Jon Stewart Invites Panel of Trumps to Debate Iran War | Mayor Matt Mahan

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Jon Stewart Invites Panel of Trumps to Debate Iran War | Mayor Matt Mahan
Date: March 17, 2026
Host: Jon Stewart
Guests: Mayor Matt Mahan (San Jose, CA)

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Overview

This episode of The Daily Show sees Jon Stewart and the news team tackle two major threads: the ongoing war with Iran—unpacking its political and media narratives—and an in-depth interview with Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose and recent entrant in California’s crowded Democratic gubernatorial primary.
True to Stewart’s satirical and incisive style, the episode is packed with media critiques, policy analysis, and sharp, comedic commentary.

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Segment 1: Satirical Coverage of the Iran War (02:45–22:17)

Key Discussion Points

• The Escalating Iran Conflict and Its Fallout:
  Stewart and the news team provide running commentary on the U.S. conflict with Iran—especially the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its global economic ramifications.
• Lampooning Administration Responses:
  Multiple "Donald Trumps" (including Trump personas like John Barron and DJT) are "invited" onto a satirical panel for a muddled debate about whether America is “at war,” the aims of the war, and U.S. alliances.
• Media Critique:
  The Trump administration threatens networks over unfavorable coverage, with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warning broadcasters about "fake news" and license renewals.
• Spin and Gaslighting:
  The news team highlights the administration’s suggestions to reword negative headlines ("Mideast war intensifies" should be "Iran increasingly desperate")—mocking efforts to whitewash bad news.
• Human Costs and Policy Contradictions:
  The conversation shifts between war strategy, U.S. objectives, and the oft-conflicting and confusing justifications from the Trump administration.

Notable Quotes & Highlights

• Satirical Absurdity of War Coverage:
  Jon Stewart:

  “As many of you know, war is God’s way of teaching Americans geography. And class is in session.” (04:45)

• Critique of U.S. Foreign Policy:
  Jon Stewart:

  “If we've learned anything...America will bomb anywhere that has a Scrabble score above 12.” (05:17)

• On Iran Closing Strait of Hormuz:
  Jon Stewart:

  “How dare Iran and their existential fight for existence inconvenience our commute?” (06:39)

• Media Spin:
  John Barron:

  “Do this war better or make sure the news networks only tell you that we are doing this war better.” (10:06) News Analyst:
  “How about ‘99% of world’s waterway is now open’?” (12:08)

• Panel of Trumps on War Objectives (Satirical Segment):
  Jon Stewart:

  “It’s both a war and an excursion that will stop the war that it isn’t. Excursion in the streets, war in the sheets. Is that what I’m hearing?”
  Donald J. Trump:
  “It sounds good to me.” (15:23)

• On War’s End:
  Jon Stewart:

  “So we're there till we win. We've won. We haven't won enough.” (16:19) Donald J. Trump:
  “When I feel it in my bones.” (16:43)

• U.S. Allies and Going It Alone:
  Jon Stewart:

  “We're going to go it alone with our bomb buddy, Bibi. We're the strongest country in the world.” (18:03-18:05)

• On Encouraging Iranian Uprising:
  Donald J. Trump:

  “Now is the time to stand up for the Iranian people and help take back your country.” (19:18) Alternate Trump Persona (Donnie):
  “I really think that's a big hurdle to climb for people that don't have weapons. Who's going to do that?” (19:44)

• Self-Parody:
  John Barron, quoting a 2011 Trump critique on starting a war with Iran for political gain:

  “Our president will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate.” (20:26)
  Current-day Trump persona responds:
  “What an idiot. What a jerk. He's a low IQ individual.” (20:44-20:51)

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Segment 2: Interview with Mayor Matt Mahan of San Jose (23:23–43:46)

Key Discussion Points

• Background & Civic Philosophy:
  Mahan’s trajectory: public school teacher → startup world → city tech tools → Mayor. Represents “government as opportunity creator.”
• San Jose’s Accomplishments:
  • Homelessness reduced by a third, using cost-effective, pragmatic strategies (modular & converted housing).
  • Crime lowered, police hiring reforms, increased public trust by 40%.
• California’s Political Landscape:
  The state is in the midst of an open, fractious Democratic primary. Citizens' distrust and “undecided” voters lead the field.
• Mahan’s Policy Approach:
  Emphasizes transparency, measurable goals, efficacy, and pivoting away from expensive “one size fits all” policies.
• Progressive Pragmatism:
  Mahan advocates measurable results, regular public feedback, and a willingness to adjust based on data.
• Tech, Privacy & Regulation:
  Mahan is the only candidate with direct experience regulating tech. He stresses the importance of transparency around data and privacy—balancing the benefits and risks of AI.

Notable Quotes & Highlights

• On Growing Up & Civic Infrastructure:
  Matt Mahan:

  “The public library was our after school program. I mean, this is just when government services work, they create opportunity.” (25:30)

• On Rising Authoritarianism:
  Matt Mahan:

  “Right now... we're seeing declining trust in government. We're seeing people turn to authoritarianism because they just want things to work and they're tired of being asked to pay more for less.” (25:30)

• San Jose Homelessness Strategy:
  Matt Mahan:

  “We started buying old motels and converting them... started to rapidly expand safe alternatives to the streets and really give people a dignified alternative.” (34:10)

• Defending Pragmatic Shelter Solutions:
  Matt Mahan:

  “While I would love to build a brand new apartment for everyone who needs it, our rigid commitment to there only being one solution... has in practice left thousands... to live and die on our streets.” (35:42)

• On Trust and Public Dashboards:
  Matt Mahan:

  “We created some dashboards to show people how we were spending their dollars. It works because we set goals... And in the last three years... we've increased trust in government in San Jose by 40% by delivering results.” (32:29, 33:10)

• Data-Driven Policy Philosophy:
  Matt Mahan:

  “When we look at the data... and then it didn't happen, we adjust. We're actually learning, we're getting smarter.” (33:10)

• On Privacy & Tech Regulation:
  Matt Mahan:

  “We use a lot of technology, including AI, and we are very careful about what data we collect. We're completely transparent... These tools are very powerful. They can make our lives better. They can also create a surveillance state or all sorts of other terrible outcomes.” (39:18–40:19)

• Accountability as a Mayor:
  Matt Mahan:

  “I take my kids to the grocery store on Sunday. It takes me two hours... because everybody wants to talk about... what you're doing to make their life better every single day.” (42:01)

• On the Gubernatorial Race, Democrat Disunity:
  Jon Stewart:

  “It so smacks of the Democratic Party to split the vote into such fractious fiefdoms that the only two people standing are the two Republicans. So smart, so typical.” (27:23)

• On Rebuilding Trust:
  Matt Mahan:

  “We've got to prove that. If we don't, we lose the trust of voters.” (42:51)

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Memorable Comic Moments

• Mock-Panel of Three Trumps ('debating' the war):
  Stewart skillfully bounces contradictions and absurdities among Trump, John Barron, and DJT, exposing the confusion and self-contradiction in administration talking points (13:51–19:04).
• Running Joke about the Californian Primary’s Overcrowding & 'Undecided' Leading:
  “Right now, undecided is beating everybody.” (28:00)
• Jon Stewart’s Deadpan California Observations:
  “Why do you want to be governed in the last six years? ... You've been in a drought for 80 years. Why don't you go run New Hampshire? What are you doing out there?” (28:21–28:27)
• Jordan Klepper’s Cybertruck Monologue:
  “They called us cyber cucks and tiny penis Big Wheel boys and the saddest bunch of insects in the pedophile van of the future that can't go six miles without randomly exploding.” (44:35)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening headlines & Iran war satire: 02:45–22:17
• Satirical "Panel of Trumps" debate: 13:34–22:12
• Mayor Matt Mahan Interview: 23:23–43:46
  • Background & political philosophy: 23:47–25:30
  • San Jose accomplishments & policy tools: 28:42–38:31
  • Tech, privacy, and AI regulation: 38:32–41:35
  • California primary & closing remarks: 42:01–43:46
• Jordan Klepper and closing riffs: 44:18–45:50

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Tone & Style

The episode oscillates between urgent political analysis and classic Daily Show satire, blending serious discussion of war, governance, and policy with a relentless stream of comedic barbs, impersonations, and pop culture references.
Stewart’s tone is arch, skeptical, and grounded in reasonable outrage, but always with a wink and a punchline, while Matt Mahan comes off as earnest, pragmatic, and data-driven.

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Conclusion

For listeners seeking sharp political humor and actual policy insights, this episode delivers. The war coverage lampoons official evasions and media spin, while the mayoral interview offers a pocket guide to pragmatic, transparent, data-driven governance. Stewart exposes absurdist logic on the national stage and then explores how real-world solutions are possible at the local—and potentially state—level in California.

Transcript

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[Stassi Schroeder]

I am your host, Stassi Schroeder. Welcome to Tell Me Lies, the official podcast. What's the most unhinged thing of season three?

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[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

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[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, Jon Stewart.

[Jon Stewart]

Hey, everybody. Welcome to the Daily Show. My name is Jon Stewart. Man, I think I might have come in too hot. Hold on.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Jon Stewart.

[Jon Stewart]

We got a great one for you tonight. Later on, I'm going to be joined by the mayor of San Jose, California, Matt. Man, he's going to be here. He is one of the over 400

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

candidates currently running for governor of California in the Democratic primary. We'll talk to him. But first, as you're well aware, terrible war has been raging for two weeks now. But as of last night, it is clear that opera and ballet have defeated Timothee Chalone.

[Jon Stewart]

No contest. A knockout even before they brought out Prima Ballerina Misty Copeland in the middle of the sinners performance right in front of him. So opera, ballet. Can't wait to switch out my Ukrainian flag profile picture for the playbill to Deflater Mouse.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Is that the. Oh, is that the playbill? I don't even know. I like how we put in parentheses there the bat. As though that's not common knowledge amongst the people, by the way. Also, another conflict with a less certain outcome. Let's get into it right now with our ongoing coverage.

[Donald J. Trump]

Nothing bad can happen. It can only good happen.

[Jon Stewart]

It can only good happen. As many of you know, war is

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

God's way of teaching Americans geography. And class is in session.

[Jon Stewart]

I give you the straight of Hormuz. Of course Gen Z will tell you,

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

no, Hormuz is 100% straight,

[Jon Stewart]

but it's a passageway choke point for 20% of the world's oil.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Kind of a lazy river for fossil fuels.

[Jon Stewart]

Not to be confused with the strategic Iranian island of Kharg, which we also attacked. We attacked Kharg and Hormuz because if we've learned anything from these past 20 years, it's that America will bomb anywhere that has a scrabble score above 12.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Oh. Oh, we'll get to you, Uzbekistan. And you guys, you're not going to believe what Iran did after we attacked them.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

Breaking news.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

The Supreme Leader said that the Strait

[Jon Stewart]

of Hormuz, which is a critical shipping lane for nearly 20% of the world's

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

crude oil, will remain closed.

[Jon Stewart]

What? What a dick. Was it scheduled maintenance? Oh, wait, is this because of the incessant bombing?

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Ooh.

[Jon Stewart]

We're going to play the one card we have to stop you from collapsing

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

all of our infrastructure. Real mature. Well, you know what? Close it. See if we care.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Gas prices up. Diesel prices up. Jet fuel prices up.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

And in some quarters, you're beginning to

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

hear whispers of concerns over the R word recession.

[Jon Stewart]

Come on, open it back up. Come on. How dare Iran and their existential fight for existence inconvenience our commute? And by the way, the R word. Oh, this whole thing is the R word, all right. That's not the R word I would use for the decision to attack Iran. But Iran has now closed the Strait

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

of Hormuz, leading to surging gas prices and risking the global economy. Of course, there was no way to know that that was going to happen.

[Stassi Schroeder]

General Dan Kaine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, warned President Trump

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz.

[Stassi Schroeder]

President Trump acknowledged the risk, but told his team that Tehran would likely Capitulate before closing the.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Oh, don't worry about it, everybody.

[Jon Stewart]

Gee, who would have thought that a guy who did this during a solar eclipse. Would ignore a warning? By the way, my favorite part of

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

that goes, he looks up at a solar eclipse three times. That hurts. Yep.

[Jon Stewart]

But not to worry. This sudden bottleneck of the world's oil

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

supply, it's not a big deal. It's barely closed.

[News Analyst]

The only thing prohibiting transit in the straits right now is Iran shooting at shipping. It is open for transit should Iran not.

[Jon Stewart]

Other than Epstein, it's a wonderful island. It's open. Except for the shooting. Come on, man.

[Donald J. Trump]

Jeez.

[Jon Stewart]

So right now, the ships cannot make the passage because they're being attacked and the risk is too great.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

There were some mines that have been laid. It's going to take a lot of foresight and planning to thread this needle, come up with a strategic plan. Luckily, I think the President has one.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

I also asked the President about the rise in oil prices, $100 a barrel, and he said this. These ships got to go through the Strait of Hormuz and show some guts.

[Jon Stewart]

Show some guts. Captains Philip. I know you may not want to sail the slowest moving vehicle on Earth, packed with the most flammable liquid on Earth, through the most active war zone on Earth. But on the other hand,

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

What are we. What are we doing? You know, maybe there's an easier solution to the myriad difficulties that have arisen from a hasty war of choice that seems light on plans for the inevitable unforeseen consequences and contingencies.

[Stassi Schroeder]

The Trump administration is threatening to go after US TV networks for their coverage of the war with Iran.

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Yes.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Yes, that's the solution. What if we just didn't hear about it? We've got two choices. Do this war better or make sure that the news networks only tell you that we are doing this war better. I know which one FCC Chairman Brendan Carr prefers.

[Jon Stewart]

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr posted this on X.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions, also known as the fake news, have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Mm, mm, mm. No, he didn't. Networks have to learn. You better not lie and give misinformation about how this war is going. That's Donald Trump's job.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Did the United States bomb a girl's elementary school?

[Donald J. Trump]

Based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran.

[Jon Stewart]

He's going to lose his president license

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

unless he moves to basic cable. Jump in, Donnie. The water's warm. To be fair, the administration isn't just criticizing how the media covers the war. They're being constructive about it.

[News Analyst]

Allow me to make a few suggestions. People look up at the TV and they see banners, they see headlines. For example, a banner or a headline, mideast war intensifies. Splashing on the screen the last couple of days. What should the banner read instead? How about Iran increasingly desperate.

[Jon Stewart]

Slow down, I'm writing. Hold on. Does desperate have an eye?

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

So smart. You know, we should be doing that

[Jon Stewart]

like instead of the Strait of Hormuz is closed like they put up there,

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

why not just say 99% of world's waterway is now open. And by the way, news organizations, what's with all the depressing footage of things being blown up and people running away in terror? Surely there's a more uplifting version that honors our greatness.

[Stassi Schroeder]

Iran has claimed responsibility for that hit. They said they used underwater drones to strike the oil tankers. The video showed enormous fires following the impact.

[Jon Stewart]

Was that so hard? Well, if you can't trust the fake

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

news media and we've got so many

[Jon Stewart]

unanswered questions about the reasons for the

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

war, how long it's going to go,

[Jon Stewart]

I mean, who can we turn to for clarity? To give it to us straight, there's

[News Analyst]

no better communicator than our president.

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President Trump laid out clear objectives to the American people.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

He's the best communicator I've ever seen.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Of course, why am I allowing myself to get all confused and flustered?

[Jon Stewart]

Why don't we just go to the source?

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

All this time we've been relying on independent sources or outside observations and analysis when the truth and the clarity have been staring us in the face all along. So to clear up all the confusion about this war conflusion to clear up

[Jon Stewart]

all the confusion about this war, I've

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

assembled an expert panel to help explain what the war is actually about in a lucid and clear cut way. So please welcome to the program President Donald Trump. Donald J. Trump, DJT and John Barron.

[Jon Stewart]

Guys, gentlemen, gentlemen. Thank you so much for, thank you

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

for joining me today.

[Donald J. Trump]

It's great to be here and great to be back. It's a great honor to be here. I just want to say it's a pleasure to be with you. I have no idea who you are, but that's okay.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Good one, but.

[Jon Stewart]

All right, let's get right into it. Look, let's just start with the basics. There's been some confusion over whether or not we are even at war.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Can you Clarify for us if America is at war. I'll start with you, Donald Trump.

[Donald J. Trump]

This was just an excursion into something that had to be done.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Okay. All right. Thank you. It's not a war. It's an excursion. President Trump, do you agree this is

[Donald J. Trump]

an excursion, A little excursion, And I think it's only that.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Okay, so it's actually like a minor, just like a walkabout, like a bit of an exploding amble, if you will. John Barron, how is this excursion going? This little suson of we're winning the

[Donald J. Trump]

war by a lot.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

I'm sorry. So it's a war. Because earlier we heard President Trump and Donald Trump say it's an excursion.

[Donald J. Trump]

It's both. It's a. An excursion that will keep us out of a war.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Okay. All right, djt. It's both a war and an excursion that will stop the war. That it isn't. Excursion in the streets, war in the sheets.

[Jon Stewart]

Is that what I'm hearing?

[Donald J. Trump]

It sounds good to me.

[Jon Stewart]

I bet it does, sir.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

But thank you so much for not clearing that up. Do you have any sense of how long this is going to go?

[Donald J. Trump]

Combat operations continue at this time in full force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Understood? So obviously we have to bear down and achieve all these objectives before we could ever just stand up and say, it's over. We won.

[Donald J. Trump]

We won. We won the bet in the first hour. It was over.

[Jon Stewart]

That was two weeks ago. So the objectives. If we won and our objectives are met, and that was two weeks ago. Why are we still at war?

[Donald J. Trump]

We've already won in many ways. But we haven't won enough, Mother.

[Jon Stewart]

So we're there till we win. We've won. We haven't won enough. I'm con.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

I'm sorry. We've got Don from Palm beach on the line, Sir.

[Jon Stewart]

You said. You said the war will end when we achieve our objectives. And they're very clear. And that we've won. But not won enough, sir, if you can. How will we know then when we've won enough?

[Donald J. Trump]

When I feel it. When I feel it in my bones.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

All due respect to your bones, but should we really be giving them more responsibilities? Seems like they've got enough on their plate with the getting you up and down the stairs thing. Gentlemen, I don't mean to be pessimist. Pessimistic. But I can kind of see why we're having trouble keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. In fact, there are some naysayers out there. I want to read you a Tweet. Guys, I want to hear your response to this. This is a tweet from Donald J. Trump at Real Donald Trump. Here's what he says. Hopefully, China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others will send ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat. How do you guys respond to that? That tweet by Donald Trump. Would the military support of other nations be helpful and welcome in this endeavor?

[Donald J. Trump]

We don't need anybody. We're the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world. We don't need them. Everybody needs us. We have the weapons. We have the strength. We're very strong. They need us much more than we need them. I will tell you that right now.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

See, this is the clarity. This is the clarity that we've been looking for.

[Jon Stewart]

We.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

We're going to go it alone with our bomb buddy, Bibi.

[Jon Stewart]

We're the strongest country in the world.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

All right, let's move on to another topic. I'm sorry, Donald. You had something you wanted to say?

[Donald J. Trump]

They should be not only thanking us, they should be helping us. What does surprise me is that they're

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

not eager to help.

[Donald J. Trump]

We need anything, any piece of apparatus that they may have because of a situation that they have. They should be jumping to help us. We requested two aircraft carriers, which they had, and he didn't really want to do it. I said, why don't you send some ships over? And he really didn't want to do it.

[Jon Stewart]

So to sum up, if I can. We don't need your help. We don't want your help.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Look, I know it's hard to imagine,

[Jon Stewart]

but, you know, we're not the only

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

people affected by this bombing campaign. The Iranian people, along with suffering under

[Jon Stewart]

this terrible regime, are now living through

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

an intense aerial bombardment. Gentlemen, what's your message to the Iranian people?

[Donald J. Trump]

Now is the time to stand up for the Iranian people and help take back your country. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny. I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

That's big. You're calling on the Iranian people to try to overthrow their own government. Donnie, down in Palm beach, do you agree with that statement?

[Donald J. Trump]

So I really think that's a big hurdle to climb for people that don't have weapons. Who's going to do that? They literally have people in the streets with machine guns machine gunning people down if they want to protest.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Okay, sir, it's an excellent point. Donny makes an excellent point. Guys, There seems to be some disagreement amongst the Trumps on the merits of, let's call it an erroneuary sixth type movement.

[Jon Stewart]

And I've got to be honest with you guys. I mean this. There are others even more critical of

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

your decision to launch this war. I'm going to play you this for you and then I'd like your reactions.

[Donald J. Trump]

Our president will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Guys. I mean, you can dismiss the comment, but that's from the author of the Art of the Deal. How do you respond?

[Donald J. Trump]

I would say that it's one of the dumbest things I've ever really are a loser. What an idiot. What a jerk.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Low iq.

[Donald J. Trump]

He's a low IQ individual.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Well, sir, I can't disagree.

[Jon Stewart]

You know, there have been many who have been saying for some time,

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

you

[Jon Stewart]

know, I'm wondering, we may have disagreements

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

about how long this is going to last or what the ultimate objectives are, but I think we all agree that sending American men and women into harm's way is the. The gravest decision any American president can make. I think the American people wish Godspeed to our soldiers, wisdom to our leaders, and a just peace that accommodates and recognizes the humanity of all those.

[Jon Stewart]

I'm sorry, am I boring you? Oh, President Donald Trump. Am I bor. Donald Trump. Can you believe this guy? Oh, for sake. Does anyone on the panel want to jump in and. Oh, my God, you're all, wake up. Son of a bitch. You know what? I didn't want to have to do

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

this, but

[Jon Stewart]

how's the ballroom renovation going?

[Donald J. Trump]

We needed it for 150 years. I think I'll save money on the doors because it can't get more beautiful than that.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Thank you for clarifying all of our questions on this fresh war. When we come back, Mayor Matt Mahon

[Jon Stewart]

of San Jose will be joining the Mosquit.

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[Jon Stewart]

Hey. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is the mayor of San Jose and a Democratic candidate for governor of California. Please welcome to the program Mayor Matt Mahon. Sir. How are you, sir? Lovely to see. What's happen. Welcome.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Thank you.

[Jon Stewart]

You are the mayor of San Jose. How long have you been the mayor of San Jose?

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

And tell me a little something about San Jose.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

So I'm going into my fourth year. San Jose is an amazing place. City of a million people, heart of Silicon Valley, largest city in Northern California. Believe it or not. San Francisco gets a lot of attention, but we are the biggest city.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

It does get quite a bit of attention.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Most diverse, most innovative, great food. It's a magical place.

[Jon Stewart]

Place that's amazing.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

And so you decided to run for mayor. You were, I'm assuming you ran some kind of startup.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

I was in the startup world before that, though. I was a public school teacher.

[Jon Stewart]

Okay. Yeah, yeah. Who, who what? What grade did you teach?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

7th and 8th grade. English and history.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Oh, that's. That's wonderful.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

And you left there when teaching 2008.

[Jon Stewart]

Interesting.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

To do what?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

To get into the tech world.

[Jon Stewart]

Hold on, hold on.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

You're building civic tech tools to help people participate in their democracy.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Oh, that's interesting.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

And hold their elected officials accountable.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Lovely work. So what made you want to get into the politics side of it?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Well, I've always followed local politics and just felt that government at its best creates opportunity, makes people's lives better. I grew up in a little farming town on the central coast. Watsonville.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Sure.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Home of Driscoll strawberries and Martinelli's apple cider. Great place.

[Jon Stewart]

No, they know.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Oh, they.

[Jon Stewart]

They know. Before you got out here, all they

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

were talking about were strawberries and cider.

[Jon Stewart]

That was all. I couldn't get them on anything else.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Every question they would ask, what's your favorite strawberry?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Well, we definitely have the best. So my mom was a teacher. My dad was a letter carrier. The public library was our after school program. I mean, this is just when government services work, they create opportunity. They make people's lives better. And right now, not just in California, across the country, we're seeing declining trust in government. We're seeing people turn to authoritarianism because they just want things to work and they're tired of being asked to pay more for less. And that led me to want to get involved and see if I could help make our local government work better for people.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

So you've been doing that, you're doing that four years, I'm assuming, and you decide to jump into the governor's race. Are you also running for mayor? How long is the mayor's term in San Jose?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Four years.

[Jon Stewart]

So you're done?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Actually, we realigned around the presidential cycle. I got reelected with 87% of the vote. Not bad. Didn't stuff any ballot boxes.

[Jon Stewart]

Look at little poop. 87% of the vote. What?

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

That's bananas in America.

[Jon Stewart]

So you get elect.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

When was the election?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

So that was four years ago. Then I ran two years in and now I'm halfway through a four year term.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

And you were like this.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Well, John, I just didn't think enough people were running for governor.

[Jon Stewart]

How many people are running for governor?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

It's unclear. At least it does.

[Jon Stewart]

And on the Democratic side. So explain to the people.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

You know, California is not like a typical. Like there's a Republican primary, there's a Democratic primary.

[Jon Stewart]

This is an open primary.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

It's wide open. So any, anyone with any party affiliation can vote for any of the candidates. There are Republicans running ton of Democrats. Top two go head to head in November.

[Jon Stewart]

How so?

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

There are like two or three Republicans running and like eight or nine or 10 or 11, 20 at least Democrats. It's a great plan. And it so smacks of the Democratic Party to split the vote into such fractious fiefdoms that the only two people standing are the two Republicans. So smart, so typical. Have the Democratic candidates discussed this with each other?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Right now, undecided is beating everybody.

[Jon Stewart]

Okay, wait, what?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Yeah, Undecided is still in first place, which is part of why I jumped in. Because I think we need to be clear with Californians about how we're gonna make their lives better. Spending in California is up 75%.

[Jon Stewart]

Why do you want to be governed

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

in the last six years?

[Jon Stewart]

It is a yes.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

They're waiting to happen.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

It matters.

[Jon Stewart]

Do you know why they film all

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

the earthquake movies with the rock there. You've been in a drought for 80 years. Why don't you go run New Hampshire? What are you doing out there?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

You know, what we're doing in San Jose has been working. I'm really proud of our city. We've come together around focusing on our biggest problems and being much more pragmatic. We've led the state in bringing people indoors. We've reduced homelessness by about a third by building basic dignified shelter, improving Outreach, doing more prevention. We've hired police officers from our community, done a lot of community policing and started to tackle quality of life. Crime. Crime has dropped. We're now the safest big city in the country.

[Jon Stewart]

Really.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

We've.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Yes, sir, that's not bad.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

We have. We've reduced barriers to building housing. We've sped up permitting, dropped our fees. Thousands of new homes.

[Jon Stewart]

And you'd like to transfer that now. Does California hamstring you in any way

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

in this list of consciousness? Because the thing about California that's surprising, it's fourth largest economy, I think in the world. Yes. I mean it's like running a country, but you're running a country by referendum. You know, they've got all those propositions. You can't raise prop. You know, the Bel Air Hotel pays the same property taxes as like a guy who's living in, I think, Eagle Rock. Like what? How do you run a state that. Is that fakacta. Queen's English, that word, in terms of how it hamstrings your ability to address those problems and use the funding properly to move in different directions?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Well, we're still less constrained than you might think. The state has incredible revenue. We spend $350 billion a year. We're able to because we have the world's leading industries, not just tech, Hollywood, agriculture. Californians are the most innovative and productive people on earth. We have a lot of resources.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

I would, I'm running, push back on that a little.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

I think it's time to. I think we've got to ask our government to do better before we ask people to give more. And we're seeing plenty of models, including in San Jose, but also other states. Mississippi is doing a better job of educating low income students than we are in California. I think that's completely unacceptable. When government works, it helps working people really achieve their full potential. The American dream. And we have closed that off to too many people because the state is too expensive. We have to really own our challenges. Yes, we've got to fight against Donald Trump. California has to lead the fight against this authoritarian administration in Washington. But the best way to do that is to deliver better public schools, more affordable housing, more affordable energy, and really show that our values in California work in practice. That's what I've been working to do since work in practice. Yes, I want to do that statewide.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

You bring up a really interesting point and I think this is something that has been divorced from. Democrats are generally the party that believes that government has a role to play in improving people's lives. Republicans are generally the party that says, I bet I can break that. So for Democrats, it's always been interesting that they've had trouble connecting the money that they're asking to raise through taxes to the value it's providing to taxpayers. So to the point of like there's a lot of referendums up there now, a billionaires tax or getting people that pay $100,000 not to have to pay any income tax. But I think too often the politicians haven't connected that money to real value. I don't think people trust that that money will be spent responsibly or have any efficacy.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

So predictably, yes, being the capital of Silicon Valley, we created some dashboards to show people how we were spending their dollars. It works because we.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

You're being replaced by AI

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

hopefully not too soon. It's more of a copilot, I see.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Yes.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

We've set goals around reducing homelessness, reducing crime, building more housing, cleaning up our city, growing the local economy and showed people how we're spending their dollars.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

They're responding to that.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Well, more importantly, it's making us better.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Right.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

When we look at the data, when we say, okay, here's the program we're funding, here's the policy, this is what we thought would happen. And then it didn't happen, we adjust. We're actually learning, we're getting smarter, we're doing more with the dollars we have. And in the last three years, by reducing homelessness and crime and blight and getting housing under construction again, we've increased trust in government in San Jose by 40% by delivering results. This is the antidote.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

How'd you measure that AI Because I've

[Jon Stewart]

gotten some answers from AI that are a little. Just a word I think is fakacta.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Yeah, yeah. This is just a classic survey. We do a survey every year. We ask people what they care about.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Right.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

We're focusing on those things. We're being transparent about how we're spending their money. We're holding ourselves accountable for spending it in ways that deliver.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Give me an example of let's, let's talk about homelessness. So how do these tools help? And a concrete example of sort of where the efficacy was shown not to be working in the adjustment made because I think that'll help people get their head around sort of what this governing philosophy is all about.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

When I came into local office, we had a plan to end homelessness. The problem was there wasn't any math. I said, well, how are we actually going to end homelessness? And as I did the back of the envelope math. It was clear that we would need 20 years and $6 billion that we didn't have. And we had no plan to have

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

in just San Jose in terms of

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

what we were doing because we were putting all of our money into the slowest, most expensive solution. That is a great solution for the lucky few who would get a brand new apartment that would cost a million dollars to build and take six years or more to build. I just said this isn't going to scale. We can't actually meet the need. We have thousands of people living on our streets, hundreds of year dying. We've got to get people indoors a lot faster, much more cost effectively. So we started buying old motels and converting them. We bought modular units or tiny homes and put them out on publicly owned land. We created safe sleeping and parking sites. We started to rapidly expand safe alternatives to the streets and really bring give people a dignified alternative.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Critics would say, to be fair, that kind of solution is temporary housing. It doesn't really end homelessness, they would say. And your critics, by the way, called us when they found out you were on the show. You're apparently on people's radar and they said that in San Jose they felt that it was a mirage, that you didn't really reduce homelessness. It seems like six and one half dozen other. They're saying that by temporarily housing people, that's just pushing it down the road. Is that a fair criticism?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

I don't think it is. Number one, we've ended an immense amount of human suffering. Fewer people are living outside in tents, fewer people are dying outside. We've moved thousands of people indoors, the vast majority of whom remain off the streets. And already in just the last four years, 28% of the people we've moved indoors have graduated to permanent housing. Some have gone on to get jobs, be able to pay their own rent and really kind of reenter society. It's not easy. We're talking about a population that needs a lot of help. We're starting from a very difficult situation where people have in some cases spent years chronically homeless, in many cases dealing with addiction and mental illness. But giving people a safe indoor place with a private room with a door that locks access to a case manager, three meals a day in a safe place is so much better than where we've been. And while I would love to build a brand new apartment for everyone who needs it, our rigid commitment to there only being one solution to this problem has in practice left thousands of people to live and die on our streets, not to mention the broader impacts on the rest of society. And to bring it back to where you started the show with cursing. Cursing about. Cursing about Donald Trump. When we fail to move the needle on the basics like sheltering people who are suffering and dying on our streets, we give a lot of ammunition to folks who would approach the problem very differently, who rather just lock everybody up who's homeless, which isn't a real solution. So we're trying to move forward, pragmatic solutions, get people stabilized, give them dignity, connection to case management and services, give them a real chance to turn.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

And that for you, that's the approach you're taking on. Let's examine it, let's break it down. Let's not look at it as a blob. Let's look at the individual data and see what has efficacy in it.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Take housing. Our biggest policy failure, biggest barrier to economic mobility in California is the lack of housing. And at some point, we have to own that problem. That's one we can't blame Donald Trump for. We look in the mirror and recognize that when it takes two years to get environmental clearance or city fees, add 20% to the cost of building a home, we're part of the problem.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Right?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

We need to make it much easier to build. We've got to build faster. I just put a. The most comprehensive housing plan of any candidate in this race on my [e-mail] and I break down how we reduce the cost of building.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Does it worry you that whenever they search that website, they end up on maha? Does that, does that bother you?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Got to get the N in there.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

You can't spell maha.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

That N is really important.

[Jon Stewart]

You've jumped in.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

It's only been a few weeks, and you've clearly got. You've raised a ton of money so far. You raise a thing. A lot of it is Silicon Valley for the country at large. That's a, I don't want to say demonized industry, but it's. It's a frightening one for a lot of people. You know, speaking of homelessness, like, you know, met is about to lay off, I think 15,000 people. You know, we're all very concerned that AI is going to make a lot more people be in that position where they're vulnerable to homelessness and all kinds of other types of issues. Why are they supporting you? Why should we trust their money and why should we trust their industry?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Well, first of all, I think I'm.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

You have five seconds.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

I think I'm the Only candidate in this race who has actually regulated tech as mayor of a big city. We use a lot of technology, including AI, and we are very careful about what data we collect. We're completely transparent with people. You can go to our website and see what we collect and why we don't use facial recognition. With some of our technology, we choose to delete the data after 30 days if it's not useful. So we're really clear about what we collect and why and how we protect people's privacy and data security. People are right to be. These tools are very powerful. They can make our lives better. They can also create a surveillance state or all sorts of other terrible outcomes. Job disruption in terms of jobs. We haven't waited for AI to happen to us. I think it would be a mistake to try to regulate the industry to the point where it's just created somewhere else. We need to shape it. We need to regulate in a way that makes it work for people.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Are they in any way open to that kind of discussion? Because the general sense that I've gotten, and maybe this is just from a few of the louder voices, is they are very clear about any interference, you know, in what they are doing in the lab underneath the volcano that they live in is helping China. So, you know, the things that you're saying, are they amenable to that discussion in any way?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Some tech leaders get it and are, some aren't, but it doesn't matter. We have to be because technology has to work for people. Technological change is incredibly hard on people. There are a lot of risks here. We have to manage this transition in a way that makes sure that people still can earn a livelihood, are safe, that their privacy is protected. It is really important that we get this right. We do want the innovation to happen here. We want to make sure that the jobs of the future are created here first and that we have a say in how this technology is used. But there's a difference between being in the private sector and creating a tool and sitting in a public policy making role and thinking about the second and third order effects and how we protect people.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Yeah, you're an interesting part of this new. You know, as we're looking to a new generation of Democratic leaders, there's people like there's Mayor Lurie in San Francisco, there's, there's people within the Democratic Party who are saying like, we have to be more solution oriented and we can still have progressive value through that type solution. Are you in touch with other people of that similar mindset? Are you Guys always discussing and workshopping solutions. How does that operate?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Yeah, Mayor Lurie and I talk regularly. Mayors are quite pragmatic. Typically, we get stuck. Yeah, we're held accountable. I mean, I take my kids to the grocery store on Sunday. It takes me two hours to get through the grocery store because everybody wants to talk about, oh, I just thought

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

you were incredibly indecisive.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Yeah,

[Jon Stewart]

two hours.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

I was just like, oh, Christ, I'd probably be behind him in line.

[Jon Stewart]

Green grapes or purple? They're both so delicious. But yeah, people want to talk to you.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

People know who their mayor is and they want to know what you're doing to make their life better every single day. I want to bring that level of accountability to Sacramento and show people that we, that our California values in practice can lead to better public schools, more affordable housing, more affordable energy, safer streets. We've got to prove that.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Mouth to God's ears.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

If we don't, we lose the trust of voters.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Yeah. When's the primary?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

June 2nd.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Oh, it's coming up real soon. Who do you think anybody is dropping? It's not going to be you because you got. Now you got a little. You got a little nest egg now, so you can stay in there. But is anyone dropping out or is this just going to be like scream until the end?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Well, look, voters aren't even. Most voters are not even aware that an election's coming. This is an off cycle race. People are just starting to tune in. And when I think that when they see what we've done in San Jose to be the safest big city to reduce homelessness.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Have you guys had a big debate yet together?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

We've had a few debates. I think we're going to have many more. And I'm excited to share with people how we get California back to basics.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Who's leaving first? Who's the word? Who's. Let me ask you this weakest link. Who's going first?

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

I'm gonna let the voters decide that one. Sorry.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

So smooth. Thank you very much for joining us.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Thanks for having me.

[Jon Stewart]

Quick breaking the Reddit after this. Hey, dude. Hey. That's our show for tonight. Before we go, we check in with your host for the rest of the week, Mr. Jordan Klepper. Jordan, brother, look, I swear to God,

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

we look like a before and after.

[Jon Stewart]

Picture it, it looks like Jordan is the before.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

And then they put me in the meat dehydrator.

[Jordan Klepper]

You're sinewy in a good way, Judd.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Smaller and just grayer and sinewy.

[Jon Stewart]

Jordan, what's on deck for this week.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, man, Jon, I gotta tell you, we'll be talking about high gas prices. With the war in Iran escalating, you know everyone is feeling pain at the pump. Except for those of us who had the foresight to buy the cybertruck. Everyone laughed at us. They called us cyber cucks and tiny penis Big Wheel boys and the saddest bunch of insects in the pedophile van of the future that can't go six miles without randomly exploding. But who cares because you have nowhere to be anyway. But guess what I'm doing while you guys pay $4 a gallon for gas

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

riding in your cybertruck?

[Jordan Klepper]

No, I'm rebuilding my mother in law's house. My cybertruck blew up, took the whole building down.

[John Barron (Interviewer/Host)]

Good luck with that. Jordan.

[Donald J. Trump]

Jordan.

[Jon Stewart]

Club Clipper, everybody. Here it is, the moment of J.

[Donald J. Trump]

But they gave me a list of names of General sir. You can pick the name you'd like, sir. I said, the name of what? The name of the attack on Iran, sir. And they gave me like 20 names and I'm like falling asleep. I didn't like any of them. Then I see epic fury. I said, I like that name. I like that name.

[Matt Mahon (Mayor of San Jose)]

Sorry.

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