China Strikes Back at Tariffs by Roasting JD Vance & Selling Out Luxury Retailers | Sen. Tammy Duckworth

Summary

Summary of "The Daily Show: Ears Edition" Episode – China Strikes Back at Tariffs by Roasting JD Vance & Selling Out Luxury Retailers | Sen. Tammy Duckworth

Release Date: April 17, 2025
Host: Ronnie Chieng
Guest: Senator Tammy Duckworth

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1. Introduction and Overview of the Trade War

The episode opens with host Ronnie Chieng and co-host Michael Kosta diving into the escalating trade war between the United States and China. With tariffs now soaring to 145%, the duo sets a comedic yet critical tone on the economic tensions affecting both nations.

• Ronnie Chieng [00:32]:
  "TikTok is making offers you can't refuse. America makes Canada an offer. Is definitely refusing. And Trump and China are fighting so hard, they should just make out already."

2. Trump Administration’s Stance on China

Ronnie lampoons President Trump's unbothered attitude towards the trade war, highlighting the administration's aggressive tariff strategies aimed at pressuring China.

• Ronnie Chieng [00:55]:
  "It's been two weeks since Liberation Day, and we're in a full blown trade war with China with tariffs now at 145%, which means the trade war has officially moved from shower to grower."

3. Vice President J.D. Vance’s Controversial Remarks

The conversation shifts to Vice President J.D. Vance's recent backlash after derogatorily referring to Chinese individuals as "peasants," igniting both international and domestic outrage.

• Ronnie Chieng [02:06]:
  "JD Vance called the Chinese peasants peasants a couple weeks ago. And now that the news finally got to their villagers by donkey kart, they are pissed."

• Michael Kosta [02:35]:
  "Tonight we are seeing China trading insults with The Vice President J.D. Vance in the latest knock against President Trump's trade war."

4. China’s Retaliation Measures

China responds to the tariffs by suspending exports of rare earth minerals and magnets vital to American industries, including automotive and aerospace sectors. Additionally, China instructs its airlines to cease purchasing parts from American companies and bans Boeing jet deliveries.

• Ronnie Chieng [05:14]:
  "China's retaliation now includes suspending exports of rare earth minerals and magnets to the United States."

• Michael Kosta [05:29]:
  "China produces 90% of the world's rare earth minerals."

5. Impact on Luxury Retail and the Rise of Counterfeit Goods

The hosts humorously discuss China's crackdown on American luxury brands and the proliferation of counterfeit products on platforms like TikTok, emphasizing the cultural and economic fallout.

• Ronnie Chieng [07:40]:
  "They're offering cheap everything. Do you want to buy laundry pots? Do you want laundry capsule? Do you want laundry beads? One pot costs only 5 cents."

6. Comedic Segment: Canada’s Bid to Become the 51st U.S. State

In a satirical twist, Ronnie and Michael explore the idea of Canada attempting to join the United States as its 51st state amidst the trade tensions, highlighting the humorous side of international relations.

• Ronnie Chieng [11:31]:
  "Canada was meant to be the 51st state, just an artificial line that was drawn in the sand or in the ice."

7. Interview with Senator Tammy Duckworth

The episode transitions to a serious discussion with Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient, who addresses the detrimental effects of the trade war on veterans and federal employees.

• Ronnie Chieng [17:05]:
  "Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an Irish, Iraq war hero and Purple Heart recipient who currently represents Illinois in the U.S. senate. Please welcome Senator Tammy Duckworth."

8. Veterans’ Plight Under the Trump Administration

Senator Duckworth critiques President Trump's policies, particularly the firing of 6,000 veterans from federal jobs and proposed cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs, highlighting the administration's disregard for those who served.

• Michael Kosta [19:15]:
  "We were doing really well until Trump decided to fire 6,000 of them from their federal jobs in the last three months."

• Senator Tammy Duckworth [20:09]:
  "There is no reason. It's part of their cuts across federal government."

9. Democratic Strategies and Messaging

Duckworth emphasizes the need for Democrats to reconnect with disaffected voters in red counties, focusing on genuine support for veterans, robust economic policies, and competent military leadership to counteract Trump's divisive rhetoric.

• Senator Tammy Duckworth [31:41]:
  "It's about making sure that we support our farmers who grow the food that we eat. ... it's about putting America before yourself."

10. Conclusion and Final Remarks

Ronnie wraps up the interview by thanking Senator Duckworth for her service and insights, reinforcing the episode's blend of humor and impactful political discourse.

• Ronnie Chieng [34:17]:
  "Senator, thank you. Thank you so much for coming to speak to me."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Ronnie Chieng [00:52]:
  "Tariff. It's been two weeks since Liberation Day, and we're in a full blown trade war with China with tariffs now at 145%."

• Michael Kosta [00:55]:
  "My favorite word, tariff."

• Ronnie Chieng [02:06]:
  "JD Vance called the Chinese peasants peasants... and now that the news finally got to their villagers by donkey kart, they are pissed."

• Senator Tammy Duckworth [19:33]:
  "There is no reason. It's part of their cuts across federal government."

• Senator Tammy Duckworth [31:41]:
  "This is about putting America before yourself."

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Key Takeaways

• Economic Strain: The intense trade war with China significantly disrupts American industries reliant on rare earth minerals and aerospace components.

• Political Fallout: Vice President J.D. Vance's derogatory remarks exacerbate Sino-American tensions, while Senator Duckworth highlights the adverse impact of the administration's policies on veterans.

• Social Impact: The trade war and political instability lead to cultural repercussions, such as the rise of counterfeit luxury goods and strained international relations.

• Democratic Response: Senator Duckworth advocates for a focused Democratic approach to regain trust among disillusioned voters by addressing economic hardships and supporting veterans.

• Humor Amidst Tension: The episode effectively balances serious political discourse with humor, making complex geopolitical issues accessible and engaging for listeners.

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This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition offers a comprehensive and entertaining exploration of the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China, the internal political struggles affecting veterans, and the broader implications for American society and governance. Through a blend of satire and substantive interviews, the show provides listeners with both laughter and insightful commentary on pressing national issues.

Transcript

[Ronnie Chieng]

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, Ronnie.

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Ronnie Chang. We got so much to talk about tonight. TikTok is making offers you can't refuse. America makes Canada an offer. Is definitely refusing. And Trump and China are fighting so hard, they should just make out already. So let's get right into the latest developments in trade wars.

[Michael Kosta]

My favorite word.

[Ronnie Chieng]

My favorite word, tariff. It's been two weeks since Liberation Day, and we're in a full blown trade war with China with tariffs now at 145%, which means the trade war has officially moved from shower to grower. And some people are concerned about this trade war because they, like, want the economy to be, like, good or something. But you know what? Trump is not stressing about it. Yesterday, the White House press secretary reading a statement, she said president Trump dictated.

[Michael Kosta]

China needs to make a deal with us. We don't have to make a deal with them. There's no difference between China in any other country, except they are much larger.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah, that's. That's kind of a big difference, though. It's like saying, why should I be scared to fight the rock? He's just like any other person, except much larger. Yeah, that's the scary part. But I guess Trump's people must be confident that they can push China around because they're not just throwing around tariffs. That's throwing some shade.

[Michael Kosta]

Vice President J.D. vance is caught in a firestorm of his own making, calling the Chinese peasants.

[Ronnie Chieng]

To make it a little bit more.

Crystal clear, we borrow money from Chinese peasants to buy the things those Chinese peasants manufacture. That is not a recipe for economic prosperity. Oh, shit. He's really calling Chinese people peasants. Nobody likes to be called a peasant. Even legit peasants are like. Actually, I consider myself more of an agricultural entrepreneur, but yeah. JD Vance called the Chinese peasants peasants a couple weeks ago. And now that the news finally got to their villagers by donkey kart, they are pissed.

[Michael Kosta]

Tonight we are seeing China trading insults with The Vice President J.D. vance in the latest knock against President Trump's trade war.

[Ronnie Chieng]

That went so hard. Oh, no. Are we the drake in this bee? Are we the certified peasants? At the same time, though, saying, your 5000-year-old civilization doesn't intimidate Americans because half the people here don't even think the earth is that old. Also, let's just be real, okay? There's no way Americans are The peasants here. Do peasants have medical debt? Didn't think so. Checkmate China. But it's not just Chinese officials who are mad. China has extremely online losers just like our peasants. And they're mad, too. On China's tightly controlled Internet, government censors are allowing Vance's interview to go viral, amplifying the outrage, igniting anger and sarcasm. Look, this is their true face. Arrogant and rude as always. We may be peasants, but we have the world's best high speed rail, the most powerful logistics and leading AI and drone technologies. Aren't such peasants quite impressive? One hashtag about the Chinese peasants remark shot to the top of China's Twitter like platform Weibo. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, is that. Is that Michael Kosta? How did the third whitest host of the Daily show go viral in China before the Asian one? That's up. That's. That's. That's. That's the same triangle and everything. Wait, is China watching this? Oh, okay. Well, hey, thanks for watching this. Hi. I was just talking tough to China. But words are not China's only weapon in this trade war. They're also using, you know, trade.

China's retaliation now includes suspending exports of rare earth minerals and magnets to the United States. Those materials are essential to a number of American industries, including carmakers, aerospace manufacturers, and semiconductor producers.

[Michael Kosta]

China produces 90% of the world's rare earth minerals.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay, so rare earth metals are critical. Well, maybe we should have thought that before we launched a trade war against a country that had them all. I mean, where are we going to get our gadolinium now, huh? We're going to buy Congolese gadolinium? That shit's mid. What else are they hitting us with? China has reportedly told Chinese airlines to.

Stop buying parts from American companies. And it says it will no longer accept deliveries of Boeing jets.

Come on. You're not going to accept our Boeing jets? Well, good luck finding another plane with self crashing technology. Anything else? China could strike back in other ways.

[Michael Kosta]

Like urging Chinese students to study elsewhere.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Telling travel agents to steer tour groups.

[Michael Kosta]

Away from US Cities.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Oh, no. If Chinese students stop coming to the US who are Americans going to lose their spots to? Indians. Yeah, yeah, that'll work. Yeah, actually. Actually, yes, but look, Americans have to stay strong, okay? I don't want to hear any whining. Oh, no, China's not buying our made in America products. Well, suck it up, patriots. Certain industries are just gonna have to suffer. And that's how it is, because this is war.

[Michael Kosta]

China announced they're restricting imports of Hollywood movies to their country.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay. That this war has gone too far. Some of our finest, most likable Chinese Malaysian actors have built a career in Asian themed movies that depend on the Chinese market. All right? It's called. It's called crazy rich Asians. Not crazy. Just getting bi Asians. And don't for this affects you, too, China. If you ban American movies, how will you ever find out the ending to all these remakes of movies from decades ago? But as drastic as some of these trade policies are, they're nothing compared to the awesome power of Chinese propaganda. And luckily for China, we all have a Chinese propaganda app on our phones.

[Michael Kosta]

They're the videos seen by millions of Americans. Tiktokers claiming to work at Chinese factories.

[Ronnie Chieng]

That make high end products and offering.

[Michael Kosta]

To sell them directly to Americans for much much.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Che, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton. Do you like this bag or this? $2. $2. $2. $2. All in. $2. Yeah. Good news, honey. I am getting you that Gucci bag for your birthday. But forget about the designer products, because these tiktoks aren't just offering cheap Chanel bags. They're offering cheap everything. Do you want to buy laundry pots? Do you want laundry capsule? Do you want laundry beads? One pot costs only 5 cents. Just shipped customer scented candles to us for only $2.

[Michael Kosta]

Do you need a house?

[Ronnie Chieng]

We can build it for you in just 48 hours.

[Michael Kosta]

Place an order, and we will deliver it to a country.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Good news, honey. I am getting you that prefabricated house for Memorial Day. For more on the trade war, we go live to the White House with Troy Iwata. Okay, Troy, that's a lot of designer clothing. Mm. And I got it all for $8. Thank you. Trade war. Okay, Troy, please don't thank the trade war, Right? If tensions keep building, it could be economically devastating. Okay, I know, but the longer this trade war goes, the more incredible deals I'm finding on TikTok. So, personally, I think tensions could get like, 5 to 10% higher. Even a dumb peasant country like China could understand that. Okay, Troy. No, Troy, that's exactly the kind of talk that could escalate the trade war, okay? And I'm fine with that. Look, look, this is like 400 Tide pods, and it was 15 cents. I had to break a dollar. I have a lot of luxury clothes to wash, and these are extra nice, so I'm gonna wash them on extra hot with my towels. This could cause a global recession. All right, then we'll buy our way out of it. For the first time in our lives, we can get Hermes Scarves in bulk like all those dumb people in China. Those aren't real Hermes scarves. They're real if you believe Ronnie. Okay, but if everyone can afford to get them, are they even really luxury goods anymore? Uh, yeah, Socrates. Okay, just wait until Christmas. You'll change your tune once we're stuffing our stockings with Gucci. Aren't you Jewish? Not at these prices. Okay, look, this is still a huge risk, all right? Is it really worth a market crash just to get a washing machine for 20 bucks? A whole washing machine for $20? Okay, let me speak to China. Hmm. Zhango tou xiang ba ni de chang chun oibe. Uncle Sam's penis. Ya kwa? Damn, I nailed that. Troy, I speak Chinese. I have no idea what the you just said, all right? Do you need me to explain Uncle Sam to you or. A penis? Yeah, you know what? Get out of here. Troy. Troy. Water, everybody. When we come back, Michael Kosta visits our new estate. So don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. Donald Trump might be in the middle of a trade war, but we shouldn't forget his other wars. Michael Kosta checked in on them just to find out what's going on.

For decades, Canadians have been wasting away in a country known best of the world as America's hat. But that's all about to change.

Canada was meant to be the 51st state, just an artificial line that was.

[Michael Kosta]

Drawn in the sand or in the ice.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But not everyone's so sure about that. Meet Stephen Shane Bart, American political refugee.

Night that Trump was elected in 2016, I started looking into becoming a Canadian citizen. And I moved here in 2020 full time. Gave up my apartment in Brooklyn, moved to Toronto.

A lot of people said they were going to move to Canada when Trump won, and it's bullshit. But you actually did it.

So I wrote, I actually did it. Becoming Canadian because of Trump.

Is that the book where you admit that you killed O.J. s wife?

No, it's not the. No, it's not. I didn't. Hmm.

Exactly what O.J. said. And just like a white bronco chase cut short, Stevens worried his escape from America might have been a futile gesture. Just look at history.

Austria was the first country that Hitler took over when he was expanding, and it was very similar to Germany the way Canada is similar to the US and they just kind of absorbed it. And that was the beginning of Hitler's expansion.

If you think Trump's Hitler, then why would you move to America's neighbor? It's like, well, I'm going to ride this whole Hitler thing out over there in Poland.

I'm not saying at all that Trump is Hitler. He's not. But If Trump is 10% as bad as Hitler, that's bad enough.

Well, Stephen, Trump didn't want to invade Canada until you moved up here, so. Are you flattered in a way? No, no. You fled America, but America's coming and you can't stop a bulldozer. We're gonna take Canada. That'll be a 51st state. Then we'll go to Greenland. I think we should get Hawaii. That's nice over there.

That would be sweet to have Hawaii.

What are you gonna do, keep running away from it?

There's nowhere to go.

Well, of course Stephen hates this idea, but I bet everyday Canucks couldn't wait to trade in their free healthcare to join Team USA. How excited are you to be the 51st state of the United States?

Not.

Not that fired up about it. You need stronger language than that. We have guns. Can you look in that camera and tell Donald Trump how you feel about becoming the 51st state of the United States?

Come on. I mean, you're throwing a lot of words around, but I think, like, that's. Yeah, we know what you're doing. It's not gonna go anywhere.

That's the meanest you can get.

Yeah.

Maybe they just didn't know what they were missing. This is a bottle of our syrup.

That's not maple syrup. I don't know what.

There used to be a black woman on it, but that kind of became a whole thing.

We love our country. We really do.

Don't you want to dominate the Olympics?

We do dominate the Olympics.

I'm talking the summer Olympics, the one that people care about. This is what the new flag would be.

I don't know, man.

I thought the maple leaf was going to be with the stars, but I should have had this thing made in China. Canadians of all ages, races and species seemed united in their race. It's a good thing Kristi Noem isn't here. And this trade war is getting messier than a plate of poutine at a Celine Dion concert. Thousands of Canadian hockey fans booing our national anthem.

[Michael Kosta]

Liquor stores have removed American distilled alcohol from their shelves. Polls show 90% of Canadians do not want to be part of the United States.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But what about the other 10%? The silent majority, the most elite and intellectual Canadians take it. Different view. I'm just trying to make Canada.

Great. So let's make it the 51st state.

Finally a normal person.

You gotta make a stand. If you believe in what you believe, and I believe, and I want to become an American, I'm gonna do it.

I mean, just think about the possibilities. You could be sentenced to the death penalty. You could drive over a bridge not knowing if it's gonna collapse. Cheese coming out of a spray can.

I've never tried spray can cheese.

[Michael Kosta]

Right.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But I'm looking forward to it. And after living under Canada's jackboot, Josh is eager to speak his mind.

First Amendment right. Freedom of speech. Really like freedom of speech.

And the thing about the First Amendment is that that thing is ironclad. Yeah. I mean, unless you're a protester or a legal firm or a member of the media or a Democrat or a green card holder. But other than that.

Huh?

That's good. And in case you couldn't tell by the way he looks, there's another amendment that Josh is way more extreme excited to boot. So Canada doesn't have a second amendment.

We do have certain guns, but not.

[Michael Kosta]

The ones that we do in America.

[Ronnie Chieng]

The AR15. Right.

We can't have any guns that have over. I think it's five rounds.

Five rounds. That means that you can't even have a mass shooting.

Well, you know, you can't even mass.

[Michael Kosta]

Shoot at a deer. Right.

[Ronnie Chieng]

That's why American hunters are so good, because they can pop off 200 rounds in five seconds. You're going to hit something. This Quebecanon shaman was almost passing for an American, but there was just something that was off about him. Look at that. Get it, get it.

Let's go.

Like the Canadian dollar. It's closed, but just not quite there. What is Monopoly money. In fact, there was something off about this whole country.

The differences are subtle, but. But really significant. Like when I go get pizza, they ask me, you know, what kind of sauce I want on the pizza? If I want like sweet and sour sauce or chipotle sauce.

Wait, wait, wait. What the did you just say?

They give it to you and they say, what kind of sauce do you want on it? And I said, what do you mean? I'm from New York. We don't do that.

These bastards. Sweet and sour sauce on pizza? Not even Little Caesars would do a thing like that. Anyone know what they put on pizza in Greenland?

Thank you, Michael. When we come back, Senator Tammy Duckworth will be joining me on the show, so don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an Irish, Iraq war hero and Purple Heart recipient who currently represents Illinois in the U.S. senate. Please welcome Senator Tammy Duckworth. Thanks for coming on the show.

[Michael Kosta]

Thank you.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Oh, wow. Go.

[Michael Kosta]

Having fun?

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah. Well, man, a huge cheer for Illinois and New York. That's tough. Yeah. Senator, you're a war hero. You served in Iraq. You sacrificed so much for your country, but you're also a Democrat. Why do you hate America?

[Michael Kosta]

I actually love America so much. You know, maybe we have too much liberty and freedom. I don't know. That seems to be what this administration thinks.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah. Like, you were a war veteran and then you decided to go to Congress.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

I mean, what was harder? The war Congress. I mean, it seems very tough.

[Michael Kosta]

They gave me body armor and bullets when I went to war, so I think Congress is harder.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But you're in it.

[Michael Kosta]

I'm in it.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You're in it right now.

[Michael Kosta]

I'm in it.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah. You used to fly missions in Iraq.

[Michael Kosta]

I did.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You were a helicopter.

[Michael Kosta]

I was a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. Loved it.

[Ronnie Chieng]

It's badass. That's.

[Michael Kosta]

That's amazing.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah, it's badass. And you decided to run for Congress and you won.

[Michael Kosta]

I did. I was pissed off that we were not taking care of our veterans, so I decided to run.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah. And so how are we treating our veterans?

[Michael Kosta]

Well, we were doing really well until Trump decided to fire 6,000 of them from their federal jobs in the last three months.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah. And why did he do that?

[Michael Kosta]

Well, you know, I guess this is a guy who hugs the flag, says he loves America, but then fires 6,000 veterans. I don't think he cares about us.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah. So what, like, what was the. Would he give any reason for firing that?

[Michael Kosta]

There is no reason. It's part of their cuts across federal government. Veterans after they serve in the military tend to want to serve the country, continuing to.

[Ronnie Chieng]

And as civil servants.

[Michael Kosta]

As civil servants. So 30% of the federal workforce are veterans. And so this president has fired more veterans than any other veterans than any other president in modern history. Okay, 6,000 and counting.

[Ronnie Chieng]

And how is that? How is that? Okay, we get it. All right? They don't like it, and that's that. Specifically, was it Doge or was it something else?

[Michael Kosta]

There was Doge's across the board cuts. When you fire this many federal employees, you're going to lose that many veterans. But Doge has also come out and they've announced they want to cut 80,000 personnel just from the Department of Veterans Affairs. That's their next target.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But. Okay. And that, I don't know Are these people, they can lose, or is it going to run fine? Is it running fine now? What's the situation in the veterans affair?

[Michael Kosta]

It was getting better. We passed the PACT act, which was bipartisan, which basically signed up a million more veterans who were exposed to cancer causing toxic smoke from burn pits. They're finally getting the care that they need, and now we have those folks on board, and now they're going to fire all the people who take care of those folks.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay. And so I'm pissed. Okay. Can anyone stop this or.

[Michael Kosta]

Well, we can try to stop them. We are fighting them every step of the way. In my case, I've been able to get some veterans their jobs back. They fired veterans from the Veterans Crisis Hotline. These are people who answered the phone when a veteran is contemplating suicide. They pick up the phone and they get an answer within eight seconds, or at least they used to. And so some of the folks who work in that hotline were fired, and they reached out to me, and we were able to get them their jobs back. So we are fighting back.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Like, one at a time. So there's.

[Michael Kosta]

There's probably one at a time.

[Ronnie Chieng]

So there's. There's jobs that were lost, but then there's overall, just like veteran health care, right?

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah. They've had to cancel operations. The spouses, the family members of disabled veterans are not getting support through their hotline. Appointments are being canceled or now they're having to wait even longer. We were just turning the corner. We were actually reducing the number of homeless veterans. We were just adding more veterans, getting more benefits. But remember, this is a president who says people who are wounded or died for this country in uniform are all losers and suckers. He doesn't care about us.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay? So just to. Just to put it out there, this is also a guy who arguably a lot of veterans would also vote for at the time. So how do you reconcile that? I mean.

[Michael Kosta]

Well, I think what they bought was this rhetoric from him that he was going to, you know, he wants to make America great, strong, and powerful, and yet all he's done is made us weaker, sicker, and less secure.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay. So, yeah. So, I mean, I guess the relevant question is, do you think it's changing the opinion of the people who voted for him?

[Michael Kosta]

Oh, definitely. Have you seen what's been happening at these Republican town halls where people across the country are showing up in town halls and saying, what are you doing to our veterans? I'm a veteran. Why did you cut my benefits? I had a veteran reach out to me from Tennessee because he was declared dead and didn't get his regular checks.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Was he dead?

[Michael Kosta]

He didn't reach out to me through a Ouija board. He actually reached out to me.

[Ronnie Chieng]

But again, the question is, okay, so we all have, obviously, what kind of preaching to acquire here. Obviously, the people who didn't like. Who didn't want to vote for his president, still, we maintain that we shouldn't have voted for this guy. The question is, what about the veterans, specifically? Because you're more in touch with that community.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah.

[Ronnie Chieng]

When do you feel that there is a change in sentiment that was previously overwhelmingly in his favor? Do you think it's changing a bit, or is it still very much? No, he's doing the right thing. We don't see a problem. The issues are exaggerated. I mean, is that.

[Michael Kosta]

I think it's changing. I think there's two things that are happening. One, the fact that he is basically kissing Vladimir Putin's.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You can say it.

[Michael Kosta]

You know, means that these are people who spent their entire military careers getting ready to oppose Russia, and now they see the commander in chief basically doing whatever Putin wants him to do. So that is changing the sentiment. The other thing that's happening is all of this rhetoric against women serving, against LGBTQ veterans serving. People forget that there's been a generational change within the military. Gen Xers are now the old people. Millennials are now the upper management, and they've only ever served.

[Ronnie Chieng]

And we're happy to be here now. It's finally the alternative.

[Michael Kosta]

They're now the field. Great.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Sick of these Gen X people. Yeah, I'm Gen X. Yeah.

[Michael Kosta]

Okay. No, so millennials are. Millennials are now the majors. Colonels. They're now.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Wait, they're colonels now?

[Michael Kosta]

They're now colonels.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Oh, way to go.

[Michael Kosta]

Right. They're now sergeants. Majors. You know, they're now higher ranking. And so.

[Ronnie Chieng]

No, you say this, but then it's like.

[Michael Kosta]

But they.

[Ronnie Chieng]

He kind of said what he was going to do before he ran. Pete Hegseth was Pete Hegseth before he got appointed against, you know, women in military. They still won. So my question is, is anything that's happened changing the sentiment?

[Michael Kosta]

It is, because I think a lot of them didn't believe that that was what was going to happen. And they saw the reality of the fact that the military cannot do its job without women in service. The military cannot truly do its job without diversity in the force, where people can speak different languages around the world. You want soldiers who can speak Swahili without forces in Africa. You want soldiers that can speak all the different languages. And so the millennials have only ever been in the military where there was equal service with women and lgbt.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You're saying that white people can't speak Swahili?

[Michael Kosta]

Well, you know, but you want native speakers, right? You want more diversity. You want that, you know, diversity, inclusion is a good thing. You want people who have those backgrounds. You want somebody like me who speaks Thai and Indonesian to be able to go in and speak those local languages. And we also have people in charge of the military now, the millennial generation who have only ever served equally without don't ask, don't tell. So they know the lie behind, oh, LGBTQ people are not good for the military. Well, no, they know that we've always served equally. We can't go to war without each other.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay. I mean, that's. That deserves an applause. That's a nice sentiment. I hope you're right, because we cover the news every day here, and I just feel like nothing changes. Moves the needle either way. I do a lot of jujitsu. All the jiu jitsu guys are like. Like a lot of veteran, veteran people. So I'm not connected to that community at all. Let me just say the ones I have met are very maga, so I don't know how a lot of them.

[Michael Kosta]

Are very maga, but they're seeing the reality behind the betrayal, and they're seeing what's happening to veterans with the cuts at the VA they're also seeing what is happening with Trump bowing down to Putin. Just watch those town halls. A lot of them revolve around people standing up and saying, what are you doing for our national security?

[Ronnie Chieng]

Right. And on the subject of dei. So another thing you've recently had to. You were on the front lines of hiring because they had to. You were in the Senate when people had to get confirmed, and so you were part of the committees, had to have hearings on who to confirm. And so I guess you're kind of on the front lines of this. Like, I don't know what you want to call this. A backlash against dei, towards meritocracy. And you were. You had to basically appoint. Approve the Secretary of defense.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, I voted against him. He's the least qualified Secretary of defense in our nation's history. The least qualified.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Just give him a chance.

[Michael Kosta]

Give him a chance. This is the least.

[Ronnie Chieng]

What do you not like about this guy?

[Michael Kosta]

Well, let's see. The largest budget he ever was in charge of was something like $13 million, and he screwed that up. So badly they had to bring in forensic accountants to figure out what he did wrong. And now he's in charge of an $825 billion budget. You're talking about a guy who used signal chat to plan, you know, a strike. Right, A military strike.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Right, exactly, exactly.

[Michael Kosta]

Who basically put in an unsecured channel 30 minutes after the drones hit our F18s would be on target. Basically telling the bad guys this is where those F18s are going to be and exactly what time he put those pilots lives in danger. He does not deserve to be the Secretary of Defense.

[Ronnie Chieng]

You've never planned an outing with group chat before trying to get people on campaign.

[Michael Kosta]

I never planned an outing for the military involving weapons of war.

[Ronnie Chieng]

So what do you say to the people who are like, who think that the DEI thing in the military is inappropriate if you can't use DEI categories in the military for hiring?

[Michael Kosta]

What I say is, that's not true. It never was. This is a fake argument on their side because it was never done. Remember that this president fired a Secretary of Defense who was a pilot, highly decorated, 40 years of experience, commanded major units, and replaced him with a guy who was a platoon leader, who had never run a budget larger than $10 million, and who couldn't even mention parts of the world, you know, where the US has huge troop presence, who didn't understand where the nations of ASEAN were, for crying out loud. And this is the guy that's going to be in charge of our nuclear submarines, that transition, that. Those sea lanes. Are you kidding me?

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay, so he got confirmed, though.

[Michael Kosta]

He got confirmed. Party line vote.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Party line vote.

[Michael Kosta]

And I guess a couple people crossed party line, but not enough.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Oh, okay. So that brings me to the next question. I mean, you're actually on the front lines of Congress. Yeah, you have to talk to Republican congressmen all the time, like, what is it in Congress? Are people. Are people. Are your colleagues, Republican colleagues? Are they seeing the same reality behind closed doors and telling you, like, hey, listen, I know this is crazy, but whatever. Or are they. Are they. Are they drinking. Are they true believers drinking a Kool Aid? What's happening in there?

[Michael Kosta]

I think the Republicans who are willing to stand up to him were the ones from the first term. They're not back. Right. And so the ones that are there are becoming invertebrates. They've lost their backbones and they're hiding in their shells.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay?

[Michael Kosta]

This is where they are. They just roll over for this president. They, you know.

[Ronnie Chieng]

No. Are they true believers or are they, you know what I mean, no, they're.

[Michael Kosta]

Worried about their own reelection. And at a certain point, you need to say, you know what? Come at me, go ahead and primary me. My country is more important than this job.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Right.

[Michael Kosta]

And, and unfortunately, most of my Republican colleagues don't think that they're not acting in that way.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Sure. So, I mean, you know, again, you have been, you've always kind of, I think you've always, you've kind of led with integrity. Your voice, stood by your word. Yours.

[Michael Kosta]

I. True.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah. How do you. The Democrats, like, have lost a lot in the last. They don't control any branch of government. They don't control the popular vote. They don't have any cultural momentum. So clearly they were doing something wrong. Like, what is, what should they be doing? Like, what, what message isn't getting through here?

[Michael Kosta]

You know, I think the message that, that's not getting through here. What Trump did was he spoke to a group of Americans who were disaffected, who really felt that this country was leaving them behind. And he made these promises. And a lot of people were watching the reality TV show. And I get from a lot of people, it's like, oh, I voted for him, but I didn't think he was going to come after me. I didn't think he was going to deport my wife. I didn't think that he was going to cut funding to my kids public school.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Because he said specifically he was going to deport that guy's wife.

[Michael Kosta]

Well, no, no, because he said he was going to do all of these things, right?

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah.

[Michael Kosta]

He said he was going to cut the Department of Education. You know, people were saying, well, yeah, but we didn't think he was going to go after my special needs kids funding. Right. They just thought that it was all an act.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Sure.

[Michael Kosta]

And it's not. And it's not. And now people are being fired, they're losing their jobs. They're seeing the reality of where we are with their, with the economy tanking, with us less safe than we were before, and they're realizing, oh, I made a mistake. This is why you're seeing people talk about, I voted for him, but I wish I hadn't. I made a mistake. And what Democrats need to do is talk to all of those people and say, you know, Illinois, where I'm from, is 102 counties. Only six are blue, 96 are red. And I go into the red parts of my county and I of my state, and I say, listen, it's about loving this country. It's about putting America first. It's not about a guy who hugs the flag and then shits on America by starting trade wars and cutting funding for veterans. That's not what this is about. This is about making sure that we support our farmers who grow the food that we eat. A country that can't feed itself, it's not a country that can defend itself. This is about making sure that our male veterans have the services that they earn. This is about making sure our military has capable, competent leadership who knows better than to plan war plans on group chat, unsecured group chat. This is about putting America before yourself. And this president has never. And Democrats need to start talking to the heartland and talking to people and saying, we are here to fight for you and we're going to fight for you every step of the way. And that's why you're seeing folks like me getting out there, especially from the Midwest, talking about industrial America, about what we need to do to regrow our economy and what we need to do to stand up to this president to make sure that we make those investments in this country and not in the oligarchy billionaires that he surrounded himself with, because that's all they care about themselves.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Sure. Do you think that message is coming across?

[Michael Kosta]

I think it is. You know, when I talk to the ag sector, for example, they've seen body blows after body blows. Farmers tended to vote for Trump. But when I go to talk to them, they're like, well, these tariffs are killing. I'm not going to be able to hand my family farm off from my generation to the next generation. I'm the seventh generation. There will not be an eighth generation. The tariffs are going to hurt me. John Deere is losing jobs because the steel coming from Canada is now going to be more expensive. And so they're seeing the difference. And we need to just continue to pull those people together and let people understand that the way that we make America great, greater than she already is, is to come together and work together, not by dividing us, which is what this president is trying to do.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay. Well, I hope you're right. Senator, thank you. Thank you so much for coming to speak to me.

[Michael Kosta]

My pleasure.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Thank you for serving your country. Thanks for serving with integrity. And thanks for representing Asian people and Southeast Asian people in America. I really appreciate it. Thank you, Taylor. Tammy Duckworth, everybody. We're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back after this. That's our show for the night. Now here it is, your moment of zed.

[Michael Kosta]

You have all heard of the five second rule, right?

[Ronnie Chieng]

Let's put it to the test, shall we?

[Michael Kosta]

Oh, right now.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Banana from the green room.

[Michael Kosta]

Here it go.

[Ronnie Chieng]

Two, three, stop. Know what that is? The bottom of our shoes.

[Michael Kosta]

Walk around New York City? No?

[Ronnie Chieng]

Okay.

[Michael Kosta]

Should we go ahead and call out sick form next week?

[Ronnie Chieng]

Yeah. Explore more shows from the Daily show.

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