Bondi Spins Out Over Epstein Questions & Olympian Confesses Affair on Live TV  | Andrew Jarecki

Summary

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The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: "Bondi Spins Out Over Epstein Questions & Olympian Confesses Affair on Live TV"
Date: February 12, 2026
Host: Jordan Klepper
Guest: Andrew Jarecki

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Episode Overview

In this razor-sharp episode, Jordan Klepper and the Daily Show team take listeners on a wild ride through recent global headlines, tackling scandal-ridden Olympic interviews, combative Congressional hearings, and bizarre international news. The episode’s centerpiece is a compelling interview with filmmaker Andrew Jarecki about his harrowing and acclaimed documentary, The Alabama Solution, exposing brutality and forced labor within Alabama’s prison system. The show balances biting satire with serious investigative journalism, delivering both big laughs and urgent calls to action.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Olympic Scandals: Bronze, Guilt, and Public Heartbreak

• Segment Start: [00:39]
• Host Jordan Klepper opens with the Winter Olympics, mocking the post-victory interviews for sometimes revealing a little too much personal drama.
• Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lagarde, despite winning bronze, gives a painfully awkward live confession about cheating on his girlfriend.
  • Klepper lampoons the overshare:

    "Instead you went with, 'Guess what, world? I can't keep it in my pants.'" ([01:43], Jordan Klepper)

• The aftermath: Lagarde’s ex publicly rebuffs him, reinforcing his public humiliation.
  • “Every woman you date from now on knows you can’t go three months without cheating.” ([04:17], Jordan Klepper)
• Olympic drama is not limited to men: Klepper points out that women's gold medalist Julia Simon of France recently received a suspended sentence for credit card theft against a teammate ([04:45]).

2. Pam Bondi’s Congressional Meltdown and the Epstein Files

• Segment Start: [05:13]
• Congress hears testimony from Pam Bondi, with Klepper painting her as the embodiment of deflective, combative Trump-era officials.
• Notable Bondi tirade as she dodges Epstein questions and attacks Democratic politicians:
  • “Are you kidding? I'm going to answer the question the way I want to answer the question.” ([06:00], Pam Bondi)
  • “You don't get to blame your time. Your time is up. This is so ridiculous.” ([06:20], Pam Bondi)
• Klepper skewers the lack of seriousness:
  • “The Attorney General used to carry some level of seriousness and gravitas. It's only recently that they’d spend... acting like a bratty Sr. who got called into the principal's office.” ([06:36], Jordan Klepper)
• Bondi claims Trump is the “most transparent president in the nation's history,” and boasts about the Dow exceeding $50,000, to audience laughter ([07:26]).

3. The Gordie Howe Bridge Bribery Farce (Satire)

• Segment Start: [07:51]
• Trump threatens to block a new US-Canada bridge after a donor’s intervention.
• Klepper mocks the predictability of Trump-era corruption with a running bit involving a “Gordie Howe Bridge Troll” who quizzes Klepper on Trump's motives, with every answer being “a bribe.”
  • Troll: “If a 20 year sex trafficking sentence, ye face with this, your punishment may be erased.” ([12:09])
  • Klepper: “Is it a bribe?” ([12:25])
• Satirical commentary on Trump’s transparent corruption:
  • "Say what you want about Trump, he is always transparent with his corruption. You never have to follow the money with him. You know, the money is like, I'm going to Donald Trump, I'll drop you a pin." ([10:11], Jordan Klepper)

4. “So Not Our Problem” – Global Weirdness with Troy Iwata

• Segment Start: [15:03]
• Senior international correspondent Troy Iwata highlights odd news abroad, balancing world mockery with America’s own hypocrisies:
  • China: Birth control now more expensive to boost birth rates, and a top-paid app: “Are You Dead?” for solo dwellers ([15:57], Troy Iwata).
    • On loneliness apps:

      “Doing it through an app is so impersonal. Just do what I do: I text my mom ‘are you dead?’ She always says no.” ([17:13], Troy Iwata)

  • UK: British beach covered in French fries after a cargo spill.
    • “Just get a group of girlfriends... should we be bad and eat all these ocean fries?” ([19:04], Troy Iwata)
  • Germany: Government militarizing cockroaches and rebuilding its military.
    • “Cyborg cockroaches ready for the battlefield? Sci-fi fantasy? Absolutely not.” ([19:54], Jordan Klepper)
    • “Germany’s rebuilding its military for the first time since World War II. And that’s okay, because it’s—actually maybe that is everyone’s problem.” ([21:02], Troy Iwata)

5. Interview: Andrew Jarecki on The Alabama Solution

• Segment Start: [22:33]

Behind the Documentary

• Jarecki provides a deep-dive into the making of his Oscar-nominated film, focusing on the horrors and hidden lives within the Alabama prison system.
  • “We miraculously got access to one of the prisons to go in and film a revival meeting... but the men inside said, the stuff they’re showing you here is not real. You need to know what’s going on in that building over there.” ([23:25], Andrew Jarecki)
• The prisoners’ advocacy, smuggling cell phones and acting as citizen journalists, becomes the ethical and narrative heart of the film.
  • “They really believe in the power of journalism. They really believe in the power of the fourth estate.” ([24:44], Andrew Jarecki)
• Klepper underscores the film’s shocking revelations:
  • “The Alabama Department of Corrections is the biggest law enforcement agency in the state, and it's also the biggest drug dealing operation in the state.” ([26:19], Andrew Jarecki)
• On the economics of contraband and forced labor:
  • “Guards are selling them the phones... I make like $36,000 a year without the phones, but I make like $70,000 a year with the phones.” ([25:53], Andrew Jarecki)
  • “They get $450 million a year in unpaid labor. And it's really forced labor.” ([30:27], Andrew Jarecki)
• On the impact and retaliation:
  • “When the supporters announced a work strike... the three main people in our film were all whisked off to solitary confinement... a Hannibal Lecter type environment.” ([31:18], Andrew Jarecki)

Quotes & Takeaways

• On seeing inmates as people:
  • “One of the things that is so difficult about people being in prison... is that you can’t see the beauty in these men.” ([27:32], Andrew Jarecki)
  • “So many people in prison who've just been there for decades when they committed a crime when they were 18, and now they're an ordained minister... You know, so it’s a loss of humanity.” ([28:22], Andrew Jarecki)
• On public response and action:
  • “When they were put in solitary... we could go on social media and say, ‘Hey, these guys are locked up.’ And hundreds of people called Bibb County and they released the first of them... the public is, you know, mattering here.” ([33:04], Andrew Jarecki)
• On Governor Kay Ivey ("Meemaw") and official responses:
  • “She's quite old and she's quite confident that they're doing the right thing in the prison system.” ([33:10], Andrew Jarecki)
  • “They immediately came out with a statement basically saying...the Oscars are for suckers... Memaw is the best governor ever. Like, nobody has done prisoning as good as Meemaw.” ([34:25], Andrew Jarecki)
• On what listeners can do:
  • “There’s a take action button [at the film’s website]... try to make phone calls... let people know that we're paying attention because this goes way beyond Alabama.” ([34:43], Andrew Jarecki)
  • “These cameras and your ability to expose what these authoritarian type people are doing... you gotta keep doing that. You gotta keep taking your camera out, taking pictures.” ([35:43], Andrew Jarecki)
• Klepper:
  • “They are. They're afraid of the witnesses, right?” ([35:48], Jordan Klepper)

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "If downplaying international sex rings were an Olympic sport, Pam Bondi would take home the gold.” ([00:39], Jordan Klepper)
• “You know things aren’t going well for you when even Lindsey Vonn is like, this guy’s having a bad week.” ([04:17], Jordan Klepper)
• “You can do something like that in Congress, but when I do it in a Chili’s, I get banned for life.” ([06:27], Jordan Klepper)
• “America is deeply fortunate to have a neighbor like Canada. We have before us the opportunity to build even more bridges and bridges of cooperation and bridges of commerce.” ([08:15], Donald Trump, quoted by Klepper)
• “Say what you want about Trump, he is always transparent with his corruption. The money’s like, I’m going to Donald Trump, I’ll drop you a pin.” ([10:11], Jordan Klepper)
• “Doing it through an app is so impersonal. Just do what I do: I text my mom ‘are you dead?’ She always says no.” ([17:13], Troy Iwata)
• “So many people in prison who’ve just been there for decades when they committed a crime when they were 18, and now they’re an ordained minister... so it’s a loss of humanity.” ([28:22], Andrew Jarecki)
• “These cameras and your ability to expose what these authoritarian type people are doing... you gotta keep doing that.” ([35:43], Andrew Jarecki)

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Segment Timestamps

• [00:39] – Olympic confessional/affair (Sturla Holm Lagarde)
• [03:13] – Women’s Olympic drama (Julia Simon)
• [05:13] – Pam Bondi Congressional hearing (Epstein files)
• [07:51] – US-Canada bridge bribery saga
• [10:34] – Gordie Howe Bridge Troll/bribery riddles
• [15:03] – International roundup with Troy Iwata
• [22:33] – Andrew Jarecki interview: The Alabama Solution

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This episode seamlessly blends sharp political satire with hard-hitting investigative journalism. From farcical Olympic dramas and congressional meltdowns to the sobering realities of Alabama’s prison system, the Daily Show continues to wield comedy as a tool for truth and accountability. Andrew Jarecki’s interview provides a sobering call to action, urging viewers to pay attention, bear witness, and demand change—whether laughing about bribery-loving trolls, Bondi’s blunders, or confronting brutal truths behind prison walls.

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The Alabama Solution is now streaming on HBO Max. For more resources or to get involved, visit the documentary’s official website and use the “Take Action” tool.

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Transcript

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Ninjalux Cafe, the three in one machine that makes espresso, drip coffee and cold brew. No barista skills required.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

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, Jordan Klopper.

[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm George Club, where we got so much to talk about tonight. Trump tells Canada, you shall not pass. China will let you know when you're dead. And if downplaying international sex rings were an Olympic sport, Pam Bondi would take home the gold. So let's get into the headlines. You know what? Let's kick things off with something uplifting. The winner Olympics. Olympics are underway. And if there's one thing I love, it's those post victory interviews where medal winners from around the world just radiate pure joy. I can't get enough of it.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Congratulations so much on Olympic bronze. How are you?

[Jordan Klepper]

It's been the worst week of my life. Okay, little less joy than I expected. That was Norway's Sturla Holm Lagarde, who won bronze in the biathlon, but he got a bronze. I mean, I know it's not gold, but it's still bronze. So why is he so upset? Half a year ago, I met the love of my life, the world's most beautiful, finest person. And three months ago, I made my biggest mistake, which was cheating on her. Okay, not how I would have celebrated in a post game interview. I would have gone with a thank you, mom and dad or a thank you, God. But, you know, instead you went with guess what, world? I can't keep it in my pants. Buddy, buddy, there are other ways of dealing with your guilt. How about, I don't know, flowers, an edible arrangement, or burying the shame deep inside you and letting it fester until it explodes in a public meltdown in the freezer section of Trader Joe's. I need a pizza for one. Because I ruined the best thing that ever happened to me. And by the way, if I was listening closely, did I hear that right? That you met her six months ago? I mean, you guys weren't even dating long enough to fart in front of each other. You were still in that honeymoon phase where you pretend you need something in the other room and go fart there. You know what? You know what? If repairing your six month situationship is that important, I guess it's fine to hijack the news cycle to talk about it. I'm sure your teammate who won the Gold had nothing more important to draw attention to.

[Pam Bondi]

And it was an emotional win for Norway's Johan Olegbotten in the men's 20 kilometer individual biathlon. Norwegian dedicated it to his late teammates who died unexpectedly in December.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, right, our dead teammate. I was between honoring him or talking about how much pussy I was getting. Dude, come on. You hijacked that to try to win back your fling. This is basically like if instead of interrupting Taylor Swift, Kanye had interrupted the In Memoriam segment. You know what? You know what? Love is a rocky road sometimes. And if this big display helped our boy get his girl back, it was all worth it.

[Pam Bondi]

Well, speaking to a Norwegian tabloid, the former girlfriend says it's hard to forgive what he did and that she did not appreciate him making their private issue so public.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Ah.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

Shit.

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, you know what? Look at the bright side. You didn't get your girlfriend back, but every woman you date from now on knows you can't go three months without cheating. You know things aren't going well for you when even Lindsey Vonn is like, this guy's having a bad week. I mean, what a mess. This is why I'm always saying we need to keep men out of men's sports. You don't see the women's teams having this much drama.

[Andrew Jarecki]

In the women's 15K individual biathlon, the gold goes to Julia Simone of France.

[Jordan Klepper]

Last fall, she was found guilty by a French court of theft and credit card fraud and given a three month suspended prison sentence after stealing the credit card numbers of a teammate.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

What, what, what?

[Jordan Klepper]

What is it about this sport where you voluntarily freeze your generals off in spandex and shoot guns that attract and, you know, and to be fair to her, it's not right to steal, but what do you think skiing with a gun even pays these days? Nobody's hiring. She probably gets one or two contracts a year to kill James Bond, but that barely covers rent. You know, moving on to something else going downhill. America. Today, Congress heard testimony from Pam Bondi, Attorney General and woman who stresses everyone out at book. But it's not worth uninviting her because that'll become a whole thing. Congress had a lot of serious questions for her about everything from ICE to Epstein, and I'm sure she handled them with the grace and maturity we have come to expect from the Trump administration.

[Pam Bondi]

Are you kidding? I'm going to answer the question the way I want to answer the question. I'm not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics. Can I finish, please? I'M not being rude.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Please.

[Pam Bondi]

She doesn't say how much money she took from Reid Hoffman, did you? You don't tell me.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, I did tell you. We saw what you did in the Senate. Lawyer.

[Pam Bondi]

Not even a lawyer. You're a failed politician.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Hypocrite.

[Pam Bondi]

Shame on you. You don't get to blame your time. Your time is up. This is so ridiculous.

[Jordan Klepper]

Wow. I mean, you could do something like that in Congress, but when I do it in a Chili's, I get banned for life. To be fair, though, you'd be in a bad mood, too, if you'd spent the last month redacting images of old man genitals from the Epstein files. Alleged. Now, keep in mind, this is not how these hearings traditionally go. The Attorney General used to carry some level of seriousness and gravitas. It's only recently that they'd spend a congressional hearing acting like a bratty Sr. Who got called into the principal's office. Suck my principal. Gilbert. I already got to asu. You can eat it now. Look, look, her performance upset a lot of people because they were hoping for justice for Jeffrey Epstein's victims. But for Pam Bondi, there's only one victim in all of this.

[Pam Bondi]

Have you apologized to President Trump? Have you apologized to President Trump?

[Jordan Klepper]

All of you.

[Pam Bondi]

I find it interesting that she keeps going after President Trump, the greatest president in American history. You sit here and you attack the president, and I am not going to have it. He is the most transparent president in the nation's history. Donald Trump.

[Jordan Klepper]

The Dow.

[Pam Bondi]

The Dow right now is over. The dow is over $50,000. I don't know why you're laughing.

[Jordan Klepper]

Hold on. Oh, okay. Hold on, cub. You know, if you're gonna embarrass yourself on national television like that, at least win a bronze medal first. Have you no dignity? No dignity. You know, there is some good news for Donald Trump. And it comes right out of my own home state of Michigan, where the state motto is, welcome to Michigan. We're sorry about Kid Rock. For decades now, the only bridge between Canada and Detroit has been the Ambassador Bridge. But in Trump's first term, Canada started construction on the Gordie Howe Bridge. And Trump was so excited about it that he even got a little poetic. America is deeply fortunate to have a neighbor like Canada. We have before us the opportunity to build even more bridges and bridges of cooperation and bridges of commerce. Wow. Wow. Remember when he used to pretend to try? At the time, we were like, look at him phoning in diplomacy. Now we're like, dear God, please phone in some diplomacy. Anyway. The point is, the bridge is almost complete, which will soon open up a public crossing that will enrich both our nations. Trump must be so excited for this new era of U.S. canadian friendship. This morning, President Trump threatening to block the opening of a brand new bridge between Canada and the U.S. i will.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them.

[Jordan Klepper]

Or friendship. After all, what has friendship ever done for Trump other than associate him with the world's largest sex trafficking ring? Still, still, Mr. President, this bridge is a win win. Canada is paying for all of it, and they're going to share ownership with Michigan. We get a public bridge instead of having to pay tolls to the billionaire owner of the Ambassador Bridge. Why would the President oppose that? The owner of the older Ambassador Bridge, Matthew Maroon, lobbied the Trump administration on the same day the President unleashed his tirade about the go. Oh, I see. You were for it. Then one of your donors called you and you immediately turned against it. I mean, say what you want about Trump, he is always transparent with his corruption. You never have to follow the money with him. You know, the money is like, I'm going to Donald Trump, I'll drop you a pin.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

Well done, Mr. Jordan. Looks like he sold me.

[Jordan Klepper]

Riddle I I. Wait, who said that?

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

Tis I, the troll of the Gordie Howe Bridge. It seemed you solved the riddle of the bridge dispute. Give Trump a bribe and you'll have your root.

[Jordan Klepper]

Uh, yeah, it wasn't that hard. The answer with Trump is probably always a bribe.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

But if true puzzle master ye be, then see if ye can answer these. Riddle three.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, I'm sorry, I actually have a show to do.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

We're in A one.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

If two companies want profits to search, they'll need this in order to merge.

[Jordan Klepper]

If two companies want to merge, I'm guessing you try to give Trump a bribe.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

Aren't you clever?

[Jordan Klepper]

No, I'm not. The answer is just always going to first do number two. Okay.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

If thou desires an ocean for drilling only this will make Trump willing.

[Jordan Klepper]

Uh, again, I'm gonna guess a bribe.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

What? Where are you getting these answers from? Did you hack my laptop?

[Jordan Klepper]

Bridge trolls have laptops.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

Yes, and the password is impenetrable.

[Jordan Klepper]

Is the password brib.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

Riddle number three? If a 20 year sex trafficking sentence, ye face with this, your punishment may be erased.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, wow. Yeah, you know, this is a tough one.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

Ooh, I got you now, mister.

[Jordan Klepper]

Is it a bribe? Mother, I'm sorry. Well, I'm sorry. Troll. Troll. Trump is Just not that complicated. It always comes down to a bribe. Why are you even guarding a bridge anyway?

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

Because I tried to bribe Trump by buying his crypto, but then it crashed and I lost everything, so I live here now.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, I. You know, I'm sorry. That's. That's very sad.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

I know. I just, like, honestly, I could really use a place to stay until I, like, get back up on my feet.

[Jordan Klepper]

Well, good luck to you. I guess we're done here.

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

Not just yet. If you wish to end your bout, permit me to crush on your couch.

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, we're not even rhyming now, you know? Slayer rhymes counts. Okay, Gordie Howe, bridge troll, everyone. We come back, we'll find out what other countries have wrong with them. Don't go away.

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[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. Contrary to what they teach in Texas, America is not the only country in the world. For more, we go to our senior international correspondent, Troy Iwata in his new segment. So not our problem.

[Troy Iwata]

The world is always ragging on America these days, like your president sucks, your economy is just AI. You're all dying of measles. Like we get it. We get it.

[Jordan Klepper]

We're not.

[Troy Iwata]

We know we have problems. But guess what? The rest of the world has got issues too. Kay. All right, for instance, China, with your fancy solar panels and your fast trains and your sneezing pandas falling down, you know China, you've got problems. Check this out.

[Pam Bondi]

Condoms and birth control pills just got more expensive. In China, the Change is part of a push from China's government to reverse the country's falling birth rate and encourage more couples to have children.

[Troy Iwata]

Okay, first of all, why would you pay for condoms? Just go outside. They're on the ground. But, like, ha ha, China, you've got falling birth rates. And I know, I know you're gonna say, hey, Americans, don't you also have falling birth rates? Yeah, but we find ways to embrace them, like becoming Disney adults.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Okay.

[Troy Iwata]

We don't need kids. We are kids also. So who does this condom tax target? Exactly. Someone's like, I want to have sex, but I'm a cheapskate, so I guess I'll just have a baby. Like, if China really wants to put condoms out of reach, they should put them on the top shelf.

[Pam Bondi]

Actually.

[Troy Iwata]

Yeah. No, no, really, though. Their overall health has improved, so they are getting taller.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

But.

[Troy Iwata]

You know, you know what else? They're getting lonelier.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

There's a new app in China that's making headlines. Are you dead? Skyrocketing to the number one paid app spot. It's a quote safety tool crafted for solo dwellers, AKA people living alone, to let their loved ones know that they're alive. Users have to hit a big green button once a day, and if you fail to do it two days in a row, it reaches out to your emergency contact.

[Troy Iwata]

Okay, wait, so first of all, this is a paid app. So after the free trial, I have to, like, watch an ad for DraftKings before finding out if my grandma's dead. Okay, so like, doing it through an app is so impersonal. Like, just do what I do. I text my mom, are you dead? She always says, no. And then I respond, how about now? Like, it's this cute little thing that we do. And although she hasn't texted me back in two days, so miss you old gal. But see, this is like the uber eats of wellness checks. It's like, hey, do I smell rotting flesh? I could get up from the couch. Or I can check the old dead neighbor app. Sorry about that, Chyna, but that is so not our problem. And do you think we forgot about you, England? Yeah, maybe we don't have health care like you do, and we did end up with the King after all. But at least this didn't happen to us.

[Jordan Klepper]

An English beach has been covered in French fries after a cargo ship spilled.

[Troy Iwata]

Thousands of spuds and other veggies have.

[Jordan Klepper]

Washed up tumbling off a container ship in a storm, and it could take.

[Troy Iwata]

Years to clean it up. What? French fries go in your mouth?

[Gordie Howe Bridge Troll]

Not the sea.

[Troy Iwata]

Also, it's gonna take years to clean this up. Just get a group of girlfriends together who will be like, hold on, should we be bad and eat all these ocean fries? They'll have the beach cleaned up in an hour. This is what British people get for not seasoning their food, okay? Food deserves better. Frankly, I'm not convinced those french fries didn't just kill themselves. So sorry, Brits. Maybe we're clogging our arteries with french fries, but you're clogging the channel with them.

[Jordan Klepper]

And that.

[Troy Iwata]

That is so narrative. Guten tag, Germany. You think you're better than us because you have what, accordions and giant pretzels? It's not like you don't have your own weird shit going on.

[Jordan Klepper]

Cyborg cockroaches ready for the battlefield sci fi fantasy? Absolutely not.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Swarm Biotactics in central Germany is working with the Bundeswehr to develop technology that can steer the creepy critters autonomously and send them on reconnaissance missions.

[Troy Iwata]

Jesus Christ. Cockroaches in the military. Can you imagine? Wait, so now instead of screaming when I see a cockroach, I have to say thank you for your service. Let me guess, let me guess. They get to board the plane before everyone else too? You know, if they get 10% off at Carvel, I'm gonna lose it. But hey, as long as this isn't part of a larger trend in Germany.

[Pam Bondi]

Germany's new chancellor has vowed to build the strongest army in Europe.

[Jordan Klepper]

Germany wants to recruit an estimate more active soldiers in the upcoming years.

[Andrew Jarecki]

The world hasn't heard Germany assert itself like this since World War II.

[Troy Iwata]

Yes, Germany's rebuilding its military for the first time since World War II. And that's okay because it's actually maybe that is everyone's problem.

[Jordan Klepper]

21. Everyone, welcome back. Andrew Jarecki will be joining me on the show. Don't go away.

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[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an award winning filmmaker whose latest documentary, the Alabama Solution, is currently nominated for an Oscar. Please welcome Andrew Jarecki. First of all, congratulations on the Academy Award nomination.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Thank you.

[Jordan Klepper]

Do you think you would have gotten that if Melania was in the category?

[Andrew Jarecki]

I considered doing that, but I was actually just too busy with the Alabama thing. But I'm gonna try to go back for part two.

[Jordan Klepper]

For part two, yes. Yes. I'm sure Melania would take all of the attention she should get. So. Yeah, yeah. Think about it. This movie is. It is harrowing, but this isn't the movie you started out thinking you were gonna make. Is that right?

[Andrew Jarecki]

I mean, I knew that there were problems in the Alabama State prison system. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get in there because it's such a secretive system as a lot of prisons are in the US and then we sort of miraculously got access to one of the prisons to go in and film a revival meeting. And we saw this kind of beautiful meeting. But the understory was that there were really terrible things happening in the prison. And the men inside said to us, the stuff they're showing you here is not real. This is curated. You need to know what's going on in that building over there. You need to know what's going on in that bunker over there. And then when we sort of got kicked out, which you see in the beginning of the film, because we got too nosy, we discovered that there were these men inside who had contraband cell phones and were incredible leaders and had been running sort of a non violent protest effort to try to get the word out. And so we began a collaboration with them in a way. And it really ended up being this like seven year journey.

[Jordan Klepper]

So you're essentially as you're making this film, you're communicating with them. When we're watching a lot of this FaceTime with what's going on, essentially they're almost citizen journalists reporting on what's happening inside the prison as you're communicating with them. Was there like how are you navigating that as a filmmaker knowing that these are people on the inside who could be in a lot of trouble if they're found to be recording what's going on?

[Andrew Jarecki]

Well, they've been doing this kind of activism and this kind of sort of outspoken truth telling for a long time. And we were an opportunity, I think, for them to get the story to have a bigger platform. And they really are. They are struggling to try to survive. And so the idea of getting the word out was important also. They really believe in the power of journalism. They really believe in the power of the fourth estate. And so, you know, the audience is. For them, the only way out is to have people understand what's happening to them.

[Jordan Klepper]

It's remarkable, the images you see. You see people addicted to drugs and the way in which they're treated there. There's a murder that takes place that they're essentially tracking the entire time. But specifically the role of the phone is so important as a witness. What did you notice what the phone brought to it?

[Andrew Jarecki]

Well, the phones were sort of introduced into the Alabama State prison system around 2013. And the men instantly realized that if they wanted to get the story out, they were going to have to use these phones to do it. And they were also going to be able to use the phones to communicate with their children in the house.

[Jordan Klepper]

Are they supposed to have phones in there?

[Andrew Jarecki]

Oh, no, they are not supposed to have phones in there.

[Jordan Klepper]

So how are they getting these phones?

[Andrew Jarecki]

The guards are selling them the phones. I mean, clearly, you know, I've spoken to guards who said, well, you know, I make like $36,000 a year without the phones, but I make like $70,000 a year with the phones. So the phones aren't going anywhere.

[Jordan Klepper]

That's even part of the argument inside as well. Right. A lot of the drugs, there are people trying to kick the drug habit and guards are selling drugs because they're getting more money there.

[Andrew Jarecki]

You know, the Alabama Department of Corrections is the biggest law enforcement agency in the state, and it's also the biggest drug dealing operation in the state.

[Jordan Klepper]

Bonkers. Bonkers. So you do this film and it is remarkable and harrowing. But so much of this, you're rooting for accountability, exposing this, and I was telling you backstage a little bit as well, what resonated so much with me in seeing this. A lot of these things I'd never imagined. And you could imagine pretty horrific things happening inside a prison that you never hear or see, but it goes beyond that. And you're rooting for accountability. And it echoes so many things we see today in the news that we watch today, where you're rooting for accountability and you're just not seeing that kind of accountability. But then you're putting it out and it's been out for. Since August, is that correct?

[Andrew Jarecki]

Well, it was at Sundance last year, and then it just came out on HBO in October. So it's been out in sort of in front of the public, but now you can see it on airplanes and things. So it's just getting more into people's consciousness.

[Jordan Klepper]

But many of these people are still in prison.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

And what has happened since then, now that what they have been doing, what they've been filming, has now sort of been outed, what has happened?

[Andrew Jarecki]

You know, the men who are in prison and the people who are depicted in our film are so. And, you know, one of the things that is so difficult about people being in prison and us not being able to see in is that you can't see the brutality, you can't see the terrible things that are happening, but you also can't see the beauty in these men. And these are guys who have been locked up for decades for crimes they probably never should have been locked up for before, to start with. And so we have this opportunity to see inside in a way that is completely unique. And a lot of people are just saying to me, when they see the film, or to Charlotte, my co director, you know, they'll say, this is kind of the first time I ever feel like I was in a conversation with an incarcerated person, like, just being able to talk to those people. And there's so much propaganda. And of course, there are people in prison who are Jeffrey Dahmer and maybe not redeemable or mentally ill, but there's so many people in prison who've just been there for decades when they committed a crime when they were 18, and now they're an ordained minister and they're, you know, have a college degree from being in prison. You know, so it's a loss of humanity. It's a really frightening thing. But you're seeing it now in our daily lives. You know, what was happening in Minneapolis and the way that Alex Preddy was really murdered for having a cell phone, for using a cell phone, and that Noem had to come out and say that he was brandishing a weapon. And this is exactly what these men are doing. And it's exactly what any authoritarian organization, the US Government, the Alabama state prison system, thinks, is that if somebody brings the light of journalism, it's going to be a problem, and it needs to be eliminated because it's a weapon, and it prevents them from doing what they would otherwise do. So these men are kind of really freedom fighters. We just don't get to see him. We don't get to know him. And there's a lot of propaganda to say, don't even talk to those guys. You know, when we first went into that very first prison, you see, the warden said to us, look, you can talk to that guy and that guy. You can't go over there, and you can't go over there. And, you know, I said, why can't we talk to anybody? And he said, oh, they're very dangerous. You don't want to talk to these men. And when we went in, I always felt so much more comfortable talking to the men who were incarcerated than the guards. I was much more comfortable with the men. Right. And they're just trying to tell you their story.

[Jordan Klepper]

Have any of these men been punished for appearing in the film?

[Andrew Jarecki]

I wouldn't say for appearing in the film, but for their activism throughout time. You'll see in the film they're regularly retaliated against, and most recently, the film was out for like a year, and then they hadn't been retaliated against. And then they announced or their supporters announced a work strike. And that's very, very problematic for Alabama. They get $450 million a year in unpaid labor.

[Jordan Klepper]

$450 million a year, is that right?

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah. And it's really forced labor. Right, because you can say, well, I don't feel like working today. And they can put you in solitary confinement. They regularly do that. They will regularly essentially extend your sentence by giving you disciplinaries. So you. You know, they'll put you in an institution where you can be beaten to death, as Steven Davis was in our film. And so it's not very different than what we saw in the earlier days in America. You know, there's not a lot of. Not a lot of difference between this and convict leasing or anything like that.

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, I think that's also what's haunting there is you're rooting for people to find a path on a way out. This idea of rehabilitation. And you see images of people working outside of the prison system for no pay with an idea that perhaps this is a path towards reentering society, although your film alludes to that not being the case for a lot of these people.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Well, it's a scam. And I think the men inside want to be hopeful. We learned that there were statistics that Alabama does not track for reasons that are obvious when you see the film. But, for example, people who are deemed safe enough to be given the opportunity to go work in the community. And Alabama, you know, essentially leases people out, not just to be the guys that are managing the prison and helping with the food and stuff like that, which maybe people could understand. They also send them out to work on road crews, construction crews, to work at the governor's mansion and clean up and do landscaping. And they also send them to work at McDonald's and at Burger King and at the Hyundai Parts Company and they. They also work at the Budweiser distributorship. So all of these. This is a very, very ingrained system and it's worth so much money. And when they announced or their supporters announced this work strike, the three main people in our film, Robert Old Council, Melvin Ray and Raoul Poole, were all whisked off to solitary confinement. And they were put in kind of like a Hannibal Lecter type environment where. Where they couldn't talk to each other. There were no windows in the cells. Two of them are there right now. The good news is that so many people now have been watching the film that we could go on social media and say, hey, these guys are locked up. And there was a huge outcry and people went to the website and they got the phone number for Bibb County Correctional. And hundreds of people called Bibb and said, we care about these guys. We're watching. Don't do anything bad to them. And they released the first of them, Melvin Ray, just a couple days ago. So we feel like the public is, you know, mattering here.

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, have you, have you heard from the governor at all?

[Andrew Jarecki]

Such a great question. You know, the governor is called Meemaw by the people who love her.

[Ninjalux Cafe Announcer]

Sure.

[Andrew Jarecki]

And, you know, she's quite old and she's quite confident that they're doing the right thing in the prison system.

[Jordan Klepper]

And she didn't say they're basic beliefs of a Meemaw.

[Andrew Jarecki]

Yeah, exactly.

[Jordan Klepper]

Perhaps that Meemaw and a lot of Meemaws.

[Andrew Jarecki]

This is meemaw like behavior.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Andrew Jarecki]

By the way. But essentially she said nothing and her office said nothing. Like, I think GMA reached out to them and said, what do you think about this film? And they said, well, we're aware of the film, but we cannot comment on the authenticity of the material in it because it was, you know, contraband cell phones. Like anybody was asking them if this is authentic. And then a year later, you know, we got nominated for the, for the Oscar and they immediately came out with a statement basically saying, like, the Oscars are for suckers. You know, it was a very trumpy kind of amazing statement. Oh, and they also said, they said the Oscars have a low. We always knew the Oscars had a low bar. And by the way, Memaw is the best governor ever. Like, nobody has done prisoning as good as, as Meemaw. And it really is quite a statement.

[Jordan Klepper]

I don't know if you heard the news, she won the FIFA governor's award recently as well. It's remarkable. Well deserved.

[Andrew Jarecki]

I want to take note of that.

[Jordan Klepper]

You allude to this here, but people watch this and they get mad and they get frustrated, as I think they should. Where should they take that frustration?

[Andrew Jarecki]

You know, the website for the film is not like a promotional website. It's really, it's kind of a deep dive into the investigation we did on 1500 deaths which have happened in the Alabama prison system since we started making the film. And it's pretty remarkable. And secondly, there's a take action button and that will tell you some things you can do without taking too much time. But there are places that you can engage. And it's not like, give money. It's really, you know, like, you gotta try to make phone calls. You gotta let people know that, that we're paying attention because this goes way beyond Alabama. You know, Alabama is sort of famously bad. But we just saw in upstate New York, Robert Brooks got murdered by corrections officers. The only reason we know is because of the remote cameras. So these cameras and your ability to expose what these authoritarian type people are doing, like they did in Minneapolis, you got to keep doing that. You gotta keep taking your camera out and you gotta keep taking pictures.

[Jordan Klepper]

They are. They're afraid of the witnesses, right? Yeah. It's truly an incredible film. I hope everybody sees it. The Alabama Solution is available to stream now on hbo. Max, Andrew Jarecki. We're gonna take a quick break right back. That's our show for today. Now here it is. I've seen some of the protesters. I know some of them are deeply weird.

[Troy Iwata]

Some of them give off this, I don't know, I've got a freezer full.

[Jordan Klepper]

Of body parts in my basement vibe. But that's not against the law. You can be deeply weird in America.

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