"No Kings" Protests Defy GOP Expectations & Jon Gives Trump a Royal Inspection | Sen. Bernie Sanders

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: "No Kings" Protests Defy GOP Expectations & Jon Gives Trump a Royal Inspection | Sen. Bernie Sanders
Date: October 21, 2025
Host: Jon Stewart & The Daily Show News Team
Main Guest: Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Show features Jon Stewart and the News Team dissecting the “No Kings” protests across the country, examining the Republican narrative versus reality, and using satire to lampoon political doublespeak and Trump’s “kingly” tendencies. The second half, a major highlight, features a substantive and energetic interview with Senator Bernie Sanders, digging deeply into the rise of authoritarianism, Democratic Party caution, income inequality, and the urgent need for progressive change.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “No Kings” Protests: Shattering Expectations

• Opening Satire: Stewart opens with humor about the Halloween dog parade and pivots to the so-called “No Kings” protests, ridiculing right-wing media for their exaggerated warnings:
  • “It's about to get all populist up in this b*tch. That's for sure.” (Jon Stewart, 01:51)
• Media Paranoia vs. Reality: Clips of conservative pundits anticipating chaos, comparing the rallies to “Antifa” and “Marxists in full display” (03:15–03:31). Stewart lampoons the expectation of mayhem versus the actual joyful and peaceful mass turnout:
  • “I mean, has that even happened before? Even the dog parade had some nipping.” (Jon Stewart, 04:46)
  • “Seven million Americans, zero. Mass shootings, zero.” (04:35)
• Fox News Critique: Stewart rips Fox News for criticizing the demographic makeup of protesters, mocking the cognitive dissonance:
  • “Extra, extra, extra, extra. Read all about it. This country has too many angry old white people says… Fox News mad that there are so many old white people in America.” (06:33)
• Warning to GOP: Jon highlights the political potential in such mass mobilization and compares it to the early Tea Party:
  • “Republicans should be careful. There is a tremendous amount of political potential energy coursing through these massive and as of yet unfocused gatherings.” (07:15)
• Satirical Coverage of Protest Art: Stewart delights in lampooning some protest performances, costumes, and installations for their joyful absurdity, noting:
  • “This is why you do not cut funding for the arts. You don't want to do this shit on the cheap.” (09:35)

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2. Is Trump a King?

• Republican Response: Stewart explores the GOP outrage over the “No Kings” message and turns it on its head, parodying the notion of Trump as thin-skinned royalty:
  • “It's a bit hyperbole from the opposition to think that this president is some sort of thin skinned man baby king sitting in his gilded throne room…” (10:56)
• Royal Comparison Bit: Hilarious riffing on what makes a king, with jabs at historical monarchy absurdities and Trump’s apparent love of luxury:
  • “But if he was really a king, where's the broken down, inbred body of a king… like this guy, King Charles II of Spain. Look at the picture. …Bring me my corning line that I might place my… be shriveled.” (12:00–12:37)
• Trump’s Health Jokes: Mocks official attempts to wave away odd photos of Trump’s bruised hands and swollen ankles:
  • “I'm pretty sure it doesn't cause a gangrene.” (14:22)
• Declaration of Independence Parallels: Stewart reads out key grievances from the Declaration and compares them to Trump’s record:
  • “‘He has obstructed the administration of justice.’ It's getting hot in here.” (15:23)
  • “Maybe Trump isn't… an all powerful king, but he's undeniably king-adjacent. King-esqe. Moving for more. He's the imitation crab of kings.” (16:00)
• From King to Deity: Stewart notes that for many Republicans, “king” is too small a title for Trump—they see him in messianic terms:
  • “President Trump is God's chosen instrument for this moment in time.” (17:19–17:22)
  • “To Republicans, king is a demotion. He's not a king. He’s a deity sent by God to bring peace to all of mankind. A Jesus like figure. I mean, I get it. There is a lot of crossover.” (17:25)
• Game Segment: “Jesus or Trump?”
  • Stewart hosts a satirical quiz, reading quotes to see if the audience can distinguish between words of Christ and infamous Trump soundbites.
    • “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… That's Jesus Christ.” (17:56–18:07)
    • “I did try and her. She was married… I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn't. Don't boo, it could be Jesus and you are risking eternal life.” (18:25)
  • Punchline: “If you ask, is Trump a king? Nay, nay. He is the king of kings.” (19:17)

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3. Interview: Senator Bernie Sanders on Protest, Vision, and Oligarchy (22:02–42:55)

A. On the “No Kings” Rallies

• Sanders describes the protests as “extraordinary,” celebrating their size and spirit:
  • “There were some 7 million people out in 2,600 events… bottom line, extraordinary people came out. They said no to Trumpism, no to authoritarianism, no to oligarchy.” (Bernie Sanders, 22:53)

B. The Democratic Party’s Lacking Vision

• Jon presses Bernie on Democratic messaging and lack of bold proposals:
  • “[Democrats] have not articulated a simple, clear vision addressing those very things at all. In fact, I would go further. There seems to be a whole thing where they say, let’s not address that vision.” (Jon Stewart, 25:41)
  • Bernie: “You're not far from wrong. And it's a conscious decision.” (26:00)
• Sanders asserts that the U.S. needs a vision, especially on wealth inequality and universal health care:
  • “In this extraordinarily great country, wealthy country, why don’t we guarantee healthcare to every man, woman and child as a human right?” (24:55)

C. The Appeal of Populist Messaging and Trump

• Sanders agrees that Trump’s anti-establishment rhetoric resonates, though he worsens the issues rather than fixes them:
  • “He may be crazy, he may be a pathological liar, but he's not stupid… The message that he gives off… is the system is broken. Right? And I alone can fix the system. Well, the truth is the system is broken. He is making it worse. But the Democrats have got to acknowledge that the system is broken.” (Bernie Sanders, 26:44–27:05)
• Stewart notes Trump at times embraces Sanders-style policies, like government negotiating drug prices:
  • “Doing a Trump Rx where the government is involved in selling pharmaceuticals, that's a Bernie Sanders idea.” (Jon Stewart, 27:32)
• Sanders: “Yeah, that's true. …Democrats are the ones who run away from [these ideas] scared. And he's embraced some of it.” (28:01)

D. How to Move Forward—Policy Priorities

• Healthcare First: Sanders identifies health care as the top immediate reform:
  • “I've always been deeply concerned about healthcare as a human right… This can be done. Absolutely doable.” (Bernie Sanders, 29:09)
• Affordable Housing: Advocates building millions of affordable housing units.
• Broken Campaign Finance: Urges overturning Citizens United and public funding of elections:
  • “We need the Democratic Party to be very clear. The campaign system... is broken.” (Bernie Sanders, 28:13)
• Education: Remembering that public college was once free, he calls out the complications of modern subsidy systems:
  • “What they end up doing is coming up with very complicated [systems]… We have got to make it simple.” (34:19)

E. Democratic Party Paralysis and Corporate Power

• Sanders identifies corporate donations and lobbying as a central reason for Democratic reluctance:
  • “...if you don't want to say things that antagonize your campaign donors, then you have to wiggle them while.” (40:10)
• Jon argues federal contracting always leads to profit; the focus must be reducing corruption at the top:
  • “Can we deliver those contracts with less corruption?... They don't even look at the real corruption at the contractor level…” (40:21)
• Sanders slams Pentagon waste and military contracts:
  • “The Pentagon never passed an audit… No one denies that there is massive [waste]... They're paying the, you know, the salaries of Lockheed Martin and all this other stuff off the charts.” (40:49)
  • “You know, these people on top are very religious people… Their religion is greed. Yeah, they worship at the altar of money.” (41:15)

F. AI, Productivity, and the Future of Labor

• Sanders is alarmed at unchecked billionaire power over AI and automation:
  • “These technologies are going to transform the world. We have got to make sure that they work for working people, not just enrich the people on top.” (Bernie Sanders, 39:01)
  • Suggests a shorter work week as productivity rises, but notes American wages have stagnated despite huge productivity increases.

G. On Grassroots Organizing and Hope

• Bernie is optimistic about a new generation of candidates challenging oligarchy:
  • “You're beginning to see good candidates who have the guts to say, I am going to take on the oligarchs. I am going to stand with the working class.” (42:41)

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

Jon Stewart, 01:51:
"It's about to get all populist up in this b*tch. That's for sure."

Jon Stewart, 04:46:
“Seven million Americans, zero. Mass shootings, zero. … Even the dog parade had some nipping.”

Jon Stewart, 06:33:
"Fox News mad that there are so many old white people in America."

Jon Stewart, 15:23:
“‘He has obstructed the administration of justice.’ It's getting hot in here.”

Jon Stewart, 16:00:
“He’s the imitation crab of kings. Right now. The I can't believe it's not king.”

Jon Stewart, 17:25:
“To Republicans, king is a demotion. … He's not a king. He’s a deity sent by God…”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, 22:53:
“There were some 7 million people out in 2,600 events… bottom line, extraordinary people came out. They said no to Trumpism, no to authoritarianism, no to oligarchy.”

Jon Stewart, 25:41:
“[Democrats] have not articulated a simple, clear vision… In fact… let’s not address that vision.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, 26:00:
“You're not far from wrong. And it's a conscious decision.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, 26:44:
“The message that he gives off… is the system is broken. Right? And I alone can fix the system. Well, the truth is the system is broken. He is making it worse. But the Democrats have got to acknowledge that the system is broken.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, 29:09:
“I've always been deeply concerned about healthcare as a human right… This can be done. Absolutely doable.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, 39:01:
“These technologies are going to transform the world. We have got to make sure that they work for working people, not just enrich the people on top.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:36: Stewart opens, mocks hysterical right-wing media predictions about the protests.
• 03:15–04:46: Dissects protest turnout, ridicules right-wing narrative; “seven million, zero mass shootings.”
• 06:27–07:15: Stewart roasts Fox News for age/race demographic coverage and warns GOP about political energy.
• 09:00–09:35: Satirical review of protest art and installations ("don't cut funding for the arts").
• 10:31–17:55: “Is Trump a King” segment, culminating in the "Jesus or Trump?" comedy sketch.
• 22:02–42:55: Extended interview with Sen. Bernie Sanders, covering protests, Democratic strategy, oligarchy, health care, and the future of labor.
• 40:21–41:15: Federal contracts, Pentagon waste, and addressing systemic greed.
• 42:12–42:49: Bernie’s optimism about new progressive leaders and bottom-up activism.

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Overall Tone & Style

Full of biting satire, irony, and Stewart’s signature rapid-fire, incredulous delivery. The show toggles expertly between comedy and urgent, substantive political critique, especially during Sanders’ interview—a section marked by conviction, frustration, and hope for reform. Sanders is direct, earnest, and a little folksy, while Stewart alternates between exasperated humor, deadpan, and pointed interrogation.

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In Summary:
This episode deftly dismantles right-wing media hysteria about mass protest; lampoons presidential “royalty”; and—most significantly—showcases an urgent dialogue with Bernie Sanders about the perils of rising authoritarianism, corporate capture, and the critical need for grassroots, populist vision. Both comic and caustic, it’s a potent blend of satire and straight talk for anyone worried about the country’s direction.

Transcript

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[B]

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, Shawn Stewart.

[A]

Welcome to the Daily show, ladies and gentlemen. We got a great joke for you tonight. I didn't even want to tell you this. Senator Bernard Sanders, independent Vermont. I swear to God, I've never seen this before. You announce a guest and a mosh pit forms started going on there. You're hearing that man. If you're watching tonight's program with a billionaire, you might want to get him some headphones cuz it's about to get all populist up in this bitch. That's for sure. But first, it's exciting news. Believe me, I'm excited as well. We're going to start though with the major news from this weekend. New York's annual Halloween dog parade was this weekend. That is not the picture we used in rehearsal. It's a great reminder each year that dogs, like humans are capable of experiencing humiliation. Perhaps you missed this year's annual dog parade because you remained inside all weekend because you knew that the no Kings protests would be taking place and you heard what that might be like. We call it the hate America rally.

[B]

I bet you see pro Hamas supporters.

[A]

I bet you see antifa types. I bet you see the Marxists in full display. This crazy no Kings rally this weekend, which is going to be the farthest.

[B]

Left, the hardest core, the most unhinged.

[A]

In the Democratic Party. What the not what not the hardest core. I expected partial Marxism and hardcore, but not full display. Hardest core. Ha. Marxism. It's gonna be like Mad Max out there with Chuck Schumer on flaming guitar. That's a real photograph. And so this weekend we sat in our Bunkers, doors locked, windows boarded, muskets and cyanide pills at the ready, prepared for whatever the hardest core had in store. Do your worst. Display your max Marxism to its fullest. An estimated 7 million people gathered across some 2700 no Kings rallies in cities.

[B]

From coast to coast in what has been described.

[A]

Described as one of the largest single day demonstrations in U.S. history.

[B]

Not only were they largely peaceful, they were often joyful.

[A]

No, not public domain folk classics, you monster. Actually, it was kind of an incredible turnout that was somewhat inspiring. Seven million Americans, zero. Mass shootings, zero. That's just sad. No mass shootings. My God. I mean, has that even happened before? Even the dog parade had some nipping. It wasn't a hate America rally at all. I look forward to Republicans apologizing sincerely for implying that these Americans were. What's the word I'm looking for? Deplorable. This, to me, is a colossal waste of time. And for these people, you wasted your Saturday. It's like a comic con. They have costumes and hashtags. They're silly protesting and they don't know how dumb they look. Absurdist costumes.

[B]

They look silly.

[A]

They certainly don't look serious. I knew antifa. I worked with antifa. You people are not antifa. Make up your mind, Fox. You complained it would be a terrifyingly shit your pants protest. And now you are complaining about how boringly un pants shitting it was. Although there was one nit you picked that really felt off brand.

[B]

The crowd made largely up of what.

[A]

Many are saying are gray hairs. Boomers.

[B]

A bunch of boomers.

[A]

A lot of older angry boomers. Older, angry white boomers. It's a sea of white people. It's all old white people. Extra, extra, extra, extra. Read all about it. This country has too many angry old white people says, hold on, Fox News. Fox News says, why are old white people so angry? Fox News mad that there are so many old white people in America. I don't think Fox News is bad. I think they're jealous. To be fair. To be fair to Fox News, they are kind of right to be dismissive. I mean, imagine a bunch of old white people in costumes angrily protesting the direction and overreach of an ever encroaching federal government. I mean, preposterous. That's in no way a movement that could sweep the midterms and then be harnessed by a charismatic demagogue to remake an entire political party in the midterms. I mean, it's laughable. Republicans should be careful. There is a tremendous amount of Political potential energy coursing through these massive and as of yet unfocused gatherings. Which is also not to insinuate that any random zoom in close up of said gathering would show itself to be less American Patriot Tea Party and more Mad Hatter Tea Party. I don't know what that is. I don't know what they want. I'm assuming cheaper compressed air. Now, obviously that's not to say there weren't some hardened terrorist sympathizers practicing coordinated action. I did not know Hamas had a jazzercise program. We must wage jihad against prediabetes and apparently rhythm. And while those performances were more joyful than provocative, I think we can all agree about the effectiveness of this installation. Ice agents as lice agents being beaten by Uncle Sam while President Trump meanders around the Constitution. Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot stress this enough. This is why you do not cut funding for the arts. You don't want to do this shit on the cheap. Clearly, it was a great day for democracy and apparently an even better day for people across this country who always got cast as ensemble in their high school's musical. At the end of the day, it wasn't the spectacle that upset Republican leaders. What really hurt their feelings was the insinuation behind the rallies. They're calling him a king. It's completely ridiculous.

[B]

And I guarantee you that kings don't let you romp up and down the.

[A]

Street in costume mocking him.

[B]

If President Trump was a king, he would have closed the national parks and the National Mall so they couldn't have.

[A]

Had the rally out here. Yeah, that's not as reassuring as you think it is. Oh, believe me, if this guy was king, there'd be no dissent. I mean, he wanted to shut the park. He googled it. He showed us a picture of the park with a big X. He said, what if we had them come and then just red weddinged the shit out of them? And we told him, Mr. President, we're not there yet. And the truth is, it's a bit hyperbole from the opposition to think that this president is some sort of thin skinned man baby king sitting in his gilded throne room, demanding vengeance on his enemies while plotting baroque and lavish monuments to his own ego, whilst sycophants plead for his benevolence through exotic tokens of fealty.

[B]

And this glass comes off with a warning line. It's engraved in front of the trunk. It's a unique unit of one.

[A]

It's from the corning line, the most spectacular line in all engravings. My lord. It has a hole in the middle for your. You can place the corning line around your. It'll look like a bishop wearing an Elizabethan collar. And scene. No. Just so I'm clear, this is a unique gift to the President, handmade and blown on the order of the CEO. And it still had to come in all that Apple packaging. Enjoy the gift if you can find it all under all the secret compartments. Oh, and the gift needs a charger, and the package doesn't include an adapter. Oh, yeah. All right, so clearly Trump has the lavish sensibilities of the entitled mind of a king. But if he was really a king, where's the broken down, inbred body of a king, saddled with the exotic infirmaries of royalty, like this guy, King Charles II of Spain. Look. Look at the picture. That's his official portrait. That's the one he picked. Oh, I like the shading and a little filter. It makes it seem like my head is not an actual eggplant. Bring me my corning line that I might place my. Be shriveled. Say what you want about Trump, he doesn't have any of that stuff.

[B]

There have been many questions about the President's health after photographs surfaced of his swollen ankles and bruised hands.

[A]

Okay, those are weird. But a real king would have his minions dismiss said infirmaries. Recent photos of the President have shown minor bruising on the back of his hand.

[B]

This is consistent with minor soft tissue irritation from frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin. Come on.

[A]

Look, I've been in the business a long time. I'm not the President, but I've shaken a lot of hands, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't cause a gangrene. You know what? Admittedly, it's starting to feel like there might be something to this whole king thing. Go to the source. The original.

[B]

No.

[A]

King's protest. The revolution. Let's see what's in the Declaration of Independence. I just want to see very quickly if we have. Hold on a second. There's listed 27 specific grievances against the king. Time for a surprise inspection. Let me just see. Very. Oh, you know what's sad? There's no difference in color. The actual color of my hair is store bought colonial wig. All right, let's see what the Declaration says. Give me a beat. Come on. The Declaration says, ah, he has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislatures. Done cutting off our trade with all parts of the world. That does sound familiar. He has obstructed the administration of justice. It's getting hot in here. And here's one more. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us. I mean, come on. I'm calling it. Look, maybe Trump isn't an all powerful king, the kind who can do whatever he wants, but he's undeniably king adjacent. King esque. Moving for more. He's the imitation crab of kings. Right now. The I can't believe it's not king. And the ironic part about Republicans complaining that he is being dubbed a king is that in their minds, he has already surpassed that title anyway and moved on to a much higher calling.

[B]

He's a miracle worker.

[A]

Trump just performed an actual miracle before our eyes. He was saved to do things like he did today.

[B]

He's got just a special anointing, prophecy, destiny and divine purpose.

[A]

President Trump is God's chosen instrument for.

[B]

This moment in time.

[A]

I've seen the hand of God on him for a very long time. You know, we're saving Christianity, we're saving God. To Republicans, king is a demotion. He's not a king. He's a deity sent by God to bring peace to all of mankind. A Jesus like figure. I mean, I get it. There is a lot of crossover. That's why tonight I thought we'd end our program with some fun and play the hottest new game show on basic cable. Jesus or Trump?

[B]

Bean bomb.

[A]

All right, here we go. Here's how we're gonna. I'll read a quote and you try and figure out if it was said by Donald J. Trump or Jesus H. Christ. Get out your scorecards. First quote, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. I'm starting off with a tough one. Purposefully. Give everybody a second to lock in their answers. Jesus Christ. That's Jesus Christ. Got about 60% in the audience. Number two, be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. That's another tricky one. I want you to take Jesus again. That was you, the two producers on there. Let me try another one. I did try and her. Please wait till after I finish the quote before you lock in your. Please. I did try and her. She was married and I moved on her very heavily. In fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said, I'll show you where they have some nice furniture. Ma', am, please respect the other contestants. I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn't. Don't boo. It could be Jesus and you are risking eternal life. But I couldn't get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she's now got the big phony tits and everything. She's totally changed her look. End quote. Lock, lock in. That one was trouble. That was troll, bing, bong. Yeah, you got that. Listen, you guys are very. So if you ask, is Trump a king? Nay, nay. He is the king of kings. And that, my friends, is a reason to rejoice. Not like that. When we come back, Senator Bernie Sanders will be joining us. Don't go away. If you work as a manufacturing facilities engineer, installing a new piece of equipment can be as complex as the machinery itself. From prep work to alignment and testing, it's your team's job to put it all together. That's why it's good to have Grainger on your side. With industrial grade products and next day delivery, Grainger helps ensure you have everything you need close at hand through every step of the installation. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

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[A]

Hello and welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight, he is an independent senator from Vermont. His latest book is called Fight Oligarchy. Please welcome to the program Senator Bernie Sanders. Sir, been here 20 years. Never as much as a John John only you brought. First of all, thank you for being here. How were these no King rallies you went? You addressed one. Where did you speak? What was going on?

[B]

I was in D.C. there were some 200,000 people out in D.C. there were Some 7 million people out in 2,600 events all over the country, not only in big cities but in small towns, bottom line, extraordinary people came out. They said no to Trumpism, no to authoritarianism, no to oligarchy.

[A]

And it grew from the previous expression of those. And obviously you can go back and you say, well, it's, you know, maybe the left is building a similar thing to the Tea Party. With all this potential energy that's moving in that direction. How do you harness that for purpose, for being directional? There are not a lot of people out there other than yourself, other than Representative Cortez, who are very clearly delineated about a point of view that people can rally behind.

[B]

Well, let me just say Two things. We are in an extraordinarily dangerous time, as you know. You got an authoritarian president who wants more and more power, doesn't respect the Constitution, doesn't respect the law.

[A]

Well, the Supreme Court, that's granting it to him, right?

[B]

That's true. I mean, that's part of the process. You got a Republican Party that's now lockstep. It's kind of a cult of the individual. We got to stop them. But there's something else that we got to do, John. We have to have a vision for the future of this country. And I think that many of you, my colleagues in the Democratic Party, have not had that vision. And what that means is that we should not accept the fact that we have so much income and wealth inequality, that you got one guy, Mr. Musk, only more wealth than the bottom 52% of the American people. That we have a corrupt campaign finance system that allows billionaires in both parties to determine who wins and who loses elections. And the vision has got to be. And I want people to think about this in this extraordinarily great country, wealthy country, why don't we guarantee health care to every man, woman and child as a human right?

[A]

So this is where the level needs to learn. So in this moment, all this potential energy, there is clearly a thirst in this country for leadership and smart politics. You know, I know Kamala's book was 107 days, this shortened time that she had to run the campaign, but the Democrats have had now a much longer timeframe.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And yet to my mind, have not articulated.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

A simple, clear vision addressing those very things at all. In fact, I would go further. There seems to be a whole thing where they say, say, let's not address that vision. What we need to do is not bother anybody and be just totally wrong.

[B]

You're not far from wrong. And it's a conscious decision.

[A]

I mean, look, it's my gps. I'm near.

[B]

Right. Look. And a lot of that gets back to money, basically. If you're a political party, you gotta make a decision. Do you go where the money is, where the billionaires are, where the super PACs are, and kind of do what these guys want? Or do you go where the working class and the middle class of this country are, and those are people who are hurting, who want real change? Now, I'll give Donald Trump. He may be crazy, he may be a pathological liar, but he's not stupid.

[A]

I'm gonna say something that's a rather passive aggressive comment. I think it's Classic.

[B]

All right, but what I mean by that is the. The message that he gives off in one way or another is the system is broken. Right?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And I alone can fix the system. Well, the truth is the system is broken. He is making it worse. But the Democrats have got to acknowledge that the system is broken.

[A]

I'll go you one better. You know, if you think about. Because your message has always been consistent and you've spoken this way since you first came on the scene for a very long time, and you've always been clear about it, it. You could almost make a case that the true inheritor of the Sanders revolution is Trump. He's the most socialist president of my lifetime. Taking a percentage of companies to do business. That's a Bernie Sanders idea. Doing a Trump Rx where the government is involved in selling pharmaceuticals, that's a Bernie Sanders idea.

[B]

That's not only his. Some of his policies. Some of his other policies, like not Forget, is throwing 15 million people off the health care they have and doubling health care premiums.

[A]

He's not perfect. And giving a trillion. I didn't say he was perfect.

[B]

And giving a trillion dollars. The tax breaks of the 1%.

[A]

Is it frustrating that the thing that you fought for your whole career. Democrats are the ones who run away from scared. And he's embraced some of it.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah, that's true. All right, so what do we gotta do? I mean, first of all, you gotta acknowledge bloody reality. Health care system is broken.

[A]

Boom.

[B]

All right. We need to do what every other major country does. Guarantee health care. Every man, woman and child. Take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and the insurance companies. Okay. We're spending more than enough money to guarantee good quality health care to every person. All right. All right. What else do you gotta do? We need the Democratic Party to be very clear. The campaign system, current campaign finance system is broken. You got to get rid of Citizens United. You got to move the public funding of elections. Give everybody a chance to participate in our democracy. Right. All right.

[A]

If you were triaging. So let's say you're triaging that idea because Citizens United. Look, those decisions about corporations being people and money being speech make things very difficult. They do seem like generational plays to try and reverse things like that. This healthcare thing seems more immediate. Is that if you're triaging the patient of America, what's the first thing you want to address?

[B]

I happen, you know, I've always been deeply concerned about healthcare as a human. Right, right. And this is something that is so doable. We are the Odd guy out as a country. I live 50 miles away from Canada. You spend a month in a hospital, county, you know what the bill is when you come out? Zero. They spend half as much per capita as we do on health care. They guarantee health care to all of their people. This can be done. Absolutely doable. The other thing we could do, young people today finding it extremely hard to buy their own home. Cost of housing is off the charts. Why aren't we building 4 or 5 million units of low income and affordable housing?

[A]

Well, to be fair, we are building one or two, four or five million dollar homes. So I think on average.

[B]

Well, that's the point. That's a fair point.

[A]

But let me ask you this question then because this, this is where I get in my head about those prescriptions. Seem a charismatic leader making a forceful case for that would very much appeal to the American people. But what Democrats find themselves in a place is we've shut down the government to protect subsidies for an insurance Marketplace that funnels $800 billion a year into the pockets of all these insurance companies. Have Democrats box themselves into a corner fighting for a system that ultimately to get the thing that you want, that I think the American people want, they're going to have to abandon.

[B]

Yes. Look, here's where we are right now and I take it's not been made as clear as it should. If Trump gets away with what he wants, we are looking at 15 million people losing their health insurance. And according to studies, John, 50,000 low income and working class people dying every.

[A]

Year unnecessary based on lack of accessibility to health.

[B]

You're low income, you're working hard, you don't have any health, you have a chronic ill, you die. That's what they're saying. On top of that all over the.

[A]

Country, you do die anyway.

[B]

Way just die any. But you don't have to die, you don't have to die that way just because you can't get to a doctor. That is disgusting. Right. All right. And then on top of that, because of the cuts to the ACA, you're looking at some 20 plus million people seeing a doubling of their premiums at a time when they can't even afford health care right now.

[A]

Right.

[B]

All right, so your point is, is this a good system?

[A]

No, but we got a good system to defend.

[B]

To defend today, obviously. Obviously.

[A]

Right.

[B]

It is a system designed to make huge profits for the insurance companies and the drug companies. Right. Period. We have got to move to a Medicare for all single payer program. Absolutely.

[A]

Is that something in your Caucus, that when that's raised, what are the objections that come back at you? Now, I'm assuming that within even your caucus of the Democratic Party that you're considered an outlier in those kinds of things. Maybe more people are coming along there. What is their reluctance?

[B]

The irony is, in the caucus, I am outside of the caucus. In the real world, I am not.

[A]

That's the point.

[B]

Yeah. All right. I think there is. Oh, Bernie, it's too radical. Oh, Bernie. You know, we got money from insurance companies, drug companies, you know, all that stuff. We're going to all kinds of opposites.

[A]

Will people ever say to you like, bernie, I'd love to do that, but you don't understand. Aetna's throwing me a party. You can't, you. I can't.

[B]

Well, these are non verbal communications.

[A]

I mean, little nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

[B]

Yeah. I mean, look, these guys, last count, there were 1500 lobbyists from the pharmaceutical industry in Washington, Washington, D.C. okay. That's why you are paying by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Right. But then you got other things. Seventy years ago, I don't know how many people know this, Most or many public colleges and universities were tuition free in America.

[A]

Sure. My parents were at City College.

[B]

There you go. Great university.

[A]

It was free.

[B]

California, highest quality education, tuition free. And now working class families can't afford to send their kids to college.

[A]

But again, this gets to the Democratic solutions have never been to directly provide. It's always been a subsidy.

[B]

Absolutely right.

[A]

But what happens is, when the government promises endless funds to insurance companies or private universities without any cost controls, and Trump seems to understand this, prices rise far beyond the rate of inflation. And we've seen it in tuition and we've seen it in pharmaceutical, and we've seen it in health care. So my question is, will Democrats recognize the poison pill that they've often placed into well intentioned policy?

[B]

What they end up doing is coming up with very complicated. You make $48,964. Yes, you will get this thing, you make a dollar more, you're finished. And blah, blah, blah, blah. Look, we have got to make it simple. In the wealthiest country in the history of the world, should healthcare be a human right? Yes, it should be. Should we have the best quality education in the world, from childcare to graduate school? Yes, we should.

[A]

Right. But these are, these are on.

[B]

How do you pass?

[A]

Let's get there.

[B]

All right, Then the question is. All right, these are.

[A]

I'm writing this down, Sanders.

[B]

All right, The Republicans, you're getting violent here.

[A]

You know, I get excited when you're around, all right?

[B]

You know, and what we need is a very simple, straightforward agenda, which says, by the way. And this is. This is really a sticky point. You gotta finally say to the oligarchs, who have never, ever had it so good, they're making money hand over fist, all right? And you gotta say to them, sorry, guys, a billion dollars is enough. You ain't gonna have 200 billion or 300 billion try to survive and be a billion. You're gonna start paying your fair share of taxes.

[A]

And this is like. So when you see Donald Trump, go to. And only in this one area, but go to them and say, you're giving me 10% of your company if we're gonna help you out, or we're gonna do that. But here's the thing, Pfizer, you're not gonna charge these people anymore. Does that change the calculus now for Democrats to govern with more balls?

[B]

I think it does. I think it does. I mean, they've seen a boldness on the part of Trump using his power in a way that we have never seen before. So I hope it awakens Democrats to understand.

[A]

You want Luke Skywalker to look at Darth and go, I. I could just. Nicer, nicer. Without the people in the masks.

[B]

But the revolution, the political revolution that we need also means an involvement. And this is what was so exciting about the. No Kings Day. It's 7 million people coming out. We need all of you to be involved in this process. It's gotta be a bottom on up revolution, not a top down.

[A]

No, it makes sense. I wonder if we've lost the purpose in the sense of, you know, viewing government as a bulwark. You know, when the founders design a system and they talk about checks and balances and congressional checks and judicial and executive and the balance, all there. I don't know that they factored in corporate power, and I don't know that there's an entity large enough or with enough leverage. Got to be a counterweight to that type of corporate.

[B]

Bill, you're raising a very important issue. All right.

[A]

I knew I'd get to it at some point.

[B]

Finally. I've been waiting, John, you finally said something relevant here.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Look, I know people say, oh, we don't want the government to regulate, you know, corporate. The truth of the matter is, it's quite the opposite. Right now. It is the corporate world. It is the oligarchy who are regulating the government. They have far more power. Right? And we have got to create a political movement, a grassroots movement which takes control of the future of this country. Let me give you one example. Right now we are in the midst, as everybody knows, of these, the Musks of the world and Bezos and all these guys putting hundreds of billions of dollars into AI and robotics.

[A]

Right.

[B]

This is going to transform our world. It's going to transform our economy. In my view, in the view of a number of economists, it means millions and millions of workers are going to be displaced from their jobs. Who is engaging in that discussion to say, hey, Mr. Musk, you can't make the decision for the future of humanity. We are going to make the future. And that is if AI works, it's going to work for working people, not just billionaires.

[A]

I'll go you one further.

[B]

Why are you always going to me one further. I'm not radical.

[A]

I'll go you one further with this. Let's get really radical. You know, these AI data farms are going to need more and more electricity.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

And these oligarchs or billionaires or the people that control that are trying to cut deals to get cheaper electricity for themselves, even though that's going to raise prices for the rest of us.

[B]

Absolutely. And it's being, they're being resisted all over the country. It's electricity, it's water. Scarce water is going to be used.

[A]

I like both of those.

[B]

All right. But the bottom line is these technologies are going to transform the world. We have got to make sure that they work for working people, not just enrich the people on top. What does that mean? Well, among other things, if we increase worker productivity, we can lower the work week from 40 hours a week to at least 32 hours a week. All right.

[A]

But we have in many ways, you know, if you look at productivity over time, productivity for the American worker has shot through the roof. American workers are beneficial, productive. That's my point. But wages have not.

[B]

That is the profound point over the last 52 years, with all of the increase in worker productivity and technology, the average American worker, blue collar workers, earning less today than he did then. That's insane.

[A]

Why are you able to make these cases so easily and talk like a normal human being? And these other. I mean, that's part of the problem in the Democratic Party. Sometimes you listen to them and you just, you can almost see the consultant behind their eye going, don't frame it like that. Talk like a person.

[B]

Well, you know, I think sadly it gets back to money again. You know, if you don't want to Say things that antagonize your campaign donors, then you have to wiggle them while.

[A]

Trust me, the United States government is always going to be a trough. It's just a question of people are always going to make. Corporations are always going to be able to make a huge profit off of the contracts that come from the American government. The question is, can we deliver those contracts with less corruption? You know, everybody talks about waste, fraud and abuse as though that's only done from people down the chain. People that get, you know, food stamps and, and all those things. They don't even look at the real corruption at the contractor level, at the subsidy level.

[B]

John, the Pentagon, I voted against this. But Congress is going to pass a trillion dollar for the military. The Pentagon never passed an audit. Exactly. They have the only government agent, major government agency not to pass it. No one denies that there is massive. They don't even know what they own. All right? And they're paying the, you know, the salaries of the people of Lockheed Martin and all this other stuff off the charts. So your point is well taken. And we got to take a look at incredible greed. You know, these people on top are very religious people. Do you know that? They're very religious. Their religion is greed. Yeah, they worship at the altar of money.

[A]

But the government's leverage, they've got to use it.

[B]

You're goddamn right.

[A]

So let's talk about this in, in conclusion. Look, you've been doing this a long time.

[B]

Couple of years.

[A]

Is there a couple of years now? I want to know in your mind, you've been in the rooms with these folks. You've been in the weeds with these folks. What is your appraisal of their willingness to recognize this moment, to recognize the potential energy and thirst that exists out in this country for true leadership and simple common sense that reflects a government, that reflects the needs of its people? What is your sense of their.

[B]

I have been in the room. The door is locked. And you know, there are some very, very serious discussions about what we have to do to prevent this country becoming an authoritarian society. But John, the answer is not just within the room of the people currently elected. What we are seeing all over this country right now are great young people like Mr. Mamdani right here in the city of New York. All right? And it's not just him. You're beginning to see good candidates who have the guts to say, I am going to take on the oligarchs. I am going to stand with the working class. That is what we have got to develop in this country.

[A]

Bernie Sanders. The book is Fight Oligarchy. Thank you. Thank you. Enough.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Bernie Sanders, everybody. We're going to take a break. Come up right after this. This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. It's cybersecurity awareness month and Lifelock has tips to protect your identity. Use strong passwords, set up multi factor authentication, report phishing, and update the software on your devices. And for comprehensive identity protection, let Lifelock alert you to suspicious uses of your personal information. Lifelock also fixes identity theft, guaranteed or your money back. Stay smart, safe and protected with a 30 day free [e-mail] podcast terms apply.

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[B]

Nice to see you.

[A]

What do you got on tap for the well, John, because of Trump's tariffs, China's not buying American soybeans, which means our farmers are hurting. So I'm doing my part by eating soybeans. 24 7, 365, John.

[B]

And.

[A]

How'S that going, Michael? Awful. Is it wreaking havoc on my colon, John? Yes. Is it causing irreversible damage to my bones? Of course. But do I sleep easier at night knowing I'm helping out American farmers? Well, do. Do you? No. I'm up all night farting, John, because of the beans. You see, you, you, you know, Michael, you could just buy the beans and. And not eat them. Yes. Yes, I could. Michael Costa, everybody. Here it is, the moment of Z.

[B]

Hey, everybody.

[A]

Congressman Tim Burchett here at the friendly neighborhood Burger King, enjoying my no Kings.

[B]

Day with some traditional flame broiled goodness in my hand.

[A]

Right now, we don't have a king in this country. We've got a president.

[B]

He's doing a pretty darn good job. Thanks, John. Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcast, 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 Arc Raiders, a multiplayer extraction adventure video game set in a lethal yet vibrant future Earth. As a raider scavenging the remnants of a derelict world, you settle into an underground settlement.

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