Trump Bores UAE Businessmen About Sean Duffy & Lee Greenwood Cameos in Qatar | Rep. Jake Auchincloss

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Show: Ears Edition Episode Title: Trump Bores UAE Businessmen About Sean Duffy & Lee Greenwood Cameos in Qatar | Rep. Jake Auchincloss
Release Date: May 16, 2025
Host: Jordan Klepper

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1. Donald Trump's Middle East Tour

Overview:
The episode kicks off with a satirical portrayal of former President Donald Trump's recent trip to the Middle East, specifically Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Jordan Klepper humorously critiques Trump's interactions and the overall effectiveness of his business-focused visit.

Key Discussions:

• Farewell to Qatar:
  Jordan highlights Trump's departure from Qatar, poking fun at his presence at an American military base.
  Quote:
  Donald Trump [01:48]: "International humiliation. One after another."

• Encounter with Lee Greenwood:
  Trump is depicted interacting with Lee Greenwood, the renowned singer of "Proud to Be an American." The segment humorously questions whether Trump "kidnapped" Greenwood to perform in Qatar.
  Quote:
  Jordan Klepper [02:55]: "Are you being held against your will? If you are, give us a sign."

• Business Roundtable with Defense Contractors:
  The main event of Trump's trip involves a roundtable with U.S. defense contractors aimed at promoting American goods. Jordan mocks the shift from drones to unrelated topics like lumberjacks and Sean Duffy, the head of transportation.
  Quote:
  Donald Trump [05:07]: "You're talking about drones, we're getting off track here."

• Satirical Commentary on Policy and Leadership:
  The dialogue underscores Trump's scattered focus during the discussions, blending topics like transportation, lumberjacks, and political figures in a humorous narrative.
  Quote:
  Jordan Klepper [07:18]: "We're just ranking Seans now. You got Sean Hannity, Shaun of the Dead, Shonda Rhimes."

Conclusion:
The segment wraps up with Jordan reflecting on Trump's inability to stay on topic, questioning the outcomes of his Middle East visit.
Quote:
Jordan Klepper [09:00]: "Leader of the free world, everyone. So that was the end of President Trump's visit to the Middle East."

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2. The Shrimp Welfare Project and Effective Altruism

Overview:
The podcast transitions into a comedic exploration of the Shrimp Welfare Project, a fictional charity focused on improving the lives of shrimp. This segment features Ronny Chieng and Lee Greenwood engaging in a humorous debate about effective altruism and the prioritization of charitable causes.

Key Discussions:

• Introduction to Effective Altruism:
  Ronny introduces the concept of effective altruism through the lens of shrimp welfare.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng [15:21]: "I was working in investment banking. My wife was helping refugees, and I saw how meaningful her work was, and I decided to do the same."

• Shrimp Welfare Project Explained:
  The segment delves into the specifics of the charity, emphasizing humane treatment and reducing suffering for shrimp.
  Quote:
  Andreas Jimenez Zoria [16:04]: "We make sure that they have a more humane slaughter method... electrical stunning that renders animals unconscious and then they die, but without feeling any pain."

• Humorous Critique by Lee Greenwood:
  Lee challenges the practicality and relatability of focusing on shrimp welfare, injecting humor into the discussion.
  Quote:
  Lee Greenwood [16:46]: "This is a sex thing, right? This is a kink thing. This is something you're just."

• Debate on Ethical Priorities:
  The conversation contrasts traditional charitable causes with the logic-driven approach of effective altruism, highlighting differing perspectives on what constitutes meaningful charity.
  Quote:
  Effective Altruism Advocate [17:02]: "There's no shortage of ambition. There's no shortage of pollsters. What there is a shortage of is big, bold ideas that show Americans that we've got an agenda that makes kids do better than their parents."

Conclusion:
The segment concludes with a humorous take on the absurdity of the Shrimp Welfare Project, blending satire with genuine questions about charitable focus.
Quote:
Lee Greenwood [18:45]: "They still kill shrimp by the trillions. They just suffer a bit less."

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3. Interview with Congressman Jake Auchincloss

Overview:
In the latter half of the episode, Jordan Klepper interviews Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss from Massachusetts' 4th district. The discussion centers on current legislative battles, including healthcare reforms, the TikTok ban, and Democratic strategies moving forward.

Key Discussions:

• Healthcare Bill and Republican Opposition:
  Congressman Auchincloss details the challenges faced during the markup session of a significant healthcare bill, criticizing Republican tactics to undermine health provisions.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng [22:58]: "The Republicans are pushing back. They're saying why not? Why are we giving Medicaid to the topic?"

• TikTok Ban and Constitutional Concerns:
  The conversation shifts to the TikTok ban, highlighting Trump's resistance to enforcing the law despite its passage through Congress.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng [26:22]: "He's definitely breaking the law, as he is on a number of other fronts."

• Democratic Strategies for Future Policies:
  Congressman Auchincloss emphasizes the need for the Democratic Party to present bold, actionable ideas rather than just focusing on opposition. He outlines initiatives in housing, energy, and education aimed at improving the lives of future generations.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng [29:07]: "It's about doing better than your parents... Let's build 5 million homes in this country."

• Examples of Effective Policy Implementation:
  The discussion includes successful examples of zoning reforms in Austin, Texas, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, showcasing how Democrats can drive meaningful change.
  Quote:
  Ronny Chieng [31:13]: "Cambridge, Massachusetts just passed the zoning reform bill. Hundred pages. Ninety of those pages were just deleting old rules to make it easier to build missing middle housing."

Conclusion:
The interview wraps up with a focus on empowering voters and encouraging active participation in governance to counteract incumbent opposition.
Quote:
Ronny Chieng [29:20]: "If we're gonna govern from a place of trust with the American people, we have to show people what we are for, not just what we are against."

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Final Thoughts

Jordan Klepper effectively weaves together satirical commentary on political figures and serious discussions on legislative processes, providing listeners with both humor and insightful analysis. The episode balances lighthearted segments with substantive dialogue, maintaining engagement while addressing pertinent political issues.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Donald Trump [01:48]: "International humiliation. One after another."
• Lee Greenwood [02:50]: "There ain't no doubt I love this land."
• Ronny Chieng [22:33]: "Their plan backfired. They put the health care portion of the bill in the middle of the night..."
• Andreas Jimenez Zoria [16:04]: "We make sure that they have a more humane slaughter method..."
• Jordan Klepper [07:49]: "But Sean Duffy was the world champion for five years, climbing trees."
• Ronny Chieng [29:07]: "It's about doing better than your parents."

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting key discussions, humorous exchanges, and critical insights into current political and social issues. Whether you're catching up or seeking a detailed overview, this summary ensures you stay informed about the latest from The Daily Show: Ears Edition.

Transcript

[Jordan Klepper]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.

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[Jordan Klepper]

You're listening to Comedy Central from the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Jordan Clipper. Welcome to the show. I am Jordan. Guys, we got so much to talk about tonight because Donald Trump spent the week in the Middle east as part of his Dictator study abroad program. But you know what? Today was his last day. So let's see how it all came together with another installment of Trump meets World.

[Donald Trump]

International humiliation. One after another.

[Jordan Klepper]

This morning, Donald Trump said goodbye to Qatar, but not before making an appearance at an American military base where he sashayed for the soldiers. Oh, look at that. That's sexy, right? Oh, that's sexy. Yeah. Show the boys what we're fighting for over there, right? Sexy, baby. And of course, Trump once again was serenaded in person by proud to be an American singer, Lee Greenwood. Which begs the question, did Donald Trump kidnap Lee Greenwood? I mean, I get having him sing at a campaign rally, but dragging him all the way to Qatar? Is Greenwood like that Mad Max guitarist, you know? Is he just chained to Trump's podium at this point? Lee, Lee, Lee. Are you being held against your will? If you are, give us a sign. Struggle to hit the high note but.

[Lee Greenwood]

There ain't no doubt I love this land.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, God, he needs help. Oh, God. Oh, God. Someone call Liam Neeson or Mel Gibson, probably. He'll do it. Yes. Anyway, after blue balling our troops, Trump was off to the United Arab Emirates, the country Americans always click on accidentally on the dropdown menu. Oh, man. Remember when we used to be at the top all the time? You know what? You want to win my Vote. Make that your campaign promise. America first on the dropdown menu. I'll vote for that every time. And as we've discussed, been discussing all week, Trump has been receiving a huge welcome at each stop on this tour. Saudi Arabia gave him a horse guard. Qatar gave him horses and camels and a sword dancing ceremony. Uae, you got a lot to live up to. Show us what you got. What the. Is that a group audition for a Pantene commercial? Is that a threat? Like, work with us or we'll clog your drains? But look, look, this wasn't a sightseeing trip. Trump was there to talk business. So the main event of the day was a roundtable with some of America's top defense contractors. A chance for Trump to be focused on selling American goods. So make that sales pitch and bring it home.

[Donald Trump]

We're coming up with a new system of drones because drones are really. If you look at the war that's going on, it's horrible. When you look at what's happening with Russia and Ukraine, the drone is killing tremendous numbers of people. You hide behind a tree and the drone comes down and it circles you with. With fire. You don't have a chance. The tree comes down also, by the way. It's so intense. I mean, you see these trees being knocked down like. Like they're being sawed down by a top of the line timberman. Like, you know who. Sean Duffy.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, okay. This is about drones. We're getting off track here, not about trees or the timberman. So let's get back to the drones and forget about Sean Duffy.

[Donald Trump]

Do you know that Sean Duffy, the head of the transportation department who's working right now in the airports and getting a system because Biden. Biden didn't do a thing for four years.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, Airports. Joe Biden. Oh, shit. I know it's about to happen. Everyone stay calm. We're entering a weave. Okay, that's the weave. Buckle up, everyone. The man's been up for four days. This is a jet lag weave. All right? This could get bumpy.

[Donald Trump]

Biden didn't do a thing for four years. And Pete Buttigieg was the head, and he goes bicycle into work. He takes a bicycle to work. Can you believe he said he's running the biggest air system in the world and he takes a bicycle to work.

[Jordan Klepper]

So Pete Buttigieg should have taken a plane to work? Is that what. I'm overthinking it. I'm overthinking. It's a weave. You got to steer into the spin.

[Donald Trump]

And they Say he's going to run president. I don't see it. Who knows, right? But I don't see it.

[Jordan Klepper]

Have you ever been in a corn maze and you just can't find your way out? Okay, yeah, okay. All right, all right, all right. Buttigieg for President. I mean, who knows? Probably not worth speculating about with a bunch of Middle east businessmen. Can we just get back to what we were talking about?

[Donald Trump]

But what people don't know about Sean, because I mentioned lumberjacks.

[Jordan Klepper]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Wasn't about lumberjacks. Not about lumberjacks. Okay, you were talking about drones. Forget about the lumberjacks.

[Donald Trump]

I mentioned lumberjacks. That Sean, you probably didn't know this. That. I'm not talking about this Sean. This Sean. No, this is not. This is a different Sean. Sean Duffy, the head of transportation. He's a great Sean, though, I have to tell you.

[Jordan Klepper]

He's a great Sean. We're just ranking Sean's now. You got Sean Hannity, Shaun of the Dead, Shonda Rhimes. At this point, everyone in the room was probably like, can we just give you our bribe and go home? Mr. President, look. No, no, I believe. No, I believe. I believe. I believe, Mr. President. I believe in you. You can find your way back to the drones. Take us home, Donny.

[Donald Trump]

He's a great Sean, though, I have to tell you. But Sean Duffy was the world champion for five years, climbing trees. And down. Up and down. World champion. So that's what you call a serious lumberjack. And he's doing a fantastic job, too. Really respected guy and terrific guy. The champion. Because when somebody's a champion, he's the world champion. Long time he came down. When you come down those trees, coming down at a rapid, he said that started getting you back. Often break your back, you miss a shot, and you're coming down faster than the human body was meant to come down.

[Jordan Klepper]

And.

[Donald Trump]

But he's doing a fantastic job at transportation.

[Jordan Klepper]

Look at those faces. This man right here is a Boeing executive. His planes fall out of the sky, and he's sitting here like, now, this is a disaster. Can you imagine the translator at this event listening to all of this shit? Like, he said, he loves it here. I don't know. All right, so, okay, just to recap here. All right, what do we have? So we went from drones to lumberjacks to Sean Duffy to Pete Buttigieg, back to Sean Duffy as a sexy lumberjack. And I won't play the rest for you because he went on for 13 more minutes with mentions. And this is all true of the stock market. He got into there for a little bit. Lee Greenwood, obviously, and how the 2020 election was rigged. And in case you're wondering, when he weaved his way back to the drones, he never did. Never. Never. Leader of the free world, everyone. So that was the end of President Trump's visit to the Middle East. The question is, after visiting three countries in four days, did the whole thing yield any results? To find out, let's go live to the United Arab Emirates with Josh Johnson.

[Josh Johnson]

As salaam alaikum, Jordan.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, what was your takeaway, Josh, from the trip? It seemed like kind of a business as usual for Trump.

[Josh Johnson]

What are you talking about? This is a life changing trip for Trump. Don't forget this guy used to hate Muslims. He tried to ban them from the country. He called President Obama Barack Hussein, and he capitalized every letter in Hussein, screaming it with his thumbs.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, he seemed to not like Muslims.

[Josh Johnson]

Not like he didn't know the difference between Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the uae. He called them little isis, Big ISIS and isis. Tokyo Drift. But then he visited their lands and they showed him their culture and they taught him their history. And then they gave him a $400 million jet. And it was something about all of that that now he loves Muslims. Look, it's beautiful.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah, I don't know if it was all of that. It might. Might just be the free jets.

[Josh Johnson]

You cynical son of a bitch. Why can't you believe in something beautiful? All right, point is that Trump is changing. It doesn't matter why. If I'm being honest, I can relate. When I first started at the Daily Show, I didn't really with white people like that. But then one day, one of my white co workers started leaving me free yogurt in the fridge, and I realized white white people weren't devils. They were people who gave me free yogurts.

[Jordan Klepper]

Wait, I'm. That's you who keeps taking my yogurt?

[Josh Johnson]

A lot of white people put klepper on their yogurt. Klepper?

[Jordan Klepper]

I don't think that's true.

[Josh Johnson]

The point is that people can change. Trump is living by Martin Luther King's dream. Judge people not by the color of their skin, but the contents of their wallets.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, just. I hate. I hate to be that guy, but I. I don't think you're remembering black history correctly.

[Lee Greenwood]

Wow.

[Josh Johnson]

Wow. Oh, hey. I can't believe you're whitesplaining black history to me during Black History Month.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, It's. It's not Black History Month, Josh.

[Josh Johnson]

How dare you. You know, I was right before. You are a raging bigot. More like Jordan who sang Clout.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, you know, what if I gave you a yogurt?

[Josh Johnson]

I appreciate your culture.

[Jordan Klepper]

Thank you very much. Josh Johnson, everybody. We come back. Ronnie Chain loves seafood too much. Don't go away.

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[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. There's a lot of good causes you can donate your money to. But what about confusing causes? Ronny Chang discovered one.

[Lee Greenwood]

There's nothing I'm more passionate about than donating to charity.

[Ronny Chieng]

Hey, do you want to save the environment?

[Lee Greenwood]

No. And I'm not the only softy out there. Over 3 billion people.

[Jordan Klepper]

You got a dollar, man?

[Lee Greenwood]

Shut up, man. I'm trying to talk about charity here. Donate their time and money.

[Jordan Klepper]

Cookies for sale.

[Lee Greenwood]

But for do gooders like myself, how do you pick between so many deserving causes? Meet finance bro turned philanthropist Andreas Jimenez Zoria.

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

I was working in investment banking. My wife was helping refugees, and I saw how meaningful her work was, and I decided to do the same.

[Lee Greenwood]

Oh, so you're helping refugees?

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

Well, not quite. I'm helping shrimp.

[Lee Greenwood]

What?

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

Shrimp Welfare Project.

[Lee Greenwood]

Why do you care about shrimp? It's shrimp.

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

Well, there's a lot of evidence that they can feel stress and pain.

[Lee Greenwood]

So you decided to dedicate all your time and money into saving the lives of shrimp?

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

Not quite. We're actually working to reduce the suffering when they die.

[Lee Greenwood]

So after all the work is done, they still die?

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

Yes, less painfully.

[Lee Greenwood]

How did you make this even stupider? That's right. The Shrimp Welfare Project is a charity improving the lives of appetizers.

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

We make sure that they have a more humane slaughter method. We try to avoid overcrowding we try to eliminate eyestalk ablation, which is this practice of cutting or crushing of the eyes of female shrimp. There is technology that alleviates suffering by the billions every year.

[Lee Greenwood]

Like what?

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

Like electrical stunning that renders animals unconscious and then they die, but without feeling any pain.

[Lee Greenwood]

Okay, so you're electrocuting shrimp.

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

That's right.

[Lee Greenwood]

This is a sex thing, right? This is a kink thing. This is something you're just.

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

No, it's not a sex thing.

[Lee Greenwood]

Sure. This doesn't sound like the charity pictures I'm used to. It's all part of a new movement called effective altruism.

[Effective Altruism Advocate]

Effective altruism is a way of looking at ethics as a big math problem.

[Lee Greenwood]

And that's bad?

[Effective Altruism Advocate]

I think it's bad because I don't think that you can actually do ethics like math, because there's not just a bunch of things that you could put numbers on. There's a bunch of different kinds of values that are all in the mix.

[Lee Greenwood]

Okay, please don't be offended by this. Are you just saying this because you're bad at math?

[Better Woman Advertiser]

No.

[Lee Greenwood]

Effective altruists are like the young Sheldons of the charity world, using logic to find the most cost efficient ways to relieve suffering, which sometimes means malaria prevention, but other times it leads to this.

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

With a single dollar, we can improve the lives of over 2000 shrimp and 0 humans. That is correct.

[Lee Greenwood]

But the philosophy of effective altruism pretty much boils down to F your feelings.

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

Traditionally, philanthropy has focused on what feels warm and fussy, and shrimp are not very relatable.

[Lee Greenwood]

They look like shit. And traditional charities make us feel like we're helping. But the math doesn't always add up. Where's all that ASPCA money going? Sarah McLaughlin's third summer house.

[Effective Altruism Advocate]

I think it's also good to look at charities and ask the question, how much of the money that you get are you actually using to make the world a better place? But I don't think that there's anything wrong with giving to stuff that is right in my backyard and that I care about and have, like, an emotional relationship, you know, like places that I love or species that I love.

[Lee Greenwood]

I agree. So these shrimp.

[Effective Altruism Advocate]

These shrimp?

[Lee Greenwood]

Yeah. The Shrimp welfare project is a stupid, effective altruism charity that focuses on electrocuting shrimp. And they don't poke their eyes out.

[Effective Altruism Advocate]

I see.

[Lee Greenwood]

They still kill shrimp by the trillions. They just suffer a bit less.

[Effective Altruism Advocate]

Okay. I mean, honestly, like, if it does make shrimp feel less pain, then, hey, that's great. It's interesting.

[Jordan Klepper]

What?

[Lee Greenwood]

So this is okay. The shrimp thing is okay.

[Effective Altruism Advocate]

I do actually think that we should care about the suffering of non humans, and that might include shrimp.

[Lee Greenwood]

Seriously, Shrimp.

[Andreas Jimenez Zoria]

There's a think tank that looked at all the behaviors that animals like shrimp show and they show anxiety. They learn from experience, and they tend to wounds if they're hurt. There's now evidence that.

[Lee Greenwood]

Wait, did he just make shrimp warm and fuzzy? Maybe they do deserve peace and happiness on the way to becoming my scampi. The more I listened to Andreas, the more inspired I got. I needed to get out there and make a difference.

[Ronny Chieng]

Hi, friend. Do you care about ecology?

[Lee Greenwood]

Hey, you want to talk about shrimp today? Hey, you have five minutes to save the shrimp. Kind of annoying, isn't it?

[Jordan Klepper]

You're free. You're free.

[Lee Greenwood]

Hey, come here. This wasn't enough. I was only saving a few, few shrimp at a time. But I had an idea to reach millions of people and make them see that shrimp deserve our love. Every hour, 50 million shrimp are harvested on shrimp farms. Painful. The last year, 2.7 billion shrimp were given a helping hand. I'm Ryan Chang, and for the past 20 minutes since I found out they exist, I've been supporting the shrimp welfare project.

[Jordan Klepper]

From an ice bath that kills you.

[Lee Greenwood]

Oh, we still eat them. We just electrocute them first. And we don't gouge our eyes out. You're welcome, big guy.

[Donald Trump]

Thank you, Ronnie.

[Jordan Klepper]

We come back. Congressman Jake Auchincloss will be joining me on the show. Don't go away.

[Better Woman Advertiser]

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[Jordan Klepper]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest Tonight represents Massachusetts 4th district in Congress. Please welcome Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss. Hey, welcome.

[Ronny Chieng]

Thank you.

[Jordan Klepper]

You had a big right. There's this big beautiful bill that's Coming through Congress right now. Republicans have put it up and you just got through a 27 and a half marathon markup session, is that right? You're part of the House Energy and.

[Ronny Chieng]

Commerce Committee, jurisdiction over health care and energy. So we had 27 straight hours with the Republicans.

[Jordan Klepper]

How is that? I feel like I've done that in Pennsylvania before. I go to a lot of these rallies and I can feel it.

[Ronny Chieng]

Their plan backfired. They put the health care portion of the bill in the middle of the night because they didn't want Americans to see them cutting health care from 13 million patients.

[Jordan Klepper]

Uh huh.

[Ronny Chieng]

The problem is that means they had to talk about health care policy at 3 or 4am and no one's at their best. So I had one Texas Republican trying to explain why firing the scientist at the FDA who's in charge of making sure your eye drops don't blind you is not a win for government efficiency.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

And that set the tone for their defense of a bill that I think of as the Brad Smith bill. Brad Smith's a billionaire, a donor to Trump and was appointed to run health care for dosh, which is convenient for Brad Smith because his business sells health care services to Medicare and Medicaid. Now Brad Smith, he loves this bill because he's a billionaire. So he's getting a tax cut and he's running Medicare and Medicaid. So he gets to decide which Americans are deserving of health care or not while he sells to the very agency that is regulating and reimbursing his own business. Brad Smith thinks this bill is terrific. I think Americans are going to think that tax cuts for billionaires should not be a prop for health care.

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, I think that seems to be the first swing. That seems to be the response people have to begin with. But a lot of conversation about these Medicaid cuts, right? And first of all, we'll see where this bill lands. But the Republicans are pushing back. They're saying why not? Why are we giving Medicaid to the topic? They're saying able bodied, no dependents. What's wrong with making some concessions there? Is there a place in the middle you guys can find some common ground there? Why can't you give in to that request?

[Ronny Chieng]

There actually are fraud and abuse elements of that bill that were bipartisan that were put in last Congress. There were elements of that bill, for example, that took on health insurance corporations that were price gouging taxpayers and raising co pays for prescription drugs. Now Elon Musk tweeted about that bill in December and it got pulled down by Speaker Johnson. They're trying to stuff it back in here. So, of course, there are elements that we can agree on. What we can agree on is making it more expensive to access at home care if you're a senior citizen. Making it so that if you're a parent raising a kid with an intellectual disability, you now have to send your child to an institution rather than get at home care from a personal care attendant. If you have insurance through your employer, you're now going to pay higher premiums. And for what? To avoid having to raise the top tax rate from 37 to 39% for the richest Americans.

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, do you think there are ears on the other side that are willing to hear this? Are people, I mean, Josh Holiday pushing back against some of these cuts? I mean, these are affecting people in red and blue districts. Is that, is that a. I mean, that will play well, perhaps in the Daily Show's audience here, but in red states, will that play?

[Ronny Chieng]

We've been having this fight for 15 years. Democrats try to expand healthcare coverage. Republicans try to take it back. And repeatedly, what we have seen, whether it's 2018, whether it's 2020, when Democrats campaign on expanding healthcare coverage, Democrats win.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah. Talk to me about the TikTok ban. All right. You were a co sponsor of the TikTok ban. It passed in both houses, signed into law by President Biden, and now Trump is refusing to enact it. Is this a constitutional crisis? Are we there?

[Ronny Chieng]

He's definitely breaking the law, as he is on a number of other fronts.

[Jordan Klepper]

Sure. Yeah. He likes to do that.

[Ronny Chieng]

We called that a week. I approach this bill, though, not as a member of Congress, but as a dad. You've got a son? Yes.

[Jordan Klepper]

Mm, I do.

[Ronny Chieng]

I got three kids. Five, three and two years old. How much are you dreading that first smartphone?

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, just the price alone, because I'm a very cheap father. But yeah, the idea of giving that into a child, it's like a loaded weapon.

[Ronny Chieng]

It is. These social media corporations are attention fracking our kids. They're rewiring our kids brains. They are turning our children into a product and they need to pay for it. We have to ban smartphones in schools. We've got to tax their digital advertising revenue, $250 billion a year and use it to fix what they have broken. And this TikTok divestment is the first step to taking back family time from screen time.

[Jordan Klepper]

I mean, I like this idea. And attention tax is a fascinating idea. I guess I'm Curious. Specifically with the TikTok ban, this does feel like a moment where Donald Trump has been told to do something and is not doing it. There's an executive order. It's passed through Congress. You could make the argument this is a constitutional crisis. Is this the constitutional crisis? I don't know. But you are. You are in Congress right now. The president is not willing to follow the laws of Congress and the previous president. What can you do? What should you do?

[Ronny Chieng]

There's two paths here. One is the legal path. So a bunch of attorneys general across the states are going to be suing Apple and Android and the other platforms that host TikTok to say that they have to follow the law by not hosting TikTok, even if Donald Trump won't. The second, though, is power. We got to take back power in Congress because Republicans view themselves as a rubber stamp. They think they're courtiers to the court at Mar a Lago. Democrats need to win them, win the midterms, and reinstate the checks and balances that our democracy relies upon.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah. What do you say, though? But what do you say to someone who's like, all right, this is a constitutional crisis. What do we need to do? I hope Apple sues somebody and we'll wait a year and a half till we get some power. Like, okay, that sounds like a plan, but, I mean, shouldn't you impeach the president? Isn't there something you can do now and through a governmental process to stop a president from clearly creating, putting us in this constitutional moment?

[Ronny Chieng]

The speaker of the House's nickname is MAGA Mike Johnson. They are never bringing articles of impeachment to the House floor.

[Jordan Klepper]

Mm.

[Ronny Chieng]

Democrats have to recognize that Americans know that we are against Donald Trump. We have made that crystal clear. If we're gonna win back power, if we're gonna govern from a place of trust with the American people, we have to show people what we are for, not just what we are against.

[Jordan Klepper]

Mm. Mm. What is that? I've heard, have you, like, there's this abundance agenda people are talking about. Ezra Klein was on. Ezra Klein, Derek Thompson were on the show talking about this as well. I know you've talked about this. What is this vision for a future Democratic Party that people can get behind?

[Ronny Chieng]

It's about doing better than your parents. That's the core promise in the United States, is we want people to do well and we want their kids to do even better. Right now, what's holding back the next generation from doing better is the price of housing, the cost of energy which is constricting the economy for the middle class and excellence in education. Democrats have to have a bold agenda. We're going to get one on one tutoring to every student in America. The school closures during the pandemic. The school closures were a catastrophe. The school closures were a catastrophe. And candidly, Democrats own a lot of that. We can fix it, though. In my own district, the city of Fall river, biggest city in my district, voted for Donald trump. I saw 400 first graders get one on one tutoring 15 minutes a day. High quality remote. They gained six months of reading and math instruction just from 15 minutes a day. One teacher called it, quote, a gift. Every American student should get that gift in this country. Yeah, we have to build 5 million homes in this country. Baby boomers, they bought a house for like $14 in the 1970s. And it's appreciated and that's great. But the next generation can't even get their hand on the bottom rung of the ladder because they can't buy a house. Let's build 5 million homes in this country. Let's build five Hoover dams worth of nuclear power and let's unleash this economy for the middle class.

[Jordan Klepper]

Where do you see that? Is there an example where you see that happening?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Jordan Klepper]

Like where what is the city that is building at a pace and in the way that you think Democrats could emerge?

[Ronny Chieng]

Austin, Texas changed its zoning and land use code in 2022. They built 50,000 apartments in two years. Rents went down by 20%.

[Jordan Klepper]

And then Joe Rogan and Elon Musk moved it.

[Ronny Chieng]

And now people are fleeing. Right. And if people think that, hey, Democrats, you guys can't cut regulations. Come on. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, city that 88% of voters went for. Kamala Harris. Cambridge, Massachusetts just passed the zoning reform bill. Hundred pages. Ninety of those pages were just deleting old rules to make it easier to build missing middle housing. The kind of housing that 20 somethings, 30 somethings can buy and get a start in life.

[Jordan Klepper]

So you think we should look to Texas for some of these answers?

[Ronny Chieng]

Texas has been building more homes than Newsom's California has.

[Jordan Klepper]

Interesting. Now, when you look at the Democratic Party, are they focusing too much on messaging right now or they need to be the party of ideas?

[Ronny Chieng]

Party of ideas, yeah. There's no shortage of ambition. There's no shortage of pollsters. What there is a shortage of is big, bold ideas that show Americans that we've got an agenda that makes kids do better than their parents.

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah. So you want me to do better than my parents.

[Ronny Chieng]

I want your son to do better than you.

[Jordan Klepper]

Okay, That's a nice way of putting it. To be fair, the ego in me, I'd be fine if my son did just as good as me. I think that would be. Let's aim for that and see if we can find some consensus there. All right? Congressman Jake Auchincloss. We're gonna be taking a quick little break. Be right back after that. Thank you. That's our show for tonight. But before you go, are you not seeing yourself represented in your local government because you're under 100 years old? Then take matters into your own hands and be the leader you've been complaining for. Go to the link below to learn more from our friends at Headcount about how you can actually run for office. We look forward to your unsolicited text asking for campaign donations. Now here it is, your moment of Zen.

[Donald Trump]

Take Cutter, for example.

[Jordan Klepper]

They don't share any of those values.

[Donald Trump]

Do I trust Qatar?

[Jordan Klepper]

Of course not.

[Donald Trump]

They will eat your liver with some lava beans and a nice shanti. Does that mean I want to be enemies with Qatar?

[Jordan Klepper]

No. 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 plus.

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[Jordan Klepper]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.