Trump’s Trash Stunt, Latino Voter Dilemma | Connie Chung’s Call for Honest Journalism

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Show: Ears Edition Episode: Trump’s Trash Stunt, Latino Voter Dilemma | Connie Chung’s Call for Honest Journalism
Release Date: November 1, 2024
Host: Ronny Chieng
Guests: John Leguizamo, Connie Chung

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1. Trump’s Trash Stunt

The episode opens with former President Donald Trump’s unusual political maneuver—climbing aboard a customized garbage truck emblazoned with his campaign logo.

Donald Trump [01:50]:
"How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden."

Ronny Chieng critiques the metaphor, highlighting its awkwardness and potential backlash:

Ronny Chieng [03:07]:
"Stumbling into a garbage truck. Nailed it. And to be fair, if Joe Biden did that, it would have broken every bone in his body."

Chieng humorously dissects Trump's tactic, suggesting that while the stunt is bizarre, it underscores Trump’s commitment to attacking Democrats. He further satirizes the metaphor, joking about the pitfalls of dressing up as Trump for Halloween due to its resemblance to blackface.

2. Gender Gap and Voter Demographics

The discussion shifts to the 2024 election, focusing on the significant gender gap. Kamala Harris emphasizes the "battle of the sexes" in the presidential race.

Kamala Harris [04:06]:
"By a 14 point margin."

Chieng pokes fun at the metaphor, questioning the origins of "broken glass" before the glass ceiling and mocking the oversimplification of gender dynamics in the election.

3. Latino Voter Dilemma

A substantial portion of the episode delves into the complexities of Latino voters’ support in the 2024 election. Despite Trump's inflammatory rhetoric, he shows surprising strength within the Latino community.

Ronny Chieng [13:36]:
"Trump is doing surprisingly well with Latino voters in the polls this year. But why John Leguizamo decided to find out."

John Leguizamo conducts an undercover investigation, posing as a pro-Trump super PAC representative to understand his appeal among Latino voters. The segment highlights how Trump’s aggressive stance on immigration resonates with certain voter segments, despite his controversial statements.

Donald Trump [16:19]:
"On my first day back in the White House, I will terminate every open borders policy of the Biden administration, stop the invasion of our southern border, and begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history."

Leguizamo’s interactions reveal that while some Latino voters appreciate Trump’s clear stance on the economy and immigration, others are put off by his divisive language.

Ronny Chieng [18:36]:
"This is, you know, it's kind of stereotyping Latinos. It's stereotyping immigrants. And the more that you demonize people, it doesn't bring us together."

The episode also showcases Kamala Harris’s grassroots campaign targeting women voters, using creative strategies like placing sticky notes in bathrooms to remind women that their votes are secret.

4. Connie Chung’s Call for Honest Journalism

In a pivotal segment, Ronny Chieng interviews legendary journalist Connie Chung about the state of modern journalism. Chung reflects on her career and the erosion of trust in media.

Ronny Chieng [24:31]:
"Connie, these are mostly Americans. They don't learn their history. I'm not American, therefore, I read this. And I guess my point is, like, you were around at the peak of network TV... how happy are you that you don't have to cover the trash sheet that is in America right now?"

Chung laments the decline in journalistic integrity and the rise of misinformation:

John Leguizamo [25:05]:
"Because it's not as rampant as it is right now. In other words, there are a lot of good reporters, There's a lot of good investigative reporting, but there's a lot of misinformation, too."

She advocates for a return to investigative work and responsible reporting, emphasizing the importance of rebuilding trust through diligent journalism.

Connie Chung [34:08]:
"But do you really want an opinion? No. I mean on the news, not no."

Chieng and Chung engage in a humorous yet insightful dialogue about the challenges facing traditional media in the digital age, the impact of social media on news consumption, and the necessity of unbiased reporting.

5. Closing Remarks and Reflections

The episode concludes with reflections on the future of journalism and political discourse. Chung expresses hope that investigative reporting can regain its prominence, while Chieng humorously contrasts this with The Daily Show’s satirical approach.

Ronny Chieng [34:53]:
"So you're saying that if we can stop with this idea of we have to fill up all this time, we'd probably help the news, but do serious work and don't express opinions on the news."

John Leguizamo [35:43]:
"But what it is, is I'm easy to grow and low maintenance. Yes, I'm low maintenance. I read your book and you did?"

The interaction wraps up with playful banter, reinforcing the show’s blend of comedy and critical commentary on contemporary issues.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Donald Trump [01:50]:
  "How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden."

• Ronny Chieng [03:07]:
  "Stumbling into a garbage truck. Nailed it."

• Kamala Harris [04:06]:
  "By a 14 point margin."

• Donald Trump [16:19]:
  "On my first day back in the White House, I will terminate every open borders policy of the Biden administration..."

• John Leguizamo [25:05]:
  "There are a lot of good reporters, There's a lot of good investigative reporting, but there's a lot of misinformation, too."

• Connie Chung [34:08]:
  "But do you really want an opinion? No."

• Ronny Chieng [34:53]:
  "We have to fill up all this time, we'd probably help the news, but do serious work and don't express opinions on the news."

---

Conclusion

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition adeptly balances humor with critical analysis of pressing political and social issues. From Trump’s unorthodox campaign tactics to the intricate dynamics of Latino voter preferences and a thought-provoking interview with Connie Chung on the state of journalism, the show offers a comprehensive and engaging exploration of the 2024 election landscape. Notable for its sharp wit and insightful commentary, the episode serves as both an informative and entertaining listen for audiences seeking a nuanced perspective on contemporary events.

Transcript

[Seth Doan]

When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television.

[Seth Doan]

Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change.

[John Leguizamo]

Like, none of this stuff gets looked at.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's what's incredible.

[Seth Doan]

I'm Seth Doan of CBS news. Listen to 60 Minutes. A second look. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ronny Chieng]

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, Ronnie T. Hey, welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Ronny Chieng. We got so much to talk about tonight. Trump takes out the trash. The election turns into a gender war, and we send John Leguizamo undercover to talk to Latino voters. So let's get into indecision. 2024 in America today was the environmental and public health disaster known as Halloween, where kids dress, dress up in single use costumes and eat 40 pounds of sugar because 500 years ago, people were scared of the dark or something. But it's not just kids dressing up in costumes. It's also grown men climbing aboard a garbage truck in Green Bay that had.

[Seth Doan]

His campaign's logo on the side.

[Donald Trump]

How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.

[Seth Doan]

Former President Trump embraced his latest political set piece as he amped up his attacks on Democrats.

[Donald Trump]

250 million people are not garbage. I can tell you who the real garbage is, but we won't say that.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, so you dressed up as a garbage man because you say Biden called your supporters garbage, and you're saying they're not garbage, but you're taking out the garbage, which is someone else, but you won't tell us who it is. And also, no one should call anyone garbage, but you just did, because you're the garbage man. So, in other words, the perfect metaphor, by the way, for anyone thinking of dressing up as Trump for Halloween. You gotta be really careful at this point because it's getting kind of close to blackface over here. You know what I mean? But. But you know what? It doesn't matter how weird you look or how stupid your metaphor is or how badly you it, as long as you look great getting into that garbage truck.

[Donald Trump]

Donald Trump actually climbing, I should say.

[Ronny Chieng]

Stumbling into a garbage truck. Nailed it. And to be fair, if Joe Biden did that, it would have broken every bone in his body. But look at how hard Trump is committing to the Whole garbage thing. I mean, if only Joe Biden had been like, all of Trump's supporters are always goggling their own piss. And he'd be like, is that what you think? I'll show you. Now, I'm not a professional expert pundit, but I think it's very unlikely that this race will be decided by the war over garbage, because there's a much more important battle here. Boobs versus balls.

[Kamala Harris]

This presidential race could be a battle of the sexes this election cycle. The 30 point gender gap between men and women is stark, with NBC News.

[Ronny Chieng]

Polling showing women supporting Vice President Harris.

[Kamala Harris]

By a 14 point margin.

[Ronny Chieng]

If Harris wins, it'd be because women crawled over broken glass to break the glass ceiling. Okay, so there was a glass on the floor before they broke the glass ceiling. So then where did the broken glass come from? If the ceiling is. Why is everyone in America so bad at metaphors? Look, I don't know why Trump does badly with women, okay? I mean, yeah, sure, he shredded their reproductive rights or whatever, but he's only been accused of groping 26 of them. Oh, wait, sorry, sorry. What's that? There was a new one last week. Oh, okay, 27. Oh, sorry. What? What was that? That was the new one yesterday. Okay, well, look, I can understand why no one heard about it, okay? The media had a big garbage truck story to cover, but Trump isn't giving up. He made another pitch to women last night in. That wasn't creepy at all.

[Donald Trump]

My people told me about four weeks ago. I was saying, no, I want to protect the people. I want to protect the women of our country. I want to protect the women. Sir, please don't say that. Why? They said, we think it's. We think it's very inappropriate for you to say so. Why? I said, well, I'm going to do it. Whether the women like it or not, I'm going to protect them.

[Ronny Chieng]

You know, there's a name for when you take care of a woman who doesn't want you to take care of her. It's called, and there is no situation where whether you like it or not is a good sales pitch. Unlimited shrimp. Whether you like it or not would be a pass from me. So Trump's reaching out to women as successfully as he reached out to that garbage truck door. Meanwhile, Kamala supporters are trying to win even more female voters with a stealth campaign to sway hesitant women in conservative areas. Sticky notes reminding women that their vote is secret have been popping up in women's bathrooms all over the country, thanks to a viral Grassroots campaign by Kamala Harris supporters.

[John Leguizamo]

This is a campaign to put these post it notes in the bathrooms, giving women the permission to vote for who they want to. So it says, nobody knows who you vote for, so vote for who you want for. Vote Harris for women's rights. How many of these have you made? We've made thousands. Thousands and thousands. I saw it online, and all the women in my area, they're all doing it. They're literally driving up to Wisconsin to the truck stops just to do this.

[Ronny Chieng]

Dan, that is the most wholesome reason to visit a truck stop bathroom. I mean, just imagine how disappointed you'd be seeing one of these coming out of a glory hole. But. But that. That's right. Carmelo supporters think there are a lot of women who would vote for her if they knew their husbands or neighbors wouldn't find. So they're going all the way into women's bathrooms to let them know. And you may laugh at that, but polls consistently show that the most important voting bloc in Michigan is women on the road trips who have diarrhea. And I guess this is an interesting idea, but is there any place left that we can't be safe from political ads? I mean, a public bathroom is a sacred place where we're not Democrats or Republicans. We're just Americans who are hoping a handicapped person doesn't need the handicapped. Stall while I'm in there. I just don't know if this is gonna work. I've never seen anything in a bathroom that's changed my opinion. For a good time, call Megan, please wash your hands. I'm not doing any of that. But if you're a woman who doesn't go to the bathroom, and I know some women don't, because I've never seen my wife take a shit ever. Harris supporters have put out TV ads reminding women with conservative husbands that their votes are a secret too.

[Connie Chung]

Your turn, honey.

[Kamala Harris]

In the one place in America where women still have a right to choose, you can vote any way you want and no one will ever know.

[Connie Chung]

Did you make the right choice?

[John Leguizamo]

Sure did, honey.

[Kamala Harris]

Remember, what happens in the booth stays in the booth.

[Ronny Chieng]

Did that stay in the booth? I mean, I don't know if it could be more obvious that something was going on with those women. I mean, if I was their husband, I'd be like, sh. Wait. Okay. You guys are either voting for Kamala or you're having an affair, okay? Cause there's a lot of electricity here, and I'm scared. But I'm also turned on. If all that extra Long staring wasn't suspicious enough? There's another ad where the women are even more obvious.

[Connie Chung]

You still voting for him?

[Ronny Chieng]

Hell, yeah. What about your wife? She doesn't like him, but she's voting for him. Same with mine. Guys, you gotta stop mouthing Kamala. It's supposed to be a. It's supposed to be a secret conspiracy. It's like we're voting for Kamala, right? I said, are we voting for Kamala? Yes, but we have to keep it a secret or our sinister husbands will murder us. Hey, is it weird that they're, like, 50 years older than us? Seriously, look at those husbands. Like, you don't have to mouth it. I'm pretty sure they won't listen to you even if you talk at full volume. Okay, and maybe I'm just being a heroic feminist here, as usual, but isn't it a little sexist for. These ads suggest that women are morons who don't know how to vote. But, you know, I guess it's okay, because they're also saying that men are morons who don't know how to vote. Come on, boys. Let's make America great again. It's your turn, buddy.

[Connie Chung]

Before you cast your vote in this election, think about how it'll impact the people you care about the most.

[Ronny Chieng]

Daddy.

[Connie Chung]

Remember, you can vote any way you want, and no one will ever know.

[Ronny Chieng]

Did you do your patriotic duty? You bet I did, brother.

[Connie Chung]

What happens in the booth stays in the booth.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, so the women are secretly voting for Kamala, but the men who are threatening them are also voting for Kamala's. It's gonna be so romantic when they all find out. It's gonna. It's gonna be like that stupid Pina Colada song. And by the way, why is everybody in these ads voting in groups? I've never seen a group of bros just vote together like they're heading to a tailgate. And also, this guy walked into the voting room with his bros, but then walked out with his family. I mean, what the happening? I get the woman ad, but this ad is ridiculous, okay? No real man is gonna prioritize his wife and daughter over a guy with his own customized garbage truck.

[John Leguizamo]

Okay?

[Ronny Chieng]

You can't. You know how cool that is? You can't beat that. Now, if you're worried that trying to secretly coordinate votes with eye contact might be too confusing, well, here's a new ad that will clarify absolutely nothing.

[Donald Trump]

All right, everyone, time to vote.

[Connie Chung]

Let's all vote the right way, if.

[Ronny Chieng]

You know what I mean. Of course, honey.

[Kamala Harris]

Remember, that this election, you can vote for whoever you want. And no one has to know. No one at all. Your vote is secret from everyone, which means the choice is totally up to you. This election, let's celebrate our power to choose. So cast your ballot with confidence, because this ballot is all yours. The secret ballot is what makes America America. It's as American as apple pie. So this election day, remember, don't get distracted by nodding. Focus on making your voice heard.

[Connie Chung]

Ready to turn in your ballot, honey?

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure am.

[John Leguizamo]

Polls are closed.

[Ronny Chieng]

You've been standing there nodding for 13 hours.

[Connie Chung]

Stop it.

[John Leguizamo]

Okay.

[Ronny Chieng]

All right. Thank you for your time. Thanks. Hey, when we come back, Jon Luis Lamo. We'll find out what Latino voters are thinking. So don't go away.

[Seth Doan]

When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television.

[Seth Doan]

Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives.

[Ronny Chieng]

Rolling.

[Seth Doan]

But that's all about to change.

[John Leguizamo]

Like, none of this stuff gets looked at.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's what's incredible.

[Seth Doan]

I'm Seth Doane of CBS news. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts.

[Ronny Chieng]

Hey, welcome back to the Daily Show. Donald Trump is doing surprisingly well with Latino voters in the polls this year. But why John Leguizamo decided to find out.

[Connie Chung]

Election day is almost upon us. And Democrats are concerned about Donald Trump's surprising support in the Latino community.

[Kamala Harris]

A new poll has Trump gaining ground with Latino voters.

[Ronny Chieng]

Vice President Harris struggling to hold on to Latino voters.

[Connie Chung]

So I assembled a panel of undecided and Trump curious Latino voters to see why they haven't been turned off by inflammatory statements like, Kamala has imported an.

[Donald Trump]

Army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from prisons and jails.

[Connie Chung]

Trump's rhetoric about Latinos is darker than a 12 hour chocolate mole. But does that matter to these voters? To get the unvarnished truth, I disguised myself as a representative of a pro Trump super pac. The plan. Tell them. I was trying to better understand how Trump could appeal to Latino voters while confronting them with Trump's racism firsthand. Can I see everybody's ID real quick and see if you're real citizens?

[Ronny Chieng]

No, I was born in California.

[Connie Chung]

But where you really from? Come on.

[Ronny Chieng]

Parents are natural.

[John Leguizamo]

Born from El Salvador.

[Connie Chung]

Salvador, Mexico. Okay, what do you like about Donald Trump?

[Ronny Chieng]

He's not evasive. It's pretty clear. I mean, this is someone that's been at the forefront for a very long time, speaking his mind. When he was on the government, the economy was better than we have it right now. That's the only part that I like.

[Connie Chung]

On the surface, they seem to like Trump, but as we went deeper, I gave them the tools to express themselves in a more nuanced manner. I'm going to name an issue, and you're going to raise either one or two or three chilies to signify how spicy the issue is for you. The economy.

[Ronny Chieng]

Wow.

[Connie Chung]

Damn. Three chilies. That's spicy. Spicy, spicy. Okay. Healthcare, not as spicy, but still spicy. Arming janitors.

[Ronny Chieng]

Meaning arming.

[Connie Chung]

Giving weapons to janitors to protect the schools. You know, like if a shooter comes in. Okay, no chilies on that. Now that I knew the issues they cared about, it was time to see if there were any Latino celebrity endorsements that might capture their vote. You guys are tough. Bad bunny, no.

[John Leguizamo]

Oh, come on.

[Ronny Chieng]

Bad bunny.

[Connie Chung]

Ever swear it would get you?

[John Leguizamo]

No, it wouldn't.

[Connie Chung]

All right, John Leguizamillo. Well, you too, then. Okay, now it's time for the moment of truth. Let's see if witnessing Donald Trump's rhetoric firsthand makes them want to vote for him. More or less.

[Donald Trump]

On my first day back in the White House, I will terminate every open borders policy of the Biden administration, stop the invasion of our southern border, and begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's an excellent way to fix a very, very severe problem.

[Connie Chung]

What do you love about deportation?

[Ronny Chieng]

You have criminals. They should all be removed. No.

[Connie Chung]

Do you think they should deport American criminals, too?

[Ronny Chieng]

Deport American criminals to where?

[Connie Chung]

What's your least favorite South American country?

[Ronny Chieng]

Cuba. If he's saying immigration is a problem. It's like, you have a leak in your house, you gotta turn it off. The water supply, fix it, then turn it on. Maybe that's what he's trying to do. Like, let's close down the border for a while.

[Connie Chung]

But who would you call to fix your leak if all the Latinos are gone? Mass deportation didn't seem to turn them off. Let's try something else.

[Donald Trump]

No control whatsoever. Nobody has any idea where these people are coming from. And we know they come from prisons. We know they come from mental institutions, insane asylums. We know they're terrorists. It's poisoning the blood of our country.

[Connie Chung]

So what do you think of the language that he's using?

[Ronny Chieng]

It's poison. That's his last word that he used, but that's what it is.

[Connie Chung]

So you're saying he's a little too Hitlerish? Maybe he can soften the language a little bit instead of poisoning the blood? Maybe. What about Spraining the ankle of America, giving America gastrointestinal discomfort.

[Ronny Chieng]

You make any worse?

[Connie Chung]

How about if he said, ruining the testicles of America? Great. So people don't seem to love the Hitler stuff. Now, what about this clip?

[Donald Trump]

How about allowing people to come to an open border, 13,000 of which were murderers, and they are now happily living in the United States, you know, now a murderer. I believe this. It's in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now.

[Ronny Chieng]

I think maybe there's better words that can be used. We all misspeak sometimes.

[Connie Chung]

I mean, what I love about Trump is that he misspeaks from the heart.

[Ronny Chieng]

He misspeaks from the heart because he's got a lot and he maybe has a good heart.

[Connie Chung]

Well said. Well said.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is, you know, it's kind of stereotyping Latinos. It's stereotyping immigrants. And the more that you demonize people, it doesn't bring us together. Yeah.

[Connie Chung]

You, sir, you definitely don't have the murder gene. Okay, don't speak Spanish because it's not nice. Which presidential candidate do you think treats Latinos most like caricatures? I'm going to say a name, and if you agree, scream. Arriba. Donald Trump. Okay, so you clearly think that Trump portrays the Latino population in an accurate and nuanced manner.

[Ronny Chieng]

No.

[John Leguizamo]

No.

[Connie Chung]

Then why didn't you scream a rebuttal? Rebuttal.

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, if your questions and the questions that I'm listening to are about as you see this, what do you think? I'd rather not see that.

[Connie Chung]

So it's better if we don't show these clips of him because they make you not want to vote for him.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's exactly the reason why many who will tell you that they don't like him is because of what he says.

[Connie Chung]

Now, I understand the only way Trump is acceptable is if you never see or hear him. It seems like some of these people were finally coming around. But there was something that was still bugging me. Do you want to change your answer for any one of the celebrity endorsements? Maybe to John Iwizamo?

[Ronny Chieng]

No.

[Connie Chung]

You guys never saw Spawn?

[Ronny Chieng]

Did you see his last special? It was good.

[Connie Chung]

What did you like most about his last special?

[Ronny Chieng]

The setting. He did it like a school setting.

[Connie Chung]

Oh, that was real clever. Real arty, too. Finally feeling like we made some progress. It was time to come clean. Okay. I want to thank you for being here and for being so honest with me, but I have not been so honest with you. My name is not really Ron Cuzmano, but Jonathan Cuzamo.

[Kamala Harris]

Oh, my gosh.

[Ronny Chieng]

I know that came out.

[Connie Chung]

Now that I've shown you all these awful things about Trump, does that change your vote? No, no, no Democracy.

[Ronny Chieng]

Thank you, John. When we come back, the legendary Connie Chung will be joining me on the show, so don't.

[Seth Doan]

When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television.

[Seth Doan]

Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change.

[John Leguizamo]

Like, none of this stuff gets looked at.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's what's incredible.

[Seth Doan]

I'm Seth Doan of CBS news. Listen to 60 Minutes. A second look wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ronny Chieng]

Hey, welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is a trailblazing award winning television journalist whose new memoir is called Connie. I used to watch her growing up as a kid. It's a huge honor for me to welcome to the stage. It's Connie Cha.

[John Leguizamo]

Wow. Wow.

[Ronny Chieng]

Thank you so much for coming on the show.

[John Leguizamo]

Well, thank. Thank you for having me.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's a huge honor to meet you. I can't believe you know who I am.

[John Leguizamo]

Well, I don't, really.

[Ronny Chieng]

Fair enough.

[John Leguizamo]

No, no, no. I've watched you and I can't believe I'm sitting here with you, too.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's very kind. You're the best. I spent a lot when I was a kid. I grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire, and we would turn on TV and watch you as a kid.

[John Leguizamo]

Really?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. I can't believe that you're in front of me right now. I can't even tell if you. Is it real? And I read your. Because I got so scared of you that I actually, I actually read this book for the first time in Daily show history. I read the book of the guest and. Thank you. I'm not just saying this. It's a great book.

[John Leguizamo]

Thank you.

[Ronny Chieng]

Very well written. And as for me, as a American history and television nerd, this is like the perfect book.

[John Leguizamo]

Really?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Because it goes through all these characters, events, and the events and the events that you were like, in the middle of everything in the 80s and 90s, to the point where I think you caused the most of the damage in the world because you seem to be at the. You seem to be at the center of all of them.

[John Leguizamo]

Honestly, I didn't do it.

[Ronny Chieng]

And not just the events, but like the characters in the book. You know, all these legendary figures. Larry Grossman.

[John Leguizamo]

Rude. You know Larry Grossman? You mean at NBC, he Was the president.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. All these figures that we only know about, it's 20, 24. These are people like you were in.

[John Leguizamo]

Yeah, but they've never heard of Larry Grossman.

[Ronny Chieng]

They've never heard of him. Yeah, I know, but. No, you'd be surprised. You guys know who Larry Grossman is, right? Just say yeah. Yes. Just say yes. Yeah.

[Connie Chung]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

See? So.

[John Leguizamo]

And then the lie detector test to determine that was a lie.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, but Connie, you got. Connie, these are mostly Americans. They don't learn their history. I'm not American, therefore, I read this. And I guess my point is, like, you were around at the peak of network tv, around all these titans, Barbara Walters, Dan Rather, Walter Cronkite. You know, you mixed elbows with presidents, vice presidents, I guess now that you're retired, how happy are you that you don't have to cover the trash sheet that is in America right now?

[John Leguizamo]

I'm actually glad I'm not in television news now. Seriously. Because it's not the same.

[Ronny Chieng]

Sure. Can you give us some perspective on how it's kind of different? Because when you started, you started with typewriters, and now we're in freaking. Now we're in freaking AI creating virtual cryptocurrency. Like.

[John Leguizamo]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, we've seen all of it.

[John Leguizamo]

Well, we believed. I mean, back in those days, it was the truth, credibility and honesty and all of that. And it seems to have kind of evaporated.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, you cheered too loud, man. Some guy was cheering that. But, yeah, I mean, is there. You know, because I read your book, and even in your time when you were active, there was still misinformation and you were the victim of some fake news, so to speak, people would spread rumors about it. So it wasn't like there were no problems.

[John Leguizamo]

No, but it wasn't as rampant as it is right now. In other words, there are a lot of good reporters, There's a lot of good investigative reporting, but there's a lot of misinformation, too.

[Ronny Chieng]

So why do you think it is that, like, trust in the media has, you know, just decreased ever since you left news?

[John Leguizamo]

Because it's not. It's. It's. It was an era in which news was trustworthy. But I think there was. There had been a sort of creeping negativism in which people began to not believe not only government, but news reporters. And they didn't trust Congress or the White House for good reason, because back in the day when the government was lying to them about Vietnam and they just didn't know they couldn't feel like they could trust Congress and the rest. And it's gotten worse now, so we're even below Congress's level, which is pretty low.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, if the news is worse than Congress.

[John Leguizamo]

You were going to ask me a question in the beginning. Did you decide not to?

[Ronny Chieng]

I decided not to because it's too vulgar. I just really. Yeah, you came out. You came out. It's like I was talking to my mom. I didn't want to ask the. I couldn't. All right.

[John Leguizamo]

Am I really that old?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, you are the source of truth. Can't take the truth. Like, no. Yeah.

[John Leguizamo]

I'm 78. How old are you?

[Ronny Chieng]

I'm not. I'm like. I'm 39, so nowhere near funny.

[John Leguizamo]

You don't look. I look 39.

[Ronny Chieng]

How old do I look?

[John Leguizamo]

25.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's good. Asian, no raisin.

[John Leguizamo]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

Do you want me to ask you that first question? It's so awkward now, now that we set it up and everyone wants to know what it is now.

[John Leguizamo]

Yeah. I think you're gonna have to do it.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, okay. Well, if Connie Chen wants me to ask a question. Okay, Connie. Sorry, Ms. Chung. I don't wanna call you Connie Chen. Legend. Do I call you Legend or no?

[John Leguizamo]

No. Goat.

[Ronny Chieng]

Do I call you Goat?

[John Leguizamo]

Did you call me anything you want?

[Ronny Chieng]

Goat Chung. Mom. Sorry, I just got. So you've been retired from journalism now, and during your time as a very professional, trustworthy source. I think it was your opinion from your book that you shouldn't give your personal opinions. Journalists are not here to give personal opinions. You're here to deliver the news. But now that you're retired, you're unleashed. You can give your hard opinions right now. Let's ask the tough questions. Okay. Mary Kill, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly or Tucker Carlson? I'm sorry, Mom.

[John Leguizamo]

Well, I don't know if you know this, but I actually decided. I was so nervous about the election, I decided to come out in favor of Kamala, so. So you can well imagine my answer to your question. Two out of the three, please, for the record. Two. You got it. I mean, it doesn't take.

[Ronny Chieng]

I don't got it. All three of these are terrible.

[John Leguizamo]

You're not married.

[Ronny Chieng]

I am married. I am married. Okay, that doesn't answer anything.

[John Leguizamo]

Yes, it does. It's two out of the three.

[Ronny Chieng]

What?

[John Leguizamo]

You gave me three choices.

[Ronny Chieng]

You're kind of evading right now.

[Connie Chung]

No.

[Ronny Chieng]

And as a student of Connie Cheung, I can't let you.

[John Leguizamo]

It's not evasive. It's Totally on target. Do you get it?

[Ronny Chieng]

No. That's why I didn't want to ask that dumbass question, because I had some serious questions. No, yeah, I asked you the one who asked me that. Okay, okay. Anyway, so do you feel like Asian people in America are kind of uniquely suited to kind of ask the tough question? Because we're not seen as participating in this ongoing race war between white and black people. And so when we come in, it's almost like we can get in there and get the real story.

[John Leguizamo]

No.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay. No to the race war or no to the art?

[John Leguizamo]

No to getting married.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, so you. Oh, okay. So you. In this book, you went to Warren Beatty's house, and a lot of people there were taking cocaine. What other. Who else was taking drugs in Hollywood in the 70s? Now, you got some really interesting stories here. Like here you talk about Dan Rather being a real dick. Right? In this book. That's not. Yeah, that's in her book.

[John Leguizamo]

I didn't. You're not quoting me?

[Ronny Chieng]

I'm not quoting you, but Dan Rather was a bit of a dick to you. I mean, is that. Was he a mean dude or.

[John Leguizamo]

No, not on the surface. I mean, he was very. He was unhappy that I was sitting next to him. He didn't want me there. You know, kind of like. You know why?

[Ronny Chieng]

Why?

[John Leguizamo]

Because he had been doing it by himself for a long time. He replaced Walter Cronkite. And then he became. His ratings started to tank, and so they decided to add me to the program. So I sat in half of Uncle Walter's chair, and I was. It was like a dream job and. But it didn't. The ratings weren't moving so much, and he really didn't want me there. It was very much like Barbara Walters when she began co anchoring with Here Comes the Dirt.

[Ronny Chieng]

Let's go.

[John Leguizamo]

When she began co anchoring with man who deport her there either.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. So how did you navigate the politics of, you know, the 70s newsrooms with these huge, towering figures of media? And you were often only the only. Not only the only Asian, you're the only woman in the room a lot of the times. Photo of you right here. This is the photo of you as the only Asian person in this room full of smelly guys. And this is exactly how I feel at the Daily show, to be honest. But how did you navigate?

[John Leguizamo]

Well, it was kind of hard in many ways because I saw all around me were men. And I kind of just decided I would be a guy, too. I would walk like them, talk like them. Have their bravado, have moxie, have, you know, even use their. The potty mouth that they use.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah.

[John Leguizamo]

And I so convinced myself that I was a guy that when I'd walk past a mirror, I'd go, because I was tiny.

[Ronny Chieng]

Why am I the Asian woman?

[John Leguizamo]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ronny Chieng]

I thought I was a white man. This is news to me.

[John Leguizamo]

I really was convinced.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. So you would just start swinging. You swear at the guys, you'd say, I did. You want to say. You want to say to anybody on TV right now, we got this basic cable.

[John Leguizamo]

No, not really.

[Ronny Chieng]

Do you want me to say it for you? Dan Rather. How's that?

[John Leguizamo]

Thank you.

[Ronny Chieng]

So, I mean, I could. I can talk to you forever about this. I honestly thank you. I did my research because I know how much you value people who do their homework.

[John Leguizamo]

I do.

[Ronny Chieng]

And I want to ask, why is it that there's no other Walter Cronkites that can rise out of this cesspool of American news media right now?

[John Leguizamo]

The whole thing has changed. I mean, television news isn't what it used to be. You know, digital has taken over, so it's just not going to happen. Television is a dinosaur. I mean, not your show.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, that's fine. We're down. We're down with that. Yeah.

[John Leguizamo]

I think people get the news, you know, from all sorts of sources. Even. I mean, the Daily show, they used to always get it.

[Ronny Chieng]

They really shouldn't get it from this show. I mean, I'm trying to get Connie Chung to say, like, why are you. Why are you watching this for news? But, you know, it's kind of disheartening because I was hoping you could give me perspective and say, like. Like all these people who are saying, this is the worst ever time for America, they're exaggerating. We had the same problems in the 60s. And you're saying, no, this is the worst time, And I don't know if there's a way through.

[John Leguizamo]

No, no. I have hope for the news, you know, and that we can swing that pendulum right back and it'll be more responsible.

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, can you give some tips on how to swing that pendulum back or any ideas if you were in charge of.

[John Leguizamo]

Well, I think one newspaper at a time, one television station at a time, and I think as long as we do investigative work, we're on the right track. The hard part is filling all those hours on cable.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's where we come in to talk a bunch of shit. So what we're doing right now, filling some hours in between important stuff, just filling the hours.

[John Leguizamo]

No, but it's really hard to. It's hard to fill that many hours.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, tell me about it. It's very difficult. Yeah.

[John Leguizamo]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

So you're saying that if we can stop with this idea of we have to fill up all this time, we'd.

[John Leguizamo]

Probably help the news, but do serious work and don't express opinions on the news. It's just that, I mean, do you really want an opinion? No. I mean on the news, not no. Right.

[Ronny Chieng]

Mom said no, say no. Correct answer is no. Don't say yeah. No, no. No opinion.

[Connie Chung]

Yeah.

[John Leguizamo]

Right.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. No, I agree. If you need a source that's trustworthy, that's not biased and. No, I get it. But unfortunately, that's not where the money is anymore. The money's insane. Than rather, that's where.

[John Leguizamo]

Well, then that should sell, huh?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, this should sell. It's in the book. And the last thing I just want to say is, like, the hope for the future I have is in the last chapter of this book. Other than talking about the weed strain that's named after you.

[John Leguizamo]

Yeah, there is.

[Ronny Chieng]

Which? Everybody. You should check it out. It's pretty cool.

[John Leguizamo]

Have you tried it?

[Ronny Chieng]

No, I don't smell weed. Yeah, no, I don't smell weed.

[John Leguizamo]

Right. Neither do I. If you go online, you'll see Connie.

[Ronny Chieng]

Chung at your website.

[John Leguizamo]

Yes. No, it's not my website. It's. Somebody started it and I have no idea who.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, we all have no idea who sold this. Stunning. We all know, for tax purposes, we have no idea who's selling this wiener.

[John Leguizamo]

But what it is, is I'm easy to grow and low maintenance. Yes, I'm low maintenance. I read your book and you did?

[Ronny Chieng]

I did.

[John Leguizamo]

It says low maintenance and I don't give the scaries too much. And you can get a two pack pre roll for $22. Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, really?

[John Leguizamo]

Oh, yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

Do you have a coupon code? You want to share the cash?

[John Leguizamo]

I just saw that. But I have to tell you one other thing. You were talking about the last chapter.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, I was about to get to it.

[John Leguizamo]

Okay, go ahead.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay. I think I'm. I understand. Mind melding. Yeah. What's really cool about the future is this idea of that there is a generation of Connie Chung, of Connie's in America, Asian American girls who are the children of Asian parents. Asian parents who grew up in your generation who admired you and named their children Connie. And so there's a whole bunch of amazing. And she got to meet up with them.

[John Leguizamo]

And there are untold numbers of babies that were named after me.

[Ronny Chieng]

How does it make you feel that all these people stole your name?

[John Leguizamo]

I just flabbergasted and honored. What happened was there was this girl named Connie Wong and she cold emailed me and said that she was named after me. I couldn't believe it. She said when she moved with her parents from communist China to the Midwest, she was only three years old, and her parents said, we need to give you an American name. And she only knew what she saw on television. And she said, connie or Elmo. And so it was she who discovered that all these connies were named after me. When I went on this book tour, I met. She thinks there are untold hundreds. I don't know how many, but I met six more. And I met a Connie Chung in drag.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, there you go.

[John Leguizamo]

And she or he said that he can. It takes him four hours to put his makeup on. And I said, dude, I can do mine in 15 minutes.

[Ronny Chieng]

I can talk too far about this book. It's a great book.

[John Leguizamo]

Oh, thank you.

[Ronny Chieng]

Thank you so much for all that you do. Thank you so much for all that you've done. You're a legend. You're the best. Connie is available now. Connie Chung. That's our show for tonight. Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount plus.

[John Leguizamo]

Paramount podcasts.

[Seth Doan]

When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television.

[Seth Doan]

Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change.

[John Leguizamo]

Like, none of this stuff gets looked at.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's what's incredible.

[Seth Doan]

I'm Seth Doane of CBS news. Listen to 60 Minutes a second look. Wherever you get your podcasts.