Trump Dodges Ghislaine Maxwell Pardon Q as Bondi Stonewalls Senate | Wawa Gatheru

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Date: October 8, 2025

Host: Josh Johnson

Guest: Wawa Gatheru

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, hosted by Josh Johnson, covers the latest in political scandals—including Donald Trump's awkward responses on the Ghislaine Maxwell pardon question and Pam Bondi's stonewalling in the Senate—plus a field report on Florida's python problem and an inspiring interview with environmental advocate Wawa Gatheru. The show blends biting satire with investigative reporting, spotlighting both absurdity in politics and hope in grassroots activism.

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Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Trump, Ghislaine Maxwell, Pam Bondi & Political Stonewalling

(01:32–11:12)

• Josh Johnson opens with headlines about Pam Bondi's evasive testimony and Mike Johnson shutting down Congress to protect Trump in the Epstein files investigations.
• Trump's New Humility: Josh jokes about Trump's recent morbid humility, noting his repeated mentions of heaven and worry about the afterlife.
  • Quote: "Normally he'd be like, heaven's begging me to come. I'm only staying alive to play hard to get." – Josh Johnson (02:24)
• Pam Bondi’s Senate Testimony:
  • Bondi deflects questions about flagging Trump’s name in Epstein files.
  • Quote: “I’m not going to discuss anything about that with you, Cynthia.” – Pam Bondi (as impersonated by Michael Costa) (05:27)
  • Josh’s take: The more you repeat the accusation in a question, the more time you give yourself to think up a dodge.
• Mike Johnson’s Defensive Tactics:
  • Congress is prevented from voting to release the Epstein files, with Josh quipping about Johnson's childlike appearance in the context of pedophilia investigations.
• Trump Dodges on Ghislaine Maxwell:
  • Trump repeatedly claims not to know, not to remember, or needing to “look into it” when asked about pardoning Maxwell.
    • Quote: “I haven’t heard the name in so long.” – Trump (as impersonated by Michael Costa) (07:14)
    • Quote: “Hey, man. Maybe when you hear the words child sex trafficking, the next thing you say shouldn’t be, I’m gonna look at it.” – Josh Johnson (09:26)
  • The bit escalates with a running joke about Trump remembering Puff Daddy’s old name, but not Ghislaine Maxwell.
    • Quote: “So you don’t remember Ghislaine, but you remember that we used to call Diddy Puff Daddy?” – Josh Johnson (10:13)
• Surreal Heaven Skit with Troy Iwata:
  • Troy Iwata reports “live from heaven” with comedic insight into Trump’s slim chances of entry, blaming Trump’s shrimp eating for his damnation.
    • Quote: “The guy eats shrimp. He’s going to hell for sure.” – Troy Iwata (11:27)
    • The segment devolves into an absurd "shrimp theology" riff, lampooning biblical literalism and arbitrary sins.

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2. Field Report: Florida vs. Burmese Pythons

(14:50–20:52)

• Michael Costa goes python hunting with Amy Seawee, a dedicated Florida snake hunter.
  • Focuses on how Burmese pythons are decimating the Everglades’ mammal population, leading to ecosystem collapse.
    • Quote: “Mammal extinction is a big one. 98% of the mammals are gone in parts of the Everglades because the pythons have eaten them.” – Amy Seawee (15:55)
    • The snakes' numbers exploded after a 1992 hurricane let 900 loose from breeding facilities, now at an estimated 500,000.
  • Michael alternates between comedic fear and astonishment as Amy educates on the ecological crisis and the intricacies of snake hunting.
    • Quote: “At first, I was overwhelmed. But as the hours slithered by, I felt my mind focus and my soul commune with the forces of nature.” – Michael Costa (18:40)
  • Amy receives an appreciation award for her ongoing environmental service.
    • Quote: "Amy, you're killing it. Thanks for helping bring balance to our precious ecosystem..." – Michael Costa (20:17)

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3. Interview: Wawa Gatheru & Black Girl Environmentalist

(22:45–36:56)

• Background:

  • Wawa Gatheru is the founder and executive director of Black Girl Environmentalist (BGE), dedicated to increasing representation and retention of Black girls and Black gender-expansive people in climate work.

• Building Talent Pipelines:

  • BGE addresses the lack of diversity (“green ceiling” of 12–16% for people of color in green jobs) and green skill acquisition among Gen Z and women.
    • Quote: “Gen Z, when we look at folks who have green skills, only 1 in 10 Gen Z around the world has a green skill.” – Wawa Gatheru (23:36)
  • Hazel and Johnson Fellowship developed to provide paid internships, professional development, and community for emerging climate leaders.
    • Quote: “We pay them at least $5,000 for a living wage stipend. … have them talk about how they finally feel like there’s a home for them in the climate movement.” – Wawa Gatheru (24:44)

• Staying Optimistic in a Challenging Field:

  • Wawa acknowledges feeling anger and frustration, reframes the climate crisis as a collective historical challenge, and draws inspiration from social movements of the past.
    • Quote: “None of those movements ever had any guarantee of success. Yet people continue to persevere. … There isn’t just one future waiting for us. There’s many possible futures. And the future that we get is based off of the decisions that we make.” – Wawa Gatheru (29:12–30:53)
  • Emphasizes the need for storytelling that uplifts local, innovative climate solutions.
    • Mentions The Descendants Project reclaiming plantations in Louisiana as a model for reparative activism.

• On Individual Action & Building Coalitions:

  • Encourages seeking out local organizations and projects, noting most Americans believe in clean air/water protection.
    • Quote: “What we need more today is good climate storytelling. So much of what people hear about climate change is doom and gloom. … And there are everyday people pushing for a better tomorrow in really cool, innovative ways.” – Wawa Gatheru (31:24)
  • On bringing people into the climate movement:
    • Quote: “It always feels like a zero sum game. … But I do think that we should be leaning into these conversations with values. There are certain things that we can all get behind.” – Wawa Gatheru (34:35)

• Youth Activism & Looking Forward:

  • Reflects on starting activism young, the pressure on youth, and her desire to tell more hopeful climate stories.
    • Quote: “Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like for me to spend more time being a kid. … But ultimately the climate crisis isn’t going anywhere, so I’ll continue to be doing this work.” – Wawa Gatheru (35:51)
  • Shares her hope to make climate work more approachable, mentioning solutions like “solar grazing” (using grazing animals at solar farms).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Josh Johnson on Trump’s Heaven Ambitions:
  "Heaven’s begging me to come. I’m only staying alive to play hard to get." (02:24)

• Pam Bondi (as portrayed by Michael Costa), evading Senate questions:
  "I’m not going to discuss anything about that…" (05:27)

• Trump (parodied) on Ghislaine Maxwell:
  "I haven’t heard the name in so long." (07:14)
  "I'm gonna have to take a look at it." (09:20)

• Troy Iwata on shrimp in heaven:
  “The guy eats shrimp. He’s going to hell for sure.” (11:27)

• Amy Seawee on python threat:
  “Mammal extinction is a big one. 98% of the mammals are gone in parts of the Everglades because the pythons have eaten them.” (15:55)

• Wawa Gatheru on climate optimism and legacy:
  "None of those movements ever had any guarantee of success. Yet people continue to persevere... The future that we get is based off of the decisions that we make." (29:12–30:53)

• Wawa Gatheru on climate storytelling:
  “What we need more today is good climate storytelling... And there are everyday people pushing for a better tomorrow in really cool, innovative ways.” (31:24)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• 01:32 – Opening headlines and Trump/Epstein/Bondi segment
• 07:00 – Trump’s Ghislaine Maxwell responses
• 11:12 – Troy Iwata’s ‘live from heaven’ comedy sketch
• 14:50 – Field report: Florida’s python problem with Amy Seawee
• 22:45 – Interview with Wawa Gatheru (Black Girl Environmentalist)
• 24:44 – Details on the Hazel and Johnson Fellowship
• 29:12 – Wawa on historical organizing & hope in climate action
• 31:24 – Advice for those wanting to get involved in climate work
• 34:35 – On bringing people into climate activism via shared values
• 35:51 – Youth activism & future plans

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Tone & Style

• The episode’s tone is a lively mix of sharp satire, playful banter, sincere inquiry, and inspiring real talk.
• Satirical and irreverent analysis of politics, especially surrounding Trump, balanced by earnest engagement with environmental activism in the guest interview.

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Summary for New Listeners

If you missed this episode, expect a blend of comedy and hard-hitting commentary on American political absurdity (the Trump/Epstein/Bondi mess), a humorous yet informative spotlight on Florida’s ecological crisis (python hunting!), and a truly uplifting interview with an environmental leader changing the narrative around Black representation and hope in the climate movement. Wawa Gatheru’s segment is especially not to be missed for practical inspiration and a new, hopeful vision for climate justice.

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Resources:

• Black Girl Environmentalist

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(End of summary)

Transcript

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Wawa Gatherou]

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[Narrator/Announcer]

Learn more at Capella. Edu.

[Michael Costa]

Introducing metaray Band display. The world's most advanced AI glasses with a full color display built into the lens of the glasses. It's there when you need it and gone when you don't. Send and receive messages, translate or caption live conversations. Collaborate with Meta AI and more. Be one of the first to to try Meta Ray ban display. Visit meta.com metaraybanddisplay to book a demo and find your pair. 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 have got so much to talk about tonight. Pam Bondi plays hardball. Mike Johnson gives Congress blue balls. And Trump wants to get into that big Epstein island in the sky. So let's get into the headlines. Yesterday, Trump was in the Oval Office to announce the construction of a big row. Congrats, Alaska. You finally got a road. And we know one thing about Trump is that he likes to keep his press conferences focused and on topic. So let's hear what he has to say about this cool road.

[Michael Costa]

I want to be good because you want to prove to God that you're good. So you go to that next step, right? So that's very important to me.

[Josh Johnson]

Trump, are you sick? I mean, aside from all the visible signs that your body is falling apart. Are you sick or something? Like, we should take a second here. Cause this is the first time I've seen Trump be humble about anything. Like, normally he'd be like, heaven's begging me to come. I'm only staying alive to play hard to get. Jesus came up to me with tears in his eyes and he said, please, sir, come fix heaven. It's a total dump. It's like he just realized he only has immunity here on earth. And this isn't a one off. Trump's been talking about this heaven thing a lot lately.

[Michael Costa]

If you're not a believer and you believe, you go nowhere. What's the reason to be good, really? There has to be some kind of a report card up there someplace, you know, like, let's go to heaven. Let's get into heaven. I want to try and get to heaven, if possible. I'm hearing I'm not doing well, I really hit the bottom of the totem pole.

[Josh Johnson]

Oh. Oh, man, this is. This is such a bleak and completely accurate view of his chances in heaven. I will say, though, you never wanna see the guy who's supposed to keep you healthy and safe talk about dying. Like, he's supposed to be leading you. You never wanna hear a pilot over the system be like, oh, I just can't wait to get into. Like, can we get to Pittsburgh first? And look, I don't know, man. Heaven is tough to get into. Like, I don't want to throw cold water on your hopes and dreams, but you might want to think about trying to get into, like, a safety heaven, like, whatever SUNY Albany of heaven is up there. You know what I mean? Like, apply there, you know? Cause the truth is, there's probably a good reason for Trump to worry about getting into heaven, you know? Is it? Yep, yep, yep. That too. I mean, that. That wasn't even the first thing I thought of. Crazy how many things there are. So it makes sense that Trump is worried, especially since he's not gonna have people like Attorney General Pam Bondi at the Pearly Gates because she's been devoting every second getting him out of trouble here on Earth. They spent all summer trying to hide any mention of Trump in the Epstein files. And when Bondi was asked about that today, she basically told senators, you can go to hell.

[Michael Costa]

So who gave the order to flag records related to President Trump?

[Narrator/Announcer]

To flag records.

[Michael Costa]

For President Trump to flag any records which included his name.

[Narrator/Announcer]

I'm not going to discuss anything about that with you, Cynthia.

[Josh Johnson]

What a tone. You know you're caught when you have to repeat what you were being accused of back to the person. Like, just so you have time to think. Like, who's been texting me? Who's been texting me all night? You wanna see Te. My text messages? You wanna see text messages? Like, a man can't even type anymore. This used to be a free country, you know? It's like, fine, look. See, you'll see. I've never gotten a text message in my life. And while Pam Bonney is stonewalling the Senate, Mike Johnson is shutting the whole house down. That way, no one can vote on releasing the Epstein files. And of all people running interference for the Epstein files, it's Mike Johnson. You think someone who looks like an 11 year old boy would care about pedophilia.

[Narrator/Announcer]

All right.

[Michael Costa]

You know?

[Josh Johnson]

Cause he might get caught in the crossfire. If you're someone who still has to say, put me down. I'm a grown man, then you should be fighting to release the Epstein files. With all these guys running defense for Trump, all he has to do is act cool. You know, if you get a question, don't freak out, and then just act natural.

[Narrator/Announcer]

The Supreme Court is back in session. They rejected today an appeal by Ghislaine Maxwell to overturn her conviction. That means her only chance at getting out of prison is a pardon from you. Is that something you're open to doing? Ghislaine Maxwell?

[Michael Costa]

You know, I haven't heard the name in so long.

[Josh Johnson]

I said act natural. I haven't heard the name in so long. She's not asking you about the Baha Men. You're over here being like, who?

[Michael Costa]

Who, who, who?

[Josh Johnson]

And look, look, maybe I'm not being fair. You know, how long has it been since you last heard her name? Years.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Did you personally approve the prison transfer for Ghislaine Maxwell? That your Justice Department?

[Michael Costa]

I didn't know about it at all. No, I read about it. Just like you did. Pardon for who?

[Narrator/Announcer]

For Ghislaine Maxwell.

[Michael Costa]

Well, I'm allowed to give her a pardon. Would you consider a pardon or a commutation for Ghislaine Maxwell?

[Narrator/Announcer]

If.

[Michael Costa]

Something I haven't thought about. Do you support the Justice Department seeking a new interview with Ghislaine Maxwell? I don't know anything about it. They're going to what, meet her?

[Josh Johnson]

That was all summer long. People say 2025 didn't have a summer song of the year, but no, the song of the summer was the reporters asking Donald Trump about Ghislaine Maxwell. If it was eligible, it would have been number one on Billboard, but. Okay, okay, take a breath. First thing wasn't great. You can fix it.

[Michael Costa]

All right?

[Josh Johnson]

They ask you if you're gonna pardon her. You barely remember her, right? You don't know her, and you're trying to get into heaven, buddy. Remember, that's. That's the plan. That's the journey you're on. You're trying to get into heaven, and you don't even really know this lady, so you're obviously not even gonna consider pardoning her.

[Michael Costa]

Well, I'll take a look at it.

[Narrator/Announcer]

But you're considering that.

[Michael Costa]

I will speak to the doj. I wouldn't consider it or not consider. I don't know anything about it.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Why Would she be a kid?

[Michael Costa]

I will speak to the da.

[Wawa Gatherou]

Why would she be?

[Narrator/Announcer]

But she was convicted of child sex trafficking.

[Michael Costa]

Yeah, I mean, I'm gonna have to take a look at it.

[Josh Johnson]

Hey, man. Hey, hey. Maybe when you hear the words child sex trafficking, the next thing you say shouldn't be, I'm gonna look at it. All right? The only way to phrase that worse is now I gotta see this. But okay, all right. None of that went well. None of that was ideal. But you can do what you do best and throw a distraction in there, change the topic away from pardoning sex criminal.

[Michael Costa]

I have a lot of people who have asked me for pardons. I call them Puff Daddy has asked me for a pardon.

[Josh Johnson]

Wait, so you don't remember Ghislaine, but you remember that we used to call Diddy Puff Daddy?

[Michael Costa]

That.

[Josh Johnson]

That was nine names ago. He put brother in it at one. All you had to do was mention someone else who was not convicted of sex crimes, which is most people. And you chose Diddy. And I want to remind everyone, we were gathered here to talk about a road in Alaska. For more on Trump's chances of getting into heaven, let's go live with Troy Iwata. Troy, just be clear. You are not dead.

[Troy Iwata]

Only on the inside, Josh. No, I'm just reporting from heaven. And the flight was so smooth, and the cute flight attendant gave me two cookies.

[Josh Johnson]

Great. So based on your reporting, what are Trump's chances of getting into heaven?

[Troy Iwata]

Oh, no chance at all, Josh. The guy eats shrimp. He's going to hell for sure.

[Wawa Gatherou]

What?

[Josh Johnson]

Like, did you say shrimp? Like the seafood?

[Troy Iwata]

Uh, yeah, like the seafood, Josh. That's God's big thing, okay? It goes murder, adultery, stealing, and then shrimp.

[Josh Johnson]

Murder is the least bad.

[Troy Iwata]

Okay, look, I'm not gonna question the culture. I'm a guest here.

[Josh Johnson]

I'm kind of surprised by this. If this was such an important thing to Guy, he would have been more explicit about it.

[Troy Iwata]

It is written in the Bible, okay? Written words are important, Josh. Do you see a no parking sign and think, I wonder what that means.

[Josh Johnson]

This feels crazy. So you can be a cheating murderer and not go to hell? Like, what about Jeffrey Epstein? Is he in heaven?

[Troy Iwata]

N. No, no, of course Jeffrey Epstein isn't in heaven. He ran a private scene. You know how much shrimp he ate there?

[Josh Johnson]

That can't be the only reason.

[Troy Iwata]

But it is. It is. It is. He would be right here now if he hadn't chased every gang bang with a pound of bang bang shrimp.

[Josh Johnson]

Okay, hold on. Help me understand the rules. What if you're a chef who cooks shrimp but never ate it. Hmm.

[Troy Iwata]

Yeah, that's a toughie. I guess it's kinda like if a drug dealer sold fentanyl lace pills to a teenager, like, would they both go to hell? No, because shrimp wasn't involved. See, it's not that hard to understand. It's one rule, dude, okay, Just don't eat any shrimp on earth. And especially none of the shrimp appear in heaven.

[Josh Johnson]

Why would there be shrimp in heaven?

[Troy Iwata]

Well, they didn't do anything wrong.

[Josh Johnson]

Troy. This is crazy. Who even gets in then?

[Troy Iwata]

Well, it's mostly people with shrimp allergies. Honestly. Honestly, heaven is really boring. Gandhi only has like two stories and one of them's good, so it's all gluten free too.

[Josh Johnson]

So, Troy, you're eating shrimp right now.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Uh. Oh.

[Troy Iwata]

You know what? Worth it, grandma.

[Josh Johnson]

Troy Awada, everyone. When we come back, we find out how to kill snakes. So don't go away.

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Josh Johnson]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. Florida has a lot of killers, but some of them are heroes. Our own Michael Costa caught up with one of them in another installment of thank Me Later.

[Michael Costa]

Hi, I'm Michael Costa. A dangerous killer is terrorizing Florida, but not in the fun way that ends up in a Netflix documentary. That killer. The Burmese python. Jesus. Change it back. Change it, change it, change it, Change it. The Burmese python is decimating the Everglades ecosystem, but one woman is fighting back. And I spoke to this hero about this slithery problem, and you can thank me later. This is Amy Seawee, a Florida resident who goes out every night hunting pythons. I wanted to find out why she loves killing snakes so much.

[Narrator/Announcer]

I don't like that I have to kill them, but it is a necessary thing.

[Michael Costa]

I think that's what every serial killer says.

[Narrator/Announcer]

I have a tremendous respect for them and I know a lot about them. A lot of people don't want to do this.

[Michael Costa]

What are the dangers that the pythons pose to Florida?

[Narrator/Announcer]

Mammal extinction is a big one. 98% of the mammals are gone in parts of the Everglades because the pythons have eaten them.

[Michael Costa]

What animals are These pythons eating, is it like the ones that we don't really care about, or is it the cute ones?

[Narrator/Announcer]

So they're the apex predator. They eat rats, rabbits, bobcats, deer, gators.

[Michael Costa]

Oh, yeah, deer. Deer are enormous. How did they eat it in one bite? She wasn't kidding. Look at this snake going to town on Bambi's stepmom. That's not supposed to happen in America. In fact, Burmese pythons shouldn't even be in Florida. They belong in Burmese. There are enough creatures shedding skin and fort already. How the hell did they even get here?

[Narrator/Announcer]

So there was a breeding facility that was actually breeding the pythons for pets. Hurricane Andrew came through in 92 and blew it away and sent 900 pythons to the same general vicinity of the Everglades. Wait, there's an estimated 500,000 of them out there now.

[Michael Costa]

There's 500,000 pythons out there. How many snakes do you think would fit on a mother plane? That's how I would do it.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Yep. Once I learned that there was a python problem down here, I came down, went on a hunt, I caught a nine footer, and I was hooked. It's like I can actually use this passion that I have to help Florida with this epic problem. I mean, why don't you come on a hunt with me and we can see how this all works out?

[Michael Costa]

Do I have to? It turns out, yes, I did have to. So I channeled the snake's greatest nemesis. I'm ready.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Go check.

[Michael Costa]

All right, give me five. Got changed again and hit the road to search for pythons. Here we go. Burmese. Well, what do you do if you see a python? How do you communicate to him?

[Narrator/Announcer]

Oh, I'm like, Dave, this is. I'm not saying this right now. Okay, Python.

[Michael Costa]

Okay, got it.

[Narrator/Announcer]

But I also. So I break for snake. We have to kill the pythons. We might as well save as many native snakes as we can.

[Michael Costa]

Let me get this straight. Pythons equal murder.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Wait, stop. There's a python mouth.

[Michael Costa]

But we have to save. Oh, God, more snakes.

[Narrator/Announcer]

There it is.

[Michael Costa]

She's got a snake just like that. Oh, he's not happy.

[Narrator/Announcer]

He is a very, very feisty one. So as I walk over there, just make sure you're out of the way. Nope, not under the truck. Come on, buddy.

[Josh Johnson]

What are we doing?

[Narrator/Announcer]

One snake saved. There's a snake right here, Dave.

[Michael Costa]

Oh, shit.

[Narrator/Announcer]

That's a baby cottonmouth. I'm just gonna get it off.

[Michael Costa]

Your eyes are good.

[Josh Johnson]

Wow.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Number two saved. This is a banded water snake. So these Are hands cool? Anyone want to hold them? No?

[Michael Costa]

Okay. At first, I was overwhelmed. But as the hours slithered by, I felt my mind focus and my soul commune with the forces of nature. Soon, I was one with the great snake spirit, and I could sense her children all around me. There's a snake right there.

[Josh Johnson]

Boom.

[Michael Costa]

There's a snake.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Let's go see what we've got. Nope.

[Wawa Gatherou]

It's a stump.

[Josh Johnson]

God.

[Michael Costa]

I made a mistake. Shit. Is that not a snake?

[Narrator/Announcer]

It's not a snake.

[Michael Costa]

False alarm. Amy thought you saw a snake. It's a log. Okay, so I might have thought a stump was a snake, but it only meant my eyes were primed for spotting danger. There's a frog. Does that count?

[Narrator/Announcer]

No, he doesn't count.

[Michael Costa]

There's a big frog. Oh, frog. Basically, I'm saying I got no frog. Frogs are out.

[Josh Johnson]

Yep.

[Michael Costa]

That I know. I'm not a big snake guy, even though my high school nickname was the White Anaconda.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Second time you've told me you're. I don't even know.

[Michael Costa]

Although we never actually saw a python. Thank God. We also never saw any mammals on the East Coast.

[Narrator/Announcer]

They're eating mostly gators and birds. Wow. Because all the mammals are gone. They're moving north and west.

[Michael Costa]

That's terrifying. But Amy's mission never wavered, even as we stayed awake. Way past my bedtime. So you'll go back out tomorrow and do this?

[Wawa Gatherou]

Absolutely.

[Narrator/Announcer]

This is it. This is what I do every night.

[Michael Costa]

It was clear that Amy was born to do this. Just like I was born to thank her on behalf of us all.

[Wawa Gatherou]

Amy.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Oh, my God.

[Michael Costa]

On behalf of the general public and on behalf of Michael Costa at the Daily show, we present you with this.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Wow. To my favorite super. Yeah. Snake hunter. Amy, you're killing it. Thanks for helping bring balance to our precious ecosystem, and also for protecting me and be from being strangled and swallowed by a python. Thank you for saying that.

[Michael Costa]

Did I want to stay in Florida and hunt pythons? No way. Are you kidding? But Amy did, and that's exactly what Florida needs. You ever find any weird, like, a body or anything?

[Wawa Gatherou]

No.

[Narrator/Announcer]

One of my friends did, though.

[Michael Costa]

Really?

[Josh Johnson]

Thank you, Michael. When we come back, Wah Wah Gather. Will be joining me on the show.

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Wawa Gatherou]

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[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Michael Costa]

ABC Shifting Gears is back. He has arisen. Tim Allen and Kat Dennings return in television's number one new comedy.

[Josh Johnson]

What what?

[Michael Costa]

With a star studded premiere including Jenna Elfman, Nancy Travis and. Hey buddy. A big home improvement reunion.

[Josh Johnson]

Welcome.

[Michael Costa]

Oh boy, that guy's a tool. Shifting gears new Wednesdays, 8, 7 Central.

[Josh Johnson]

On ABC and stream on Hulu. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is the founder and executive director of the organization Black Girl Environmentalists. Please welcome Wawa Gatherou. Wow. Thank you so much for being here.

[Wawa Gatherou]

Oh my goodness. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited.

[Josh Johnson]

Absolutely. So your organization, Black Girl Environmentalist, can you tell me more about it? You're the founder and director and so you would know everything about it.

[Wawa Gatherou]

Yeah, I would hope so. I would hope so. So, yes, I am the proud founder and executive director of Black Girl Environmentalist. We are a national organization that's working to address the unique pathway and retention issue that exists in the climate sector for black girls and black gender expansive folks. So I can zoom out a little bit as to why that's our mission. So when we look at the US population, people of color make up nearly 40%, but we don't exceed a 12 to 16% green ceiling. So we see that there's a gap in terms of diverse talent. But then also there's a gap in terms of who has green skills. So Gen Z, when we look at folks who have green skills, only 1 in 10 Gen Z around the world has a green skill. And when you look at women around the world, only 1 in 10 women have a single green skill. So Black Girl Environmentalist is trying to address these circumstances by building pipelines and making sure that the next generation is properly resourced to be climate leaders.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Wawa Gatherou]

And.

[Josh Johnson]

Can you tell me more about green skills? Like what is a green skill specifically? Yeah, yeah.

[Wawa Gatherou]

A green skill can look like a number of different things. A green skill could be someone getting the skills to fill in potholes. It could be a skill to be a policy maker. It could be a skill to work in conservation. But the thing is, there aren't as many folks going into the green economy space in general. So I think we also have to shift the narrative to make sure that we're making those roles More sexy. And that's what black Girl Environmental is trying to do. Make green jobs feel cooler.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, Yeah, I see. And was there a moment, was there an event or any sort of gathering that you had as an organization that really felt like the moment things were clicking, like things were really taking off?

[Wawa Gatherou]

Yeah, I would say it was the first summer of our Hazel and Johnson Fellowship program. So one of our biggest programs is called the Hazel and Johnson Fellowship Program. It was named after the mother of environmental justice from the great city of Chicago. And it's an organization that is work and it's a program that's working to essentially build a pipeline of diverse talent into green internships. So there's a lot of gaps in regards to who gets to enter the green space. So we've teamed up with different organizations and companies to have internships available for our fellows. So our fellows do 10 weeks over the summer. They get at least $18 an hour. We pay them at least $5,000 for a living wage stipend. We do weekly professional development support, and we end the summer with a four day long retreat in nature in Washington state. So the moment that was really, really beautiful for me and my team was getting to meet all our fellows for the first time last summer and then meet our second cohort this year and have them talk about how they finally feel like there's a home for them in the climate movement.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Narrator/Announcer]

That'S incredible.

[Josh Johnson]

And so I guess, I guess zooming out for a second past the organization, you know, there's all of this climate work that needs to be done and you would think that your greatest ally would be the government in the country that you live, you know, but unfortunately we, you know, are here.

[Wawa Gatherou]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

And so what do you do when you not only don't have support, but there's like active hostility towards climate, climate science or climate activists.

[Wawa Gatherou]

It's tough. It's a lot of whiplash. So we're coming off of a Biden administration that was really committed for putting millions, hundreds of millions of dollars into the hands of grassroots organizations through the Inflation reduction act and justice 40. And so we saw organizations that were awarded tons of funds, around $29 billion, and those funds have now been frozen or cancelled without you say, you, you.

[Josh Johnson]

Clap too soon.

[Wawa Gatherou]

Without due process. So I have some friends that found out that their organizations lost funding from newspapers before they even got notified by their emails. So we have a lot of organizations in the green economy, space organizations and workers who are at the front lines of deploying and scaling climate solutions. Really Scrambling for funds. So it's difficult. But at the same time, there has been good movement happening. There's a coalition called America's all in, which is a coalition of different businesses and academic centers and cities and municipalities and states who are still committed to the Paris Accords and still committed to climate targets that are going to hopefully get us to where we need to go. But we definitely need philanthropy to stand up, corporate America to stand up and to really help fill the gaps that the federal government is pulling back on.

[Josh Johnson]

I would say that you mentioned, you know, getting us where we need to be or getting us where we're trying to go and everything. And one thing I see when I look at you is someone who is deeply, deeply optimistic and working in climate, which you would think would be two separate things. You know what I mean? Just because of what's happening in the world. And like, even before. Even before, you know, we used to think the greatest threat, all the energy and all of the pollution, was just gonna be like fossil fuels. But now you have AI and you have data centers being built and everything. So that's a whole different thing to tackle, which has nothing but, like, just mounds and mounds of money behind it and people who are full steam ahead because they think that it's gonna take them to some sort of utopia or something. And so how do you find that optimism? Because whenever I watch anything that you do, I genuinely see lots of hope, lots of excitement, lots of care. And I wonder how.

[Wawa Gatherou]

Yeah, people always ask me that. And I'll first affirm. I think it would be insane for folks not to feel the kaleidoscope of the emotional responses that climate change in our world, the things that it presents us. I feel hopeless and angry and frustrated a lot of the time. Maybe not online.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Sure, sure.

[Wawa Gatherou]

But I do have moments like. And I think what's been really helpful is reframing the climate crisis in a lot of ways and reframing what it is that we're inheriting. So we are inheriting the biggest crisis of all time. And it's a crisis that we didn't create, but we have to solve. And that's frustrating, and it's important to hold that truth. But we're also inheriting wisdom from movements of our past, movements that also had to deal with what felt like insurmountable odds, like abolition, civil rights, labor movements, women's suffrage. None of those movements ever had any guarantee of success. Yet people continue to persevere. And there's so much that we can learn from the organizing tactics that have been left behind for us. Solidarity being a big one, coalition building being a big one. And we really need that in the climate space. Because the climate crisis is not just an ecological crisis. Yes, ecological breakdown is clearly happening, but it's also a crisis of care and a crisis of connection. We really have a problem with seeing the value in nature and non human species and other humans. We see this with the existence of sacrifice zones in Cancer Alley. We see that with the ongoing genocides happening around the world, with the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people. We have to have the moral courage and clarity to refuse to bring that type of dangerous business as usual into the future that we're building. And so I always try to ask the question back to folks who ask me, are we doomed or are we going to solve this crisis? That that's not the correct question that we should be asking. Because there isn't just one future waiting for us. There's many possible futures. And the future that we get is based off of the decisions that we make.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, just make a. Just make like a little recording of that response right there. Whatever somebody says that we're cooked. Like that's. And so if people want to not just join in theory, but if people want to really be a part of the effort, are there actionable things that people in those sort of local communities can do to get started?

[Wawa Gatherou]

I would always recommend that folks look up the local organizations and their communities doing the good work. There are everyday people doing the work every single day. People who have green jobs, people who are doing their climate work outside of their 9 to 5. And it's really, really exciting. And I think that what we need more today is good climate storytelling. So, so much of what people hear about climate change is a doom and gloom. And there is so much truth in that. It is bad. And if we don't do anything, it could get worse. And there are everyday people pushing for a better tomorrow in really cool, innovative ways. One of my favorite organizations is called the Descendants Project. They're based in Louisiana and they are actually buying back plantations as a means. Yeah, yeah, no, they're super cool. They bought back two plantations that their ancestors were previously enslaved upon and they're using them as sites of reclamation, fighting against the narrative violence of plantation tourism, as well as using them as sites to educate their communities about how the petrochemical industry is basically poisoning the health of their communities. And they're fighting back and winning. And it's so cool if more people knew about women like Dr. Joe and Joy Banner, who are the founders of the Descendants project. I feel like more folks will lean into climate optimism and see the possibilities of how they could get involved too.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, no, absolutely. I feel like. Yeah, I feel like every time you, you say something, you give me like three more questions in my head because I'm. Cause it is, it is fascinating to talk to someone who isn't just in, in one direction, seeing where we're gonna go. Because like I said, you know, I have other friends who are in climate projects and part of the overall movement that as soon as, like data centers became a thing, they were like, oh, well, then it's kind of shot. And so I think that, I think that for most people, they don't really realize how big their impact is as an individual. And so even when you're engaging with things like AI and maybe it's using this energy and you don't really think of yourself in that. Right. Like, do you think that there's a way to communicate people's individual impact in a way that kind of crosses all the intersections that you're talking about with black girl environmentalists and all of the climate justice that you're trying to do? Like, I think that in the longest way possible to ask a question. I think that it's incredibly difficult for someone to see themselves as the next big climate advocate. And I think a lot of people think they have to be that to even get involved. What would you say is the, is the thing that you're looking for? If someone comes to you specifically, like for black girl environmentalists, what is the thing that you look for in the person and then the thing that you put out with them into the world?

[Wawa Gatherou]

Yeah. So I think it depends on the context. Right. So if someone's interested in bge, usually they're like a black girl environmentalist or maybe someone who hasn't always felt like that term has resonated with them. So I think it's really important for me to meet people where they're at. And I think that might be something that we're missing from sustainability or environmental discourse at large. It always feels like a zero sum game. You ask something about AI, you ask something about recycling, and no matter how you answer it, you're going to make someone mad. And that's fair. We all have different opinions, but I do think that we should be leaning into these conversations with values. There are certain things that we can all get behind. In fact, when we look at polling, the majority of Americans believe our government should be doing more around safeguarding clean air and clean Water and safeguarding healthy communities. That's something we can get behind. I'd rather have those conversations to bring people in and then talk about the solutions from there.

[Josh Johnson]

Got you. And my last question, because you are a founder of an organization and you're flying across the world giving talks and like building community and everything, and you're also very young and you start this work even earlier than that. So do you. Are you gonna retire at any point or do you think, do you think this is just. This is it?

[Wawa Gatherou]

I would say something I would like to see is less youth climate activists or less youth activists. I started at 15 and sometimes I wonder what it would have been like for me to spend more time being a kid. And now I'm adult and now I have to do big girl stuff. And sometimes I want to lean back into the time that I lost in a way. But ultimately the climate crisis isn't going anywhere, so I'll continue to be doing this work. And black girl environmentalist is a huge priority of mine. But I would love to help contribute to telling better climate stories and highlighting cool solutions like solar grazing, which is like where you bring different grazing animals to solar farms to help bring the vegeta. I can talk about solar grazing, but like cute climate solutions that people want to hear about. And that's something that I like to do more and help change the narrative around climate to one that restructures the climate crisis as an opportunity to restructure our world. Because I think that Mother Earth is giving us really important feedback that the structures that we've relied on for so long aren't working and that we have a once in a species long opportunity to be better and do better.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

Well, thank you so, so much.

[Michael Costa]

I appreciate you.

[Josh Johnson]

This means a lot to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being here. I think everybody is inspired by you and your work and I'm so thankful for you. Okay, y'?

[Michael Costa]

All.

[Josh Johnson]

Absolutely. For more information, check out blackgirlenvironmentalist.org, wawak Avenue. We're gonna take a quick break, but we'll be right back after foreign.

[Michael Costa]

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That'S our show for the night now. Here it is, the moment of Zen.

[Narrator/Announcer]

We are now totally over that destructive, stupid era of toxic masculinity. And now we're in an era of real masculinity, thanks to the bold, muscular leadership of President Trump and our Secretary of War, Pete Hedseth. We saw that in bold relief yesterday. What an incredible day.

[Michael Costa]

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. Plus, this has been a Comedy Central podcast.

[Josh Johnson]

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