DOJ Erases Epstein & Netanyahu Kisses Trump's Ass With Peace Prize Nom | Author Michael Luo

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition – "DOJ Erases Epstein & Netanyahu Kisses Trump's Ass With Peace Prize Nom"

Release Date: July 9, 2025
Host/Authors: iHeartPodcasts and Paramount Podcasts
Guest: Michael Kosta (Executive Editor, The New Yorker & Author of "Strangers in Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America")

---

Introduction

In this episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, hosted by the comedic duo Ronny Chieng and Ryan Check, the team delves into a mix of current events and insightful discussions. The episode covers significant headlines, including the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) policy changes, former President Donald Trump's interactions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, developments surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's case, and ongoing trade tensions spearheaded by Trump. The episode culminates with an in-depth interview with Michael Kosta, who shares insights from his latest book on the history and struggles of Chinese Americans.

---

TSA Policy Change: Shoes Off No More

Timestamp: [00:13] – [01:28]

The episode opens with Ronny Chieng humorously addressing the recent decision by the TSA to cease the mandatory removal of shoes at security checkpoints. Highlighting public frustration with the previous policy, Chieng quips:

"Just like Asians when white people visit. Just take your shoes off, you barbarians." ([01:28])

He further satirizes the scenario by mocking the motivations behind the policy change, suggesting it's a response to outdated security threats.

---

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu's Dinner

Timestamp: [01:28] – [03:27]

Transitioning to international politics, Chieng discusses former President Donald Trump's dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The centerpiece of this meeting was Netanyahu's letter nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump reacts with surprise and gratitude:

"Thank you very much. This I didn't know. Well, thank you very much coming from you in Particular, this is very meaningful." ([03:04])

Chieng humorously critiques the sincerity and potential motivations behind the nomination, implying it may be a strategic move to secure continued military aid for Israel.

---

Jeffrey Epstein Case: DOJ's Controversial Stance

Timestamp: [03:27] – [10:30]

One of the most contentious topics covered is the Department of Justice's (DOJ) announcement regarding Jeffrey Epstein. Initially, there were suggestions of a high-profile client list and mysterious circumstances surrounding Epstein's death. However, the DOJ later claims:

"Jeffrey Epstein did not have a client list. He did not get murdered in prison. He actually never even existed." ([08:08])

Chieng expresses skepticism and frustration with the DOJ's contradictory statements, leading to a series of comedic exchanges questioning the validity of the information. The segment satirizes conspiracy theories and the public's distrust in governmental transparency.

Notable Moments:

• Missing Surveillance Footage:
  The DOJ released footage purportedly showing the view from Epstein's cell, yet a crucial minute appears to be missing:

  "What is going on here? Why would they edit out 61 seconds?" ([06:18])

• Trump's Dismissive Response:
  When pressed by Chieng about the Epstein case, Trump downplays its significance:

  "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years. Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable." ([06:37])

The segment concludes with the host doubling down on the lack of transparency, mocking the DOJ's handling of the case.

---

Trade War and Trump's Tariff Strategy

Timestamp: [10:30] – [15:50]

The discussion shifts to the ongoing trade war, highlighting President Trump's unilateral imposition of tariffs on various countries. Chieng critiques Trump's strategy of sending threatening letters to world leaders instead of engaging in negotiations:

"He's imposing tariffs on you starting tomorrow unless you say no. Then it's August 1st. I'm not firm." ([14:31])

Key Points:

• Delayed Tariffs: Originally set to take effect immediately, the tariffs were postponed to August 1st, only for Trump to later state they are "firm, but not 100% firm." ([12:13])

• Treasury Secretary's Defense: Treasury Secretary Besant attempts to clarify the administration's stance, but Chieng dismisses the explanation, emphasizing the lack of genuine negotiation.

The segment lampoons the inefficacy and confusion surrounding the trade policies, underscoring the unpredictable nature of Trump's decision-making.

---

Interview with Michael Kosta: Exploring Asian American History

Timestamp: [15:50] – [32:43]

The latter part of the episode features an in-depth interview with Michael Kosta, executive editor at The New Yorker and author of "Strangers in Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America." The conversation delves into the historical challenges faced by Chinese Americans and the broader implications for immigrant groups in the United States.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Historical Injustices:

   • Mass Lynching in Los Angeles (1871):
     Kosta highlights the tragic event where 19 Chinese individuals were killed, with 18 lynched, underscoring the severe racial violence of the era.

   • The "Driving Out" Period (1885-1886):
     Approximately 200 American western communities violently expelled Chinese residents, reflecting systemic efforts to marginalize and remove Asian populations.

2. Legal Landmarks:

   • Wong Kim Ark Case:
     Kosta discusses the landmark Supreme Court case affirming birthright citizenship, a pivotal moment ensuring that individuals born in the U.S. are recognized as citizens regardless of their parents' nationality.

3. Contemporary Relevance:

   • Racial Abuse and Solidarity:
     Drawing parallels between historical prejudices and modern-day discrimination, Kosta emphasizes the importance of understanding history to foster empathy and unity among diverse communities.

4. Personal Motivations:

   • Catalyst Incident:
     Kosta recounts a personal experience where a woman told him to "go back to China," inspiring him to write about the pervasive sense of otherness felt by Asian Americans.

Notable Quotes:

• "This history goes back more than a century and it's part of the American story." ([18:03])
• "There were no federal laws regulating immigration until the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882." ([23:51])
• "The feeling of belonging remains elusive. The question is, how are we going to get there?" ([31:39])

Conclusion of Interview:

Kosta emphasizes the resilience of Chinese Americans and the significance of representation and storytelling in achieving true belonging and equality. He dedicates his book to his daughters, hoping for a future where they find their rightful place in America.

---

Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, Ronny Chieng commends Michael Kosta for shedding light on often-overlooked aspects of American history, stressing the necessity of acknowledging and learning from the past to build a more inclusive future.

---

Final Thoughts

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition masterfully blends humor with serious discourse, addressing pressing societal issues while providing historical context. By featuring Michael Kosta's insights, the show not only entertains but also educates listeners on the nuanced experiences of Asian Americans, emphasizing the enduring impact of history on present-day dynamics.

---

For more episodes, listen and subscribe to The Daily Show: Ears Edition on your preferred podcast platform. Watch the show weeknights on Comedy Central at 11/10c or stream it on Paramount+.

Transcript

[Announcer]

You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is the Daily show with your host, Ronnie Tank. Oh, my go. Welcome to Daily Show. I'm Ryan Check. We got so much to talk about tonight. The TSA ends its foot fetish. The trade war gets semi erect. And great news, pedophiles, the Epstein list doesn't exist. Party tonight at Chuck E. Cheese. So let's get into the headlines. Let's kick things off with today's biggest news. Because I know a lot of people out here always like, oh, the news is so awful. Everything is terrible. I hate fascism. Do something. Well, stop whining, okay? Because finally there's some great news for America.

[News Correspondent]

A senior government official says the TSA will no longer require travelers to take off their shoes at security checkpoints.

[Ronny Chieng]

All right. Tsa. Tsa. Tsa. Tsa. Tsa. Tsa.

[Donald Trump]

Tsa.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sorry. People are. People will cheer anything. Yes, the TSA finally got fed up with yelling at people to take their shoes off. Just like Asians when white people visit. Just take your shoes off, you barbarians. Okay, there is no argument for shoes in the house. There's feces on the sidewalk anyway, ending this policy is long overdue. It's 2025. Terrorists don't crash airplanes anymore, okay? Boeing crashes airplanes now. The only people this is not good for is illeg like me who and I don't want to brag here, have pre check. What benefits do I still have over you pleads because I pay to keep my shoes on. And now what? Everyone else is just keeping their shoes on for free? So what the am I paying for? I should be allowed to wear two pairs of shoes and have a loaded gun or four ounces of liquid. Okay, give me something. Okay, that's enough good news. Let's move on to Donald Trump. Yesterday he had a dinner with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister and Kosher Thanos. And you know how whenever a world leader visits Trump and they have to butter him up with a special surprise? Well, Bibi went all out at the White House.

[News Correspondent]

Last night, the President hosted a dinner for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Prime Minister gave him a letter nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

[Announcer]

I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize Committee. It's nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well deserved and you should get it.

[Donald Trump]

Thank you very much. This I didn't know. Well, thank you very much coming from you in Particular, this is very meaningful.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes, Peace Prize nomination from Netanyahu is very meaningful. Right up there with a Husband of the year nomination from OG. But, Mr. Mr. Netanyahu, let me tell you something. If you think you can get Trump to keep sending military aid to Israel by sucking up to him, well, guess what? You can expect that money in your bank account by close of business. Let's move on to the last bipartisan issue in America. What happened to Jeffrey Epstein. We've all been waiting for years for more details to come out about his crimes and his mysterious death. And now that Trump's in office and he said he'll release that information, we can finally get some answers.

[Donald Trump]

The DOJ says its case closed on.

[Announcer]

Jeffrey Epstein's alleged client list and his death.

[Michael Kosta]

After months of promising the public release.

[News Correspondent]

Of the Jeffrey Epstein client list, the Justice Department and the FBI now saying.

[Michael Kosta]

The client list doesn't exist.

[News Correspondent]

The DOJ says it will not be releasing any more material from the case files.

[Ronny Chieng]

What? That's it? You're just not gonna release any more information? I've never been ghosted by conspiracy before. I mean, this is crazy. I could have sworn that someone said there was an Epstein client list. Who was that?

[Announcer]

The DOJ may be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients.

[Ronny Chieng]

Will that really happen?

[News Correspondent]

It's sitting on my desk right now to review.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, yeah. The Attorney General of the United States said the client list was on her desk. Let me guess, your desk also hung itself. Pam Bondi was supposed to release the pedophile list. If we wanted an Attorney General to cover up sex crimes, we would have stuck with Matt Gaetz. Okay, at this point, it's like the only way we can learn about who is a certified pedophile is if Kendrick Lamar makes a song about them. Look, I don't know what to believe anymore. Okay, can you. Can you just declassify something?

[News Correspondent]

The Justice Department also releasing more than 10 hours of purported footage which they say supports the medical examiners finding Epstein died by suicide while in custody in 20. The video allegedly shows the view from across Epstein's cell door in a Manhattan prison, indicating no one entered the area the night he died.

[Ronny Chieng]

Is that background music to that? Finally, some transparency from this administration. Conclusive evidence that leaves no room for debate.

[News Correspondent]

The release of that surveillance video has fueled some conspiracies itself. There appears to be a missing minute at midnight.

[Announcer]

It's very interesting that at the 11:50, 58 mark and 58 second, the video jumps to 12:00 clock and is missing a full 61 seconds.

[Ronny Chieng]

What is going on here? Why would they edit out 61 seconds? Was Epstein listening to a Beatles song and the government couldn't get the rights to it? And if that wasn't suspicious enough, when Trump was asked about it in his Cabinet meeting today, he was over it.

[Donald Trump]

Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years. Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Why are you guys obsessed with the suspicious death of my best friend in a federal prison when I was president, right before he was gonna be on trial for sex trafficking? It's so boring. But, yeah, Epstein is old news. Trump is not gonna use up his precious cabinet meeting time talking about somebody years and years ago.

[Donald Trump]

That's a gentleman named, and we call him President Polk. He was sort of a real estate guy. Too late. Like two tall germs for the Dallas Cowboys. Over there is Arnold Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Remember when Bill Clinton had it and he rented it out to people? Teddy Roosevelt went out, and then you have Dwight Eisenhower, who was a very underrated president. Built the interstate. Quincy Adams, Mrs. Adams. They were the first. Have you ever seen John Lovitz the Liar, where he go.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, yeah, I. I guess I can see why you didn't have any time to talk about Jeffrey Epstein. Uh, for more on this sudden ending to the Epstein case, let's go live to the Justice Department with Michael Kosta. Michael. Michael. There are so many questions left to answer.

[Announcer]

Not at all, Ronny. I spoke to top Justice Department officials, and trust me when I say that there's no story here. Jeffrey Epstein did not have a client list. He did not get murdered in prison. He actually never even existed. Albeit the Dave and Busters down the street. See you later, Ronnie. Thanks, buddy.

[Ronny Chieng]

Wait, wait, wait. Costa. Hold on. Wait. Can you elaborate?

[Announcer]

I'd be happy to elaborate. I own the high score on Buck Hunter. That's a game at Dave and Buster's, which is an adult arcade that I go to.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, no, no, not that. I mean, they can't just say Jeffrey Epstein didn't exist. We all saw photos of him.

[Announcer]

We think we did, but it was just one of those collective false memories. It's like how many Americans believe there was a movie starring Shaquille o' Neal called Shazam. But guess what? There never was a Shaquille o', Neal, and there's no Jeffrey Epstein. See you at Busters.

[Ronny Chieng]

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Then whose client list did Pam Bondi have on her desk?

[Announcer]

That was all A misunderstanding. It looked like a client list. But you know what it was? It was actually just a list of an old Buzzfeed list Of the top 10 Pokemon most likely to help you jump start your car. You want to talk scandal, they only have Squirtle at number seven. What is.

[Ronny Chieng]

Michael, how can you believe all this?

[Announcer]

Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie. Let me. Let me. Let me ask you a question. Do you really think there's a cabal of millionaires out there who have the. And force the President of the United States to cover it up?

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, when you say it out loud like that. Yeah, I do. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

[Announcer]

And I do, too.

[Michael Kosta]

All right?

[Announcer]

And I want that cabal to know that I'm just a guy with a high scoring buck hunter who's happy with whatever explanation they want me to believe. I'm good.

[Ronny Chieng]

I'm good. So that's it then? We're just gonna move on?

[Announcer]

Ronnie, Ronnie. There's so many other juicy scandals out there. Have you seen this newly released Diddy client list? Let's check out the names on. Holy shit. You know what? Turns out this list actually never existed.

[Ronny Chieng]

God damn it. Michael Costa, everyone. When we come back, we'll find out who's gonna win this trade war. So don'. Welcome back to the Daily Show. The stock market is crashing, which means Donald Trump is talking about terrorists again. Let's get into it with another installment of trade wars.

[Donald Trump]

My favorite word. My favorite word. Tariffs.

[Ronny Chieng]

Last April, Donald Trump imposed brutal terrorists on every country in the world because he doesn't give a. But then the economy crashed, and it turns out he does give a. So he delayed the terrorists 90 days. But tomorrow, those 90 days are up.

[News Correspondent]

This morning, President Trump threatening steep tariffs on America's trading partners, sending letters to more than a dozen world leaders.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's right. He typed out letters old school in shopee. The tariffs hit tomorrow and there's no pushing it back this time.

[News Correspondent]

Those tariffs were scheduled to go into effect tomorrow, but the president pushing it back until August 1st.

[Ronny Chieng]

All right, we're pushing it back one more time, but August 1st. Is it right?

[Michael Kosta]

Is the August 1st deadline firm now, is that it?

[Ronny Chieng]

Or could you move it again?

[Donald Trump]

No, I would say firm.

[Ronny Chieng]

Firm. August 1st is 100% firm.

[Donald Trump]

I would say firm, but not 100% firm.

[Ronny Chieng]

Do you need a pill for that? Because they make a pill for that. Seriously, What. What the. I don't know what the terrors are anyway. Just give us a number. Also, speaking of firm lines, can you just please blend your makeup A little bit better. All right, just look. Look at this. He does his makeup the same way Mrs. Doubtfire does. Hello. Now, you might be wondering why Trump is sending letters instead of making trade deals with these countries. Luckily, Treasury Secretary Besant went on the news to clarify.

[News Correspondent]

The President has a reputation, self described dealmaker. So why haven't we seen the kind of deals that he promised in the last 90 days?

[Ronny Chieng]

Days?

[Michael Kosta]

When we send out the hundred letters to these countries that will set their tariff rate. So we're going to have 100 done in the next few days.

[News Correspondent]

And that's not a deal, that's a threat.

[Michael Kosta]

No, that's the level that. That's the deal.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, I see. First of all, a letter. A letter is not a deal. It's a letter. Second, could we give the Treasury Secretary a seat with. With a little more dignity? Something. Something that doesn't look like he's in a high chair, Maybe like, hey, here comes another question for you. Wee. I guess there's not gonna be any deals. Trump is just gonna send letters to all the world leaders announcing what their tariff rate is gonna be. And he definitely knows all these leaders by name.

[Donald Trump]

I'm going to send letters. That's the end of the trade deal. I could send one to Japan. Dear Mr. Japan, here's the story.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's right. Dear Mr. Japan, I'm imposing tariffs on you starting tomorrow unless you say no. Then it's August 1st. I'm not firm. Sincerely, Mr. America, aka Mrs. Doubtfire. When we come back, Michael Lowell will be joining me on the show, so don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an executive editor, the New Yorker and author of the new book, Strangers in Exclusion, Belonging, and the Epic Story of the Chinese in America. Please welcome Michael Loh. Hey, wait. Give your standing ovation for the writers. Yeah, applaud the writers. We need to applaud the writers more.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah. We love readers. We need people to read.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Speaking of reading, do you like these flags I put in your book to make it look like I read this?

[Michael Kosta]

That is.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. I chose different colors, too.

[Michael Kosta]

You read it. You read it or your producers read it?

[Ronny Chieng]

No, I read it. It was great. This book is great because it's about the history of Asians in America, and there's something for everyone. If you like Asians, you learn a lot about Asian history. And if you don't like Asians, boy, you'll love this book. There's tons of horrible shit happens to Asian people in this book, so. So, man, I didn't know there was so much horrible shit that happened here to Asians.

[Michael Kosta]

There a lot of bad stuff. There's a lot of violence.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Why do you not know about this?

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, that's actually why I wrote the book. This history goes back more than a century and it's part of the American story. There's the worst mass lynching in America actually happened in Los Angeles in 1871. 19 men were killed, 18 of them lynched, and they were Chinese. It was not black Americans. There was this horrific period that I'm sure very few people in the audience have heard of called the driving out. This period, 1885, 1886, where dozens of communities, nearly 200 communities, the American west violently physically expelled the Chinese from their communities. And yeah, we do. I didn't know this history before I wrote this book.

[Ronny Chieng]

This turning out period continues till today.

[Michael Kosta]

Driving out. I mean, I thought I was publishing this book into a second Biden administration and it would be kind of a relatively sedate time for this book to come out. But it came out in a second Trump administration and I feel the resonance of it every single day.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. Unfortunately. So this, I want to get to the kind of lessons in history. But I mean, again, you know, you touch on some highlights of this book, some pretty awful highlights. I mean, you know, it's almost like a who's who of horrible stuff that happened to Chinese people. But like again, why do you think we don't know about this stuff?

[Michael Kosta]

Well, I mean, I think history is written by the powerful and the powerless are often left out of history. Historians talk about the archives and what is left behind and whose stories are left behind. And the sad thing is, and the tricky thing is there aren't very many Chinese voices archives. You have to really hunt for it. This book starts in the gold rush and I compare it to sifting for gold. When you read through the documents from the past, you have to look hard to bring out those voices.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure. What is really cool is you tell it through this kind of narrative of people. So it is actually not all just awful stuff. No, not at all.

[Michael Kosta]

Not at all. Not at all. There's an uplifting, I think of it as writers talk about a three act structure and where there's a protagonist who confronts a conflict and there's this kind of rising tension and complications and then there's usually some sort of resolution and you know, in the sort of feel good things is when they kind of overcome. And you know, the heart of this book is this violence and bigotry. That the Chinese in America experienced in the 19th century, but the Chinese persisted. Obviously, you and I are sitting here and talking and we're part of that story and it really is a story of resilience.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure. And I mean, you talked about the digging for gold and that's really. What's really cool here is that you did dig for gold. There's photos of people you managed to find who lost the history, but you managed to find their photos and maybe tell a fragment of. Of what happened.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I mean, a little example of. We mentioned the Chinese massacre in Los Angeles. You know, there were 19 people who were killed and I think it's so important to say their names and so we can know who they are and tell their stories. And you know, we know their names because they were coroner's reports and things like that. But you're trying to build a story. And there was this herbalist, a doctor who, named Jean Tong, who, who was one of the most well known Chinese figures in Los Angeles. And I tried to build that chapter around his story. And one of the, just one little detail, just shows how we do our work is there was, he was killed, he was lynched. And afterwards a reporter went through his apartment which had been torn apart, and there was blood everywhere and his possessions everywhere. And there was a pet poodle. He had a pet poodle that him and his wife kept in their house that was under this table with a broken leg and whimpering. And I just thought that detail was so humanizing because that's. In the end, what we need to be able to do is to move past the level of abstraction and see these people as humans.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure. Is there anyone in this book who didn't get lynched?

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, there are a lot of people.

[Ronny Chieng]

Who didn't get lynched. What's some contribution to America that you can.

[Michael Kosta]

Well, I mean, the name Wong Kim Ark, I hope is familiar to folks. His name has been the news. He was born in the United States and Exclusion Act. So he was born in San Francisco. And the Supreme Court, through his case, when he went back to China and when he tried to come back in, they tried to deny his right to land. And, and he said, I'm an American citizen, I was born in the United States. And what they were trying to do at that point is what Trump is trying to do right now is saying, no, they acknowledge that he was born in the United States, but they were saying that Chinese being born in the United States shouldn't be American citizens. It went all the way to the Supreme Court. And the Supreme Court affirmed the right to birthright citizenship, which is in the 14th Amendment. And the fact that, you know, many people, generations of people who have, you know, descendants of immigrants are American citizens, is owed to Wong Kim Ark.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right, and we don't know that.

[Michael Kosta]

We don't know that enough, sadly.

[Ronny Chieng]

We should know that. We should know that.

[Michael Kosta]

I mean, the other thing about Wong Kim Ark is that I actually didn't know. And maybe the larger story of him is known by some people. Well, his troubles with immigration didn't end after this really famous Supreme Court case. A couple years later. He was arrested at the border. Even though people, this Chinese inspector down.

[Ronny Chieng]

There, they looked at his phone.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, yeah, well, they searched through his phone. Exactly. And they hassled him and eventually they let him go. But his sons, who were Americans, they.

[Ronny Chieng]

Looked for his Skrulls.

[Michael Kosta]

Right, exactly. They're his sons who are American citizens who were born in China, but they were American citizens through him. When they tried to enter the United States, they were also hassled, and one of them was actually sent back to China. It's pretty incredible story that his problems just didn't end there.

[Ronny Chieng]

So, I mean, from all this and kind of what we know about history, it seems pretty obvious that, like, when the British came to America and founded America with these ideals of freedom of religion and birthright citizenship, they were like, oh, we meant it for us. We didn't mean you guys. You guys weren't supposed to use this same thing. We just meant it generally. So, like, what does that mean for people now? You know, that we try to live up to these ideals, that it's like the people who founded it didn't even intend for that to happen somehow.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, you're totally right. There were no federal laws regulating immigration until the Chinese Exclusion act in 1882. And, you know, initially, America's America was open. People, people, they wanted people to come. And, you know, when this book tells the story of what, 10 what, how the country responded. When tens of thousands of people who spoke a different language looked different from the, you know, the racial hierarchy. The racial hierarchy that existed then had a different religion. When they started landing on American shores, what happened? How did we respond? And obviously, it feels really resonant to this moment. It's not just the story of the Chinese American. It's the story of any number of immigrant groups who have been treated as strangers. The title of the book, Strangers in the Land, comes from a Supreme Court decision that upheld one of the Chinese exclusion laws. And the Supreme Court justice referred to the Chinese in a derogatory way as a group of people that couldn't assimilate with the rest of us and called them strangers in the land. And you could say the same thing is happening. That's what's in Stephen Miller's head when he's, you know, why he seems like a nice guy.

[Ronny Chieng]

Why are you casting a spurgeon?

[Michael Kosta]

He's reading this book and getting some ideas. Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

You're changing his mind.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

I mean, what do you like? I remember when you got inspired to write this book.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah. No, that's the journey. You're talking about this moment that happened on the street in 2016 on the upper east side of Manhattan, you know, just across town from here. It was after church on a Sunday. And a group of friends of mine, all Asian Americans, and my family were. We were on the. We were blocking the sidewalk, and this well dressed white woman.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, now I blame you.

[Michael Kosta]

We were annoying. Yeah. And she brushed past us, annoyed that we were in her way. And she said, as she brushed past us, she said, go back to China. And I was, like, kind of stunned. And then I kind of abandoned my daughter, who was. Two daughters. One of them was. Two was in the stroller. She's in the audience here. Oh, yeah. And ran. Ran. Sprinted.

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, hang on, you guys. Applauding the abandonment. What's going on?

[Michael Kosta]

Sprinted after her and confronted this woman. And we were kind of going back and forth, and she yelled down the street, go back to your effing country. I guess I could say, go back to your country here on the Daily Show.

[Ronny Chieng]

On the Daily Show.

[Michael Kosta]

And I was trying to come up with some smart response, like the adrenaline's flowing. And I yelled, I was born in this country. It was such a pathetic response. And I ended up writing a piece for the New York Times about how a lot of Asian Americans feel otherized and like strangers in the land. And that was kind of what set me on the journey to writing this book. And that piece went viral.

[Ronny Chieng]

I retweeted it.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, I tweeted about it. Bill de Blasio tweeted about it. But it was this moment. It was really just an ordinary moment. But it really moved something in me because I was thinking about my kids and thinking about, you know, I was walking away and I was thinking, thinking about, even though they're two generations removed from my parents immigrant experience, would they ever feel like they truly belonged in this country? And that is what stuck with me. And it was a couple years later during the pandemic when we had that surge in violence against Asian Americans, the Atlanta spa attacks where several Korean immigrant women were killed. And I started to look into this history that I didn't know that I felt like this. We're part of the story of America and yet it's not widely known.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. And I guess what you're saying is some racial abuse inspired you to write a 500 word response to this.

[Michael Kosta]

I came up with, you know, like after you have one of these encounters and you're kicking yourself what to say? I decided to write 160,000 word book.

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, I'll tell you what. I mean, I hope I'm gonna walk.

[Michael Kosta]

Around the Upper east side and look.

[Ronny Chieng]

For her and try to give her this book.

[Michael Kosta]

Give it to her.

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, I mean, if racial abuse helps you write this, I mean, if you want inspiration for more material, just read the comments on this video because you're gonna have a whole series of books after this.

[Michael Kosta]

Yes, there might be a Go back to Malaysia or Go back to.

[Ronny Chieng]

Go back to Malaysia. I might write. I might. They're forcing me to do homework now I gotta write every time someone tells me to go back to Malaysia. But they don't say go back to Malaysia. They're never that specific.

[Michael Kosta]

They don't say go back. Back to China.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, they told me to go back to China because they think I'm from this. I don't even know. I wish they said go back to Malaysia.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, and you could say, and you could say, now I'm an American. Right. Became an American citizen.

[Ronny Chieng]

Just. Yeah, just real quick. So like, what do you say to the kind of right wing Asians who read this book? Book? And they go, you know what? All this abuse that happened to Asians in America, nobody knows about, and we never talk about it. And this is just proof that Asian people need to bang, band together and stop caring about any other race and just push our own agenda and end affirmative action.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, yeah. No, well, that. Which is what happened.

[Ronny Chieng]

Which is what happened. So would you say. I mean, because that's kind of what, that's kind of like one end of your possible response to this.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, yeah. No, the reality is I do. I think the impulse behind that is related to my impulse to write this book. That this feeling of invisibility, this feeling that this story needs to be told and this lack of acknowledgement. But I think folks who are kind of in that MAGA Asian crowd are similarly forgetting history and forgetting the parallels in our story and that of other immigrant groups. In this country. Also forgetting the fact that we benefited from Asian Americans, benefited from the civil rights movement and the rights that were fought for and bled for. And really, I think when you read history, when you read a book like this, when you read other great books that have been written about the story of other groups in America, Black Americans, Latino Americans, you feel empathy, you feel kinship. And so that's why people need to read history.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure. And I mean, yeah, people need to read history.

[Michael Kosta]

It's just bad. You know.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sometimes I feel like we're never going to live to see the. The final chapter of the story of Asians in America. You end your book in your final chapter, and you end it to your daughters and you say, don't take it away from me.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, no, no. I dedicated the book to my daughters and I wrote like, may they find belonging. This kind of. And I write at the end of the book kind of. It's a little bittersweet that even though this, I think it's a book of hope. And I said a story of persistence and resilience, the feeling of belongings remains elusive. You know, the question is, how are we going to get there? And, you know, obviously the Asian Americans are actually the fastest growing ethnic minority group in the country and are, in a few years, are going to become the largest immigrant group group in America. So obviously numbers is part of it. But I also think, you know, people like you being on tv, that representation is part of it. Telling these stories is part of it.

[Ronny Chieng]

Being on TV saying is important. It's important people see and hear.

[Michael Kosta]

I think that's an important part of this.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Well, thank you, Michael. Thanks so much for writing this book. Thanks for doing the work. Thanks for sharing these stories that were lost to time. It's very important. And if you didn't do it, I don't know if anyone else would have done it. So thank. Thank you so much for doing this. We're all very grateful for you for capturing this. Strangers in the Land is available now. Michael L. Everybody, we're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back after this. Hey, that's our show for the night. Now here it is, your moment of Zen.

[Donald Trump]

We're the hottest country in the world, I think maybe would admit it. Even hotter than Israel. Although Israel was pretty hot about a week ago, I can tell you, for the wrong reasons. But we are the hottest country in the world right now, and it happened faster than anybody thought possible.

[Announcer]

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. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.