Trump Floats Canceling Midterms & MAGA Pushes Alt Super Bowl Halftime Show | Paul Rosolie

Summary

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The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump Floats Canceling Midterms & MAGA Pushes Alt Super Bowl Halftime Show | Paul Rosolie
Date: February 4, 2026
Host: Michael Kassa (for Jon Stewart), The Daily Show News Team
Guest: Paul Rosolie

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Overview

In this satirical and sharp-tongued episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, Michael Kassa and the news team dissect the headlines surrounding the upcoming midterms and the culture war over the Super Bowl halftime show. The show lampoons Donald Trump’s musings about canceling elections, highlights the right-wing’s alternative “All American Halftime Show,” and sends Jordan Klepper into the field at the star-studded MAGA Melania movie premiere. The episode concludes with a thoughtful and inspiring interview between Michael Kassa and conservationist Paul Rosolie, focused on his new book and the urgent cause of protecting the Amazon rainforest.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Culture War Halftime Show

• Conservative backlash to Bad Bunny’s selection as NFL halftime headliner is lampooned, characterizing it as “woke” and un-American due to his Spanish-language lyrics and flamboyant style.
  • Memorable riff: “Bad Bunny's lyrics contain every sexual term possible...The lyric is, where are the horny ladies?” — Michael Kassa (01:32)
  • Parody of outrage: “Who wants to watch a man wearing a dress?” — Michael Kassa (01:27)
• Right-wing group Turning Point USA is organizing an “All American Halftime Show” alternative, featuring a comically obscure lineup.
  • Parody lineup: “Gabby Barrett, Brantley Gilbert, Gaggy Bobbles, Barnacle Gasperty, Babette Gingletree, Hologram Hulk Hogan...Kid Rock and Kid Rock’s father, Adult Rock.” — Michael Kassa (02:12)
• Satire extends to the Puppy Bowl, joking about the obsession with “gender” even among animals.

2. Trump Floats Canceling the Midterms

• President Trump, facing poor polling and election outcomes, floats the idea of canceling midterms, masking authoritarian intent as “a joke.”
  • “Donald Trump once again floated the idea of canceling the midterms...‘we shouldn’t even have an election’...Yikes.” — Michael Kassa (04:20)
  • Kassa lampoons the normalization of these autocratic jokes: “Voting is the most American thing you can do besides, well, not voting.” (04:41)
• The News Team ridicules the administration’s defense that Trump was simply “joking,” asking for clarification on what made it funny.
  • “It was a ‘you had to be there’ thing, but none of us were in the room.” — Michael Kassa (05:45)
  • Analogies: “It’s like when Chris Rock tells a joke…it works in the room, but it doesn’t work…when Stephen Miller retells it at a Klan meeting.” — Michael Kassa (06:01)
• Continued talk of “Republicans taking over voting” and nationalizing elections deepens unease, while the team debates how to judge the seriousness of Trump’s statements.
  • “The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. This all looks and sounds pretty bad.” — Michael Kassa (07:36)

3. Election Undermining and ‘Jokes’

• FBI seizes election ballots in Georgia as Trump continues to press baseless claims of voter fraud (08:37).
• The hosts underscore the danger of normalizing anti-democratic rhetoric, using humor to highlight the absurdity and threat.
  • “Trump, you gotta get over 2020, man...” — Michael Kassa (08:54)
• The recurring motif: Trump’s “jokes” are a strategy to undermine democratic norms.
  • “I think Trump's supposed jokes are part of a larger strategy to normalize his authoritarian tendencies, gradually conditioning the public to accept the undermining of democratic norms...” — Michael Kassa (11:42)
• Satirical banter explores who gets to decide what counts as a joke (10:17-11:42).
  • “That's the thing, Kassa. It's all jokes. Trump's whole first year has been a bit... like Impractical Jokers...but with the President and no van.” — Troy Iwata (10:23)

4. Jordan Klepper at the MAGA Melania Movie Premiere (13:11-19:00)

• Klepper goes to the premiere of Amazon’s big-budget Melania Trump documentary at the Trump Kennedy Center.
• Satirical red carpet interviews highlight MAGA fashion, ideology, and the strange glamorization of Melania.
  • “In my soul, I'm wearing the truth and freedom...on my body, I'm wearing a dress by my friend Weave.” — Caroline Sunshine (14:13)
• Guests downplay concerns about the director Brett Ratner’s #MeToo past, and discuss Melania’s film as part of the “movement” to “make America healthy again.”
  • “It's not just a movie, it's a movement. I think it's a reclamation of the divine feminine.” — Caroline Sunshine (16:12)
• Klepper probes attendees' willingness to believe only what fits their worldview, contrasting skepticism over real-world tragedy (“Greenland, those murders in Minneapolis”) with trust in curated cinematic narratives.

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Featured Interview: Paul Rosolie – Explorer and Conservationist

(21:20–35:41)

Paul Rosolie’s Adventures & New Book

• Paul Rosolie (founder of Junglekeepers) discusses his book Jungle: What It Takes to Change the World, blending wild adventure with environmental urgency.
  • “There’s stories in here. You walk through the jungle with elephants. You befriend a spider monkey. You drink whiskey with Jane Goodall. You see your father’s friend’s huge dick.” — Michael Kassa (22:00)
  • “It almost feels like fiction ... But it’s real.” — Michael Kassa (22:14)
• Anecdotes about dramatic wildlife encounters, including wrestling anacondas.
  • “You gotta grab these things by the head and if you don't get them by the head...you're talking about a Great Dane sized head that will come back at you with lots of teeth.” — Paul Rosolie (22:35)
• Rosolie’s journey from troubled, dyslexic student in Brooklyn to jungle explorer, inspired by Jane Goodall, David Attenborough, and Steve Irwin.
  • “I couldn't do math...I was like, I want to go to a place where I can drink the river...where there's huge ancient trees.” — Paul Rosolie (23:31)

Why Trees (and the Amazon) Matter

• Rosolie explains the Amazon as the planet’s “biotic pump” that stabilizes the global climate.
  • “Each day, 20 trillion liters of water comes up off the Amazon...making it the Amazon rainforest.” — Paul Rosolie (24:19)
  • “A fifth of our oxygen and a fifth of our fresh water is contained in the Amazon.” — Paul Rosolie (25:13)
• Kassa reflects on his own trips and psychedelic experiences leading to tree appreciation, and laments deforestation.

Human and Animal Stories from the Amazon

• Spotlight on JJ, an Indigenous Amazonian and “the only unicorn in the Amazon,” who is Rosolie’s guide and partner in conservation.
  • “He learned from his grandmothers, grandfathers...all those indigenous medicines, how to track, how to catch fish...” — Paul Rosolie (28:10)
• Describes encounters with the uncontacted Mashko Piru, their pre-Stone Age existence, and their new contact due to environmental pressures.
  • “They've been in a time capsule in the jungle for thousands of years... They came out across the beach and they put up their hands and they wanted to interact with us.” — Paul Rosolie (30:56)
  • “They said...Why are you cutting down our trees?” — Paul Rosolie (31:17)

Hope & Call to Action

• Rosolie stresses the critical crossroads for the world and the agency individuals have to help protect nature.
  • Quote from book: “There's no question that we are alive at the most important time in history. Either we save the natural treasures that make our world what it is, or we curse all future generations with the repercussions of our greed.” — Paul Rosolie, read by Michael Kassa (32:09)
• Offers direct, practical paths for passionate nature lovers:
  • “Find a way to help and find someone who's doing the work that you admire... Go carry the bags for the people studying the great whites, the people tagging giraffes, whatever it is, or go plant wildflowers that the hummingbirds like in your own backyard.” — Paul Rosolie (34:26)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Is anyone else as mad and horny as I am right now?” — Michael Kassa on the Super Bowl halftime fuss (01:51)
• “Either we save the natural treasures that make our world what it is, or we curse all future generations with the repercussions of our greed.” — Paul Rosolie (32:09)
• “If Trump does even half the things he’s saying, our democracy will be less recognizable than the lineup of the TP USA halftime show.” — Michael Kassa (07:37)
• “Either you do something, or it’s just all going to be gone.” — Paul Rosolie, quoting JJ (34:02)
• “Find a way to help... Or go plant wildflowers that the hummingbirds like in your own backyard.” — Paul Rosolie (34:26)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:10–04:03: Super Bowl Halftime controversy / Conservative culture war satire
• 04:03–12:26: Trump’s election talk — “just joking” or authoritarian drift?
• 13:11–19:00: Jordan Klepper at the Melania movie premiere & MAGA pop culture
• 21:20–35:41: In-depth interview with Paul Rosolie on the Amazon, dyslexia, Indigenous knowledge, urgent conservation, and hope

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Tone & Style

The episode is rich in biting sarcasm, absurdist parody, and earnest commentary. The hosts use humor to highlight the dangers of undermining democracy and the power of nature, ending on a hopeful, motivational note that underlines the importance of action.

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Summary

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition captures a country riven by culture wars, political jokes masking real threats, and a planet at a turning point. Through sharp satire, relentless lampooning of undermining U.S. institutions, and an inspiring testament to the Amazon’s beauty and peril, the show affirms the need for humor, vigilance, and, ultimately, collective action for both democracy and the natural world.

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Transcript

[Announcer]

This episode is brought to you by Ninjalux Cafe, the three in one machine that makes espresso, drip coffee and cold brew. No barista skills required.

[Michael Kassa]

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, Michael Costner. Oh, we got a good one. Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Michael Kassa. We've got so much to talk about tonight. Trump wants to deport the midterms, The super bowl wokes up, and Jordan Klepper went to the Melania movie, so you didn't have to. Hey, let's get into the headlines. Let's start with the fun news. Super bowl licks is right around the corner, and everyone's excited for the bad Bunny halftime show. And by and by everyone, I mean the radical woke communists who hate America. The NFL just chose the bad bunny Rabbit or whatever his name. This guy who hates ice and he.

[Troy Iwata]

Doesn'T sing in English.

[Paul Rosolie]

Someone who hates America.

[Michael Kassa]

Who wants to watch a man wearing a dress.

[Troy Iwata]

Anyway, it is woke.

[Michael Kassa]

Bad Bunny's lyrics contain every sexual term possible in the most explicit and severe sexual terminology possible. The lyric is, where are the horny ladies?

[Jordan Klepper]

One more dance and we're going to call the Vatican. I was in hell when I found a devil.

[Troy Iwata]

I mean, is this who you want as your halftime entertainment?

[Michael Kassa]

I mean, oh, my God. Is anyone else as mad and horny as I am right now? So, yeah, there's no way Americans are going to want to watch a performance by most popular musician in America. But good news, there is a halftime alternative, and it's not just turning that seven layer dip into a seven layer poop. If you want to tune out the woke nonsense that the NFL is promoting during the halftime show, then tune in to turning point, USA's All American halftime show. Their lineup just dropped, friends, and it's fire. Now this Sunday, patriots like Kid Rock, Brantley, Gilbert Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett are performing right when halftime starts for the NFL. Woo. Huh? Man, that is a real who's who of who. We've got Gabby Barrett, Brantley, Gilbert, Garby Billet, Billy Garbutt, Breely Grabbers, Bobby Glaibert, Gaggy Bobbles, Barnacle, Gasperty, Babette Gingletree, Hologram, Hulk Hogan, Gregory Bankelbob, Kid Rock, and Kid Rock's father, Adult Rock. So, yeah, it's great. This is great. This is great. You know, all those musicians. Unbelievable. It's great that there's a conservative halftime show. But what we really need is an alternative to the ultra woke Puppy Bowl. Okay, who's a good boy? Who's a good girl? Why are they so obsessed with gender? Let's move on. The midterm elections are coming up, and things are not looking good for my boy Donald Trump. His approval rating is in the toilet, and Democrats have been over performing in every special election since he took office. Last week, they won an election in deep red Texas by 14 points. So let's give it up for Lee Womgans. Let's hear it. Lee Wamgans. Okay, just so you know, Liam Wamgans was the Republican. You idiots. Good job following the news.

[Paul Rosolie]

But still.

[Michael Kassa]

If Trump wants to avoid a blowout in the midterms, he's going to have to do something. Well, he could change his policies. He could slow down the rampant corruption. He could find less adorable kids to deport. So it's like, who cares? So, Mr. President, what's it going to be? Donald Trump once again floated the idea of canceling the midterms. He boasted that he had accomplished so much that when you think of it, we shouldn't even have an election. Yikes. Yikes. Look, I do get the joy of canceling plans. No one loves bailing on drinks or a work dinner or my kid's piano recital more than me. But you can't cancel elections. Voting is the most American thing you can do besides, well, not voting. And forgive me for being serious for a moment, but the president suggesting that he might cancel the midterms appears to be the inflection point toward a dictatorship from which our nation cannot return. This is serious.

[Caroline Sunshine]

The president was simply joking.

[Michael Kassa]

That is a joke. Forget it. It was a joke. Phew. That is a relief. Oh, my God. I guess I was worried that it wasn't a joke because it's a little unusual for a president to joke about canceling. And also, this particular president actually did try to overturn an election. So I guess I don't get the joke. Can someone in the press corps please ask the White House what was funny about this?

[Paul Rosolie]

Are you saying that the president finds the idea of canceling elections funny?

[Caroline Sunshine]

Andrew, were you in the room? No. You weren't? I was in the room. I heard the conversation.

[Michael Kassa]

Uh, okay. It was a you had to be there thing, but none of us. If I was in the room, then I would have gotten it from his tone. It's like when Chris Rock tells a joke about black people. It works in the room, but it doesn't work. Later, when Stephen Miller Retells it at a Klan meeting.

[Paul Rosolie]

But this.

[Michael Kassa]

This is why we have a press, to hold these people accountable. You can't blame the reporter for asking. That guy's from the Independent, a British paper, and he is actually a weenie and hoping that gets back to him. That guy is such a nerd. People like that. I mean, that's why we hate the media. They're just nerds. Lighten up. Yeah. What a nerd. So, okay, I've learned my lesson. The president was just joking about this election stuff, and I'm a cool guy. I get jokes. So I'm gonna take all this much less seriously.

[Troy Iwata]

This morning, President Trump trying to exert more control over the nation's elections, saying Republicans should, quote, take over the voting.

[Michael Kassa]

Okay, okay, okay, okay. This sounds scary, but I know now it's probably just another hilarious joke. Let's take over the elections. I'm gonna cancel the midterms. I'm gonna be. I bet once you hear him actually say it, we'll get how funny it is. The Republicans should say, we want to take over.

[Jordan Klepper]

We should take over the voting.

[Michael Kassa]

The voting in at least many 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting. This all looks and sounds pretty bad. If Trump does even half the things he's saying, our democracy will be less recognizable than the lineup of the TP USA halftime show. Make me use it again. The only thing that's giving me solace so far is that this is just talk, okay? If Trump was really gonna meddle with the midterms, he'd be laying the groundwork by manufacturing evidence that there's widespread election fraud, and he's not doing that. Right, right, right.

[Caroline Sunshine]

Happening now. The FBI has seized all of the 2020 election ballots from Fulton County, Georgia. It's part of the Justice Department's effort to look for alleged voter fraud. President Trump keeps pushing this baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen.

[Michael Kassa]

Holy shit. Two things. First of all, Trump, you gotta get over 2020, man. I mean, 2020 is over. You don't see the rest of us being grateful for essential workers anymore. Move on. And secondly, I think it's. It's pretty clear that Trump is not joking about meddling in the election this year. And the only way we can prevent it is if everyone stands up to stop him, especially Republicans. I'm talking Mike Johnson, Lindsey Graham, Gabby Barrett, Brantley, Gilbert Bork, Gutman, Gunk Butters, Griff Bortman, and of course, Brickley Gobblebottom. God, I cannot wait for this halftime show. Oh, my God. I'm bursting for more on about canceling the midterms. We go live to the White House with Troy Iwata. Troy, Troy, isn't all this election undermining disturbing? Oh, my God.

[Troy Iwata]

Michael, Trump was clearly joking. Okay, the only disturbing thing here is how you can't take a joke.

[Michael Kassa]

I can take a joke.

[Jordan Klepper]

Oh, really?

[Troy Iwata]

Knock, knock.

[Michael Kassa]

Who's there?

[Troy Iwata]

You have no sense of humor.

[Michael Kassa]

That's not funny.

[Troy Iwata]

See, you don't know when things are funny, so you can't tell when the President is joking.

[Michael Kassa]

Okay, but, Troy, here's the thing. The President says and does a lot of unusual things. How are we supposed to know when it's a joke?

[Troy Iwata]

That's the thing, Costa. It's all jokes. Trump's whole first year has been a bit like. Like, dude, remember that time he made $1.4 billion in his first year as president? Can you say zero?

[Michael Kassa]

I don't get how that's funny.

[Troy Iwata]

It's funny cause you're not. You're not supposed to do that. Look, look, since you're such a weenie nerd, let me explain. You ever see Impractical Jokers? That show where a van full of fat Italian guys trick each other? This is that. But with the President and no van. But he is fat.

[Michael Kassa]

Okay, how is canceling the midterms funny?

[Troy Iwata]

Because it makes the country worse. Do you get it?

[Michael Kassa]

No, I don't. No.

[Troy Iwata]

Dude, you are so gay.

[Michael Kassa]

Wait, aren't you gay?

[Troy Iwata]

Yeah, as a bit. Look, look, you don't have to think Trump's funny, but you gotta admit, the dude loves jokes.

[Michael Kassa]

Really? Because he gets so mad at people who make jokes about him and Epstein.

[Troy Iwata]

Because that's not funny. That's mean and rude. And Trump had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. Except that recurring bit where Trump hung out with Jeffrey Epstein. You know, as a joke.

[Michael Kassa]

Wait, Troy, I'll be honest. I think Trump's supposed jokes are part of a larger strategy to normalize his authoritarian tendencies, gradually conditioning the public to accept the undermining of democratic norms until our basic constitutional rights have been completely and totally stripped away.

[Troy Iwata]

Yeah, I. I think you're right. And you gotta admit, that's pretty funny.

[Michael Kassa]

You got me, Troy. Iwana, everyone. My God. When we come back, Jordan Kleeper meets the new Hollywood elites. Don't go away.

[Caroline Sunshine]

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[Michael Kassa]

Welcome back to Dana show. This weekend, the new Melania movie came out. And what a ride.

[Paul Rosolie]

Sheep.

[Michael Kassa]

She pretends to go missing, frames him, then he comes back, and they live happily ever after. I'm assuming. I didn't watch it. Surprisingly, the movie did way better at the box office than people had expected. And you might be thinking, who would have gone to see that? Well, Jordan Klepper went to the premiere to find out.

[Jordan Klepper]

Last weekend, Maga celebrated the release of Amazon's $40 million documentary about Melania. So I traveled to our frozen capital to visit America's most respected cultural institution, the Trump Kennedy Center. I was sure to see the glitz and glamour that surrounds our first lady. There's a lot going on in the world right now. People are stressed about the affordability crisis, the issues with Greenland. People are dying in Minneapolis. My big question for you is, who are you wearing?

[Caroline Sunshine]

Well, in my soul, I'm wearing the truth and freedom, but on my body, I'm wearing a dress by my friend weave. I'm wearing Dolce. I'm actually wearing an Ivanka trunk dress.

[Jordan Klepper]

Is that right?

[Caroline Sunshine]

Oh, Ralph Lauren.

[Jordan Klepper]

Well done.

[Caroline Sunshine]

And Stuart Weitzman.

[Jordan Klepper]

I'm wearing primarily Bass Pro shop and three layers of Carhartt.

[Caroline Sunshine]

My Rebecca Valiance, very Melania approved. And jewelry, I'm wearing La Costa, which is organic jewelry. So part of making America healthy again.

[Jordan Klepper]

Is that right?

[Caroline Sunshine]

Yes.

[Michael Kassa]

So jewelry.

[Announcer]

They actually.

[Jordan Klepper]

I can't get meeples from your ring, can I? They came for the spectacle of 118 minutes of FLOTUS heroically walking into rooms and out of rooms and into planes and even out of cars. It was an epic tale that drew people from all over America. The big night. Where you guys coming in from?

[Michael Kassa]

Las Vegas.

[Caroline Sunshine]

Yes.

[Michael Kassa]

South Dakota.

[Jordan Klepper]

Why don't you just go to a movie theater in South Dakota and have the whole theater yourself?

[Troy Iwata]

Well, you know, I could have done that.

[Jordan Klepper]

So what were they all expecting to see?

[Caroline Sunshine]

We're going to see behind the scenes of the first lady, you know, her day to day. And it's the 20 days leading up to the inauguration.

[Jordan Klepper]

I don't.

[Michael Kassa]

I'm not Even sure which 20 days it is.

[Announcer]

Right.

[Jordan Klepper]

I hope it was the last 20 days. Greenland, those murders in Minneapolis. Hopefully it's the earlier 20 days.

[Michael Kassa]

Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

You think there'll be any cameos in the film tonight?

[Announcer]

I'm sure.

[Jordan Klepper]

What do you think? Who do you want to see?

[Caroline Sunshine]

Maybe, you know, Nicki Minaj might be in it.

[Jordan Klepper]

Stay after the credits. Maybe Epstein pops in. Who knows?

[Caroline Sunshine]

Probably not. I think it's an important night because Melania is a very notoriously private person. You know, everybody loves that narrative arc of someone who comes from a small European country and ends up becoming the first lady of the United States of America.

[Jordan Klepper]

It's truly an immigrant story. So why are you watching that wolf bullshit in there? What is this film? Is it a romance? Is it a political thriller? A bribe? What is this film?

[Michael Kassa]

I guess we'll see.

[Caroline Sunshine]

Maybe a little bit of everything.

[Jordan Klepper]

I think so, right? It's definitely. It's definitely a little bit of all.

[Michael Kassa]

Three of those, right?

[Jordan Klepper]

Yeah.

[Michael Kassa]

Yeah.

[Caroline Sunshine]

Movie's part of the movement. There's a lot behind it. The movement is making America great again, making America healthy again. So it's not just a movie, it's a movement. I think it's a reclamation of the divine feminine.

[Jordan Klepper]

So it's not a $40 million payoff from Jeff Bezos just to kiss up to Donald Trump.

[Troy Iwata]

The thing is, why are you pricing it?

[Michael Kassa]

And clearly they don't need money.

[Announcer]

Right.

[Michael Kassa]

I mean, they're very wealthy, so it's.

[Troy Iwata]

Just strange that you focus on that.

[Jordan Klepper]

I think about billionaires is that once they get enough money, they stop wanting more money.

[Michael Kassa]

Right.

[Jordan Klepper]

The movie was directed by Brett Ratner, who recently appeared in the Epstein Files and was pushed out of Hollywood for alleged sexual harassment. The perfect guy to reclaim the divine feminine. Are you a Brett Ratner fan?

[Caroline Sunshine]

I started my career in documentary filmmaking, so I do respect Brett Ratner a lot.

[Jordan Klepper]

Me, too. What do you think of Brett Ratner?

[Caroline Sunshine]

I think he's a fantastic director, to be honest. I'm here to also support him as a friend, and I'm looking forward to see what his.

[Michael Kassa]

Yeah, me too.

[Jordan Klepper]

Trump wants them to make a Rush Hour four. Do you hope they make a Rush Hour?

[Announcer]

So exciting.

[Caroline Sunshine]

I'm so looking forward to that.

[Jordan Klepper]

Me, too.

[Caroline Sunshine]

Why?

[Jordan Klepper]

Why do you think it was Brett Ratner got kicked out of Hollywood?

[Caroline Sunshine]

I think there are, like, all kinds of scenarios that happen, and.

[Announcer]

Me, too.

[Caroline Sunshine]

I'm not the person to talk about this, but I.

[Michael Kassa]

Me, too.

[Caroline Sunshine]

I've never had a bad experience with him, and he's such a wonderful person.

[Announcer]

Me too.

[Jordan Klepper]

It was the Me Too movement, right? Right.

[Caroline Sunshine]

I guess.

[Jordan Klepper]

So is this unflin look at Melania's pre inauguration social calendar. Right. For this moment in America. How do you think America is doing right now? There's, there's, there's a lot going on in America.

[Caroline Sunshine]

The first 365 days have been pretty awesome.

[Jordan Klepper]

There's images coming out of Minneapolis.

[Caroline Sunshine]

Yes.

[Jordan Klepper]

That are very disturbing.

[Caroline Sunshine]

I don't think you can. Everything you see, you can believe.

[Jordan Klepper]

So you don't believe your eyes when you see videos. Minneapolis.

[Paul Rosolie]

No.

[Jordan Klepper]

You're going to believe your eyes about the blad doc.

[Caroline Sunshine]

I hope so.

[Michael Kassa]

It's a celebration of our country, America. You know, our president, first lady.

[Jordan Klepper]

There's some people who are critical of having a big gala like tonight.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Michael Kassa]

Well, they should come and check it out.

[Announcer]

Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

Maybe they'd be less critical. You think so? For all those naysayers out there. Right. You should come and see this.

[Michael Kassa]

Right. Check it out. Experience your country and see what you know the America's all about. Yeah.

[Jordan Klepper]

You're too busy being downers, aren't you?

[Paul Rosolie]

Yeah.

[Michael Kassa]

Stop being a downer. Yeah.

[Announcer]

Minneapolis.

[Troy Iwata]

Why do you guys be on such a tone?

[Michael Kassa]

What's the birthday. Stop being so dumb. Minneapolis. Why don't you guys. Heroes have come in.

[Jordan Klepper]

I hate this cold.

[Michael Kassa]

Heroes is there. They'll feel red at all.

[Jordan Klepper]

Indeed they will. And for anyone concerned about the people of Minneapolis, to paraphrase another great female leader, let them eat popcorn.

[Michael Kassa]

Thank you, Jordan. When we come back, Paul, Rosalie will be joining me on the show. Don't go away.

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[Michael Kassa]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is a conservationist, founder of Junglekeepers, wildlife filmmaker and author. His latest book is called Jungle what it Takes to Change the World. Please welcome Paul Rosolie. Welco. Thank you for being here, man. Thank you, thank you for being here. Right, right. Woo. This is great.

[Paul Rosolie]

Wonderful.

[Michael Kassa]

Wow. What a fun read. Love this, love this, love this. There's stories in here. You walk through the jungle with elephants. You befriend a spider monkey. You drink whiskey with Jane Goodall. You see your father's friend's huge dick.

[Paul Rosolie]

It's the best part.

[Michael Kassa]

It's a very funny part. You contact an uncontacted tribe. It almost feels like this is fiction.

[Paul Rosolie]

It does. Read it.

[Michael Kassa]

This is real.

[Paul Rosolie]

When I had to read it for the audiobook, I was reading it going, no one would believe this without photos.

[Michael Kassa]

Yeah. People must think that sometimes because. What do you mean? You jumped on an 18 foot snake in the river and it dragged you down to the bottom.

[Paul Rosolie]

Yeah. I wanted to let them show you on the desk.

[Michael Kassa]

They said, no.

[Paul Rosolie]

You gotta grab these things by the head and if you don't get them by the head, I mean, you're talking about a Great Dane sized head that will come back at you with lots of teeth. And that's how we started doing anaconda research. And so yeah, I grabbed one that was so big I couldn't get my arms around it. Jeez. And so that's the only measurement I have. Yeah. And so that one, I had to make the decision of going down into the swamp with it.

[Michael Kassa]

Yep.

[Paul Rosolie]

Or letting go. Yeah.

[Michael Kassa]

And letting go is what you could have done. Yeah. You're From Brooklyn, originally. Originally. And now you're Brooklyn. Now you're a jungle conservationist. Did you just take the subway too often here? You wanted someplace more wild?

[Paul Rosolie]

My parents really messed up. They read me so much Jane Goodall and I learned all about. I mean, I was allowed to watch David Attenborough and Steve Irwin and so I grew up just watching all this stuff. And I also heard about, you know, you look at someone like Goodall and you go, why did they have such an adventurous life? And I'm stuck in detention.

[Announcer]

Right.

[Paul Rosolie]

You know, and I was like, I want to go to a place where I can drink the river. I want to go to a place where there's huge ancient trees. I wanted wild. I wanted to go on a real adventure. You know, teenager, you, like, want your life to be put at risk.

[Michael Kassa]

I love the part of the book.

[Paul Rosolie]

Where.

[Michael Kassa]

You keep getting in trouble at school and you run out of school just to be with the trees in the woods.

[Troy Iwata]

Yeah.

[Paul Rosolie]

I'm severely dyslexic. I can barely read and so I couldn't do math.

[Michael Kassa]

By the way, the book doesn't read like it was written by a severely. It's beautifully written.

[Paul Rosolie]

It's written in spider monkey.

[Michael Kassa]

You mentioned trees. Let's talk about trees. You write about them beautifully. You share with us how they actually put water into the air for us. Talk a little bit about your passion for trees and what they mean for you.

[Paul Rosolie]

I've always loved huge old trees. The forest that I grew up in, the trees were small, they've already been cut. And so when I got to the Amazon, there's tree like these giant millennium trees, thousand year old trees. And what people don't realize is that floating above the canopy of the Amazon rainforest is an invisible mist river that has more water than the Amazon itself. So each day, 20 trillion liters of water comes up off the Amazon.

[Michael Kassa]

Each day, each day, trillion.

[Paul Rosolie]

20,000,000,000 liters of water.

[Michael Kassa]

I'm just not sure this audience understands anything you're saying.

[Paul Rosolie]

And then it rains back down, making it the Amazon rainforest.

[Announcer]

Right.

[Paul Rosolie]

And so these trees are these biotic pumps sending up all of this moisture. And we depend on that. No matter where you live in the world, New York, Bangalore, Tokyo, the climactic stabilization that the Amazon is providing is what makes our world livable. Has a fifth of our oxygen and produces a fifth of our fresh water. Yeah. And so it's an incredibly important thing.

[Michael Kassa]

A fifth of our oxygen and a fifth of our fresh water.

[Paul Rosolie]

Fifth of our fresh water is contained in the Amazon. And it produces another fifth of our oxygen.

[Michael Kassa]

You know, I had an evening to myself recently out in the woods, and I. Well, it was my house out in the woods, but I ate some mushrooms, and I found myself standing in front of this tree, touching it, feeling its power. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm actually being serious with you now. It blew me away. How strong they are, yet also how flexible in the wind. And I had this great appreciation for this tree. The next day, when the mushrooms wore off, I was like, I'm not gonna feel that way anymore. But I still just love trees, man.

[Paul Rosolie]

Yeah.

[Michael Kassa]

And I feel like you write about it so beautifully in here, but it was connecting with me, and I feel like we all need to be loving trees, man.

[Paul Rosolie]

We need to be loving trees.

[Michael Kassa]

Yeah. And that's the most Big Lebowski thing I've ever said. So deforestation particularly sucks, but explain to us what you saw out there. And some of the images are nuts. Full jungle millennium trees next to what.

[Paul Rosolie]

Well, we call the trees. This is a great example, skyscrapers of life. And so each of these millennium trees can have thousands of species living on it. And if you think of this tree, from the Renaissance to the world wars to the current age, that tree's been out there growing in the Amazon rainforest. So how many millions of reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, have been over that thing's branches? And when they cut them down, you're ending this thousand year story, and we're never going to get it back in human lifespan. And so places that I love, that I explored, where I knew the animals were not just degraded, they were annihilated. And that's what we're seeing in the Amazon, is that we are losing acreage of this incredibly pristine habitat. And once you lose it, it doesn't grow back.

[Michael Kassa]

Why? Why? Why is that happening? Why are the trees being cut down and why is it being burned?

[Paul Rosolie]

The expansion of agriculture, the beef industry, the soy industry, everything is coming in there, and people just want land. And a lot of times they're burning the ancient hardwoods. They're not even using the valuable wood that they're cutting. And we forget, and Jane brought this up, that with the loss of habitat is also massive individual suffering for the animals that live there. And that's after living 20 years in the Amazon. I've come to think of myself as the voice for them. They can't come on the show and talk. They can't see petition go to the un and so they're all living out there in the Amazon. And it's the leaf cutter ants and the butterflies and the hummingbirds that are creating the forest. They're carrying the seeds and pollinating the flowers that are making those trees that are keeping our earth functioning. And so it's not just the animals live in a forest that create the forest.

[Michael Kassa]

That's amazing. You write beautifully about your friend jj, who's native to Peru. Tell me a little bit about him and what he means to you and your journey.

[Paul Rosolie]

Yeah. He's the rarest of species. Someone recently called him the only unicorn in the Amazon. He's an indigenous person who grew up. He didn't have shoes until he was 13 years old. And so he learned from his grandmothers, grandfathers, back and back and back and back, all those indigenous medicines, how to track, how to catch fish. And so when I met him, I was like, you know, everything about the forest. And he did. He knew how to cure everything. There's a SAP. If you have an illness, there's a SAP for that. They can cure it. And the only thing that I knew was how to handle snakes. And he's terr. He was. He was terrified of snakes. And of course, I came and I.

[Michael Kassa]

Went, jj's terrified of snakes.

[Paul Rosolie]

He used to be.

[Michael Kassa]

Okay.

[Paul Rosolie]

Before we. Before we became Anaconderos, we started the Anaconda Men.

[Sponsor Voice]

Yeah.

[Paul Rosolie]

And so I said, I'll teach you how to handle snakes, but you gotta teach me everything else. And so he opened the Amazon for me.

[Michael Kassa]

Wow.

[Paul Rosolie]

And it was him that. When we started exploring these places, this.

[Michael Kassa]

Is him and jj.

[Paul Rosolie]

That's our first small anaconda.

[Michael Kassa]

I don't know. I don't know what that other thing is. By the way, thanks for not bringing that to the desk. I mean, out there, talk a little bit about. You made contact with the Mashko Piru.

[Paul Rosolie]

Is that right?

[Michael Kassa]

Am I saying that right?

[Paul Rosolie]

Yes.

[Michael Kassa]

You are an indigenous tribe who has really not connected. Been contacted with other humans.

[Paul Rosolie]

Nope.

[Michael Kassa]

Tell me a little bit about this. This was some of the craziest storytelling in the book. Great pictures, too. And, yeah, that was. Look at this. I mean, so this looks like out of a movie set. This is real.

[Paul Rosolie]

Yeah. So we didn't contact them. They contacted us. As jungle keepers has grown, we protect 130,000 acres of the Amazon now with the indigenous people. JJ is leading that charge. And so we got called by a normal indigenous community who we interact with, who we hire as rangers, and they said, the tribes are coming out now. These people have been on the periphery of myth for Years and years. And they said, no, they're coming. We've seen their footprints, they're coming out. And so me and two of the other directors of Jungle Keepers went there, who both happen to be photographers.

[Michael Kassa]

They don't text.

[Paul Rosolie]

It's footprints, it's footprints, it's footprints. That's how they tell us.

[Michael Kassa]

And I loved in here. It's like they leave a stick on the beach if they're coming back. If the stick is gone, they're gone.

[Paul Rosolie]

Yes.

[Michael Kassa]

God, it's crazy.

[Paul Rosolie]

Yeah. And if you're walking through the forest and you see like an X of sticks on a trail, you don't go, oh my God. Cause they're telling you. But if you're walking and you don't know with the machete and you just cut the sticks, they will fire seven foot arrows through you.

[Caroline Sunshine]

Wow.

[Paul Rosolie]

Okay. Yeah. And so I was there with Mohsen and Stephan, who both happen to be professional photographers, also Jungle Keepers directors. And these people actually came out of the forest and like you saw in that photo, they're looking at us with their bows and arrows and coming down the beach and. And you know, the anthropologist who was there, I said, oh my God, they're Stone Age people. They're real Stone Age. She goes, no, they don't have stones. He goes, they're pre Stone Age.

[Michael Kassa]

Wow.

[Paul Rosolie]

They've been in a time capsule in the jungle for thousands of years. Yeah. And so we had this moment where they came out across the beach and they put up their hands and they wanted to interact with us.

[Michael Kassa]

Yeah.

[Paul Rosolie]

And it was just. I mean, this is a historic thing. No one's ever gotten modern footage of these people. And we sort of were trying to translate, what do you want? And they said, bananas.

[Michael Kassa]

Okay.

[Paul Rosolie]

They said they wanted plantains. They needed food. And so we gave them an offering of food. We pushed the boat across the river. And then there was this exchange where they were saying, why are you cutting down our trees right now? What we believe is that they're getting pressured from the Norco traffickers, the loggers, the gold miners, and the vast regions of forest that used to exist are becoming smaller.

[Announcer]

Right.

[Paul Rosolie]

And so they're coming out and they're going, what is going on in the outside world?

[Michael Kassa]

What the is all this stuff?

[Paul Rosolie]

Why are you doing this?

[Michael Kassa]

Why is a piece of metal flying over my head with a helicopter? But also, what's metal? Right, Right. What do you want?

[Paul Rosolie]

What do I want?

[Michael Kassa]

What do you want? What do you want, Paul? Beautiful stories. I want to protect the jungle. I want to protect the jungle.

[Paul Rosolie]

Everyone's cutting down my jungle. I love the jungle.

[Michael Kassa]

Yeah, okay, got it. That's what I thought, but I wanted to hear it from you. I love this, and I think it's important to share it because it's easy to feel doom and gloom right now, in particular, especially if you care about the environment or nature. But you say this on page 297. There's no question that we are alive at the most important time in history. Either we save the natural treasures that make our world what it is, or we curse all future generations with the repercussions of our greed. And the reason I love that is it is telling us we have this amazing opportunity right now. It's not just doom and gloom. It is the most important time. We just have to do something right.

[Paul Rosolie]

We've never before in history been faced with a problem as a global society where our ocean, fisheries, our forests, our ecosystems are in danger of collapsing. Clean air, fresh, fresh water. Those things used to come standard on Earth, and we're ruining it. And the wildlife that we're losing, elephants and tigers and all this incredible stuff, we can still bring it back. Yeah, and we've done it. There's bald eagles now in the Hudson Valley. There's humpback whales coming back to New York. We've seen that we can bring back species as long as you stop killing them.

[Michael Kassa]

We gotta do it. We gotta do it. The importance. When I read this book, I just thought about all these adventures you're going on, and it made me want to go on more adventures. And I want to talk.

[Announcer]

Sure.

[Michael Kassa]

I would love to go to the Peruvian jungle with you. I think, talk about the importance of adventure, at least what it's meant for you.

[Paul Rosolie]

Well, I mean, I think just fly out your door and go for it, you know, that's what I did at 18 years old. My parents were. They knew I wasn't doing well in school. The dyslexia. I couldn't outgrow it. It doesn't wash off. And so they just said, look, get out of school. Go to college. It'll be better for you. And I said, well, I'm buying a plane ticket to the Amazon rainforest. And so I went all the way there, met jj, and I mean, it's like the lights came on. It's like the beginning of Jurassic park when they first see the dinosaurs. I just went. These trees, and there's jaguars and anacondas, and there's no rules. It's just the jungle. You can jump in the river and there's piranhas, and no one's trying get to. To keep you safe. And so, and so, and so I could get.

[Michael Kassa]

I was at tennis camp in high school, dude.

[Paul Rosolie]

And so, like, I mean, my body's a Jackson Pollock painting of scars. I've been bitten by stingrays and snakes and everything. You can imagine crocodiles. But what we learned out there was that spending time in the forest, learning from the indigenous people, seeing the smoke on the horizon, J.J. said to me, he said, you know, they're going to come and they're going to destroy this place. I said, well, there has to be somebody we can call. There has to be somebody that could do something about this. And he looked up, wherever he looked down, where he goes, you see anybody here? And he goes, either you do something, or it's just all going to be gone. And so now, in this position that we've created, Jungle Keepers, which is the most direct way for people to protect the Amazon rainforest. Now I have all these people messaging me. I have young kids messaging me. How do I get out there? And I'm like, dude, go carry the bags for the people studying the great whites, the people tagging giraffes, whatever it is, or go plant wildflowers that the hummingbirds like in your own backyard. But find a way to help and find someone who's doing the work that you admire. Right? And that's what I did. I just went out there, and here's this guy who walked barefoot in the Amazon and knew how to sleep out in the jungle and make shelter. And I was like, I want to.

[Michael Kassa]

Learn from that guy. Yeah. And I love that. And I want to remind everyone, you describe yourself as severely dyslexic. You're not a PhD. You barely got through school, but here you are making a difference. Thank you for writing Jungle Keeper. It's a pleasure to talk with you so much. Jungle Keeper is available now. Paul, Rosalie, we'll take a quick break. We'll be right back after this.

[Jordan Klepper]

Awesome, man.

[Michael Kassa]

That's our show for tonight. Now, here it is, the moment of Zen rapper Bob Bunny slamming ice while accepting a Grammy Award. Let's bring in former Disney star and former Trump campaign deputy communications director, Caroline Sunshine. I still don't know if I'm saying it right. Bob Bunny, Bad Bunny. I don't really get it. It's going to play at the super bowl, so we're going to have. By this time next week, I'm going to low. I'm going to way up on Bad Bunny. 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.