Trump Brokers Peace in the Middle East & Declares War Against Antifa in Portland? | Hunter Prosper

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition – Trump Brokers Peace in the Middle East & Declares War Against Antifa in Portland? | Hunter Prosper

Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Josh Johnson (for Comedy Central)
Guest: Hunter Prosper

Overview

This episode covers two headline stories: Donald Trump's surprising announcement of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, and his decision to deploy the National Guard to U.S. cities like Portland, under the pretense of combatting a supposed left-wing "terror threat" from Antifa. The News Team brings their signature satire to these topics, questioning the reality behind political posturing. Later, ICU nurse and bestselling author Hunter Prosper discusses empathy, humanity, and storytelling from his work "Stories from a Stranger."

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Headlines & News Coverage

1. Trump Brokers Middle East Peace (01:33–04:16)

• Main Story: Donald Trump claims to have negotiated the first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, potentially bringing an end to the Gaza conflict.
• Host Reaction: Josh Johnson expresses incredulity and begrudging praise, noting it's rare good news from the region and an even rarer instance of giving Trump credit.
  • Quote: "I can only think of this. The COVID vaccine and Home Alone 2." (02:46, Josh Johnson)
• Satire & Commentary:
  • The show jokes about the irony of Trump, known for stoking division, brokering peace.
  • Johnson observes: "If this peace holds, it means the guy who couldn't stop a fight between Gary Busey and Meatloaf brokered peace in the Middle East." (02:58)
  • Suggests ridiculous alternative Nobel Peace Prize prizes, i.e., letting Trump "burn the Epstein files" (03:39).
• Announcement Method: Trump was passed a note in public by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a White House event, to remind him to post the big news on Truth Social—mocked for its amateurishness.
  • Quote: "Wait, they plan his truth social posts? ... It's like scheduling that you're gonna shit your pants." (04:21, Josh Johnson)

2. War at Home: Trump's National Guard Deployment (04:16–09:12)

• Insurrection Act Invoked: Trump proposes sending National Guard troops to cities like Portland to counter a "left-wing terror threat."
• Justification: Trump and allies label Antifa a "domestic terror group" without evidence of organized infrastructure.
  • Quote: "Antifa? ... They don't even have a website, like my cousin's baby has its own website. And that's an ugly baby." (06:02)
• Mocking the Threat Level:
  • The news team ridicules descriptions of Portland as a war zone. Kristi Noem surveys the city from an ICE building rooftop, which is satirized for its lack of actual danger.
  • Johnson jokes that at night, Portland is populated by "virgins" rather than terrorists (08:45).
  • Trump and cabinet members appear visibly bored in security meetings, undercutting their own rhetoric (09:32).
• Reality Check: The rest of Portland remains normal, and the exaggeration is likened to mythologizing Bigfoot.
  • Quote: "I look at Antifa the way I look at Bigfoot. ... All we ever hear about is what the people who believe in it think is happening." (11:32)
• Summary: The team's skepticism exposes political fearmongering, especially as media focus shifts to attacking news outlets and digresses into unrelated topics.

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Tech Segment with Grace Kohenschmitt: "Tech Yeah" (13:46–20:41)

3. OpenAI and the AI Era (13:58–18:17)

• AI Video Generation: OpenAI releases Sora 2, an AI tool that generates lifelike video from text prompts, raising questions about reality and authenticity.
• AI Celebrities & Entertainment: Grace jokes about AI-generated actors like "Tilly Norwood" disrupting Hollywood, eliminating equal-pay issues by having no pay at all.
  • Quote: "Tilly has broken the glass ceiling and also the entire economic model of Hollywood. You go girl." (16:10)
• Robot Olympics: China hosts the first Robot Olympics, with comical descriptions of awkward yet resilient robots.

4. AI's Dark Side & Tech Tip (18:38–20:41)

• Energy Demands: Projected AI data center energy usage by 2034 will equal the entire consumption of India, stirring up both awe and concern about tech’s future.
• Password Security: Grace’s comic tech tip: create memorable but unique passwords (example: “17 mol $sign”), humorously attributed to a “scarring” family incident.

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Interview: Hunter Prosper – Stories, Empathy, and Human Connection (22:15–33:46)

5. Introduction and Dual Careers (22:15–24:32)

• Hunter Prosper is an ICU nurse and popular content creator/author.
  • Host’s Satirical Question: "Do you make both groups feel bad about themselves when you're around?" (22:47)
  • Prosper: Both vocations help each other—patient conversations make for compelling stories, and storytelling rescues him from healthcare burnout.

6. Empathy and the Power of Questions (24:33–27:39)

• Insight: Profound, open-ended questions (used both at the bedside and in interviews) uncover emotion, facilitating real connection and understanding.
  • Quote: "The experience you've gone through, I can't relate to. But what we can relate to is our emotions. ... That's what connects us as a species." (26:58, Hunter Prosper)
• Host discusses the societal need for more empathy, less polarization, and more meaningful connection.

7. Burnout, Resilience, and Recovery (27:42–30:22)

• Dealing with Heavy Stories: Prosper talks about the emotional burden of being present for others' pain, learning to find silver linings, and seeing survival as a triumph of humanity.
  • Quote: "That gives me a sense of almost pride to say, like, we're humans, that shows how strong humans can be, how resilient they can be." (30:01, Hunter Prosper)

8. Memorable Stories and Personal Impact (30:22–32:35)

• Stranger Stories: Protest interviewed hundreds; best moments often involved family, especially his grandfather, who opened up for the first time while participating in the book project.
  • Memorable Moment: "There's one person that's not a stranger in that book. My grandfather was everything to me. ... We spoke for hours. And it was the first time in my life I'd ever spoken to him for hours." (31:12)
• Lesson: Encourages listeners to ask deep questions of their loved ones, not just strangers.

9. Closing Reflection and Signature Goodbye (32:44–33:46)

• Johnson appreciates Prosper’s work as a guide for more empathetic, connected living.
  • Quote: "There's no need to be lonely. Cause we're all here." (33:20, Josh Johnson)
• The two embrace (within the camera frame), warmly emphasizing their shared humanity.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “If this peace holds, it means the guy who couldn’t stop a fight between Gary Busey and Meatloaf brokered peace in the Middle East.” (02:58, Josh Johnson)
• “I look at Antifa the way I look at Bigfoot. ... All we ever hear about is what the people who believe in it think is happening.” (11:32)
• "The experience you've gone through, I can't relate to. But what we can relate to is our emotions." (26:58, Hunter Prosper)
• "We're humans, that shows how strong humans can be, how resilient they can be." (30:01, Hunter Prosper)
• “There’s no need to be lonely. Cause we’re all here.” (33:20, Josh Johnson)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:33 – Show begins, headlines intro
• 02:03 – Trump announces Middle East peace deal
• 04:16 – U.S. National Guard sent to Portland
• 05:50 – Trump’s rationale for targeting Antifa
• 11:29 – Satirical ‘Bigfoot’ take on Antifa
• 13:46 – Tech segment with Grace Kohenschmitt
• 14:43 – OpenAI Sora 2 announcement
• 16:00 – Hollywood’s first AI actor
• 18:01 – Robot Olympics in China
• 19:39 – AI’s energy needs and risks
• 22:15 – Hunter Prosper interview begins
• 24:33 – Empathy and nursing
• 29:26 – Coping with trauma and emotional stories
• 31:12 – Story about Prosper’s grandfather
• 33:20 – Closing thoughts on connection and loneliness
• 33:35 – The host asks for an on-air “hug”

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Tone and Style

The episode is characterized by sharp satire, playful banter, and moments of sincere human connection. The comedic team delivers pointed political and cultural criticism through biting jokes and absurd contrasts, but gives way to honest, heartfelt reflection during the guest interview with Hunter Prosper.

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For those who haven’t listened:
This episode deftly balances irreverent lampooning of current U.S. politics and “culture war” rhetoric, with a vulnerable, inspiring conversation about empathy and the power of storytelling. Both segments ultimately challenge listeners to question what they’re told—and to treat real people with compassion and curiosity.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Songs but they sound pretty sweet to your wallet. Brilliantly boring since 1865.

[A]

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, Josh Johnson.

[B]

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Josh Johnson. We've got so much to talk about tonight. Marco Rubio gets caught passing notes in class. Kristi Noem gets in a fight with a chicken. And Donald Trump has a pretend intelligence briefing about a pretend terrorist group. So let's get into the headlines. Let's get right into the biggest story in the world. This is one of those sentences that you almost never hear. But there's good news coming out of the Middle East.

[C]

Major breakthrough in the Middle East. President Trump was the first to announce that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a deal that could lead to the end of the war in Gaza.

[A]

This is more than Gaza. This is peace in the Middle East. And it's an incredible thing.

[C]

Over in Gaza, Palestinian men and boys ran into the streets clapping and cheering.

[B]

In Israel, a similar scene of joy. That's right, a peace deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas. And it's based on the framework Donald Trump proposed, which means another thing you almost never hear. And I can't believe I'm saying this, I gotta give Donald Trump some props here. You know, it doesn't happen a lot. In fact, I can only think of this. The COVID vaccine and Home Alone 2.

[A]

You know.

[B]

Don'T get me wrong, this is astonishing because if this peace holds, it means the guy who couldn't stop a fight between Gary Busey and Meatloaf brokered peace in The Middle East. So Trump, when it comes to peace, you did it. You know, I, I mean, you also did a big portion of the war, but you did the peace too. It's. It's like how white people did slavery in America, but, But they also ended slavery in. And I just want to say thank you. Thank you. Either way, this is a reason to celebrate. And look, if this deal holds, maybe we should give Trump the Nobel Peace Prize. Or, or, or, and you won't like this either we let him burn the Epstein files. He only gets one, but he gets the pick. All right, now maybe you're wondering how the world found out about this peace deal. Was it a grand announcement like the Treaty of Versailles or like the end of World War II where nurses and soldiers met up in Times Square just to make out? No, no, this is Trump's America, so it was much stupider. At the White House yesterday, the President.

[C]

Interrupted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seen handing him a note and then.

[B]

Whispering in Trump's ear. Photographers catching the handwritten message. We need you to approve a truth social post soon so you can announ. Wait, they plan his true social posts? So when I see one all misspelled and half in caps at three in the morning, that was the plan. It's like scheduling that. You're gonna shit your pants. But you know what? If he can resolve the conflict in the Middle east, the maybe he truly is the President of peace. Maybe some of that peace and tranquility is gonna come back to us. President Trump sending National Guard troops into American cities. Trump is insisting that troops are needed in cities like Chicago, Memphis and Portland.

[A]

We have an Insurrection act for a reason.

[B]

Damn, this feels like he made peace abroad just so he could bring everybody back to whoop ass here. I mean, a president hasn't invoked the Insurrection act since the LA riots, which for Trump is actually a surprisingly recent precedent. Usually he's invoking something that hasn't been used in 300 years, like the anti witch. You can toss a bitch off a cliff at of 1692, but what's happening in Portland that requires Trump to send troops in? Well, Trump held a big meeting yesterday to explain why it should be clear.

[A]

To all Americans that we have a very serious left wing terror threat in our country. Radicals associated with the domestic terror group Antifa.

[B]

Antifa? That's who you're declaring a domestic terrorist organization? That's tricky because while there are people who identify as Antifa, it isn't really an official group. They don't even have a Website, like my cousin's baby has its own website. And that's an ugly baby. Its voice changed in the womb. All right, you put your ear to his mom's stomach and you just.

[A]

I'm coming.

[B]

So no website, no brick and mortar store. So if you're sending troops to Portland, how sophisticated could Antifa be?

[C]

This network of Antifa is just as sophisticated as Ms. 13, as TDA, as ISIS, as Hezbollah, as Hamas, as all of them.

[B]

Wait, what? And they're here? She made Antifa feel like the power rangers of terrorism. They got some of Everybody. They got Ms. 13, ISIS. They got letters, numbers, Hezbollah, Hamas. I don't know what TDA is, but they got some of that, too. Okay, Kristi Noem, your Homeland Security. You gotta get out there to Portland and take care of business. Kristi Noem went on the roof of.

[A]

The ICE building to survey the sc.

[B]

Okay, okay, that doesn't look that scary. But you have to remember how scary it is for her to encounter a farm animal when she's unarmed. Okay, but you know. You know these cities, they look innocent during the day. I bet you that was just the Antifa that doesn't have jobs. All right, at night. At night. That must be when Antifa comes out to do all the nasty terrorism. Let's look at Portland at night this week. All right. All right. Fear is a powerful drug, but so is mdma. Listen, Trump, I'm trying to be an ally, but right now, I don't really see dangerous criminals. I just see virgins. All right? And I'm not sure we need the military for that because everything that they claim is happening in Portland, it's all happening on one city block in front of one ICE building. The rest of the city is completely normal. I mean, it's still Portland. So it's. So it's normal, but it's like Portland normal. You know what I mean? Like. Like there will be a naked gu with a handlebar mustache riding a unicycle down the street, but that's supposed to be happening.

[A]

All right?

[B]

So far, all I've seen is a guy in a chicken suit and an episode of Barney.

[A]

All right?

[B]

But maybe there's something I'm missing.

[A]

The amazing thing is you look at Portland and you see fires all over the place. It's like the movies where you have these bombed out cities. I don't know what could be worse than Portland. You don't even have sewers anymore.

[B]

There are no stores in Portland. You're telling me if I type stores in Portland into Google Maps. It'll just be like, nah, nah, this is one of those store cities. Nah, we not doing that nasty stuff over here, okay? Also, not having stores isn't exactly the worst thing about a war zone. No one was looking at Hiroshima. Like, the devastation was incredible. Not a single Bob's Discount furniture left standing. But here's the thing, Trump. I don't think the situation in Portland is a five alarm, DEFCON 1, bust out the windows type of emergency. And I don't think you think that either, because this whole meeting where you're talking about how dangerous antifa is, you all look bored as hell. Trump has fallen asleep. Pam Bondi gotta tilt her neck up to stay awake. You know, Stephen Miller is yawning. The most radical person in the cabinet. Look like he drained. You know, he looks like he's sitting at a piano recital after his kid finished. Also, you would think that if we're all about to die, Antifa would be the only network on your mind.

[A]

ABC is terrible, NBC is terrible, MSNBC is dying, and CNN is dying like a dog. MSNBC is sick. They're sick. I would say CNN is not quite as bad as Ms. Poor cnn. That's so pathetic. Beautiful black women are wearing a MAGA hat last night on television.

[B]

Come on, guys. All right, the plan is to scare people about ant. You're not gonna do that if you keep trailing off about hot black women. You remember.

[A]

All right.

[B]

So look, I'm not saying that there's no such thing as antifa, but I look at antifa the way I look at Bigfoot. It's big, scary and tearing up the Pacific Northwest. But all we ever hear about is what the people who believe in it think is happening. In fact, if you were to make a document about the antifa that Trump believes in, it will look a lot like this.

[A]

It hides in the shadows. A giant hairy terrorist group. There are many who believe that not only is antifa real, but they've seen it, tracked it.

[B]

Sam Cleveland, a witness who saw Antifa just days ago.

[A]

I yelled like a really super deep, loud yellow antifa. And how did this phenomenon begin? Something like a person, but not a person. Seen very often closing stores in Portland and with various stories about sightings or about footprints that really are pretty widespread in many, many communities in the United States and in Canada. When we come back, we'll find out.

[B]

The hottest new tech will be flowing out in three years. So don't go away.

[A]

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[B]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. Technology one day will kill us all. But until then, it's pretty cool. To find out more, we turn to Grace Kohenschmitt in our new segment, Tech.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

What's up, technophiles? I'm Grace Coolidge, AKA Gracie Gadgets, AKA Go Go Gadget. Grace, AKA Little Identity Theft. This is tech. Yeah. Where I tell CPU all about the biggest stories in tech. Bebop.

[D]

Bebo.

[C]

Bop. Just kidding. I'm not a robot. God, I wish I was. But let's jump into hyperdrive with OpenAI's big announcement last week.

[A]

Get ready to never know what's real again. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, rolling out their newest video generation tool called Sora 2.

[B]

Users simply type in what they want to create and the model spits out video of exactly that. Say, for instance, you wanted to skydive to the North Pole. AI generated videos of celebrities who have passed away have been trending on social media platforms in recent weeks.

[A]

London, are you ready? Tonight we move together as one rhythm, one dream. Let the beat drop.

[C]

They said AI would help us reach a new golden era of civilization. And they were right. I have a dream that I'm about to shake that ass to this. Bop. I've always said that the one thing missing from the civil rights movement was edm. And looks like my boo. Sam Altman agrees. And yes, the real MLK would probably say Sora is an abomination. But lucky for us, AI MLK would say remake. And even better news, the AI diehards won't be limited to smartphone videos for long because we're getting AI on the mother teching big screen.

[A]

Her name is Tilly Norwood. Let's get to know each other and thanks for watching. She's Hollywood's new It Girl. But Tilly is not real. She's AI generated.

[C]

Tilly Norwood is the first creation from a new studio that develops AI actors. According to Deadline, multiple talent agents have shown interest in signing the AI actress. Um, this rocks. Tilly Norwood is the new It Girl. Suck It Dame Judi Dench. Tilly has broken the glass ceiling and also the entire economic model of Hollywood. You go girl. Women have been fighting for equal pay in Hollywood for years and now everyone gets paid nothing. But the best thing about an AI actress like Tilly is you can make her do anything. And fellas, yes, I know what you're thinking. You can put her in cars. And not just cars. Cars 2 and 3 and eventually 4. Lightning McQueen is a total boy. Sorry, Sally should have had legs. Plus, the filmmakers saved money on an intimacy coordinator because neither of these characters have real genitals. But oh my God, I know. We all wish they did. Moving on. Everyone is always asking me, hey Grace, this AI stuff is super cool, but when will I get to rub my hungry human skin up against my very own robot? Travis Kelce? Well, buckle up you techno pervs, because that time is now. Hundreds of robot athletes competing in the world's first robot Olympics. The Chinese government is hosting this three day event where humanoid athletes athletes show off their skills in martial arts. And with the 400 meter race. Is it just me or does that guy look tired?

[A]

China is calling this the first three on three humanoid robot soccer match. These athletes seem to putt around, excel in face plants, and some even had.

[B]

To be carried off the pitch.

[C]

Thoughts and prayers to that poor robot. But don't worry, they'll dip him in rice and he'll be back on the pitch in no time. The best part about these robot athletes is they come pre programmed with cte which means they have all the on field violence and all the off field murders. It's a win.

[A]

Win.

[C]

Robot athletes are so freaking cool. God, I'm begging you, make me a freaking robot already. You know what that sound means? It's time for Grace's tech tip of the day. For my casual tech users out there, always make sure to have a strong password. For example, mine is 17 mol $sign. It's the exact number of moles I counted after accidentally walking in on my grandfather naked. And the money sign is because they make you pick a symbol but don't steal mine. You'll have to walk in on your own grandfather naked and get your own password. Now unfortunately, AI isn't without controversy. With any new technology, there are always the haters. Or as I call them, losers.

[B]

AI is transforming the way we live. But that transformation comes with a cost.

[A]

Energy experts warn the electric grid is.

[D]

Not ready for the coming wave of.

[A]

AI powered data centers.

[C]

By 2034, data centers around the world are expected to consume roughly 1,580 terawatt hours yearly. That is about as much as is used by all of India. Oh my God, we're getting a second India. And this one is made out of computers. Not talking Go. Plus, without all that extra electricity, I can finally use my toaster in the bathtub without stressing. Trust me, bagels taste better in the tub. But I guess all these warnings about AI are making me wonder. Is AI truly beneficial or will this new technology usher in the dark ages of a computer driven world where our natural resources are sucked dry to feed a machine overlord who forces us to serve the very creations made to serve us? Well, that's all the time we have on tech.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

See you next week when we'll talk about how to look cool while texting.

[D]

And driving.

[A]

Grace Coolenschmitt, everyone.

[B]

When we come back, Hunter Prosser will be joining me on the show.

[A]

Don't go away. ABC Wednesdays Shifting Gears is back. He has arisen. Tim Allen and Kat Dennings return in television's number one new comedy, what what? With a star studded premiere including Jenna Elfman, Nancy Travis and hey buddy. A big home improvement reunion. Welcome.

[D]

Oh boy, that guy's a tool.

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[B]

When you need it the most.

[A]

Don't miss out. Shop Maytag in store or online today at Lowe's. Welcome back to the Daily Show.

[B]

My guest tonight is an ICU creator and New York Times best selling author of Stories from a Stranger. Please welcome Hunter Prosper. Ok, first of all, thank you. Thank you so much for being guests, but especially my guests.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Thank you so much for being here. So you are an ICU nurse and like a content creator on top of that. And do you make both groups feel bad about themselves when you're around? I mean, cause when you're around content creators, like creator is a, you know, it's one of those words where it's like a big word for a thing where you're making like entertainment, you're making just content and stuff like that. So then when you throw in, I also do icu.

[A]

You know what I mean?

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

It's like my blue chip, I can, yeah yeah.

[B]

Also, when you're at the hospital, it's like. I mean, we're all ICU nurses here, but I have millions of followers. Yeah.

[A]

Yep. Yeah.

[B]

Now, in your book, you are talking to people and you're asking them questions. These questions take them to places that. That reveal something about them. And I'm wondering if you think talking to people in the way that you do has made you a better nurse.

[D]

Yeah, that's a thoughtful question, Josh. Honestly, I think they've both helped each other. The questions that I ask all these strangers are the same exact questions I use in the bedside. You know, when I'm with a patient, especially in the ICU, you have two patients, and you work with them for 13 hours a day, multiple times a week. And so how's the weather? Only last so long, you know, I mean, you have to start being able to understand what kind of conversation the person wants to have. And so the questions in this book and many other questions that I ask, they are all bred from me being a nurse. And without being able to do these stories, I wouldn't have been saved from the burnout that I was experiencing from the icu. But vice versa, making content as well. Being a content creator, as you would know, like, it can cause its own type of burnout. And without having nursing, I wouldn't be able to step away from the content side as well. So they fill each other's cup.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. And when you. When you talk about one filling the other's cup, did you ever have any sort of. I'm trying to figure out how to word it. There's almost like an imposter syndrome that can come with success, and there's almost a worry about what you're doing. Right. When it comes to, I imagine, nursing. And so that's also the same way that you could have that sort of upward spiral. You could also have a lot of doubt in your life. Like, is that something that you struggle with?

[D]

Yeah. I'll say, Josh, that working as a nurse, that's one of the few fields that can really humble you. I spent a lot of my time with people at their lowest part of their life and doing things that would be seen as, like, you know, a dirtier job, and having been in those situations and looking around me and being like, I'm caring for this person at their most of all, it's never made me feel too above anyone. It's always made me realize that we're all on this together.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Cause I'll tell you right now, just, you know, Nurse to potential patient. Right. I'm like, I'm bad about going to the doctor. And I think it's because in hospitals there's a lot missing of what you do.

[D]

Do you know what I mean? Yeah.

[B]

When you go to the hospital, when you go to the emergency room or something, it's like you already have your own family. Like, when I've had to go to the emergency room, sometimes I'm genuinely afraid that the nurse, the doctor's gonna be like, that's new. I don't know what that is. You know what I mean? But at the same time, I think if someone, you know, was sitting with me and they were not just necessarily even asking me questions about myself, they were asking me interesting questions, thoughtful questions, and they were getting to know me as a person, I think I wouldn't even notice the shot. I think I might be like, ow. But like, it's in the middle of telling them about my life or something.

[D]

Yeah, that's the part of nursing that I fell in love with. The first time I ever shadowed a nurse, Obviously she did medicine and she took care of the patient in that aspect, but really she healed them through her words. Like, she made the patient feel comfortable in an otherwise very uncomfortable setting. And that's what I always wanted to strive to do since that day.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, this book.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

[B]

You know, this book is broken into sections, and the sections are questions. What made you ask these specific questions of people?

[D]

Yeah, I wanted an array of questions that run the gamut of emotions. And like I said, these questions are the same questions I ask my patients in the hospital. But whatever the question is, no matter what question I use, it always has to be open ended, of course, and it has to cover an emotion of some sort. And that's what the purpose of this whole book is, is to show that our experiences, extremely unique. Okay. The experience you've gone through, I can't relate to, but what we can relate to is our emotions. So you felt pain, I felt pain. You felt love. I felt love. Anxiety. Anxiety. Like that's what connects us as a species is this. This emotional experience that we're all going through. So the human experience is a very much so emotional experience. And I hope this book shows that that's what connects us.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Oh, absolutely.

[B]

You know, when I look at your work overall, I sort of see how in America, especially right now, there's like a deep polarization, there's like a dehumanization of people, whether it's immigrants, trans people, you Know, you just see a lot of, like, breaking of connection and everything. And there's less community than there should be, and there's less connection than there should be. And so when I look at everything that you do, I just see a lot of that, which is admittedly not a question, that's more of a compliment. That's just. I should have ended it with the question mark. But that's just how I feel about you. Because I think you're doing two things that are incredibly difficult. And I don't even know which one is more difficult than the other. Because being with people in these, like, very, very vulnerable moments has gotta be hard. It's gotta. It's gotta take a toll on you. But also when you ask someone a question, when you are learning something about someone, that's also very difficult. Cause you might not like what you learn, you know, especially you're with people who are not in. They're not in a time where you show your best anyway, you know. And so I can't imagine how you. Whether it's decompress or how you recover from that thing. Like, you talk about burnout with content creation or nursing, but it's like, is there ever something that's, like, so genuinely heavy for you that you don't know where to put it?

[D]

Yeah, that's another great question, Josh. I suffered from burnout a lot in nursing, and that taught me how to compartmentalize. But then learning that compartmentalizing was also burning me out. Because you have to kind of separate your humanity from what's really going on. And that wasn't working for me. So what I learned was there's silver linings in every single person's story. So whether you're talking to someone and when I speak to these strangers, it's without question, two to three hours long. Every time throughout that two to three hour journey, there is a lot of tragedy. But if you can gather the ability to look at this person and say, but they're here telling me the story they survived this event that they're going through, that gives me a sense of almost pride to say, like, we're humans, that shows how strong humans can be, how resilient they can be. So when I go home and after hearing a tragic story, I'm not so much sad as I am uplifted to know the person survived that.

[B]

When going through the book, you know, you've explained to me how you came across the questions in your mind that you want to ask and everything, but were there any stories that particularly stuck out to you because the story, the book is full of them.

[D]

Yeah. Yeah. That was hard because we interviewed hundreds of strangers. It was me and my fiance, and she traveled the country with me. She was my photographer for the book, by the way. And she's not. She's a nurse, so she's not a photographer.

[A]

But.

[D]

But. So we interviewed hundreds of strangers. And so even dwindling that down to the hundred that are in this book was very hard. But then to even get more specific, the ones that resonate with me, all of them. But I will say there's a few that pop mine. And one of them is. I guess I should preface with, I told a little bit of a lie when I say everyone in that book is a stranger. There's one person that's not a stranger in that book. My grandfather was battling a terminal illness when I was making this book. And when I found out about his disease, he was a man of few words. It's always been my mom and I. She's the most important person in my life. And if I ever needed a father figure, which I didn't because she was everything for me, but if I needed one, he was that person. My grandfather was everything to me. His name was Jimmy. I'm trying not to cry, but he was everything to me. But he was a man of few words, and so we didn't. We connected, but it was always. Because everything he said was so wise. But it was one sentence at a time, and it was great. He'd say one sense, I'd love it. I'd hug him, I'd tell him I love him. He told me he loved me, and then that was that. But it was always one at a time. I told him I wanted to do this book, and he said, buddy, I would love to. And we spoke for hours. And it was the first time in my life I'd ever spoken to him for hours. And he told me so many things about him that I never would have known if it weren't for this book. So I guess in a way, I'm trying to say I want this book to not just be a book of strangers, but I want it to empower the people reading it to ask their love, loved ones. You send questions because it's often the people that are closest to us that we don't know the most about. We think we know because they're next to us, and we think we know everything about them. But when was the last time you really did ask your grandfather, what's the most painful thing you've ever been told. And so to do something like that, it was that story I'm always gonna remember. And now his face is on the COVID of the book as well. And he's on a New York Times bestseller. So that's really cool. He's like immortalized, you know.

[A]

Yeah. Absolute.

[B]

I'm fully, fully with you. I appreciate you being here so much. I appreciate the work that you do. I appreciate that you've made this. Because this, whether you know it or not, this will teach someone how to ask questions. And it will do the thing that you're talking about, you know, because it's a. It's such a perfect example of what we should be doing anyway. You know, there's so much pain. There's so many people that are like, reaching out. There's so much loneliness and everything. And there's no need to be lonely. Cause we're all here, you know, And I think looking at this is a real reminder of that. So I appreciate you so much. I'm thankful that you're here with me.

[D]

Thank you, Josh.

[B]

Yeah, thank you, John.

[A]

So.

[B]

You know, I like to do something special every time I end an interview. And so I. I'm gonna ask you for a hug.

[D]

I'd love that.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

But.

[B]

But we do just for camera, need to basically stay within this frame. So I will need to hug you from across the desk. Okay. So I love that. All right, coming in.

[D]

Yep.

[A]

Okay. That's good stuff. Yeah.

[B]

Stories from a Stranger is available now. Hunter Prosper.

[A]

Thank you so much. We're gonna take a quick break, but.

[B]

We'Ll be right back after.

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[B]

That'S our show for tonight. Now here it is, your moment of Zen.

[A]

You see the signs and they're all made out of a beautiful, beautiful paper. Beautiful, nice, stiff, very expensive paper with beautiful wood handles. All the same, all the same color. They come from very expensive printing machines. These are not people that write out their signs in a basement that believe in something. These are paid anarchists. Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

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Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us?

[A]

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Budget, Guardian angel, kinda.

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