Trump Indicts Comey Over Seashells & King Charles Is King of Congressional Comedy | Ali Siddiq

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode: Trump Indicts Comey Over Seashells & King Charles Is King of Congressional Comedy | Ali Siddiq
Date: April 30, 2026
Host: Josh Johnson (Comedy Central)
Guests: Mo Amer, Ali Siddiq, Grace Kuhnschmidt

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Josh Johnson and The Daily Show team dissect absurd political headlines, including King Charles’ comedic tour of America and Trump’s latest grudge-driven indictment—this time aimed at James Comey for an innocuous beach Instagram post. The show blends sharp satire with a deeper discussion on Islamophobia, featuring a nuanced and funny segment by comedian Mo Amer and a candid, inspiring interview with fellow comedian Ali Siddiq about his journey from incarceration to stand-up stardom.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. King Charles: The Comedy Monarch in America

(00:32–03:43)

• King Charles visits the U.S. for its 250th birthday, dispensing “dad jokes” about Anglo-American history.
• Notable quotes from King Charles’ stand-up:
  • “This is a city which symbolizes a period in our shared history, or what Charles Dickens might have called A Tale of Two Georges.” (01:26)
  • “Dare I say that if it wasn’t for us, you’d be speaking French.” (02:10)
• Josh roasts the king’s comedic prowess:
  • “He really commands the stage. I'm sorry. He really colonizes the stage.” (01:43)
  • “As a comedian, he is actually killing. I mean, look at him feeling himself in the laughs.” (01:56)
• King Charles jabs at American political dysfunction, referencing Magna Carta and checks and balances—sparking a wry take from Josh:
  • “Like, you crazy, Chuck. You crazy.” (03:17)

2. Trump, Comey, and the Seashell Scandal

(03:43–07:03)

• Mo Amer delivers breaking news of Comey’s indictment—tied to a beach Instagram post with seashells spelling “8647,” interpreted by Trump supporters as a coded assassination threat (“86 the 47th president”).
• Josh and the team skewers the ridiculousness:
  • “Are you sure he was acting alone? Because as long as we're indicting, I heard about a woman who sells seashells by the seashore. That's suspicious as hell.” (04:26)
  • “Just so we're all clear, 86 means getting rid of something off a menu or kicking someone out… It's actually one of the last good slang terms that white people invented.” (05:23)
• Josh highlights the dangerous precedent of weaponizing the Justice Department against political enemies:
  • “Our president feels totally unencumbered to use the power of the Justice Department to go after people he doesn't like. This whole thing is so depressing. I could use a pick me up.” (06:36)

3. Grace’s Beachside “Investigation”

(07:03–09:51)

• Grace Kuhnschmidt humorously “investigates” further threats at the beach:
  • A child’s bucket: “As in the President should kick the bucket.” (07:48)
  • A flyer for DJ Trap Night: “Tonight we trap DJ Donald J.” (08:13)
  • A discarded condom: “Somebody threatening to suffocate Trump’s penis? An attack on his penis is an attack on America.” (08:51)
• The segment satirizes the paranoia fueling political conspiracy theories.

4. Mo Amer on Islamophobia: “In My Opinion”

(10:39–19:30)

• Mo uses sharp wit to examine rising Islamophobia in America.
  • Opens on his real name, Muhammad: “You're welcome. It's the most popular name in the world.” (10:43)
• Clips highlight public and congressional Islamophobia, including a soundbite from Rep. Randy Fine:
  • “We need more Islamophobia, not less.” (11:38)
• Mo lampoons common misconceptions:
  • “Allah Akbar your butt all the way back to the Middle East.” (11:45, Josh quoting)
  • “Allahu Akbar means God is great. You want me to—God is great—my tuchas back to the Middle East? Are you having a stroke?” (11:51)
• Mocks the idea of pigs as Muslim kryptonite:
  • “Lady, you're doing too much. You don't need that pig head to keep us away. That hat and that eye patch are enough.” (13:17)
  • On pork bans: “And for the record, you're not supposed to eat pork either. That's in the Bible, too. Leviticus, chapter 11, verse 7.” (14:07)
• Skewers the fantasy of “Islamic takeovers” in Europe and Times Square:
  • “Times Square? Wait, wait, wait… You gonna blame us for noise in Times Square? … These Muslims are keeping us up all night, all hours, in a city that doesn't sleep.” (14:52)
• Underscores Muslims’ wide contributions and commonalities with other Americans:
  • “Muslims invented algebra, hospitals, universities, the camera, even algorithms, just to name a few.” (18:20)
  • “If you right wing Christians dislike Middle Eastern people and eating with your hands and teaching about kindness, I have terrible news for you about Jesus. He was Middle Eastern, from Palestine, spoke Aramaic…” (18:45)
• On media diversity celebrations:
  • “Sesame street is a diverse show. They got birds, frogs, coked out elephants. I mean, look at his pupils.” (17:51)

5. Interview with Ali Siddiq: Comedy, Community, and Resilience

(21:00–30:51)

• Ali Siddiq discusses his comedy roots in Houston:
  • “I stayed there out of straight up anger… Most of everything I’ve ever built is out of anger. Somebody say I can’t do. That’s why I don’t tell people not to get mad… misplaced anger is the problem.” (21:57)
• On representing and uplifting his hometown:
  • “If I did so happen to make it, how would my community benefit if I was somewhere else?” (22:29)
• His path from incarceration to comedy and advocacy:
  • “When I got out of prison, this dude told me I would be back and I got mad about that. I'm like, as a visitor... This is it. You see me one time.” (22:09)
  • “Rehabilitation starts inside. You have to change whatever mindset inside. Cause once you get out, it becomes harder… [Incarcerated people] need to see somebody who was in the same condition.” (25:19)
• On humility and industry barriers:
  • “[DL Hughley] was like, ‘You’re going to have to take a back seat in order to get on the mainstream.’ ...And then he was like, yo, Rob Stapleton was the actual person who told me first. And then DL called me for a show, and I was like, how much? He was like, $50. I was like, back seat. This is the trunk.” (27:36)
• On going independent after a Comedy Central copyright spat:
  • “I did a special with Comedy Central, bigger than these bars. I took a clip and put it on my social media, and they copyright infringed me for my own face. … I can't promote that. And they said, well, we own it. And I took that… as they owned me. And I was like, oh, never again.” (28:38)
• On success and touring:
  • “To sell out the Chesapeake arena in Baltimore… and go to Europe and do all these things… The Custom Fit Tour, people think it’s about the clothes… It’s really about the people that you put around you. You’re gonna have to custom fit your friend, circle and your business circle to what you’re trying to do.” (29:00–29:59)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Josh Johnson roasting King Charles:
  “He really commands the stage. I'm sorry. He really colonizes the stage.” (01:43)

• Josh on the Comey/Seashell indictment:
  “Are you sure he was acting alone? Because as long as we're indicting, I heard about a woman who sells seashells by the seashore. That's suspicious as hell.” (04:26)

• Mo Amer on Islamophobia clichés:
  “Lady, you're doing too much. You don't need that pig head to keep us away. That hat and that eye patch are enough.” (13:17)

• Ali Siddiq on building in Houston:
  “If I did so happen to make it, how would my community benefit if I was somewhere else?” (22:29)

• Ali Siddiq on independence:
  “I did a special with Comedy Central, bigger than these bars. I took a clip and put it on my social media, and they copyright infringed me for my own face. …Never again.” (28:38)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:32–03:43: King Charles “colonizes” American comedy
• 03:43–07:03: The Comey Seashell “Scandal” and legal satire
• 07:03–09:51: Grace Kuhnschmidt’s beachside “investigation”
• 10:39–19:30: Mo Amer’s incisive and hilarious Islamophobia segment
• 21:00–30:51: Ali Siddiq interview: community, prison, comedy, and creative independence

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Episode Tone & Style

True to The Daily Show’s form, the episode blends absurdist humor, sharp satire, and poignant insight. Josh Johnson’s deadpan delivery sets the tone, with guests riffing on both the ludicrous and the profound. Mo Amer uses self-aware humor to deflate anti-Muslim bigotry. Ali Siddiq speaks candidly, with warmth and resilience, about overcoming barriers both institutional and personal.

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For New Listeners

This episode offers a sharp, accessible breakdown of headlines through a comedic lens, while also delivering rare candor and inspiration about immigrant identity, community roots, and creative grit. Whether you want skewering political satire or authentic life lessons from stand-up icons, it delivers both—while keeping the laughs steady from start to finish.

Transcript

[Mo Amer]

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. Trump and King Charles hold a yes Kings rally. James Comey wishes he could 86 all his Instagram posts. And Mo Amer stops by to talk about Islamophobia. Is it good? Is it bad? Stay tuned to find out. So let's get into the headlines. Let's start with King Charles, the world's oldest. He's visiting the United States this week because even though our country is falling apart right now, it's also our 250th birthday. So no matter how sad the party is gonna be, our friends are still coming over.

[Ali Siddiq]

Okay.

[Josh Johnson]

Then on the ride home, they'll be like, she is a rough 250. So yesterday, King Charles dropped by and he brought some jokes to cheer us up.

[King Charles]

This is a city which symbolizes a period in our shared history, or what Charles Dickens might have called A Tale of Two Georges.

[Josh Johnson]

Wow. He really commands the stage. I'm sorry. He really colonizes the stage. What's annoying about this, as a comedian is that he is actually killing. I mean, look at him feeling himself in the laughs.

[King Charles]

A Tale of Two Georges.

[Josh Johnson]

He's even got like a signature move with his hands. And Charles did not stop there 250 years ago.

[King Charles]

Or as we say in the United Kingdom just the other day, Dare I say that if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French.

[Josh Johnson]

You know, I've always wondered what white def jab would be like. I kind of want him to keep going. Like, you ever notice that white people drive like this and black people steal your son? But, yeah, Charles is crushing. Hit us with another one.

[King Charles]

Magna Carta is cited in at least 160 Supreme Court cases since 1789, not least as the foundation of the principle that executive power is subject to checks and balances.

[Josh Johnson]

Ooh, ooh, he got us too good. It's funny. Cause you see, because we don't have checks and balances anymore because the foundations are. Are slowly being eroded away. Like, you crazy, Chuck. You crazy. The best part of that joke is that right after Charles warned us about a leader with unchecked power, Trump was like, that's a good idea. Breaking news.

[Mo Amer]

Former FBI Director James Comey, one of President Trump's biggest political adversaries, has been indicted for a second time.

[Josh Johnson]

Now that's timing. Just to get you up to speed, a year ago, James Comey did the most retired old man thing ever. He walked on a beach and took a picture of seashells and even posted on social media like we wanted to see it, too.

[Ali Siddiq]

This since deleted Instagram post from Comey showing the numbers 8647 written in seashells on the beach with the caption cool shell formation on my beachwalk. Trump supporters condemning that post, claiming it was a call to 86 or kill the 47th president.

[Josh Johnson]

This the seashells. That's the threat. Are you sure he was acting alone? Because as long as we're indicting, I heard about a woman who sells seashells by the seashore. That's suspicious as hell. Seriously, how do you get from this post, james Comey wants to murder the president? James Comey is a very intelligent man. I would assume he knows what the term 86 means. I was a waiter for some time. When you 86 in order, you kill the order. When you 86. 45, that is tantamount to saying killing the President of the United States. He should have known that when you

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

86 in order, you get rid of the order. Right, but you're not actually. I mean, you're not killing the food.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, exactly. That would be weird, wouldn't it? Like, uh, joey, Joey, this is ravioli. It's a little mushy, so take it out back and blow its brains out, capiche? Just so you're aware, this is probably not gonna work in court. Cause I know it's scary to be indicted, but this is definitely gonna get 86 by a judge. And in fact, if I could talk to the Department of Justice for just a second, I don't even think you believe you. Because if you're saying that those menacing seashells were a threat to the president, then why did it take you nearly a year to come after Comey? I thought the Secret Service on Saturday night was slow. I owe them an apology. Just so we're all clear, 86 means getting rid of something off a menu or kicking someone out of a place. It's been understood to mean those things since the 1930s. It's actually one of the last good slang terms that white people invented. Since then, it's been nothing but bizarre and amazeballs and. And a few new slurs. Mostly the slurs. So I'm not worried that James Comey is actually going to prison. But what's bumming me out is the fact that our president feels totally Unencumbered to use the power of the Justice Department to go after people he doesn't like. This whole. This whole thing is so depressing. I could use a pick me up.

[King Charles]

As Oscar Wilde said, we have really everything in common with America nowadays. Except of course, language.

[Josh Johnson]

Oh, damn. Get em, Chuck. Get em. I honestly don't even know what that means. But for more on the indictment of James Comey and the fallout, we go live to Grace Kuhnschmidt. Grace, the courts are gonna throw this case out, right?

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

That's what I thought at first, Josh. So I went to the beach to investigate and now I see that the beach is full of threats to the President.

[Josh Johnson]

Like.

[Ali Siddiq]

Like what?

[Josh Johnson]

More seashells?

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

Even worse. Josh, look at this.

[Josh Johnson]

It just looks like a bucket.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

Yeah, as in the President should kick the bucket. Jon, the four year old who I grabbed this from was clearly implying that because he had the same haircut as Rachel Maddow,

[Josh Johnson]

I think you just stole a child's bucket.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

Agree to disagree. Okay, what about this? I found this flyer that verbatim says DJ trap night at Club 69. As in tonight we trap DJ Donald J. It couldn't be more clear.

[Josh Johnson]

Then what does Club 69 mean?

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

It means that club is cool, bro.

[Josh Johnson]

This all sounds like normal beach stuff.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

Yeah, that's the problem, Josh. This kind of threat is just. You probably don't even think this used condom I found in the sand is.

[Josh Johnson]

Oh, no, Grace, that's just gross. Put that down.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

Is it gross or is somebody threatening to suffocate Trump's penis? An attack on his penis is an attack on America.

[Josh Johnson]

That is not what that is. Now drop that before you catch chlamydia.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

Too late. But it's not too late to tone down the beach rhetoric. For God's sake, there are Jack dudes walking around in tank tops with violent messages ordering people to take their gunses out because the suns is out.

[Josh Johnson]

That's referring to their biceps.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

Biceps, Biceps. Here we go again with the dei. God forbid we have heteroseps anymore.

[Josh Johnson]

Grace, how long have you been on the beach? You sound like you have sun poisoning.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

Wrong again, Josh. The chlamydia has reached my brain.

[Josh Johnson]

Go get that checked out, Grace. Coolinschmitt, everybody. When we come back, Mo Amer gives us some tips on bigotry. So don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. We all know I've got great opinions, but I'm not the only one. Studies show that other people also have opinions. So here with another installment of In My opinion is our good friend Mo Ammer.

[Mo Amer]

Thank you, Josh. What's up, guys? I'm Mo Amer. Before we get started, I should confess something. Mo is actually my nickname. My full name is Muhammad. You're welcome. It's the most popular name in the world. All right? Lots of Muslims are named Muhammad. Muhammad Ali, greatest of all time, soccer legend Mo Salah. Hell, Sabrina Carpenter just changed her name to Muhammad. We accept your apology. Girl, be cool. Just chill. But for some reason, being afraid of Muslims is really trendy right now. Islam is not compatible with Western civilization. That's not a religion. That's a cult. They are here to impose their way of life on all of you.

[Ali Siddiq]

I've said it once, and I'll say it again.

[Mo Amer]

Deport them all.

[Ali Siddiq]

Congressman Randy Fine of Florida explicitly saying,

[Josh Johnson]

quote, we need more Islamophobia, not less.

[Mo Amer]

Stand with radical Islam, and you can

[Josh Johnson]

Allah Akbar your butt all the way back to the Middle East.

[Mo Amer]

What? What? Allahu Akbar means God is great. You want me to. God is great. My tutkas back to the Middle East. Are you having a stroke? You need to Allahu Akbar to a doctor asap.

[Josh Johnson]

Sheesh.

[Mo Amer]

It turned up the Islamophobia all the way up to a 10. Or at least somewhere between 9 and 11. I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. We didn't do it, okay? George Bush did it. Anyway, this is where your old pal Mohr comes in. I grew up in Houston, Texas, with the first name Mohammed, so I'm kind of an expert in Islamophobia. Although. Although some people assume my name was Hector Gomez. Saludos, mis amigos. But I want to tell you something right now. I've been hearing your Islamophobia, and I'm offended. Not from the hate, but because it's so inaccurate. For example, I've been seeing you. A lot of you do this. Here's your kryptonite. Muslims. Here's your Kryptonite.

[Josh Johnson]

Ma', Am, you have a pig on top of a stick right now. What made you bring a pig out here today? I just want to stay safe. And I know they won't get close to hogs.

[Mo Amer]

Lady, you're doing too much. You don't need that pig head to keep us away. That hat and that eye patch are enough. And. And. And by the way, we're definitely not intimidated. When you leave the price tag on, are you planning to return it? I mean, that poor guy at Home Depot is like, ma', am, I told you, all pig head on the Stick sales are final. But listen, Islamophobes, bacon is not our kryptonite. I mean, what do you think happens to us? You think I walk into Adeni's and go, what's that smell?

[Josh Johnson]

Ah, my powers.

[Mo Amer]

My powers. I lost my sharia. Super sight.

[Josh Johnson]

Oh, no.

[Mo Amer]

And for the record, we're not supposed to. And for the record, you're not supposed to eat pork either. Right? That's in the Bible, too. Leviticus, chapter 11, verse 7. I stay at a lot of hotels. I'm lonely. You all give us way too much credit. You even act like we've taken over entire continents.

[Ali Siddiq]

Islam has conquered Europe. They've been taken over by the Muslims.

[Josh Johnson]

London is basically London's stand. Germany, fully conquered by Islam.

[Mo Amer]

It would appear we lost New York during Ramadan.

[Josh Johnson]

New Yorkers are now waking up to this.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

That's not Iraq. It's not Afghanistan. That's Times Square.

[Mo Amer]

Times Square? Wait, wait, wait, wait. Times Square? You gonna blame. You gonna blame us for noise in Times Square? It's Times Square. These Muslims are keeping us up all night, all hours, in a city that doesn't sleep. Hey, I want to be a part of it. Islam. Islam. Start sparing. All right, all right, all right. I'm getting carried away here. Listen, guys, listen, listen. Here's my theory. You say you dislike Muslims, but I think you just hate New York. You're not Islamophobic. You're New Yorkophobic because you constantly blame us for normal New York stuff.

[Josh Johnson]

The New York Mets, they are on an 11 game losing streak, including, oh, right after the mayor met and hugged the team mascot, Mr. Met, at Citi Field on April 9. A phenomenon. People are calling the Mom Donnie curse.

[Mo Amer]

Don't you dare put the Mets on us, okay? They curse themselves. You think we would waste an ancient curse on the Mets? In fact. In fact, if the Mets really want to win, okay, maybe they need Islam. Maybe. Yeah, maybe they need to pray five times a day. Yeah, pray five times a day. That's how you'll get angels in the outfield. Please understand, Muslims aren't trying to take over the streets of New York. Well, maybe just one street.

[Josh Johnson]

Mr. Rami, what does salaam alaikum mean? Well, salam means peace, and it's a way to say hello in Arabic. Oh, cool. Salaam alaikum, everybody.

[Mo Amer]

That's so sweet. Mm, yes. That's so sweet. Peace for everyone. That makes sense. That mak. Wait a second. That makes sense. Elmo's full name is El Mohammed. That's why? I've never seen him with Miss Piggy. I mean, a message of peace and joy. Who could be bad at that? I wish Sesame street would stick to teaching kids about letters and numbers, Laura. And leave the Arabic immersion to someone else. By the way, there's no record of Sesame Workshop posting a Jewish Heritage Day, Italian Heritage Day or Irish Heritage Day. We looked. Oh, you looked. You looked. You looked. Well, I don't think you looked hot enough, sweetheart.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

I can't say for certain, but I

[Josh Johnson]

think we're going to Irish goddamn ding store. From all of us at Sesame street, we just want to say happy Hanukkah. Shit. Elmo knows what that is. That's rigatoni.

[Mo Amer]

Rigatoni. That was a hard R. Elmo. I gotta say, I'm rigatoni. I don't feel comfortable. But see, why wouldn't they celebrate multiple cultures? Sesame street is a diverse show. They got birds, frogs, coked out elephants. I mean, look at his pupils. Who let this guy on a kid show? He's doing lines like

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

all right,

[Mo Amer]

all right, all right. And that brings me to my final critique. Islamophobes. Do your research because I have. And here it is. Muslims invented algebra, hospitals, universities, the camera, even algorithms, just to name a few. And if you right wing Christians dislike Middle Eastern people and eating with your hands and teaching people about kindness, I have terrible news for you about Jesus. He was Middle Eastern, from Palestine, spoke Aramaic, a Semitic language, and handed people bread with his hands. And by the way, most Muslims aren't even Arab and most Arab Americans are actually Christians. And while we're at it, Muslims also believe in Jesus Christ. He's mentioned in the Quran, which has an entire chapter named after his mother Mary. And we also believe in the virgin birth. Stop using lazy tropes to divide people so you can bomb other countries, creating even more refugees, making you more upset at Muslims in America being doctors, engineers, lawyers, or selling you street meat out of Delicious.

[Josh Johnson]

When we come back, obviously people will be joining me on the show, so don't go away.

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[Josh Johnson]

Welcome back to the daily show. My guest tonight is a stand up comedian whose special my two sons, won an naacp image award. Please welcome ali siddiq.

[Ali Siddiq]

More Muslims, huh?

[Josh Johnson]

Thank you so much for being here with me.

[Ali Siddiq]

Oh, man, thank you for having me.

[Josh Johnson]

Absolutely. I have to tell you that you are someone whose, like, body of work and like, work ethic I've admired for a very long time. Like, I find you incredibly inspiring as a storyteller. Like, you made me want to tell better stories, you know. So I appreciate everything that you've done so far. I'm so excited about the things that you have coming up.

[Ali Siddiq]

Like, thank you. Truly, truly, truly.

[Josh Johnson]

I'm so glad that you're here with me, man. Thank you. So I want to ask you because you're someone who has created everything that you've created out of your hometown. Like, you've created it out of your city. You didn't moved to New York or LA or any of that. I wanted to hear from you of what it means to you to build everything from the ground up somewhere that maybe doesn't get as much industry looks as the two coast cities.

[Ali Siddiq]

We have a long history in Houston of comedy. You know, you have Sam Kenson, you have Thea Vidal, you have Bill Hicks, you have Billy Dee Washington, you have Rushon McDonald. So I stayed there out of straight up anger, you know, some, you know, somebody told me that I had to move and I felt like that was crazy to me that I would have to move somewhere to start doing stand up, to go somewhere else, to start over. So, you know, I took that personal and, you know, most of everything I've ever built is out of anger. Somebody say I can't do. That's why I don't tell people not to get mad, you know. You know, misplaced anger is the problem. You know, this is very well placed anger. I was upset that you tell me that I would have to go somewhere else. You know, just like when I got out of prison, this dude told me I would be back and I got mad about that. I'm like, as a visitor, you know, I won't be here staying at all. This is it. You see me one time. Yeah. So that's. It's always a big thing to stay in Houston. You know, I felt like if I did so happen to make it, how would my community benefit if I was somewhere else? You know, the people who I went to school with, the people who I stay in the neighborhood with, how can you not, you know, benefit from me? You can't benefit from me if I'm somewhere else. You have to see me in the city and then be able to take from my experience and me be able to teach. You know what I'm saying? One of my guys that I taught works here. You know, Ashton. You know, I'm a Houston guy, and I was doing my thing, and I would tell him how terrible he was, and he got mad. And then he became a writer on the show, and I was so.

[Josh Johnson]

I know Ashton's incredible.

[Ali Siddiq]

That's me.

[Josh Johnson]

Oh, man. And so your special, My Two Sons, which, by the way, when you drop specials, I get very excited. I get very excited to see. When I tell you I was excited for Monday, I was telling people about Mondays. Like, Mondays was coming out in the theater. I was literally like, hey, y' all want to go see Mondays? And where are we going to go?

[Ali Siddiq]

Like, my house.

[Josh Johnson]

Like, it's gonna be on YouTube. And like, the way that you do it, the way that you release for the people and everything, and you have done everything, once again, yourself, and you've created the platform that you have now. I mean, you winning an award for an independent special.

[Ali Siddiq]

Crazy.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, crazy.

[Ali Siddiq]

And the award is really not even for me. It's for other independents, to give them more motivation that you can actually win an award without the machine. You know, I'll probably never get that Emmy, you know. Cause that's a whole different political thing. But, you know, to win any type of award and get recognized for your work as an independent is incredible.

[Josh Johnson]

Yes, yes, absolutely. Absolutely. You also have a piece you put out from inside where you talk to current inmates, like people who are incarcerated right now. And you actually, in your spare time, go and do shows for people who are incarcerated.

[Ali Siddiq]

Yeah. You know, just to let that officer know that I'm back and I'm leaving. See you again, and put it in his face. You still work here, huh?

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Ali Siddiq]

So I go there for motivation, you know? Cause I need them to see somebody who was in the same condition. I'm not one of the celebrities or one of these people that go in. And then you try to Tell people who you've never been in a condition how they should behave or what they should do. But now you have somebody who was here, you know, that came from this space. And I can tell you the steps that you're gonna need to take in order to once you get out. Cause the rehabilitation starts inside. You have to change whatever mindset inside. Cause once you get out, it becomes harder. Cause now you have to be the person that you said that you were inside, you know, And I'm that exact person. You know what I'm saying? I never dealt in prison politics. You know, I wasn't trying to be here. You know, I've had, you know. You know, first two years, it was different. Okay, let me be honest.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Ali Siddiq]

First two years, I was a wild man.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Ali Siddiq]

Cause they gave me 15 years, and I thought I was gonna do all 15. I'm 19. I'm like, I'm not getting out here to 33. This is my life. And so. But then somewhere in there, an older guy told me, hey, man, if you change your behavior, you can get out. And you have to change your mindset for when you are out. So I went on this road of trying to be more diplomatic and go back, revert back to the person that my mom and them raised. You know, I come from a good family. I was embarrassing my family by being inside. You know, when your mother works at a college, she used to build computers. And you're like, where your son at? Oh, he's. You know, so that was a whole thing. So I didn't want to embarrass my family when I got out. So I changed a lot of things, you know, and I never spoke, you know, prison language. So when I got out, people didn't even know I was in prison until I said it on Ahrii's show in 2015. You know, I had been doing stand up since 97, so then now, you know, I'm like the prison go to guy, you know? But I think that the most the benefit of me is going to see those guys letting them see my face, letting them feel my energy and understand, hey, you can't trick me in this. I'mma tell you exactly what you in here doing and what you not doing and what it's gonna take for once you get out. And once you get out, bro, you gonna have to humble yourself. Cause that was, you know, in comedy, I've humbled myself multiple times. I remember when DL told me that I was gonna have to take a back seat in order to get on the mainstream. I'm on the chitlin circuit making plenty of money. Like, almost like dope money again. It was crazy. It was crazy. You know what I'm saying? And then he was like, yo, Rob Stapleton was the actual person who told me first. And then DL called me for a show, and I was like, how much? He was like, $50. I was like, back seat. This is the trunk. But going on that. Taking that $50, going on the mainstream has gotten me to here. You know, I've been on multiple other shows and why I went independent, really, when people ask me why I went independent, it's not a big fascinating story. It's. I did a special with Comedy Central, bigger than these bars. I took a clip and put it on my social media, and they copyright infringed me for my own face. And then we called, I said, I can't promote that. And they said, well, we own it. And I took that. We own it as they owned me. And I was like, oh, never again. So I just went independent. And.

[Josh Johnson]

So you're also on tour. This Custom Fit Tour is not only international, but it's your first arena shows.

[Ali Siddiq]

Yes.

[Josh Johnson]

That is amazing. That is incredible.

[Ali Siddiq]

It really is. It really is. Thinking if I look back from where I started, you know, and it's like, all comics start in these small little rooms, and that's the beauty of it, that all of us start in the same place, and you can grow if that's what you trying to do, you know, and it's not a disrespect to small rooms or bars or wherever you performing at. It's just the growth of how you marketing yourself and. And how many people want to come see you. So to sell out the Chesapeake arena in Baltimore and then add a show and hopefully that sells out, you know, and go to Europe and do all these things. I can't get into London no more. It's crazy. I've been there. And they say if you've ever been convicted of a felony, you can't come back. I was like, but I've been already. I should be grandfathered in or something.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah. Yeah. That's wild.

[Ali Siddiq]

That's wild. And so the Custom Fit Tour, people think it's about the clothes, even though, you know, it's a lot of custom outfits.

[Josh Johnson]

I mean, they do look great. Yeah, this is fantastic.

[Ali Siddiq]

This is, you know, Gucci brand of choice. But it's really about the people that you put around you. And in your life, you're gonna have to custom fit your friend, circle and your business circle to what you're trying to do. You know, you can't take everybody with you and some people gonna fall off along the way. But I wanna be a benefit to the people that I'm around, and I want the people that's around me to be a benefit to me. You know what I mean? So that's.

[Josh Johnson]

That is absolutely incredible. Thank you so, so much for being here with me. Truly, truly. It's an honor and it means the world to me to be able to sit with you, especially across the desk, man.

[Ali Siddiq]

Thank you. I was gonna wear some, like, normal clothes, but I see you not in your hoodie, so I say I don't want him to feel. Yeah, I don't want him to feel like an outcast. I'm gonna wear suit as well.

[Josh Johnson]

I appreciate you.

[Ali Siddiq]

We look great. From the South.

[Josh Johnson]

Absolutely, absolutely. Thank you so much. Be sure to check out ali's special My Two Sons on YouTube. The custom fit tour dates on alisadique.com Ali Sadiq, everyone. We're gonna take a quick break, but we'll be right back after. That's our show for the night. Now here it is, your moment of zone.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

I want to go back to the Supreme Court ruling on the Voting Rights Act. I know you said you haven't seen it.

[Josh Johnson]

When did it come out, just now?

[Ali Siddiq]

No, it came out this morning.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

But basically very much narrows.

[Ali Siddiq]

The Voting Rights Act.

[Mo Amer]

Was it considered a win for.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

Win for Republicans?

[Mo Amer]

I love it. But my question, this is a very good.

[Josh Johnson]

We can end this news conference right now. I want to read it.

[Grace Kuhnschmidt]

My question, wow.

[Mo Amer]

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