44): "Patriot Mobile has 1G. God."

Notable Discussion:
This segment serves as a comedic critique of partisan media events, highlighting their often absurd and performative nature.

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3. Interview with Deb Haaland: Addressing Historical Wrongs

Overview:
The podcast transitions to a more serious tone with an interview featuring Deb Haaland, the nation's first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, overseeing the Department of the Interior.

Key Points:

• Role and Responsibilities:
  Haaland discusses her role in managing public lands, protecting cultural heritage, and upholding treaty obligations with Native American tribes.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng (21:29): "At the Department of the Interior, we manage millions of acres..."

• Addressing Historical Atrocities:
  She delves into the department's past actions, such as the assimilation policies and Indian boarding schools, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and healing from these wrongs.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng (25:48): "That's how you learned."

• Oral History Project:
  Haaland highlights the creation of an oral history project to document survivors' experiences, ensuring these stories are not forgotten.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng (26:00): "We have this generational trauma..."

• Philosophy and Leadership:
  She shares her leadership philosophy, focusing on vulnerability, appreciation, and empowering her 65,000 federal employees.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng (27:34): "Tell people what you're about... Show them what you want to do for them."

• Personal Insights:
  Haaland discusses her personal experiences, such as running in a desert race and overcoming a broken leg, illustrating her resilience and commitment.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng (32:42): "It's a freak accident."

Notable Discussion:
The interview offers a heartfelt exploration of historical injustices against Native Americans and showcases Haaland's dedication to fostering healing and transparency within the Department of the Interior.

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4. Community Reaction and Closing Remarks

Overview:
In the concluding segments, the co-hosts touch upon community reactions to current events and wrap up the episode with final thoughts.

Key Points:

• Community Hostility:
  A brief mention of community members reacting negatively to media coverage, represented humorously by a leaf blower threatening to stay until coverage ceases.
  Quote:
  Desi Lydic (36:13): "We are definitely seeing some of the community members reacting. Not happy."

• Final Promotions:
  The episode circles back to Jon Stewart's recurring promos about his new podcast, maintaining the show's comedic undertone.
  Quote:
  Jon Stewart (36:57): "Listen to the weekly show with Jon Stewart wherever you get your podcast."

Notable Discussion:
The closing segments maintain the show's signature blend of humor and commentary, leaving listeners with a mix of satire and insightful reflections.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition masterfully balances sharp satire with meaningful discourse. By dissecting America's peculiar fascination with the "Hot Felon" Luigi Mangione and humorously critiquing the Fox Nation Patriot Awards, the show delivers both laughs and social insights. The heartfelt interview with Deb Haaland adds depth, highlighting significant efforts to address and heal historical injustices. Overall, the episode offers a comprehensive and engaging listen for those seeking a blend of comedy and current events analysis.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Michael Costa (00:30): "It's okay. I can make fun of Italians because Italians annoy the shit out of me."
• Michael Costa (07:28): "These horrible comments should never be repeated."
• Desi Lydic (14:32): "The Fox Nation Patriot Awards, the very real awards show where Fox honors the patriots brave enough to share a room with Jesse Waters."
• Ronny Chieng (21:29): "At the Department of the Interior, we manage millions of acres..."
• Ronny Chieng (25:48): "That's how you learned."
• Ronny Chieng (27:34): "Tell people what you're about... Show them what you want to do for them."
• Desi Lydic (36:13): "We are definitely seeing some of the community members reacting. Not happy."
• Jon Stewart (36:57): "Listen to the weekly show with Jon Stewart wherever you get your podcast."

Transcript

[Jon Stewart]

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.

[Michael Costa]

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. Thank you and welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Michael Costa. We've got so much to talk about. Tonight, the NYPD does the bare minimum. Fox News throws a party for themselves and America's got a crush on a bad boy. Like really bad. Like murder bad. Anyways, let's get into the headlines. Let's start with the breaking news. For the last few days, there's been a killer on the loose in America. Well, there's actually tons of killers on the loose in America, but this one killed someone important, so they were really looking for him. And personally, I'm glad they found him yesterday. Call me old fashioned, but I think murdering people in cold blood by shooting them in the back is wrong. So I'm glad that this ice cold assassin is off the streets. Let's find out more about his dark and mysterious past. Police officially charging 26 year old Luigi Mangione. Hold up. The assassin's name is Luigi Mangione. Did they find him hiding in a big pipe? I mean, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. The cops were able to locate him after following the trail of Fettuccine Alfredo leading out of Central Park. It's okay. I can make fun of Italians because Italians annoy the shit out of me. But fine. But fine, he's Italian. Does that mean he's a criminal? Probably. But what evidence? What evidence do they have that this is the guy? According to court records, the suspected killer had 3D printed ghost gun on him, several fake IDs, $8,000 in cash, and a three page handwritten manifesto. Okay, okay. That's a lot of evidence. That's a lot of evidence. What else did they find on him? Was he wearing a T shirt that said I shot a CEO and all I got is this lousy T shirt? Also, are they sure that New Jersey ID was fake? I feel like if your name is Luigi Mangione, you're born with a New Jersey ID it just slides out with you like the placenta. But. But we can't give all the credit to the Altoona police just because they caught them, because the nypd, well, they did their part, too. They were scouring the city for days. They were looking in the bushes. They looked on some other bushes. Here. They're standing on a rock. Hey, should I look in that bush? I don't want to do that. New York's finest, don't get me wrong. They didn't spend the whole time barely looking in the bushes. The breakthrough in the case came as police divers continued to search a lake in New York's Central park for items dumped by the assassin. Great work. Great work. They're like, hey, you guys looking for the killer? We're gonna see if he wished on any lucky pennies down here. Hey, did the killer use a gun? Because we found 5,000 of them down here. So now that we know who the suspect is, it's time for society to indulge in its favorite pastime. Obsessing over every detail about this guy's life like he's a K. Pop idol. Mengioni comes from a prominent Maryland family, which owns multiple country clubs in the state. He was valedictorian at his graduation from a $40,000 a year private school with a carnation in his buttonhole. Oh, a carnation in his buttonhole. Not like one of those peasants who fills his buttonholes with buttons, I guess. But see, this is why I don't want to send my kids to private school. Because if they become a murderer someday, that tuition. What a waste of money, right? And that's why I support public education. Thank you. That didn't get the response I anticipated, but that's okay. It's. It's surprising that he comes from such a privileged background. He's not really the kind of guy you'd expect to become a murderer. I mean, I expect him to crash the housing market but not kill a guy. So we know he was privileged. He was apparently smart, but were there any other clues that something might be going wrong? He spent time in Hawaii at a cool living space during 2022 and 2023. And two people who knew Mangione during that time say that he was dealing with frequent back pain due to an injury. One added that Mangione started a book club, but several members left due to discomfort over what he chose to read. An online book review from January of this year, apparently written by Mangione, praises some of the writings of the Unabomber. Ted Kaczynski. Yeah. You know. You know, this is a classic mistake. You never want to start your book club with the Unabomber. I mean, you kick it off with some Sally Rooney, then a little Jonathan Franzen, Then when everybody's like, we're so bored, that's when you hit him with the mailbomb stuff. Okay, but if you're looking for something that will make you a hit with your book club, try this one. Lucky Loser, Adventures in Tennis and Comedy by me, Michael Kosta. This is an actual, real book that I wrote, and it's available to preorder now for the holidays. Consider it my manifesto for wanting your money. So his medical issues could have been a motivation. The Ted Kaczynski love could have been a red flag. And recently, there was something else raising alarm bells. Mangione was in regular contact with friends.

[Desi Lydic]

And family until about six months ago, when he suddenly and inexplicably stopped communicating with.

[Michael Costa]

Then in July, a friend messaged him on X. Hey, man, I need you to call me. You made commitments to me for my wedding, and if you can't honor them, I need to know so I can plan accordingly. Yeah, yeah. Sorry, bro, but Luigi was busy planning the most important day of his life. Okay, but this is a good reminder. When you get mad at someone for not responding, be kind. You never know what they're going through. They might be plotting an assassination.

[Ronny Chieng]

But.

[Michael Costa]

Now this guy's been arrested. And normally, most people believe that getting a suspected killer off the streets is a good thing. But that's not exactly what happened this time. Surging support on social media for murder suspect Luigi Mangioni. The hashtag freeluigietrending worldwide.

[Ronny Chieng]

Y'all saying murderer?

[Michael Costa]

I'm saying freedom fighter. The comments posted in reaction to the CNN news post. Brutal McDonald's employees snitched on a working class hero 251 likes. I hope someone creates a gofundme for his legal defense. Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear backpacks. Does he need someone to corroborate his alibi?

[Troy Walker]

Cause I got him.

[Michael Costa]

Yes. These horrible comments should never be repeated. And now let me read all of them slowly on national television. Look, I understand that we all hate insurance companies. I happen to think America needs free universal healthcare funded by taxes. But shooting a real human in the back is not heroic, and it's not gonna get people what they want. And if you want real change, we have to realize that comes from a lot of people working together, doing a lot of small things. Organizing, educating, voting for politicians who will actually pass universal healthcare. And that might not be exciting or thrilling or sexy, but if you want that, why don't you pick up a copy of my new book, Lucky Loser. It's available for preorder now and it's inspired zero murders so far. Now, there is one other reason this guy's built such a fan base. He's a total snack. And also, let's not get around the fact a lot of people find the man attractive. And so that has become maybe the new hot felon. I don't know.

[Desi Lydic]

There was talk about how some people were saying he was in a attractive looking killer.

[Ronny Chieng]

So much of the clips we were.

[Michael Costa]

Watching at the top of this segment.

[Ronny Chieng]

Are driven by the fact that this is an attractive. We gotta drop the banner to show why. And it is deeply troubling that we are celebrating this person.

[Michael Costa]

I love how CNN is like, I can't believe people are romanticizing this monster. Control room, can we zoom in on his giant dong? My question is, is he really even that hot? I mean, take away the hair and the abs, the face, the arm, that easy smile, the way his eyes light up. I'm sorry, what are we talking about? Syria? What are we talking? Oh, we're talking about the guy with the incredible abs. I know everyone's getting all horned up because he's got muscles, but that's not what makes a man. You know what does? Providing for your family, watching most of a documentary, thinking about googling a charity you heard about. That's masculinity. All right, thank you. Now, for more on the case, let's go live to the Manhattan DA's office with Ronnie Chang. Ronnie, Ronnie. Important case. Ronnie, what's the latest?

[Ronny Chieng]

Uh, well, Michael, we're slowly learning more about who exactly Luigi Mangioni is, on the surface, a well off, private school educated young man, Ivy League graduate. He worked as a data engineer. All in all, he had a bright future. But five days ago, it took a dark turn.

[Michael Costa]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Did you show a photo of yourself shirtless hiking?

[Ronny Chieng]

Uh, yeah. Don't. Don't worry about it. I just. I just want to get some good pictures of me out there in case I'm ever in the news for murder.

[Michael Costa]

Wait, you're gonna murder somebody?

[Jon Stewart]

No.

[Ronny Chieng]

I don't know. I'm not a fortune tell.

[Michael Costa]

All right?

[Ronny Chieng]

But if it happens someday, I wanna do the responsible thing and have some thirst traps ready for cnn. All right? So just let me do my report, okay?

[Michael Costa]

All right, fine.

[Ronny Chieng]

Go Ahead, anyway, The killer's motivations remain a mystery, but what we do know is that in an America with such easy access to weapons and one where passions run high, a tragedy is just moments away and can have consequences that last for life.

[Michael Costa]

Ronnie. Ronnie, what the hell is this? Ronnie, what is this?

[Ronny Chieng]

No, that's. That's just the Ken Burns effect, okay? It helps make still images more dynamic.

[Michael Costa]

Ronnie, come on, man. The news isn't gonna show pictures of your dog busting out of your Speedo.

[Ronny Chieng]

Uh, yeah, they will. That's how hotness works, Michael. I mean, just look at Jesus, okay? Will we still be talking about him today if he looked like Rudy Giuliani? I don't think so. I mean, the fact is, America is obsessed. Obsessed with image. And imagers in our society can dictate public opinion. And while we wait to hear about the suspect's motive, people are mentioning his history of health.

[Michael Costa]

Why am I in that photo? Why am I £400? Why am I covered in chili? This sucks.

[Ronny Chieng]

Look, Michael, it's not personal, okay? It's just a comparison. It just makes me look harder. But like I was saying, that was a manifesto. And Mangione does seem to have a serious problem with the head.

[Michael Costa]

No, no, that's. No, Ronnie, dude. What? Why do I. What, Ronnie? Why do I have a thought bubble that says I pee sitting down? And you're not even in that photo. This sucks.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, of course I'm not in the photo. Why would I associate myself with a loser who pees sitting down?

[Michael Costa]

I mean, get out of here, Ronnie, Ronny Chang, everyone. Why am I even. When we come back, we find out who won awards season. So, Don, go. Well.

[Jon Stewart]

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.

[Michael Costa]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. It's award season in Hollywood, so let's get all the latest. Another edition of who Won It Best.

[Desi Lydic]

Welcome to who Won It Best where the only thing better than an awards show is talking about an award show. And tonight we're covering all the glitz and glam and hot goss from America's greatest award show.

[Michael Costa]

Welcome to Fox Nation and the 6th Annual Patriot Awards.

[Desi Lydic]

That's right. The Fox Nation Patriot Awards, the very real awards show where Fox honors the patriots brave enough to share a room with Jesse Waters.

[Troy Walker]

It's like the Oscars for people who want to firebomb the Oscars. And who better to lead it than the master race of ceremonies himself, Sean Hannity.

[Michael Costa]

Little bit of a wardrobe change if you. If you haven't noticed, as long as I'm gonna be called garbage, I might as well wear the garbage vest, right?

[Troy Walker]

Oh, man, my ribs still hurt from laughing. Also, Pete Hegseth punched me in the stomach.

[Desi Lydic]

He's so fun, isn't he? So fun.

[Troy Walker]

And as you can probably guess, the world's biggest stars came out for the Fox Nation Patriot Awards, everyone. From Kirk Cameron, Lee Greenwood.

[Desi Lydic]

Then there was the biggest celebrity surprise of all.

[Ronny Chieng]

Now, I want you guys to stay right here because we have a special surprise for you.

[Michael Costa]

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the CEO of Patriot Mobile, Glenn Story.

[Desi Lydic]

Yes.

[Troy Walker]

Yes.

[Michael Costa]

Glenn.

[Troy Walker]

Glenn Story.

[Michael Costa]

We are America's only Christian conservative cell phone service provider. Glenn.

[Troy Walker]

Glenn's story.

[Michael Costa]

Yes.

[Desi Lydic]

That's it. It's fun.

[Michael Costa]

So fun.

[Desi Lydic]

So great. Can you believe they got Glenn's story of Patriot Mobile?

[Michael Costa]

No. Oh, my God.

[Troy Walker]

God chills.

[Desi Lydic]

You know, some cell phone companies have 5G. Patriot Mobile has 1G. God.

[Troy Walker]

But let's. One of them was an actor and former actor, Kirk Cameron. He won a Patriot award for his conservative children's books, like this one about a zoo animal.

[Desi Lydic]

God, he is, isn't he? Who is? His trainer.

[Troy Walker]

And I want his number. Let's take a listen to his inspiring acceptance speech.

[Michael Costa]

There's such a wind of hope and optimism in the air, and people can smell the fragrance of freedom.

[Troy Walker]

The fragrance of freedom. Sweetie, you're at an event with Fox News anchors. That's just chloroform.

[Desi Lydic]

Speaking of being knocked out, look at that trophy. Let's learn more about the exquisite design of the Patriot award.

[Ronny Chieng]

This year's award has a commemorative stripe in the middle of it.

[Desi Lydic]

It's made of steel recovered from 911.

[Ronny Chieng]

And the world Trade center towers housed that. And now it's part of this medal.

[Troy Walker]

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. Beautiful, beautiful 911 steel. Sir, a second Patriot award has just hit your trophy case.

[Desi Lydic]

Troy, I didn't realize 911 steel was available for purchase.

[Troy Walker]

Oh, definitely. When I got my Invisalign, I had My Orthodontist Youth911 Steel on the retainer.

[Desi Lydic]

Oh, do you wear it at night?

[Troy Walker]

I never forget.

[Desi Lydic]

You know, the big question was, who would win the patriot of the year. The most. The knight's most coveted award. A three star general, a courageous police officer. The Hoctua girl. No, no, no. Donald Trump.

[Troy Walker]

Donald Trump.

[Desi Lydic]

Obviously gonna be Donald Trump.

[Troy Walker]

And get this, his acceptance speech was 12 minutes long. Impressive.

[Michael Costa]

Wow.

[Troy Walker]

Eat shit, Halle Berry.

[Michael Costa]

This is quite a group. I have so many friends sitting there. You have incredible people at Fox. You have incredible people at every level of Fox. No day off, no play, no golf, no nothing. I didn't. We spoke with Canada and Justin came flying and I looked over. Well, that chart showed we had the best immigration, the lowest number of people in America. Great. Again.

[Desi Lydic]

The band simply won't play him off because he is too captivating. Also, he'll sic the FBI on their families. Isn't that fun?

[Michael Costa]

So fun.

[Troy Walker]

It's so fun. So fun.

[Desi Lydic]

By the way, Troy, did you get your fabulous Patriot Awards swag Best?

[Troy Walker]

Yes, I did. It's a bottle of surplus infowars. Prostate support. Yum.

[Desi Lydic]

Oh, what I wouldn't give to have a prostate right now.

[Troy Walker]

It's so fun.

[Desi Lydic]

I bet. I bet it is. Anyway, those are all the highlights from the two the 2024 Fox Nation Patriot Awards. I can't wait to see what they have in store next year.

[Troy Walker]

How are they going to top Glenn's story from Patriot Mobile?

[Desi Lydic]

They won't.

[Michael Costa]

Thank you, Desi and Troy. When we come back, Deb Holland will be joining on the show. Don't go away.

[Jon Stewart]

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.

[Michael Costa]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is the nation's first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary running the Department of Interior under President Biden. Please welcome Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Right. The Department of Interior.

[Ronny Chieng]

The Department of the Interior.

[Michael Costa]

Department of the Interior. And I'm going to ask for the audience because they. I know it's been called the Department of everything else. What exactly is the Department of. Of the Interior?

[Ronny Chieng]

At the Department of the Interior, we manage millions and millions of acres of all of our public lands under the National Park Service of Wildlife Refuges, the Bureau of Land Management. We protect and preserve our nation's cultural heritage, and we uphold the trust and treaty obligations of our country's 574 federally recognized Indian tribes.

[Michael Costa]

What do you do at your job? Let's talk about that. You are 35th generation Laguna Pueblo from New Mexico.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Michael Costa]

35Th generation.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Michael Costa]

Are you okay? Okay. But are you sure? I mean, that is. I asked my mom to get a picture of her grandfather, and she left the. And I didn't see her for three days. How do you know? 35 generations.

[Ronny Chieng]

So my ancestors from Chaco Canyon, it's now Chaco Culture National Historical park, migrated from that area and from other areas to Bears Ears, Mesa Verde, all over the southwest, to what is now New Mexico in, like, 1280.

[Michael Costa]

Wow.

[Ronny Chieng]

So what? I one time I just, for the heck of it, took out my calculator and searched how many years in a generation, and then I calculated it out, and it came out to 35.

[Michael Costa]

That's amazing. Yeah. One of the duties that you've taken on as secretary is trying to right some historical wrongs, many of which have been done under the guise of the Department of the Interior. Tell me about that journey. What has that been like?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes. Yes. The department that I now lead once had the job of working to assimilate Indians, moving Native Americans out of their communities, away from their families, to assimilate them into mainstream society. And one of the ways they did that was to essentially steal children from their mothers, fathers, families, communities, and ship them off, sometimes thousands of miles away from their homes to attend Indian boarding schools. And so when I got to the department, we thought about, what can we do to make a difference in the future of our Native communities across the country? One of the ways was to be honest about our country's history. It's a history that not a lot of people, not a lot of Americans realize. Right. When they think of boarding school, they think about, you know, sending their kids to a really nice east coast, you know, boarding school. This was a place where they cut their hair, burned their clothes.

[Michael Costa]

They were punished for speaking in their.

[Ronny Chieng]

Native language, speaking their native languages, and couldn't. They couldn't practice their cultures or traditions, and they were forced to eat food that they weren't used to. Right. Traditional food is important. Right. Depending on where you are geographically in the United States. And so we wanted to bring attention to that. We wrote two reports our team researched. You know, they read 103 million pages of documents to put these reports together.

[Michael Costa]

Wow.

[Ronny Chieng]

And then we set out across the country and did what we call the road to healing. And we Heard directly from descendants and actual survivors of the boarding school, the Indian boarding schools. And that's going to be an oral history at some point. We're working on that now.

[Michael Costa]

It's the type of history that I'm embarrassed I don't know more about, so then I'm afraid to ask about it. And then the cycle happens and continues. And what does atonement look like?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. So don't be afraid to ask.

[Michael Costa]

Okay.

[Ronny Chieng]

Because that's how you learned.

[Michael Costa]

I love that. And I just did it on tv, and now I feel like a badass.

[Ronny Chieng]

So one of the ways, for me, it's healing. Right. We have this generational trauma, and you can look that up and get the definition for it. Generational trauma. It's handed down through the generations. You kind of are affected by what happened to your great grandparents at some of these schools. And it's first acknowledging what happened. And that was an acknowledgement by President Biden. He made a formal acknowledgement and apology in Arizona on Indian land and apologized for these atrocities that happened to the children way back then. But it's also ensuring that people don't ever forget. You learn the history, you don't forget it. And. And so that's what we're doing with our oral history project, making sure that folks have the opportunity to hear directly from those survivors and know what it was like.

[Michael Costa]

We as people are so afraid to apologize in every capacity, but it can be helpful.

[Ronny Chieng]

Absolutely. Yes. You should, you know, we should be humble in the way we lead our lives. And when you're wrong, you should apologize.

[Michael Costa]

Of course, someone described you. Maybe it was on your team, but I read it somewhere that you never fight, but you always win. And I was like, that's some Jedi mind shit right there. What is your philosophy in handling people or difficult situations or confrontations?

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, that I think that came from when I ran my congressional campaign. And so it's. Yes. I mean, tell people what you're about. Right? Tell people what they're voting for, not what they're voting against. So it's caring about people. It's showing them what you want to do for them. That's all. On the campaign side, on this side of the table, working as a federal employee, it's. Yes, it's being vulnerable. It's really appreciating. It's admitting that, you know, you're not the end all, be all. I lead the Department of the Interior, but I have 65,000 federal employees, public servants every day come to work, ready to dedicate their careers to The American people. And so I give them the credit as much as I can, man.

[Michael Costa]

And I. Yeah, it's beautiful to hear that also. I listened to that and there's a tragic thought of the new administration and what's coming. And I feel like it'll be a different philosophy. How do you handle a new administration coming and one that appears on the exterior to be significantly different?

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure. Well, of course, we are responsible and we are moving forward with the transition. Right.

[Michael Costa]

I knew you were going to say it.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's helping the president. Biden wants a transition that is calm and collected and all of that. So we're going to do our best to make sure that whoever comes into the Department of the Interior knows what we're working on. You know, we can tell them what's meant a lot to us and how we've managed the department. But don't forget, there will still be 65,000 career staff there who don't leave when I leave.

[Michael Costa]

Right.

[Ronny Chieng]

And they will continue to do the really wonderful work that they have been doing for decades and decades.

[Michael Costa]

Let's talk about. You recently gave President Biden a parting gift at the Tribal Nation summit.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Michael Costa]

Tell me a little bit about that. What was it?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes. Well, it's, you know, for centuries, these Native Americans have used blankets to, you know, look, when you bring a new baby home from the, you know, from the hospital or even if you have your child, you wrap it in a blanket. Right. A blanket is something that's comforting. It's something that's meaningful.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

And that's the way that Native Americans can show that they care about you.

[Michael Costa]

And so I can't think of a more beautiful gift.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, it's you, you know, you wrap yourself in. In the blanket.

[Michael Costa]

There's the blanket.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, there it is.

[Michael Costa]

That's great. I mean, you know, here I am giving Amazon gift cards and those don't warm you. If anything, they make you feel more vapid and have a hole in your soul.

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, that is, it's a Native American owned business. And so I like to, you know, solicit businesses that I can. Like that. And, and yes, the president was very grateful for that. I had it monogrammed and it said, joe Biden, champion for Indian Country.

[Michael Costa]

That's awesome.

[Troy Walker]

And.

[Michael Costa]

You just, you recently ran 34 miles in the desert. What's wrong with you? I mean, as if. Look, although technically that could be somebody else because your face is covered. But what's all that about? You don't have enough on your plate, so.

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, I love running yes. And we went to visit, on an official visit to Canyon de Chelly. It's in Arizona. It's a joint management between the National Park Service and the Navajo Nation. And one of our tour guides told us about this race. And as soon as I got in the car, I said, we need to run that. And so it's a lottery.

[Michael Costa]

That gives us a little bit of an insight into your mindset, too.

[Ronny Chieng]

I applied for the race. I got in, believe it or not. And so then, of course, I had to. You know, I have a little bit of an entourage when I travel, so some of my security detail and staff had to run with me.

[Michael Costa]

I like that.

[Ronny Chieng]

So. So I don't know.

[Michael Costa]

They're going like four miles and then they're sharing it.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, they.

[Michael Costa]

Now just think about our security here. They couldn't even go 500ft.

[Ronny Chieng]

No. One of them ran 17 miles up, and the other one ran 17 miles back with me.

[Michael Costa]

Years ago, you broke your foot hiking a mountain. I did. And then you refused to take a helicopter down. And you walked down on this broken foot. Was that like, for an environmental reasons or something?

[Ronny Chieng]

It's actually a broken leg. A broken leg. I had those hiking poles, so that was helpful. But look.

[Michael Costa]

Well, it sounds like it wasn't if you broke your leg when you.

[Ronny Chieng]

When you had. No, they weren't helpful at the time. I slipped on a rock. Isn't that strange? It was just a freak accident.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

But it was. My choices were to walk down.

[Michael Costa]

Yep.

[Ronny Chieng]

Take a helicopter. Like, dangle on the outside of the helicopter thing, I think.

[Michael Costa]

Okay.

[Ronny Chieng]

Or get a staff away from their jobs to carry me down in a chair. And all I thought about was the headlines. Right. Secretary Haaland, you know, takes eight staff away from their jobs to carry her down the mountain in a chair.

[Michael Costa]

Right.

[Ronny Chieng]

So I decided to walk.

[Michael Costa]

That's. That's tough of you. It shows your grit. You have 40 days left on the job. What is next for Madam Secretary? I mean, you have. You have successfully run a salsa company. Bakery. You're. Now. You're in school right now, as we speak.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, I'm not actually in school. I'm working to finish my master's thesis that I kind of put on hold for a long time.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

So I'm going to finish that.

[Michael Costa]

And what is your master's thesis on?

[Ronny Chieng]

It's about native food, actually.

[Michael Costa]

Amazing.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes. I wanted to show that at Laguna, we still have. We still. Our traditional foods are the same as they were before we migrated. Stew and bread. It might be different Forms. Right. I may not grow my corn personally, but when I cook it together the way that my ancestors did, we consider it traditional.

[Michael Costa]

That's amazing. I feel the same way about microwave popcorn, but this comes from Ronny Chang, my friend and fellow news team member. And I love this question. What Native American philosophy can be applied to our current lives and times? And if it's a bad question, it's Ronnie's question.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, so I don't know about Native American quote, unquote philosophy, but I'll tell you, some words that I live by.

[Michael Costa]

That's broad. Yes. Okay, please.

[Ronny Chieng]

Some words I live by every single day. My auntie, God rest her soul, Auntie Ann, she was the kindest human being you would ever meet. And her advice to me was, be nice to everyone. Be nice to everyone. Be nice to people you don't particularly care about, because that's what you should radiate out to people. Right? Be kind to animals. Be kind to. Just be kind. And I feel like sometimes kindness might be in short supply in our country right now, but. But if we all followed my aunt's advice, then we might be better off.

[Michael Costa]

I think that's a beautiful answer. It's ironic that Ronnie asked that question because he's a dickhead to everybody. Thank you so much for talking with us. I really appreciate it. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland. We take a quick break. We'll be right back after this. Thank you so much. That's our show for tonight. Now here it is, your moment of Zen.

[Desi Lydic]

Hey, good morning, guys.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah.

[Desi Lydic]

First, let's talk about the community reaction.

[Michael Costa]

To all of this.

[Desi Lydic]

As you can hear behind me, there is certainly some hostility to even the fact that media is covering this story. So you can see this leaf blower behind me has told us that he will not leave until we do. So we are definitely, definitely seeing some of the community members reacting. Not happy.

[Michael Costa]

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.

[Ronny Chieng]

Paramount Podcast.

[Jon Stewart]

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.