Trump Delivered on His Campaign Promises, But Only to Himself | Alexandria Stapleton

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump Delivered on His Campaign Promises, But Only to Himself | Alexandria Stapleton
Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Josh Johnson (Comedy Central)
Special Guest: Alexandra Stapleton

---

Episode Overview

This episode, hosted by Josh Johnson, delivers a comedic yet incisive progress report on Donald Trump’s first year back in office, evaluating his campaign promises versus actual results—ultimately arguing Trump only delivered for himself. Next, Lewis Black explores Gen Z’s retro obsessions in his “Back in Black” segment. The episode closes with an in-depth interview with Emmy award-winning documentarian Alexandra Stapleton about her Netflix docuseries, “Sean the Reckoning,” covering the underbelly of Sean Combs's (Diddy) career.

---

Key Segments and Discussion Points

1. Trump’s “Promises Kept”… For Himself

[01:28–07:38]
Josh Johnson opens with a satirical “progress report” on Trump’s presidency, asking: did Trump keep his promises—or did he just enrich himself?

• Campaign Promises vs. Reality:

  • Promised everyone riches (“You’re gonna become very rich. You’re gonna become rich as hell.” – Trump, 02:28)
  • Reality: “Considering your nana asked the whole family to subscribe to her OnlyFans so she could pay the light bill, I would say no.” – Josh Johnson (03:04)
  • Notable Fact: Trump personally profited $1.4 billion from presidency (03:15)

• Jobs for America:

  • Promised “millions” of jobs (03:55)
  • Reality: “If by jobs, you mean the foot jobs your nana is giving to pay the electricity bill, then yes... Trump is taking everybody’s job.” – Josh Johnson (04:07, 04:44)
  • Trump has personally appointed himself to numerous government positions for prestige.

• Healthcare & Free Speech:

  • Promised better healthcare—average Americans saw no improvement.
  • “The only healthcare most people can afford is watching the pit and hoping Noah Wyle tells a patient how to treat eczema.” – Josh Johnson (05:16)
  • Promised a Golden Age of free speech—except only for himself, while meme posters get jail time.

• The “Secret” of Trump’s Promises:

  • “What if, when we heard all of Trump’s promises, we thought he was talking to us, but maybe he was just talking to himself?” – Josh Johnson (04:55)
  • Free speech, financial gain, healthcare: “This guy’s presidency is going great—for himself.” (05:51)

• Closing Satire:

  • “When it comes to Donald Trump, there’s no you in us. And once you understand that, things will go a lot better for us. And by us, I mean Donald Trump.” – Josh Johnson (07:42)

Memorable Quotes

• “Wait, $1.4 billion off being the president? That’s so rich it makes every other president look stupid.” – Josh Johnson (03:22)
• “Listening to Trump makes me feel like I’m having a medical event. Which is especially bad, because he didn’t fix health care.” – Josh Johnson (07:05)

---

2. Back in Black: Gen Z’s Retro Revolution

[08:47–14:44]
Lewis Black lampoons Gen Z’s revival of vintage—and sometimes self-destructive—trends.

• Smoking Makes a Comeback:

  • Gen Z drops vapes for cigarettes, inspired by nihilism, anxiety, and nostalgia.
  • “Wow, these kids are woke. Black lungs matter.” – Lewis Black (09:18)
  • Critiques the influencer culture: “Sigfluencers. Or as I used to call them, my parents.” – Lewis Black (10:47)

• The Return of Flip Phones:

  • Young people embrace “dumb phones” to regain control of attention.
  • “Of course you’ve been thinking your thoughts. Who else’s thoughts would you be thinking?” – Lewis Black (11:41)
  • Ties phone nostalgia to aging with signature crankiness.

• Tramp Stamps and Mall Culture:

  • Lower back tattoos (“tramp stamps”) surge with new feminist meaning.
  • “If lower back tats aren’t called tramp stamps anymore, how will I know if someone’s a tramp? Well, I guess the only way to tell is if they’re sleeping with me.” – Lewis Black (12:48)
  • Malls see a revival, with Gen Z recreating the classic suburban mall experience.

• Closing Wisdom:

  • “I gotta give these kids some credit. Young people exploring the past… Gen Z, when you discover cocaine, pick up that flip phone and give Uncle Lou a call.” – Lewis Black (14:23)

---

3. Interview: Alexandra Stapleton on “Sean the Reckoning”

[15:33–29:18]
Josh Johnson sits with filmmaker Alexandra Stapleton, unpacking her Netflix docuseries investigating Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Story Behind the Documentary

• Obtaining Exclusive Footage:

  • “This footage dropped in my lap… very surreal… everything is on fire around him and this is what he was doing in his hotel room.” – Alexandra Stapleton (16:34)

• Celebrity Memory and Power:

  • The doc reveals things audiences forgot or ignored: “It says something about how we view celebrity or how we view power—that you can take a couple on the chin to the public.” – Josh Johnson (16:57)

• Participant Selection and Safety:

  • Sought to interview everyone, including Diddy (unsuccessfully).
  • Many potential interviewees were too scared to speak: “A lot of people were afraid for their lives, their livelihoods, to be on camera… People would stand me up… too scared.” – Alexandra Stapleton (20:01)

Impact and Reception

• Solidarity Among Victims:

  • “There’s power in numbers… a weight lifted off a lot of people.” – Alexandra Stapleton (21:02)
  • She didn’t reveal identities to other participants, offering privacy and safety.

• Footage for Follow-Up:

  • The future of the docuseries? “We have a lot more… this is just the tip of the iceberg… there’s over 100 civil suits he’s still facing right now.” – Alexandra Stapleton (22:21)
  • Not ruling out a sequel: “It’s not a yes, but it’s not a no.” (23:11)

• On 50 Cent’s Role:

  • “He doesn’t hate Diddy… he loved the complexity of the story… he understands the power of nuance.” – Alexandra Stapleton (23:58)
  • Collaboration emphasized telling the true story of hip hop culture, not just vilifying Diddy.

On Hip Hop’s Reckoning

• “America went through a Me Too movement… but the hip hop world… needed to have this conversation.” – Alexandra Stapleton (25:40)
• The doc is a “call to action,” not the final word.

What’s Next for Sean Combs/Diddy?

• Johnson predicts a comeback as a preacher; Stapleton calls him “the father of reinvention”: “He’s someone who views chaos as a ladder.” – Alexandra Stapleton (27:53)
• The pair riff on wild theories around Diddy’s next move.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “It felt almost like watching someone talk about not slipping on a banana peel, but there’s a camera attached to a banana peel right underneath them.” – Josh Johnson (16:57)
• “He’s got an imagination, unfortunately.” – Alexandra Stapleton (29:07)

---

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

| Quote | Speaker | Timestamp | |-------|---------|-----------| | “You’re gonna become very rich. You’re gonna become rich as hell.” | Donald Trump | 02:28 | | “If by jobs, you mean the foot jobs your nana is giving to pay the electricity bill, then yes.” | Josh Johnson | 04:07 | | “Trump is taking everybody’s job.” | Josh Johnson | 04:44 | | “What if… when we heard all of Trump’s promises, we thought he was talking to us, but maybe he was just talking to himself?” | Josh Johnson | 04:55 | | “Listening to Trump makes me feel like I’m having a medical event.” | Josh Johnson | 07:05 | | “Wow, these kids are woke. Black lungs matter.” | Lewis Black | 09:18 | | “Sigfluencers. Or as I used to call them, my parents.” | Lewis Black | 10:47 | | “This footage dropped in my lap… everything is on fire around him and this is what he was doing in his hotel room.” | Alexandra Stapleton | 16:34 | | “There’s power in numbers… a weight lifted off a lot of people.” | Alexandra Stapleton | 21:02 | | “He’s someone who views chaos as a ladder.” | Alexandra Stapleton | 27:53 |

---

Segment Timestamps

• Trump Progress Report: 01:28–07:42
• Lewis Black – Back in Black (Gen Z Retro): 08:47–14:44
• Interview with Alexandra Stapleton: 15:33–29:18

---

Tone & Style

The episode is sharp, irreverent, and insightful, expertly blending satire with cultural criticism. The interview is direct and respectful, mixing humor and gravity in the discussion of celebrity, power, and accountability.

---

This summary is designed for listeners who missed the episode or want a guide to its highlights, capturing the humor and analytical edge that drives The Daily Show: Ears Edition.

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. You chose to hit play on this podcast today. Smart choice. Make another smart choice with Auto Quote Explorer to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies all at once. Try it at progressive.com, progressive Casualty Insurance and affiliates not available in all states and situations. Prices may vary on how you buy.

[Odoo Sponsor Announcer]

This show is supported by Odoo. When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on features you need. Check out odoo@o d o o dot com. That's o d o o dot com.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Josh Johnson.

[Josh Johnson]

Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Josh Johnson. We've got so much to talk about. Tonight. We grade Trump's first year on a scale from one to what the hell? Louis Black is sick of your retro bullshit. And later on, the director of the Diddy Doc will be here. And let's just say I have a few questions, comments, and concerns. So let's get into the headlines. This week was a major milestone because Donald Trump made it a whole year. And I gotta give him a hand. Literally. I think he needs a new hand. Cause that hand's got one unopened pickle jar before it slides right off. So tonight I thought we'd do a progress report. You know, what Donald Trump promised during the campaign versus what we got so far. We'll see how he grades out. I'm guessing maybe like an A minus. Does that sound good to y'? All? Okay, Damn. Fine. A. I didn't realize y' all were such fans. Let's start with maybe the biggest promise Trump made during the campaign.

[Donald Trump (clips)]

I'm telling you, you're gonna become very rich. You're gonna become rich as hell. You're not gonna know what to do with the money.

[Josh Johnson]

Yes, we will. It'll be 10,000 years before I run out of ideas for what to do with the money. You give me unlim unlimited money, and I run out of ideas for how to spend it. I'll just start eating it. Americans will always figure out what to do with extra money. Have you ever seen how many cybertrucks we drive over loose gravel, and I still see one every day. Now, the question is, one year later, did Trump make us all rich? Considering your nana asked the whole family to subscribe to her onlyfans so she could pay the light bill, I would say no. If I'm being honest, I don't know anybody who's feeling richer.

[Narrator/Reporter]

According to the New York Times, Trump has used the office of the presidency to pocket more than $1.4 billion for himself.

[Josh Johnson]

Wait, $1.4 billion off of being the president? That's so rich, it makes every other president look stupid. Like, what was up with George Washington's wooden teeth? You broke bitch. You should have had them molars iced out. So I'm gonna say that promise was not kept. But you can't win them all. Let's look at another one.

[Donald Trump (clips)]

So we're going to have more jobs than we've ever had? You will have more jobs. We're going to create a lot of jobs. We will take in so many jobs, Millions and millions of new jobs. We're going to do it like nobody else.

[Josh Johnson]

Now, did we get millions of jobs? Well, if by jobs, you mean the foot jobs your nana is given to pay the electricity bill, then yes. Look, job growth across the country has actually been down. But there's one specific block of Washington, D.C. where job growth is through the roof. President Trump, of course, serves as the chairman of the Board of Peace. Donald Trump naming himself chair of the LA Olympics Task Force. Trump is also the chairman of the Kennedy Center. For the first time ever, the president served as the onstage host of the annual honors event.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Touted himself as the acting president of Venezuela.

[Audience/Interjection]

Whoa.

[Josh Johnson]

Trump. Trump, leave some work for Steve Harvey. All right. Trump is taking everybody's job.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Basically.

[Josh Johnson]

AI with even more up hands. Hey, hey, don't look away. This man needs hands. But this is crazy. Trump promised us riches, then he got rich. He promised us jobs, but then he got all the jobs. Wait, what if? What if? When we heard all of Trump's promises, we thought he was talking to us, but maybe he was just talking to himself, because if you look at it that way, he might be keeping his promises. Like, look at healthcare. He's been promising to improve healthcare for, like, a decade now, and things are so bad, the only healthcare most people can afford is watching the pit and hoping Noah Wiley tells a patient how to treat eczema. But Donald Trump has more health care than he knows what to do with.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

President Trump says he has no idea which part of him doctors were looking at when he had an MRI in October.

[Narrator/Reporter]

What part of your body was the MRI looking at?

[Donald Trump (clips)]

I have no idea.

[Josh Johnson]

You have no idea? Are you getting so many MRIs? They just blend together? Like, do you just get in tubes that people tell you to? I'm starting to think that if you got close enough to Trump, you could probably just give him a colonoscopy. This guy's presidency is going great for himself. Just look at free speech.

[Donald Trump (clips)]

We will restore free speech, and we need free speech in this country.

[Josh Johnson]

Yes. Trump promised a golden era of free speech. Not for you. They'll put you in jail just for posting memes. But Donald Trump, his speech, Whew. It's so free, it seems like it's lost in the woods.

[Donald Trump (clips)]

She's a documentary.

[Josh Johnson]

Yes.

[Donald Trump (clips)]

Only if you buy a Tesla. Aberbaijan go null F. So it's gonal F. Is that a proper pronunciation? I would say Abraham, but it's so much nicer when you say Abraham. Acetyl. Well, let's see how we say that. Acetaminophen. As a linguist, translator, and cryptologic technician.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

Whoa.

[Josh Johnson]

Listening to Trump makes me feel like I'm having a medical event. Which is especially bad because he didn't fix health care. But you know what? Maybe my favorite Trump promise isn't even about a specific policy. It was deeper and more meaningful.

[Donald Trump (clips)]

We're gonna dream big again. We haven't been dreaming big at all.

[Josh Johnson]

No, we haven't. But now Donald Trump is dreaming enough for all of us.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We're showing a picture now of Donald Trump with his eyes closed, battling to keep his eyes open, struggling to stay.

[Josh Johnson]

Awake, slumped in a chair in the Oval Office today, appearing to nod off.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

He may have dozed off a few times.

[Josh Johnson]

Hey, hey, don't laugh at him, all right? Leave that poor man alone. He got, like, nine or 10 jobs. So, bottom line, when it comes to Donald Trump, there's no you in us. And once you understand that, things will go a lot better for us. And by us, I mean Donald Trump. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, unfortunately, we're all in his hands. Look at it when we come back, Lewis Black finds out what the kids are up to. So don't go alone. Welcome back to the Daily Show. When a news story falls through the cracks, Lewis Blows catches it for a segment we call Back In Black.

[Lewis Black]

For as long as I can remember, kids love going retro. Now it's Gen Z's turn. They're bringing back everything. Low rise jeans, final records, the measles. Hey, but it doesn't stop there.

[Audience/Interjection]

Gen Z craving nostalgia. It seems that fascination with the past now extends to an unlikely trend. Smoking.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The generation known for shunning alcohol and other unhealthy habits appears to be lighting up again.

[Lewis Black]

Wow, these kids are woke. Black lungs matter. I'm surprised Gen Z even knows how to hold a cigarette. I thought all they did was scroll, tap and whack off, but now they can scroll, tap and whack off with emphysema. So why are they suddenly trading their douchebag vapes for cool guy cigarettes?

[Narrator/Reporter]

Factors fueling the shift, including nihilism about the future, the online quote messy girl aesthetic, celebrity culture, and the Gen Z's high level of anxiety.

[Lewis Black]

Wow. Holy shit. That's why Gen Z is smoking. I just did it to stick it to the Surgeon general. What a prick. But good for you kids. And don't listen to the haters who whine about lung cancer and throat cancer and a drastically shortened lifespan. Trust me, the way things are going, those are pros, not cons. Still, leave it to Gen Z to kill that sweet nicotine buzz by throwing in some of their idiotic terminology.

[Josh Johnson]

There's even an Instagram account called sigfluencers, created by Jarrett Oviatt. Sigflancers, I guess in the simplest terms, is a mood board celebrating hot people smoking cigarettes.

[Odoo Sponsor Announcer]

Wow.

[Lewis Black]

Are you shitting me? Sigfluencers. Or as I used to call them, my parents. And since when does smoking need a mood board? The great thing about addiction is you're always in the mood. Point is, you don't smoke cigarettes because some sigfluencer tells you to. You smoke cigarettes because you're going through a custody battle. And unfortunately, you won. But cigarettes aren't the only trend. These young organ banks are resurrecting from.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

The dead Flip phones making a comeback. Many Americans want to ditch their smartphones for so called dumb phones.

[Narrator/Reporter]

So this is my way of taking.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Back my attention span and deciding what.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Role technology plays in my life.

[Political Commentator]

The idea is to have a phone.

[Josh Johnson]

In your pocket that isn't constantly.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

You know, I've been listening to nature a lot. I've been. I've been connecting. I've been thinking my thoughts.

[Lewis Black]

Of course you've been thinking your thoughts. Who else thoughts would you be thinking? I mean, if you were thinking my thoughts, you'd be thinking, this woman sounds like a idiot. But have it your way. Gen Zers use a flip phone. Hope you like 8 bit dick pics. Of course, once you reach my age, the penis Just becomes low res. Naturally, when I unzip my pants, my body plays the sound of Ms. Pac man dying. So cigarettes, flip phones. At least those trends are preserving your dignity.

[Josh Johnson]

Allure magazine says that tramp stamps are making a big comeback with the kids.

[Political Commentator]

Tattoo artists say it's coming back in.

[Josh Johnson]

A big way and it's actually a power move for women. One saying getting a lower back tat allows women to reclaim a negative stereotype.

[Lewis Black]

You go, girl. Tramp stamps are back. Better luck next time, labia piercings. But if lower back tats aren't called tramp stamps anymore, how will I know if someone's a tramp? Well, I guess the only way to tell is if they're sleeping with me. And you might be wondering where those kiddos are going to get this. Above the stink ink, it's at the most retro place possible.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Malls are making a comeback and it's all thanks to Gen Z recent surveys finding that they visit malls more than any other generation.

[Odoo Sponsor Announcer]

I love going to the Apple store.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

And buying an iPad with a friend.

[Lewis Black]

Jesus, how many iPads are you casually buying? How about giving the Chinese kids who make them a chance to rest? But that's right. Gen Z is hanging out at the mall and a whole new generation is about to experience Panda Express diarrhea. I used to hang around malls all the time because I was sleeping with Annie Ann. And yes, she could twist herself into a pretzel. And you better believe it made the sex way worse. But in a good way. And since malls are back, you know what that means. I can start buying my clothes at Hot Topic again. Hail Satan. But I gotta give these kids some credit. I think it's great that young people are exploring the past. And Gen Z, when you discover cocaine, pick up that flip phone and give Uncle Lou a call. I'll have you snorting like a pig.

[Josh Johnson]

Lewis Black, everyone. When we come back, Alexandra Stapleton will be joining me. Don't go away.

[Narrator/Reporter]

My dad taught me a lot, including how easy it is to forget to cancel things. So I downloaded Experian, my bff. Big financial friend. Experian could help me cancel my unused subscriptions and lower my bills, saving me hundreds a year. Get started with the Experian app today. Your big financial friends here to help you save smarter. Results will vary. Not all bills or subscriptions eligible. Savings not guaranteed. $631 a year average savings with one negotiations and OnePlus cancellations paid. Membership with connected payment account required. See experian.com for details.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Experian.

[Josh Johnson]

Welcome Back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an Emmy award winning documentarian who directed and produced the Netflix docu series, Sean the Reckoning. Please welcome Alexandria Stapleton.

[Odoo Sponsor Announcer]

Wow.

[Josh Johnson]

Thank you so much for. Thank you for joining me.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Thank you for having me.

[Josh Johnson]

I watched the documentary immediately. I watched it all the way through. And this thing will make you believe in the devil. Like, it is crazy how much he got away with and everything that happened. And one of the main questions I had was like, how you got the footage that was him clearly trying to film his own comeback before he got arrested.

[Lewis Black]

What happened?

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Yeah, it's really meta, right? This footage dropped in my lap and I watched it and I watched it with my producing partner and we were up all night and we were like, oh, my God. It was very surreal that at the height of his, you know, everything is on fire around him and he's got his life on the line and this is what he was doing in his hotel room.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, it's crazy. It felt almost like watching someone talk about not slipping on banana peel, but there's a camera attached to a banana peel that's like right underneath them. Because the whole thing, just the way that you told the story, because I feel like so much of what's happening in the doc is things I knew, some things I didn't know, but a lot of things that I knew and I guess I forgot. And I feel like that says something about how we view celebrity or how we view power that like, oh, you can kind of just take a couple on the chin to the public.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Right, right. Well, he's a genius at marketing himself and marketing, you know, his artist, Bad Boy. He's an American mogul. And I think that, you know, the underbelly of Sean Combs world is. Is a dark and mysterious and disturbing place, you know, for a lot of people. And so we had four hours to kind of take you on that ride and to kind of trigger memories and, you know, experiences that we all. You know, I was a teenager in the 90s and grew up loving Bad Boy and his artist. And to actually see what was going on behind closed doors was frightening at times.

[Josh Johnson]

And so you compiled all of this. Did you make specific choices on who to interview? Because, you know, you could talk to Sean, you could talk to Mace, you could talk. You could talk to people that are mentioned in the doc but aren't on screen as much as, you know, the people that did sit down. Was there specific choices that went into who you interviewed and why?

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Well, you always kind of cast the Net wide. And so that was what we set out to do. I. I obviously really wanted an interview with Sean Combs and went out to him on multiple occasions and thought in my head that I was gonna have the opportunity to do that.

[Josh Johnson]

Wait, I'm so sorry to interrupt you. You went to Shawk Holmes?

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Not physically.

[Josh Johnson]

No, not physically, but still just. You were like, hey, I'm making a documentary about you that you won't like.

[Audience/Interjection]

Hey.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

I was like, my job is to present all sides, right? So even though 50's name is attached to you should still, like, it'll be authentic, you know, if you participate. Like, we'll print it.

[Josh Johnson]

I mean, we have your footage, so.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Yeah, well, he didn't know that. He didn't know that at the time, but, yeah, that would have been the Holy Grail. It was the holy Grail for me. It didn't happen. But there were a lot of people that I talked to off camera. There were a lot of people, you know, a lot of people were really afraid for their lives, their livelihoods, you know, to be on camera and to participate. We started this before there was even an indictment. So it was real. It was like the dark ages of the story, you know, so it wasn't like he was in jail and people could be like, okay, you know, I can talk now. He was still out in the streets of New York.

[Josh Johnson]

Jeez. So are you nervous like.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

I am in New York again? No, I. Yeah, of course. People were sharing with me really, like, very disturbing things about, you know, what this guy allegedly is capable of. And so by default, you know, taking all of that in was nerve wracking. And, you know, for myself, you know, for my crew, when we would come to New York to shoot, you know, it was always the. You could cut the tension in the air because people would come and sit. I had people stand me up, you know, for interviews, because they were like, oh, I got a phone call and I think, you know, no, it's not gonna happen today. I'm too scared. So it was. It was wild.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah. And I guess when you think of something like that, you think about people's fear then versus how there are so many sort of open secrets versus the time that's passed and him actually being indicted, arrested, and everything. Do you think those people still hold that same fear? Or do you think that any. Any amount of, I guess, power is diminished?

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Well, I think that the people that participated in the series, I think that there was a sigh of relief for them that, you know, there's power in numbers. And I think that it was very eye opening for them to watch the series because I told no one, you know, who was participating for their. For, you know, everyone's right to privacy. And when it came out, I got a lot of messages from participants and other people that were like, that was my story. I thought I was the only one carrying that load or carrying that burden. And so I feel like there was a sense of them being freed from, you know, whatever he had warned them about. Not sharing their silence was killing them. And so by participating in the series, I think that there was a great weight lifted off of a lot of people.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, no, that makes a lot of sense. And when you look at this project as something that is out there now, people know what they know. You've presented your story. You try to present all sides and everything. And like we mentioned, there are some people who are mentioned, but not expressly, like, part of the conversation and everything. And 50 Cent said that there's more footage than y' all even knew it to do it. So is there gonna be a sequel of episodes to cover other stories, or do you think that it kind of rests as it. As it is?

[Alexandra Stapleton]

I mean, when I finished it, it was definitely like, mic drop. We were done. Because it was, you know, two years of my life, the life of my edit team, my producing partners, like, all of us coming together. But we have a lot more. We have so much footage. I mean, these interviews would go, like, 12 hours sometimes. The amount of archival footage that we have is. I could honestly say it's, like, endless. So this was just the tip of the iceberg, I think, to come out and to do more. You know, I'm kind of waiting to see how things are going to play out and curious to see if some other people might come out on their own. And so we'll see. You know, the story is not over, I think. You know, there's over 100 civil suits that he's still facing right now, so there's a lot more to play out.

[Odoo Sponsor Announcer]

Got you.

[Josh Johnson]

Got you.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

So it's not a yes, but it's not a no.

[Josh Johnson]

No, no. I can tell. Now, 50 cents also attached to the project and everything. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much does he hate Diddy? Like, is it, like, is it 50?

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Don't get me.

[Josh Johnson]

Cause I just imagine. I imagine y' all in the. I don't know how involved he was, but I imagine y' all in the room editing together, and him just smiling.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

He smiles a lot, right?

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Audience/Interjection]

Yeah.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Like He. No, he doesn't hate Diddy.

[Josh Johnson]

Oh, okay.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

No. And to be honest, I would do cuts, screen them, you know, for him. And he was smiling, but, you know, he was actually. He would give me feedback about uncovering things that were actually. And talking to people that were. That loved Diddy, you know, and he loved the complexity of the story. That's, you know, what made this partnership, I think, really good. When we sat and talked for the first time before I started. He's a very complex. You know, he thinks about things in a very complex way. He understands the power of nuance. And so we never had conversations where he was like, put more of the bad stuff in. You know, he was like, you're doing an incredible job, you and the team, of showing this other side of him. You know, it was really important to us to keep the story of hip hop in here as well and to not throw the baby out with bath water. You know, so they say to not cancel the whole culture because of the doings of, you know, allegedly one man.

[Josh Johnson]

Mm, I see. I see. That makes sense. And do you think that with what we've learned about Diddy, and you talk about hip hop and not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but it seems like there is a lot of crossover there.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

And I guess how do you reconcile trying to hold onto the parts of the culture that you think are about that empowerment for disenfranchised people or about artistry, about poetry, but then strip it away from the things that I guess most people might know it for, which is the money or the, like, access to women or whatever those things are? It seems like he's the best storyteller in hip hop because for a little while, he was everything that the idea of hip hop had become.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Mm. I think that the goal. I think we have a long way to go. And I think that the goal that I had was just to be able to have conversations like this. Cause we weren't even really talking about this in the space of hip hop, you know, before. And, you know, America went through a me too movement. Other industries, you know, went through that. But the hip hop world, and I think, you know, as black people like, to have this conversation amongst ourselves is crucial and very important. And so I'm just happy that people are talking. The conversations need to continue. The legal system needs to get caught up to, you know, to be in a better place. There's a lot more work to do. And so this film is not the answer, but it's just, you know, it's a call to action.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. That makes a lot of sense. And. When you talk about Diddy and his marketing of himself or as this ambassador for hip hop and everything, you know, that sort of thing doesn't just turn off, you know, like, when Diddy. Because I'm sure you think about when Diddy gets out. I think about when Diddy gets out all the time.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Like, I. I think a lot of people do.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

Yes, I do.

[Josh Johnson]

I have also been talking a lot. And so I wonder, though, when he gets out, do you think that he's already planned a strategy, the same way that he had a camera crew following him leading up to his indictment, to basically think 10 years ahead for a comeback story that he was probably gonna shoot of himself? Do you think that right now he's also figuring out how he's gonna pivot?

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think that he is the father of reinvention. He has reinvented himself, you know, and through horrible circumstances, you know, for decades, he's able to kind of come out of the ashes and do a mea culpa press tour and on to the next. I don't know if it's gonna work this time, but I think that Diddy is definitely. I never call him Diddy. I always call him Sean. I think Sean Combs is someone who views chaos as a ladder.

[Josh Johnson]

Mm. That makes. That makes a lot of sense, especially when you. When you watch the documentary and everything. I mean, do you have any guesses at what that shift's gonna be? What that I've heard.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

I mean, I've heard so many different theories. There's some people that. Or, like, I think that he's gonna manufacture baby oil, like. And I was like, that is wild. That was one that I heard. And she was like, no, I'm serious. I'm very serious. And I was like, you know what I could see? I mean, I don't know what he. I don't know what is going on through that man's head right now, but, I mean, if.

[Josh Johnson]

I wouldn't be surprised if I'm throwing it out there, because I've been talking about this with friends. I think he would come out of jail, he would lay low, and then he would sort of resurface as, like, a pastor. Ooh, yeah.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Oh, that's deep.

[Josh Johnson]

I think he would be like, hey, I was bad. I was the worst of the worst. And then God found me in that cell, and now look at who I am. Look at where I am. And then, you know, see him next to.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Well, we see him doing the work.

[Josh Johnson]

Megachurch pastors.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

Yes. Yeah, there's that. Yeah, that is very deep.

[Josh Johnson]

I mean, maybe I'm wrong. It'll probably be the baby oil thing.

[Audience/Interjection]

But I.

[Josh Johnson]

I don't know. He's good at shifting.

[Alexandra Stapleton]

You know, he's the shape shifter for sure. Anything is possible with that man. He's got a very. He's got an imagination, unfortunately.

[Josh Johnson]

Thank you so much for joining me. I appreciate you so much. Thank you for being here. Sean Combs the Reckoning is available to stream on Netflix. Alexandra Stapleton we're gonna take a quick break, but we'll be right back after this. Thank you so much for. That's our show for tonight. Now here it is, the moment of Zen.

[Political Commentator]

This is something I want you to hear. The Democrats talk a lot about the affordability crisis in the United States of America. And yes, there is an affordability crisis, one created by Joe Biden's policies. You don't turn the Titanic around overnight. It takes time to fix what was broken.

[Comedy Central Announcer]

Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.

[Audience/Interjection]

If you're a podcast host, listen up. This one's for you. My name is Ali Jackson. I'm the host of Finding Mr. Height, a dating and relationship podcast that I've been doing for four years now, sharing my positive and practical approach to dating that's built on my own life experience. And I wanted to share another experience that I've had, my secret behind monetizing my show. It's called Red Circle, and I was just telling my colleague about how much I love their platform. With Red Circle, not only am I getting a seamless hosting experience, but I also love the support I receive in ad sales. It's not just typical ad sales either. It's targeted opportunities based on my show and my life. And the platform is super simple. You just set your preferences and Red Circle matches you with sponsors that align with your show. You can vet every opportunity and their platform gives you great analytics. More recently, too, my Red Circle team has brought me opportunities outside of my podcast on social media to really augment the podcast partnerships. Bring them full circle. I just can't recommend them enough. If you want to give it a try, go to redcircle.com to get your free trial. That's redcircle.com for a free trial.