Sen. John Fetterman on the Democratic Divide

Summary

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

Episode: Sen. John Fetterman on the Democratic Divide
Date: August 5, 2026
Host: Jon Stewart
Guest: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jon Stewart sits down with Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman to tackle deepening divisions within the Democratic Party. The conversation explores Fetterman’s reputation as a maverick or contrarian within his party, dissecting his independence on issues like government shutdowns, border security, economic populism, party extremism, and—most heatedly—the war in Gaza and the party’s stance on Israel. The discussion unfolds as a charged, often confrontational, yet candid look at the internal cross-currents shaping the Democrats and the dilemmas of representing a politically diverse state.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Life as a Senator & Congressional Gridlock

[02:14–04:48]

• Fetterman expresses mixed feelings about his role: honored to serve, but finds the job less glamorous and more akin to “professional wrestling” than he expected.
• He lives in a small DC apartment, bursting myths about Senate luxuries.
• Celebrates a bipartisan continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown:
  • “No shutdown. Yeah.” (Fetterman, [03:48])
  • Emphasizes harm shutdowns inflict on ordinary workers (e.g., TSA), not Congress.

2. Relationship with the Democratic Party

[04:48–07:34]

• Stewart probes Fetterman’s reputation as the new “contrarian” à la Manchin or Sinema.
• Fetterman rejects the label, citing a 90%+ Democratic voting record but insists avoiding shutdowns and other positions reflect “basic Democratic values.”
  • “These views are firmly rooted in basic kinds of Democratic values.” ([05:29])
• Attributes shifts to post-Trump realignment; calls “Trump Derangement Syndrome” real and discusses the cost of disagreeing with party orthodoxy.

3. Party Power & The Filibuster Debate

[08:55–12:44]

• Stewart notes Democrats hold millions of votes but little institutional power.
• Fetterman warns Democrats were “so wrong” to support eliminating the filibuster in 2022:
  • “If we were successful, we may have passed some things… but 100% in January of 2024 or 2025, you know, they would have been able to run the table.” ([08:55])
• Hypotheticals about unchecked Republican power absent the filibuster.
• Stewart counters that Republicans have already changed society via reconciliation and executive orders.

4. “Balls and Strikes” Approach to Appointments & Policy

[12:44–14:30]

• Fetterman defends nuanced approach to Biden and Trump nominees:
  • “I really try to call balls and strikes.” ([12:44])
• Lists longstanding Democratic credentials: pro-choice, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, unions.
• Detailed stance on immigration: secure borders, deport criminals, protect otherwise law-abiding undocumented workers.
  • “Deport all of the criminals. 100%. Deport all of them. … We do need a secure border. And then I’ve said, do not target otherwise hardworking … migrants.” ([13:38])

5. Leveraging Power & Government Shutdowns

[15:01–17:40]

• Argues that Democratic threats to shut down the government do not actually provide leverage to change ICE or Homeland Security practices.
• “That’s a demand from an agitated, angry base … that’s the wrong thing. That’s the wrong solution for a reasonable conversation to have…” ([15:48])
• Stewart asks: So what tools do Democrats have? Fetterman: “Win elections. Win elections.” ([17:13])

6. Rise of the Democratic Left / DSA & Party Identity

[19:03–21:42]

• Fetterman criticizes party drift and the rise of DSA/socialist-leaning candidates:
  • “Now you have my party, you know, they’re returning back to the worst impulses. Abolish Ice, Abolish the border.” ([19:03])
  • Notes recent primary victories by candidates with “extreme” rhetoric.
• Stewart challenges: Is this rise not a reaction to establishment failures? Fetterman: “I’m not blaming. I’m describing…” ([23:00])

7. Economic Populism vs. Party Establishment

[23:49–29:50]

• Stewart: Isn’t economic populism/far-left momentum a symptom of unmet needs under status-quo Democrats?
• Fetterman pushes back, accusing some on the left of veering into “socialism and more, it’s communism,” citing Hasan Piker as an influencer.
  • “People like Hasan Piker… he is a communist. He celebrates Mao…” ([25:15])

8. Capitalism, Inequality, and Reform

[29:50–37:24]

• Fetterman stands by American capitalism, expresses concern about losing technological races (AI) to China.
• Stewart presses: Is capitalism serving the majority, or fostering inequality?
• Fetterman acknowledges problems (“some things are too expensive”) but insists “the market will address that.”
• Discussion of the New Deal, labor, and incorporating left-wing energy into reforms.

9. Money in Politics and Primary Extremism

[39:16–40:32]

• Fetterman identifies unlimited political money as a key driver of extremism:
  • “Unlimited money is a poison in American democracy.” ([39:16])
• Both lament system where primaries draw the most extreme activists, pushing candidates away from "reasonable solutions."

10. Fetterman’s Criticisms: Israel as a Red Line

[41:06–62:26]

• Fetterman is resolutely pro-Israel:
  • “Israel for me. Like I, I can’t ever turn my back to Israel after, after where it’s at.” ([47:52])
  • Equates support for DSA or campaigning with pro-Palestinian activists with being “pro-Hamas.”
  • Unwilling to criticize Israel’s military campaign in Gaza—frames it fully as self-defense after October 7 (“10/7”).
  • “That, that was the terrible collateral… of an urban war…” ([61:51])
• Stewart pushes back throughout, arguing criticism of Israel is not the same as being “pro-Hamas,” draws analogies to right-wing caricatures of the trans rights debate and calls out the dangers of dehumanization.

11. Party Unity, Winning Elections, & The Future

[70:13–74:18]

• Fetterman re-emphasizes the need to unite behind broadly acceptable positions:
  • “How do we win Elections? … Have the kind of views that the majority of people that are going to define who’s going to be the next wave of leadership…” ([72:40])
• Warns that “extreme views that have never won a meaningful election” must not define the party’s identity or electoral strategy.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Senate:
  “Some of it’s professional wrestling, not really kind of important stuff, but some of it’s very important.” — Fetterman, [02:29]

• Shutdowns as Party Betrayal:
  “We used to always be the party that says we must never shut our government down.” — Fetterman, [05:05]

• On Filibuster Regret:
  “We, including me, we were so wrong about scrapping the filibuster … if we were successful … they would have been able to run the table.” — Fetterman, [08:55]

• On Immigration:
  “Deport all of the criminals. 100% … do not target otherwise hardworking, you know, migrants that… are a very important part of our economy.” — Fetterman, [13:38]

• On Democratic Extremes:
  “Now you have my party, you know, they’re returning back to the worst impulses. Abolish ice, Abolish the border.” — Fetterman, [19:03]

• On Socialism & the Left:
  “It’s not an economic model that has never worked in, in the history.” — Fetterman, [24:45]

• On DSA & Candidate Identity:
  “If you are a DSA member...run under your own banner.” — Fetterman, [48:48]

• On Israel as Defining Issue:
  “What’s really set me apart of most of the Democratic Party is Israel. … Israel for me. Like I, I can’t ever turn my back to Israel after, after where it’s at.” — Fetterman, [47:46–47:52]

• On Party’s Electoral Dilemma:
  “How do we win Elections? … Have the kind of views that the majority of people that are going to define who’s going to be the next wave of leadership…” — Fetterman, [72:40]

• Stewart’s Critique:
  “Our inability to [criticize allies] is … a real detriment to our own moral foundation.” — Stewart, [68:52]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:14] — Fetterman describes Senate life and relationship with party.
• [08:55] — Filibuster regrets, dangers of having scrapped it.
• [13:38] — Fetterman’s immigration philosophy.
• [19:03] — Rise of the “Abolish ICE"/DSA left.
• [23:00] — Stewart/Fetterman debate: is extremism a response to unmet needs?
• [41:06–62:26] — Extended, heated debate about Israel/Palestine, DSA, and party red lines.
• [72:40] — Fetterman’s closing argument on elections and party strategy.

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Tone and Language

• The episode is frank, occasionally combative, and filled with Fetterman’s signature blunt and sometimes self-deprecating style. Stewart pushes for nuance and repeatedly questions Fetterman’s binary framing of leftist critics as “pro-Hamas” or “extremists,” urging instead for a recognition of the complexities within the progressive critique.
• Both are passionate; Fetterman’s rhetoric leans heavily on pragmatic, sometimes moralistic justifications for his positions—especially regarding Israel.
• Stewart, while often comedic, is direct and insists on critical scrutiny of all sides, including strong allies, and the dangers of dehumanization and caricature in political debate.

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Closing Reflections (Post-Interview)

• Panelists (Joan Stewart, Producer Brittany Mametovic) reflect on Fetterman’s practical value to the Democrats despite the controversies.
• Joan Stewart: “He does vote with Democrats over 90% of the time… He is better than Mehmet Oz in terms of wins above replacement… But I would still rather… somebody more in line with their viewpoints…” ([78:31])
• General consensus: Fetterman is a useful but deeply complicated figure and his future electoral prospects remain uncertain.

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Summary

This episode navigates the rifts within the Democratic Party at a critical juncture—balancing left-wing discontent, the party’s existential stakes in policy and elections, and intense moral divides over US-Israel policy. Fetterman remains a thorny, independent presence, unafraid of alienating the party’s activist base in the name of electability and unyielding support for Israel. Stewart persistently urges more compassion, nuance, and self-examination for Democrats, especially as the party faces existential questions about vision, delivery, and winning the future.

For listeners seeking insight into the Democratic divide, intraparty conflict, and evolving US politics, this episode is a raw, revealing must-listen.

Transcript

[Joan Stewart]

Foreign.

[Host]

Hello everybody. Welcome to the weekly show podcast. On this summer day, August 4th, Tuesday, primary day, Election day. Hear ye, hear ye. I voted sticker. That was my one man show called Primary Day, which happens in August, which as you know, is great for turnout. We don't know actually what happened in those. We're taping this podcast before the results are in. So by the time you hear it, you will know the results of all the hot primaries in Michigan and everywhere else and it'll look like we don't and that we're ignoring it. But we're not ignoring it, people. I'm not a time traveler, but we are going to be talking to somebody who very strong opinions about what should happen in this very primary season and he doesn't know the results of it either. So we're going to be talking about elections and the results of elections and what those elections might mean for people, all while ignoring the results of said elections, which might make us seem crazy, but there's probably so much more in this conversation that's going to make it seem crazy. So let's just get to it.

[Joan Stewart]

FOREIGN

[Host]

so, ladies and gentlemen, we'll get right to it. We have with us today a senator, United States Senator for the great state of Pennsylvania. Go Fighting Quakers. Ladies and gentlemen, Senator John Federman. Sir. Yeah, first of all, where's, where's Senator Federman? All I see is a guy wearing a suit and tie.

[Senator John Fetterman]

So, yeah, this is not AI. It's not AI. If I could AI impose a suit, I would, but, but no, yeah, I'm in, I'm in a suit. But yeah, normally I.

[Host]

You have a job interview today.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, well, I mean, but it just, I thought, hey, I'm already in it, so maybe I could just be a treat for everybody.

[Host]

I feel terrible now.

[Senator John Fetterman]

I thought, yeah, I'm sorry if you, you know, dressed underdressed in honor, you might want a business casual like this.

[Host]

So how, how are things going down there? Do you like being a senator? Is that a, is that something that, is that an enjoyable job or is it just you sit around just fighting with everybody? What's, what's the vibe down there?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, I mean, it's, it's kind of a mixed thing. I mean, it's, it's obviously an honor to be one of Pennsylvania's voice here in the United States Senate. And it's also some, some of it's professional wrestling, not really kind of important stuff, but some of it's very important. And that's really why people, I assume, get into this to be part of that conversation. So overall, but I think I've said this, people would be surprised. It's not exactly really glamorous. And now like for me, I have a 300 square apartment here in D.C. back there. And it's, it's not like, it's not a lot of snappy, you know, West Wing kind of dialogue back and forth thing. A lot of. It's more like kind of a thing. But sometimes times it is really important thing that will impact a lot of millions and millions of American.

[Host]

Are you guys going to have your, your recess in August or is that, are they.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Far as I know.

[Host]

They keeping you there?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Last night there was an overwhelming, like, overwhelming bipartisan procedural vote last night for a continuing resolution. And I think it was 89. 4. And so overall that's.

[Host]

Can I guess the 4.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah. No shutdown. No shutdown. Yeah.

[Host]

Rand Paul.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, well, of course he votes no. Like he would be like cheeseburger and he would vote that shit down. I mean, but yeah, and then I think it was Warren and then I think Sanders. But overall, some people didn't go there because it was a travel day. But that's a strong statement saying that we want to avoid another shutdown. And I'm elated to know that without a doubt. I mean, we've been through the two longest shutdowns of all American history. And that maybe at some time put me at odds with my party because it's always a bad thing to shut our government down and it shuts down parts of critical of our country and it also punishes a lot of these workers. Now, everyone here in Congress are paid, but the people that aren't are like the people on the front line like at TSA and doing those things. So overall, we have to find a better way to, to figure out things without shutting our down in kind of a tantrum.

[Host]

How, how at odds are you with the party? You know, you said it sometimes puts you at odds. You clearly you're the guy everybody points to now as you're in the, I guess mansion or cinema role. The, the kind of contrarian. So, so what, what's your relationship now with the.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, thanks for bringing that up. I know. I mean there's, it's really, it's not, it's not that at all. I mean, I deeply respect them as well too, but I'm not that. I think it's like an easy take to assume that. And that's just not me. If you look at my voting record, I'm in 90 some percent voting the Democrat line. And now how I differ, how I differ is. And that's become much more and more pronounced. Israel after ten, seven, the gods of war. And nobody really saw how things would continue. We wouldn't be part of it. Now here we have at the Iranian war now and then in smaller, other kinds of way, shutting our government down. Countless kinds of vote to shut our government down. I would vote with the Republican side, not because I am a Republican, but just be the Democratic Party. We used to always be the party that says we must never shut our government down. That was part of what the Democratic Party really was. And I represented, I represent Pennsylvania, really the most purple state really, in the country. And now I don't represent just Democrats. I represent all people here in Pennsylvania. So these views are firmly rooted in basic kinds of Democratic values. But after the Trump reelection, that just kind of flipped some things on its head.

[Host]

And you, do you attribute that to, you know, the, what they call Trump derangement syndrome? Do you believe that, that the Democratic Party in those instances is suffering?

[Senator John Fetterman]

I agree. It is a real thing. It is a real thing. And that makes it more difficult to try to call balls and strike. And now, you know, I'm aware, I'm aware that if I happen to disagree with, like, the party line, you know, there's a price to pay. But I think it's more important to be, hey, I honestly think this is, this is the right take and I think what's appropriate and, and now, I mean, there's a lot of stories of how I've become, you know, increasingly more unpopular with, with Democrats in my state. And I'm aware of it. But these were all very specific choices because I think, you know, this is the correct take. And now I would rather have people know what I happen to believe because again, they are, they're rooted in very Democratic kinds of values.

[Host]

Well, let me, let me sort of. So let's, let's tease that out a little bit because I, you know, in, in America right now, the Republicans have the Senate, the House, the Judiciary, they have the trifecta Supreme Court, and they have the presidency. Yeah, Democrats represent, It's a pretty 50, 50 country, wouldn't you say? I mean, we're, you know, right now, at least Democrats are represented by, you know, millions and millions and millions of votes, but they don't really have the way that the Republicans have governed any say in anything. And so wouldn't you say that trying to use any leverage that they possibly could have to get things like reforms to ICE agents that don't seem to be trained, that are creating violence in the streets of America, that aren't going after the worst of the worst, but are frightening hardworking immigrants into staying in their homes. Don't you think that's a legitimate reason to try and leverage whatever opportunity they would have? TDS seems like a, a convenient excuse for a lot of legitimate concerns.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, well, the only actual tool and the only actual real leverage that Democrats have, that's the filibuster. A hundred percent. You know, and I, I just had an op ed in the Washington Post, and I was trying to remind America and Democrats specifically that we, including me, we were so wrong about scrapping the filibuster back in the 2022 cycle. Now, we all ran on that and we all were committed to eliminate the filibuster. And if we were successful, we may have passed some things back in 22, but 100% in January of 2024 or 2025, you know, they would have been able to run the table, 100% run. And if anyone that's listening have been horrified or troubled by a lot of the lot of legislation being proposed, that would have been amateur hour compared to how they would have been able to remake our society, because they would have had the trifecta. Trump was at the apex of his power and they could have passed and done everything. And if the Senate was working on basic majority like the House, we would have rendered ourselves as essentially a smaller version of the House and they would have been able to remake our society.

[Host]

Wouldn't you say they, they have remade our society, you know, by using gimmicks like reconciliation, by using, using executive power in ways that hadn't been used before. Haven't they done that already?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, well, a lot of those executive orders were just overturned or stopped by the courts. And now I know I kind of took, I kind of got whacked when I said, well, what is a real constitutional crisis? That's when the President is going to defy court orders. And because it doesn't describe the solution in the Constitution, that's a crisis. And as far as I know that the President hasn't defied a single court order. Now, a lot of noise, but he hasn't defied any specific ones.

[Host]

Well, he has, I mean, he's defied court orders and congressional law. I mean, just even in the TikTok case, you know, you guys voted that that had to be divested, and he just, he ignored that. He just didn't do it. And then he, he Handed a pretty powerful social media tool to his friends, the Ellisons and, and other people. I guess that's my point is I understand you're saying there are certain norms or things that you don't want Democrats to do, but given the legitimate concerns that people have about executive overreach, you know, these types of.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Sure, absolutely. That's a real thing.

[Host]

Of course.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah. But, but I'd like to revisit this idea, the filibuster. The Democratic Party, and I am part of it, and I was definitely part of that to eliminating the filibuster. How dangerous that was if we were successful and they would have been able to pass every single, you know, wish list, you know, on the Republican playbook. And now we would have been a whim of the political extremism and they'd be able to pass everything. The only thing that we, we've ever stopped Save Save America act and other things.

[Host]

Yeah, that's, that's the only thing the filibuster has, has actually done. In fact, you've played kind of a role in getting their nominees going. You've been kind of the, the contradictory vote from the Democrats to get him some pretty controversial appointees. I, I'm just curious because the filibuster seems like it hasn't really stopped them from doing, getting the people that they want, getting unqualified people into the Cabinet, into the, the Department of Justice. Yeah.

[Senator John Fetterman]

I mean, and, and many of them, many of them I didn't vote for. And if you're going to bring up Blanche, I'm not going to vote for him too. There are some that I would vote for and then there's, there's many that I haven't because that, it's just I don't believe that's the kind of right person for, for, for the job. Overall, I really try to call balls and strikes. I do think like, for example, Mayorkas, he did, he did a terrible job. He was, he was never should be impeached. He didn't break the law. You know, incompetence, you know, is not, you know, for impeachment, but, but overall, trying to describe an honorist assessment that as a Democrat from Pennsylvania, that's been my role and if you look at my voting record, I haven't changed these core things like pro choice. I don't pick on, turn our back on the gay or trans community in America and very, very pro immigration, very very pro union, all of those kind of boilerplate kinds of Democratic issues that, that hasn't changed. So, so that that's where we're at. And now you talk about ice. Absolutely. You know, like, I called for Noam. She has to go. And now we brought in a new leader. Now I've said this, deport all of the criminals. 100%. Deport all of them. I hope we could all agree on those things. We need to secure our border. We do need a secure border. And then I've said, do not target otherwise hardworking, you know, migrants that, that are a very important part of our economy, specifically, like in my state, in agriculture, too, or tourism or these other kinds of positions to trying to find the right balance of, of secure a border. Deport all the criminals, but stop targeting otherwise innocent kinds of migrants here.

[Host]

But they are, they are doing.

[Senator John Fetterman]

My wife was a former dreamer.

[Host]

Yeah, right. But that's my point is. So they are targeting those people. And, and they are. You know, there have been killings, and even Homan has admitted that the training on the killing in, in. I can't remember if it was Maine or if it was the one in Minnesota. You know, there's quite a few of them. So I guess my question to you is you're agreeing with the majority, I think, of. Of Democrats on that.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah.

[Host]

But not agreeing.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Vocal like.

[Host]

Right. But not agreeing with their method of trying to. How do Democrats influence that if the Trump administration is running roughshod over what you just said? They're not just doing the criminals. They've deported citizens or they've jailed citizens. They've taken immigration, which was generally a civil concern, and made it a criminal concern. They want to build giant warehouses where they just bring people that are there on. On civil violations or what used to be civil violations. So if they can't use things like a threat of a shutdown, where would. Where would you suggest they use their lack of power?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, you know, I work with the new Secretary Mullen, and now all of those warehouses in Pennsylvania were canceled. I mean, that's a fact. And, and shut the government down on that. There wasn't one single ICE reforms or anything. You know, like, you can want reforms and you can engage in those dialogue, but shutting the government down when that has zero, zero impact on the way Homeland Security is going to operate because they were funded through the big beautiful bill. The thing that I never. I did not vote for that as well, too. They had a limited money. So for me, it was a decision said, should I just vote to shut our government down? Even though every single Democrat in my caucus knew that it would have no direct or even indirect leverage over ice to behave the way that we all want them to do. So do that. That's a demand from an agitated angry base. And I'm willing to say, look, that's the wrong thing. That's the wrong solution for a reasonable conversation to have with people saying we want to make those kind of changes for ice.

[Host]

So, so what is the way to make those changes? Because my understanding of the shutdown was they were saying we will shut it down unless you make those changes. Not that somehow that those changes would be made because it wasn't funded. I understand that that's what you're saying, but that was the, the threat.

[Joan Stewart]

Yeah.

[Senator John Fetterman]

And there was no, there was no, no forced. Any kinds of things. So we, you know, the Democratic caucus there walked away with empty pockets about shutting our government bound on. On both sides. So that's it's, it's a reasonable kinds of concerns. But it's the wrong tool or the solution in order to achieve it. Win elections. Win elections. And then that puts you in the better position.

[Host]

Ground News. That's what I'm talking about. Because these guys, they're not listening. You know me. I'm not a big fan of the news outlets. Those bastards. That's right. Can I say that on this? Bastards. Ground News is a website and an app. Because this is America in the 2000s. You got to have an app and it helps you better understand the news you consume. They got a blind spot feed. Helps you find stories that aren't being covered by your side. It is instructional in a way. You begin to see the Matrix. The Matrix. Not the Matrix three or even two. The Matrix. The actual Matrix. The one with Neo. The real, not the. You know what I'm talking about. You can see who owns every news outlet and you compare how these different outlets frame their stories. Like Bezos might frame it differently. No, I'm just. I was just a name that popped into my head. No reason. No reason. Why to get the same unlimited access to the Vantage subscription, go to groundnews.com stewart and subscribe to get 40% off. I've partnered with Ground News to get you the discount that is available only for a limited time. That's ground news.com stewart or scan the QR code on screen. Thank you to Ground News for sponsoring this episode.

[Senator John Fetterman]

And now you have. You have my. My party, you know, they're returning back to the worst impulses. Abolish ice, Abolish the border. And say these kinds of extreme things.

[Host]

You're saying the Democratic Party is returning to Abolish ICE and abolish borders.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, I mean, a lot of the people that are winning, like, you know, you know, when we're filming this, you know, in Michigan, both, you know, the, the person that's going to win is a calling to abolish ice. And then the governor race in Wisconsin, she, in fact, she even said abolish prisons as well, too.

[Host]

She's. But she said that she had said that previously and she's walked that back in the same way that a lot of people, well, I mean, in the heat of the George Floyd moment said defund the police and then ultimately said, you know what, that, that was an emotional response. And I think that was the wrong policy. But aren't you elevating what seems to be a. I mean, how many people have like 3, 3 DSA or 5 there? It seems like the Democratic Party is, is largely still just the Democratic Party. And there are some people that associate with either the DSA or social democracies that are, that are gaining a foothold. But I, I don't imagine how many. What are we talking about, three or four?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, it's, it's, it's actually many more. There's one in Colorado. There's many in New York. And now I just seen the recent poll. Over a third of Democrats identify themselves

[Host]

as socialists or have sympathies towards in

[Senator John Fetterman]

that kind of way. So it is a significant issue. And I would remind people we got wrecked in 24 because a lot of the extreme things that we were saying in 2020 now came back to haunt us. And that's why we found ourselves here in the minority. And I'm saying, hey, we can't go back to the same extreme views because we have to win actual battleground states. It's not echo chambers in Brooklyn or now. And here you see the people with these extreme views are breaking through in Michigan and in Wisconsin and places like in Colorado in there. So I'm saying let's resist these extreme kinds of views to abolish everything. And now the DSA is, is an emerging factor here. Now that's, I'm not elevating him. I'm just describing what I'm witnessing that's coming as a regular Democrat. And now that's, that's the reality. And I think I expect Al Sayed will win by double digits.

[Host]

So let me, let me see if I can frame this in a slightly different way. Why do you think it is that there is a kind of momentum behind these more, you know, as you would call them, Extremists, or I would say, you know, they're a mix. There's a certain nuance to it. But don't you think that that's happening for a reason? In other words, the same sort of impulses and energies that drove Donald Trump's rise, economic populism, a dissatisfaction with the status quo on the Democratic side? Couldn't you say that this is happening because establishment Democrats, the party that you're talking about, that you think is the more reasonable party, hasn't delivered for people in the way that they think is appropriate? You know, these moments don't happen out of thin air. These are conditions on the ground where people are dissatisfied with the status quo, and you have candidates that come up and they present economic proposals and other proposals that feel more urgent to the moment. In other words, why are you blaming them when in some ways you could be blaming yourself and your colleagues?

[Senator John Fetterman]

It's not. Well, I'm not blaming. I'm describing here where we at and what's happening now, too. And I'm like, when we have people winning elections saying absurd kinds of positions that were absolutely toxic back in 2020 and saying, Stop saying these kind of extreme things are not workable in the real world overall. And don't we want to win? Do we want to be the people leading the conversation instead of having another kinds of subordinates position like we are currently in and have been since in January of 2025?

[Host]

So you think you lost in 2024 because of the extremism of Kamala Harris and Tim Walls or, Or the Joe Biden administration?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, I mean, I mean, I, I was, I was on the, you know, in fact, El Sayed, for example, he was a big leader in the uncommitted, Uncommitted, saying, don't vote Democrat. Don't vote for these people. And now, like some things that I've never done, you know, I drove thousands and thousands of miles all across Pennsylvania to try to elect Vice President Harris, and I've done that. But on the ground, it's very clear we're going down because the energy and a lot of the way that they've been positioned as people that are not in touch with people, and now we've lost the argument. And at no point that I had a strong feeling that we can win this. And anyone spent time in Pennsylvania there during that election, we all understood we have a serious challenge.

[Host]

But don't you think this, this new sort of energy and economic populism is a response to that?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, what is that? Is that Socialism. And in more it's communism. It's, you know that that's not an economic model that has never worked in, in the history.

[Host]

But that's, aren't you just. That sounds like a caricature. That doesn't. El Sayed is running on, he wants to ban corporate money, wants to tax, I guess higher taxes on, on billionaires for housing and education, Medicare for all. You know, when you say that's communism, that feels like, that feels like a caricature.

[Senator John Fetterman]

I, I never said that. I call real communists that, that are cheering for communism. People like Hasan Piker, for example, he's a big, big influence in the Democratic Party conversation and he is a communist. He celebrates Mao and describes and is going to be proud to visit Cuba and stand on people on those sides. That's not a smear. That's just using the kinds of words and the positions that he has made part of, part of his, his platform.

[Host]

So you're saying he says I'm a communist and I want America to be communist.

[Senator John Fetterman]

No, I'm saying, I'm saying that he has the kinds of views. Now you were very, very instrumental in delivering aid for victims of 9 11. You know, like, you know, you bet you've been here and you've been very effective for do that now for an individual. It says that America, we deserve that. Hey, I'm deeply offended by that and I don't support that and I'm certainly not going to campaign with him or I'm not going to explain that way.

[Host]

Well, Bill Maher said that the 911 terrorists weren't cowards and you went on his podcast and, and you talk to him all the time. So I guess what I'm saying is aren't you cherry picking certain things and maybe losing the forest for the trees?

[Senator John Fetterman]

2. The two things are not the same. You know, making, making a statement compared to saying that we deserve that, opposed to describing it in different terms. So that's just not, that's just not, not the same.

[Host]

But he's, he's not running.

[Senator John Fetterman]

And Bill Maher is not a communist too. Bill Maher does not describe Hamas as a thousand percent better than Israel.

[Host]

So for you it's, it literally is. They've made statements in the past or, or their economic policies are more sympathetic to socialism. So let me, let me shift it a bit. You want capitalism to survive?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yes, absolutely. I'm absolutely proud, proud American capitalist. And I do think, you know, I'm much more concerned about our country losing, losing to China in the AI race And now for me, another unpopular view that I might have as a Democrat. Data centers. Data centers. If we ban them or we have a long term moratorium, China would be elated on that. And you have frontier models like Mythos, and now the new AI version one, they've been able to break out. They've been able to break out and to hack and go attack other kinds of organizations. Thank God that they're American companies. The second the Chinese are able to have those frontier models and unleash them on there. So that's going to make these small, small potatoes in terms of the kind of economic damage that, that an AI model with those kind of capabilities like Mythos, you know, in the Chinese hands or say another one, you know, that's what I'm really concerned about for me.

[Host]

But that, I mean, that's a case for stronger regulation, which we aren't doing because the AI companies should have, we should have regulation. Right, but they're, we're not doing it because the AI companies are paying millions and millions of dollars into our government. But I want to get back to sort of what we're talking about. You're saying you're a capitalist. So this is, I just want to reframe the argument a little bit because Piker I don't think is a communist. I think he said he's socialist. But the point being, do you think capitalism isn't? One of the reasons there's so much energy on the left now for this type of populist rhetoric is that many people believe that capitalism as we are practicing it, meaning a lot of corruption, crony capitalism, a lot of the playing field is tilted towards capital investment and away from labor. That capitalism as it is being practiced in America is increasing inequality and leaving too many people behind. And that this energy is not there necessarily to destroy it, but to reform it in a way that will re balance the, the scale. This is, I guess what I'm asking is, don't you think this is coming from the lived experience of people under the way capitalism is being practiced in America in this moment?

[Senator John Fetterman]

I think I return it back to this idea that AI is transforming the world 100%, whether you have to like it or not. It's like if someone is going to win. And for me, I want America to win that because we are the good guy in this. And now the second we hinder our own ability to develop these kind of tools, the Chinese will seize the lead and then they would weaponize that in ways and the kinds of damage they could inflict are untold trillions. And that, that's my real concern for a lot about that overall.

[Host]

No, I think I'm understanding sort of your position on, on AI. I'm talking about the broader conversation on your being very critical of those on the left.

[Senator John Fetterman]

No, no, I'm not being critical. I'm just describing and I'm saying, you know, if anything, the left is very critical about, as a Democrat, as for me, that began, I have very strong views on Israel, you know, and I think it's a wrong thing to shut our government down.

[Host]

Understood. But I'm talking about the broader. You're saying you don't like these people because they're socialists and communists. No, you're a capitalist.

[Senator John Fetterman]

It's not a personal thing. Oh, it's not a personal thing.

[Host]

Well, you've caught, you've called them the dirtbag left, which is somewhat personal.

[Senator John Fetterman]

The dirt bag left. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, that's, that is, that is a term. That is a term. Absolutely.

[Host]

I mean it's, yeah, it's somewhat derogatory but, but my, I guess I'm trying to get to the point saying, do you think the way capitalism is working in this country is working, is working the way that it should? And don't you think that your voters, and you describe yourself as a progressive years ago, you don't do it anymore. But don't you think your voters are feeling the effects of a system that benefits capital and disadvantages labor?

[Senator John Fetterman]

I mean, for me, this, this, this idea there, you know, in terms of what, what is, what is a progressive right now. But for increasingly the defining issue with the Democratic Party is Israel and the Gaza war. Overall, that, that has become like the defining issue right now in a lot of these elections. You know, overall, and that's just my take more than anything else. My proud standing with Israel through everything after 107 has put me in odds more than anything individual in anything else overall.

[Host]

Hey everybody, if you know me, you know I like to cook. That's, that's the first thing that you think of, chopping herbs that I grew myself on land that I plowed with my hands. I don't even have a plow. I use my hands. That's how much I love the earth and food. But for those of you who are not like that, who are not me, who don't grow your own award winning cabbages, surely you follow my work at the state fairs with cabbages. There's a company called Factor Factor will do everything that I do out of love for you, out of convenience. The factor will shop, prep, cook and they will deliver it to your door. Not only will they shop, prep and cook, that's a difficult thing. They'll bring it to you. You don't even, you don't have to get out of your chair that you just leave your gullet open. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd pour it down your throat. I don't even think they might even chew it for you. That's how good these people are. And the meals are fresh. They're not frozen meals ready in two minutes and, and a hundred meals to choose from. More than that probably labor. I am the bear that is my life. But not everybody has that commitment. Not everybody is a Michelin star homemaker like I am. And if you're not, factor makes hitting them nutrition goals easily without planning and grocery runs and cooking. So please, please do this for yourself. Head to FactorMeals.com TWS50OFF and use code TWS50OFF to get 50% off and free daily greens per box with new subscription only while supplies last until September 27, 2026. See website for more details. So you're saying though, just to be clear, you believe that capitalism is, is working very well and that we really don't need.

[Senator John Fetterman]

And I'm, what I'm saying, John, is. Is. That's a, that's a fair question and I'll respond. Where is an example across the globe where it's working better? Socialism or, or communism have behaved in a better way that's more fair or equitable? Well, social democracies have raised the living of standard.

[Host]

So here's, here's what I'm trying to, to get at is that you're saying the argument is between capitalism the way it is, you get what you get and you don't get upset, or socialism and communism. And I'm saying the greatest threat to capitalism is that it's not delivering for the majority of people because the system is rigged for those who have capital and, and investment money. There's a million different ways that they do it. Lower tax rates on capital than labor. Untaxed or barely taxed, unrealized gains, corporate tax cuts, corporate loopholes, offshoring, friendly rules. There's, there's a million different things. So let's go back to the 30s. In the 20s and 30s, Norman Thomas was the socialist candidate for president. Eugene Debs was a candidate for president. These were socialists. They were people that, they felt like it was the Gilded Age inequality, it wasn't working for people. The depression hit the New Deal basically incorporated a lot of those socialist ideas for a social safety net, for better laws, for labor unions, benefited greatly from that, those reforms. And a lot of that energy came from what you would call the dirtbag left at that time. I would say saved capitalism and saved America from having more of a, a more socialist or communist type revolution. And don't you think we would be better off using the energy from the left for ideas like banning corporate money and strengthening labor unions, all stuff that I imagine you support, rather than denigrating them and caricaturing them, why not work with them so that the capitalist system

[Senator John Fetterman]

you love, what does that mean by working with them? And now. So overall, I don't necessarily agree with everything of your argument.

[Host]

Sure, sure.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, it's like the Great Depression. We're not in the Great Depression. And the economy continues to grow overall and Without a doubt. And then some things are too expensive. Without a doubt there are. But eventually I think the market will address that. Back in 24, the whole world was eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, you know, out of control. And now then when it, when it returned back to a normal price, people don't talk about eggs anymore. So it's a lot of these other thing, you know, overall. And then World War II. And that reminds the world that we saved, we saved democracy in our country and we are the good guys. And there are people on the far left now, they're making it seem that, that America is, is the problem or we are the, we are the aggressor or we are behind many of the troubles here across the globe.

[Host]

So in other words, if EL Said or AOC or Bernie Sanders has proposals that strengthen a social safety net or readjust corporate tax rates, or change the way that. Or here's just a simple one. Tax capital, capital gains in the same way you would tax salaries like work is for suckers. Work is taxed at a higher level than investments. Doesn't that, doesn't that tilt the playing field to people who already have money? And if the progressive left is saying these are the types of things that we need to do, wouldn't that appeal to you?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, what appeals to me is eliminating unlimited money and politics, without a doubt.

[Host]

And that's a position that they hold.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, it's, it's not. They, they don't own that. It's like I've been saying that. I mean any reasonable person realize that unlimited money is a poison in American democracy. I've been saying that from the beginner. It's not something that they own. Or for that. Now my race, my race, my race was $320 million in my race in 22 and then in the 24 cycle was half a billion dollars for a Senate race. And now watch, watch how out of control that race is going to get here in 26 and then in 28. It's going to make my race look quaint in terms of the billions of dollars that are being thrown at that. That more than anything is the accelerant on and it's fueling a lot of the extremism for now too. And also another problem is the primary system too. The extreme, extreme views are the most activated and they are the most part of the primary. And then that pushes people away from a reasonable kinds of solution for thing to, you know, it whether on both sides, left or right too. And, and I, I reject both the extremes on, on either side.

[Host]

But it seems like you're more comfortable angrily denigrating the extreme or what you consider the extreme on the left than the right. Like in the, in the way that you felt in, in the way that you talk to El Sayed. Like why call them pro Hamas if they just want to criticize?

[Senator John Fetterman]

I, I said that because he's campaigning with people that are absolutely pro Hamas.

[Host]

Well, who you mean? Hassan Piker, you say is pro Hamas. And so you're, you're basing this just on that he said, you know, like

[Senator John Fetterman]

if you campaign and proud to align yourself with pro, very pro Hamas people, it's a reasonable person to conclude. It's like, yeah, I, you know, I, I have a pro view for Hamas,

[Host]

but I guess what I'm saying is I feel like you're caricaturing people's views if they're critical of Israel. If someone says I think Hamas and Israel are both criminal organizations, you know, doing killing people for terrible reasons, that's. How is that pro Hamas? That's not saying.

[Senator John Fetterman]

No, what I'm saying it's like people that just says Hamas is a thousand percent them are democratic or ally Israel, then yeah, that's pro Hamas.

[Host]

But saying they're less evil than Israel if they think Israel is evil is not the same as pro. I'll give you an example.

[Senator John Fetterman]

No, like, like pikers. Piker said a lot of incredibly, you know, very pro Hamas kind of thing. I'm not going to. It's like, it's like if you support Hamas and campaign with people that support Hamas, then that identifies someone as pro Hamas.

[Host]

I guess what I'm saying is I don't, I have not seen Statements where these candidates say, I am pro Hamas. Hamas. What I have seen is statements where they are very critical of Israel, the Israeli government and the way that they have conducted themselves in Gaza. And by the way, they're not alone. The ICC and the UN and Human Rights Watch have all been unbelievably critical. And I guess I'm having trouble figuring out why. I feel like you're caricaturing it. Let me, let me go at this a different way. You're pro gay rights? Yes.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah. I mean, I'm coming up on the 13th. I'm on the Pro 13th anniversary. I was the first, first person to. To solemnize a gay marriage, you know, when it was illegal in Pennsylvania.

[Host]

Beautiful. Yeah. And you're. And, and you're someone who is pro trans rights.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Or, or I. Absolutely. Okay. I was, I was the only Democrat that saying, you know, when, when, when they actively were trying to ban trans Americans from our military.

[Host]

Right, Very. You know, so what the right would say about that is that you're pro mutilation of children. That's what they would say. That would be their caricature of your position. Do you agree that that's what they would say?

[Senator John Fetterman]

What I would, what I would say is. What I'm saying is, is right now our party is starting to elect people that are going to struggle to win in the kinds of places that are gonna define who's going to win in 28. That's a fact. And now a lot of these ideas and a lot of these extreme views are coming from the kind of people that have never won a real competitive election in state that holds both sides and hold people accountable to explain a way forward when we live in a very divided country right now. So overall, I think the responsibility is to police. To police your own ranks, you know, and it's like there's plenty of people, as I've been criticizing some of the Republican views, but overall, describing what garbage is garbage, like P. Hustle in Maine, you know, like I was, you know, like he was an absolute garbage.

[Host]

Oh, Platner.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Platner. Yeah. I mean, like, so that's not a caricature.

[Host]

And you were saying that before the allegations of rape.

[Senator John Fetterman]

What I'm saying is it's like a Nazi tattoo on your chest means like, yeah, you probably have Nazi inclinations. And if you are accused of roughing up your ex girlfriends. Yeah, that's a non starter for me. And if you think an American hero that's being shot by the Taliban is a dumb motherfucker that deserves to die. I think that disqualifying is too. I think Maine has a better person to. To represent, you know, my party.

[Host]

So I. There's just a couple things here, and I appreciate you having the conversation. If your concern is elections, me too.

[Senator John Fetterman]

You've been very fair here.

[Host]

Absolutely. If your concern is winning elections, I don't know if you coming out and calling people pro Hamas, which I think is a caricature of many of their positions, is that helpful to them. And second of all, you've been very, you know, you called President Trump a jag off in 2016. Like, we all, we all have tweets.

[Senator John Fetterman]

I put it on a shirt. I sold them.

[Host]

You put it on a shirt. And now you've been very complimentary to him. And if your concern with Graham Platner is you didn't think he was very nice to women, you're ignoring an awful lot of evidence for the current president about his relationship with women. So my point is there seems like there's a way to go about this that embraces, as you said, the 90% of things that you agree with and try and utilize that energy to reform a party that has a worse public image than herpes in terms of getting things done. This feels like it's playing into the hands of Republican caricatures.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Why can't people on the Democratic pie finally figure out why Trump was so competitive and winning two out of the three last cycles? Why is he still here? Why are we still doing it? Because we keep losing and now we keep returning back some of the extreme thing. That's not a caricature.

[Host]

That.

[Senator John Fetterman]

That is a fair assessment of where we are with these kind of things.

[Host]

But we didn't. You. Kamala Harris is. Was not a progressive left candidate. She was not a Tim Wall like there. I guess everybody said Donald Trump couldn't win.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, I campaigned all across it. That and now, you know, all those signature kinds of Trump things. Big beautiful bill. I did not vote for that. And save Act, I said will not vote for that. And some of these big signature ones. And when we vote for Blanche in this week when we're filmed, I won't for him either as well now, too. So what really matters is the votes and what's behind that. And what's really set me apart of most of the Democratic Party is Israel. And that's fair. It criticized John Fetterman on Israel, without a doubt, 100. 100%. So that's been primarily. And that's been driving our party in ways.

[Host]

Is. Is that so for you, you could agree with them 90%. But Israel is the red line.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Absolutely. Israel for me. Like I, I can't ever turn my back to Israel after, after where it's at.

[Host]

But so, and, and I mean no disrespect on this, but that is not our country. So it's, I don't under. You're saying that these candidates may have great ideas for our economy. They may want to do the exact same thing you want to do in terms of getting money out of politics. They may want to increase the social safety net. They may want to change the balance of power from capital back to labor. But if they don't agree with you on Israel, you don't want them in your party.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, I don't know who you're referencing to specifically.

[Host]

No, I'm, I'm, I'm referencing what you just said.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Name one. Platner.

[Host]

So in other words, Syed or AOC or Bernie Sanders. I assume you agree with a lot of what they say economically.

[Senator John Fetterman]

And what I'm saying is like if you are a DSA member, if you are a member of a specific political party, run under your own banner. And now I think Bill Maher said something very insightful. He said, you know, the DSA are colonizing, colonizing the Democratic Party. So just be Democrats. If you're going to run under the Democratic Party for that, why have a DSA party for overall.

[Host]

But aren't there, aren't there things? It's, it's just an organization. It's not. We, we have a two party system. We don't. It's like the Freedom Caucus in the Republican Party. There are, you know, there's Randy Fine and Ogles and all these nut bags that are also part of an area. And Republicans, I'm sure may not agree with all of them on all kinds of things. But there is no other party. I guess you could, you could try it. But my point is if you don't disagree with them on a lot of things, why not use some of that energy? And even like Mamdani in New York is dsa, but there are things in the DSA platform that he disagrees with. And I'm assuming there's probably things in the Democratic platform that you might disagree with, but you don't disavow the entire thing. You're literally saying it's all, we can all have discussions except when it comes to Israel, which is not America, it seems like a weird line to draw.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, I don't think that's weird. I think what History demonstrates is that when people or government or people turn their back to the Jewish community, things end really badly.

[Host]

Jewish community and Israel are not the same thing, brother man. They're not. That is not the same thing.

[Senator John Fetterman]

No, no, no. It's like, hey, it's like if I have to pick a side for after 10, seven and after Iran, you know, I'm always going to stand with Israel. I'm always going to vote and support whatever that's necessary to protect themselves and to prosecute Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran too. And the very left never said a peep after Iran executed 30 to 40,000 young people in there just for protesting for democracy.

[Host]

You think that the left is pro Iran, Pro not, not the country, but the, the regime. They're, they're not.

[Senator John Fetterman]

I, I'm, I'm. What I'm saying, what I'm saying though is like if, if, if anyone in the democratic is fine with Iran building a nuclear bomb, I disagree with that person.

[Host]

I, I think most people are. Again, I, I think you're caricaturing the issue, but I want to. Is there anything you would criticize Israel about?

[Senator John Fetterman]

No. What I would say is, is that I have not a single Democrat that's willing to go on record saying, I'm cool, it's okay if Iran builds a nuclear bomb. And I supported last summer bombing the Iranian nuclear facilities. I think that was a necessary and important thing because Iran is becoming close, close, close to building a nuclear bomb. And that would, I think the case

[Host]

was not made by this administration that Iran was close. Netanyahu has been claiming they're two weeks away for the last 20 years. But my point is. So would you say everything Israel is doing is for their own self defense? That the way that they've taken up destroying its enemies?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, yeah. That is destroying its enemies or flattening

[Host]

a tiny area and pushing 2 million people into 30 to 35 to 40% of that territory and having a siege of that area. Is that in their, is that in their self defense?

[Senator John Fetterman]

No, what I'm saying, it's like people forget that, that Hamas were just rapists and they were terrorizing and killing civilians and then they stole five. No. How many? 250 people from their families and they kept them underground and brutalized them and raped them and starved them for over two years and that's why they refused to give them back. And that's what forced Israel to engage in that Gaza war when they refused to send their people.

[Host]

And there is nothing in the prosecution of that war that gives you pause

[Senator John Fetterman]

what do you mean?

[Host]

The killing of tens of thousands of children?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Absolutely awful. Absolutely. Because Hamas has embed themselves, you know, behind these people and using the Palestinians as human shields. Sinwar described the death of innocent Palestinians as a necessary sacrifice. That's how Hamas has designed that.

[Host]

There are people in Netanyahu's cabinet who have said they would like to nuke the Palestinians. Not Hamas, the Palestinians. I'm just. I guess what I'm trying to get at is I don't understand why we can't criticize even someone that you think is an ally for actions that we deem to be morally reprehensible. Like, I don't understand how you can defend the settlements in the West Bank. And, you know, I don't understand how you have no criticisms over their actions, over their increasingly messianic, ultra right wing government that seems to think relentless war is the. Like, that you can bomb people out of resistance. It's. Have you ever seen a movie called Gatekeepers? It's people that have been in Shin Bet and ran the army in Israel and they're talking about how the strategy that Israel has of, of disproportionate retaliation, even though they are by far the most powerful force in that region, is not a path to keep Israel safe.

[Joan Stewart]

Foreign,

[Host]

you know, obviously it's a podcast. So, like, you got to do ads. That's just kind of the way the world works. And you do the ads and you try and be selective in terms of the companies. Like, somebody might come to you and say, would, you know, we'd like to advertise with you? And you're like, wait, but don't you guys make a Death Star? But every now and again a company comes along and you're like, oh, I use those. You actually go like, oh, yeah, those are great. And that's where we're at now. Bombus. Bombus is great. I use those. And, and, and not just like, not in, in the sense of like, oh, socks. Yeah. I mean, everybody uses those. I'm not a delicate flower. I'm not. I'm not one of those bold Docksider no sock dudes that we all read about in the 80s, bonfire, the vanities and such. None of that. No, I wear the socks for comfort, but the socks I wear are Bombus. They're phenomenal socks. They're. They're soft, they're top of the line. They feel incredible. On, on the feet. When your feet feel good, that's the starting block. That's the, the baseline. That's your foundation. You know, What I'm saying now they got T shirts and underwear too. What? Start with the foundation and build all the way up in comfort and generosity. By the way, head over to bombas.com weekly and use code weekly for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O m b a s.com weekly code weekly at checkout. Do it now you fucks.

[Senator John Fetterman]

What I'm saying is that Israel was entirely open to a two state solution. They were offered a two state solution. I actually got a chance to talk to former President Clinton about that and reminds the people that they were offered 96% of the West bank and they get to pick 4% for part of Israel and they had East Jerusalem as the capital and they would have had their entire nation now going on 26 years. Now they reject that. They did not want a two state solution. They have a one state solution. And that's from the river to the sea. And that's part of why antisemitism is run amok in our college campuses and in the streets. And now they're protesters showing up in my office, at my home and following me and screaming and calling about, and claiming about genocide. And now it's not a genocide. And if there was a genocide, that's because Iran refuses to relinquish this idea that they can destroy Israel. Now live in peace and now live your lives and stop funneling billions into the Hezbollah and Hamas trying to destroy Israel. That's, that's the honest and the dynamic in the region. And now there will be a democratic election in Israel in October. Will Netanyahu win or not overall. But that's the true only democracy in the entire region. So it's like I've never said that Israel is perfect. What I'm saying though, that's our special ally. And until we're admittedly at war, I'm going to stand with our special ally and describe the circumstances with Hamas or Hezbollah or the way Iran continues to behave.

[Host]

No one's saying it's not a dangerous neighborhood, but I think the behavior of that government is worth more than. And as they're not just special neighbor and ally, we're the ones who fund a great deal of it. You know, they've, Israel has made in the way that they've sort of indirectly funded Hamas, it very difficult for moderates, you know, when, I mean we're getting into a, a whole thing here. But I think you believe Netanyahu and his government are operating in good faith, that they really want a peace deal. And I'm Saying they're not. Netanyahu has been very clear that he doesn't want a two state solution. He said it, he said it's not going to happen. There will be no two state solution. And yet they say that they are a democratic state, but demographics there would say they can't be a true democracy because they'd be worried about that diluting what they consider to be their Jewish state. Now, that's a whole other argument of whether states should be this or that. But the point being that when we went to war in Iraq or we went to war in Afghanistan, I criticized America for the way that they were prosecuting that war and the cavalier way in which we were wasting American treasure and American lives. That doesn't make me pro Al Qaeda in the same way that if you criticize Israel for devastating an enormous group of people because of Hamas, not Palestinians, Hamas, they are not the same. Jews are not the same as Israel.

[Senator John Fetterman]

They are the government that the Hamas, the Palestinian people have elected.

[Host]

They elected them in, what is it, 2008. And there hasn't been an election since. And it was a desperate people in

[Senator John Fetterman]

a siege situation because they elected a murderous, you know, system.

[Host]

Now, Sharon pulled out the, the settlements from Gaza and then you had a double blind study. Where was Israel going to help the moderates or was it going to empower the extremists? And Israel's actions during that time empowered the extremists and undercut the moderates. And they've done that over and over and over again. Look, you can say that the Palestinians are trying to kill the Jews, right? But it's, let's say it's Hamas or Hezbollah or whatever it is, or Iran, Jewish settlers are killing Palestinians. And when they asked Netanyahu about it, he said, well, it's just like 100 to 150 juvenile delinquents and we can't quite get a handle on it. Meaning Israel wasn't able to control this small element that was killing people. Does that mean that the international community should say, you don't deserve a state because you don't have total control of the violent elements in your mess? But that's what they're saying. Why does Israel get to decide?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, the defining question is, does Israel engage in a genocide in, in Palestine?

[Host]

Well, according to the people that define those things, yes.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Okay, well, and I strongly disagree with that. By definition, that wasn't a genocide. The Jewish community actually experienced a true, true genocide for that. Now, if Israel's goal was to eliminate, you know, as many Palestinians as possible. They could have accomplished that in a lot long time ago. For that they were not engaging in a genocide.

[Host]

Just because you're killing a group, just because you're killing a group slowly doesn't mean you're not killing a group. Just because you could do it faster.

[Senator John Fetterman]

No, no, no. That, that, that was the terrible cattle, the collateral, you know, of a, of an urban war that forced Israel to fight behind because Hamas was holding their hostages and refused to disarm and send our people back home.

[Host]

I think they've killed like 1200 Palestinians since the ceasefire.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, most of them were killing Hamas leadership. And I think that's necessary. When you have people that were responsible for organizing 10 7, it's like, I think it's entirely appropriate to eliminate them.

[Host]

I think eliminating the people who organize 107 is entirely appropriate. That is absolutely correct. But in the same way that if we had gone into Afghanistan and just flattened it, the American people would have been outraged that we had no discernment, that we couldn't tell the difference. The issue here is dehumanization. Whether you're dehumanizing Jews and relating them to Israel. When you dehumanize a group, when you're unable to discern the difference between the worst of the worst, the same way we're doing with our immigration policy, it all ties together through Middle east policy. If we allow dehumanization in any form, then we are complicit in the results of those dehumanizing actions. And by being unable to tell the difference between a democratic socialist and a social democrat and a Hamas supporter and a communist and, And a Zionist and a Jew and Netanyahu and an actor in good faith, we lose the ability to solve the problems that we're facing because we are caricaturing and dehumanizing.

[Senator John Fetterman]

John, is it a fair. Is it a fair question here? Has become the term Zionist. That's become a slur. You know, on the democratic side, if someone refers to your. You're a Zio or you're a Zionist, that's become essentially a slur for people to say that thing. And that's part of where the party has lost its way in there. If you're describing people that I'm very supportive of a Jewish state and they've weaponized that against people.

[Host]

I think if they believe that that Jewish state is acting in a manner that is overly violent and dehumanizing and constantly at war in a region, that's where that's coming from.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, or it's like If Hamas refuses to disarm and they refuse to send their people back home, I mean, then still right now they've never been able, willing to just disarm and now start the process that made them viable targets. And I support Israel eliminating people that were part of planning 10 7.

[Host]

I think most people support people eliminating Those who supported 10 7. But will Israel disarm the settlers? I mean, they've, they've given them weapons and those weapons are being used to kill.

[Senator John Fetterman]

There are moving, they're moving parts. But what makes it impossible right now? Because Hamas and Iran and Hezbollah refused to say, look, we've lost and now we have to find a better way to rebuild our society. And I'd remind people that Iran eliminated and just killed in their streets and just killed tens of thousands of its own young people. Yes, they're hanging teenagers for just asking for democracy too. I don't see the kind of college protest outrage and saying how Iran has done.

[Host]

And they continue because they don't consider Iran an ally. They don't give money to Iran. We don't give billions of dollars a year to Iran. We sanction them. We try to do various things to remove, we try and scorn them, we try and create the situation to undermine that regime. But what we haven't learned is that 40 and 50 years of endless wars don't get us the peaceful results that we are searching for. They don't make it that the whole point of all of this is to build coalitions of, of nations of good faith to try and create a safer and less violent world and not just play into it with bigger weapons and more weapons. Because we see what happens. All the bombing that we've done in Iran and they've got some lawnmower parks and a couple of Radio Shack things and they continue to keep the Strait of Hormuz close. Like when are we going to learn that violence or in Stephen Miller's thing, right makes might makes right. When are we going to learn that's not necessarily the case, that the whole point for us should be to create a society and institutions that move us away from that violence.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Because we've already discovered a quarter century ago that peace and negotiating a very incredibly insanely fair settlement, they rejected that. They don't want that. You know, we've tried other thing right now and if, if Hamas and Iran did not done what's happened in 10 7, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now.

[Host]

I don't know that we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. Because at every turn the answer has always been tighter control over areas that Palestinians live in and, and more bombing and, and more things. I don't, I don't necessarily know that that's the case. And all the Arab states in 2002 offered Israel to normalize relations for the granting of a Palestinian state and Israel rejected it. And Rabin, who was trying to make peace in that area with the Palestinians, was assassinated not by Hamas, but by an Israeli extremist. So the idea that they are somehow blameless or have done nothing wrong is. I don't understand why we can't criticize them.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, I, I am not ever going to think, well they have a valid point. If they're killing and, and firing rockets at civilians and now they're raping them and they're filming, you know, setting families on fire for the way they behave that thing. And they abuse the own Palestinians too. And all of those accusations have been disproven, no question about starving people. And now the UN just acknowledged, actually Hamas has been, been stealing all of the aid and they keep the prime stuff and they resell the stuff to the poor Palestinians as well too. A lot of that.

[Host]

So I just got it. I mean even senior military officials had told the New York Times in July of 2025 that there was no evidence that Hamas systematically stole UN aid. But that's not the point.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well in June 26 is that there was evidence there. They were right. It' true.

[Host]

I think if, if we don't have the ability to criticize a so called ally for egregious and violent behaviors, then we are not an ally and we shouldn't be because we should have the ability to stand up morally in situations that we need to, even for people that we believe to be on our quote unquote side. And our inability to do that is, is, is a real detriment to our own moral foundation.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, I mean I'm very much aware what the democratic base would demand of me and to have these specific kind of beliefs and views and take the kind of votes and I, I refuse to do that knowing exactly that that would put me in political peril. And I don't have any regret about those things. So. But, but overall for me, you know, when you have this extension kind of a war after TAN7 and how things continues to continue for under those terms now it's like what side? Hamas? Israel. Israel. That's an easy choice. Hezbollah firing tens of thousands of rockets said civilians in, in Israel. I absolutely going to support Israel. What about Iran is same thing right now.

[Host]

What about team humanity?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Oh, yeah. I mean, I, I am where it's

[Host]

not actually that choice. It's about why are we, why are we willing to sacrifice so many young people that have nothing to do with any of this in that region for this idea that it's merely Hamas versus Israel? That's just an over, I think, simplification of what's happening there.

[Joan Stewart]

Yeah.

[Senator John Fetterman]

I mean, and what's becoming is this entire conversation.

[Host]

Yeah, you're right, you're right.

[Senator John Fetterman]

It's been a very fair conversation.

[Host]

No, no, no, no, no, I appreciate it.

[Senator John Fetterman]

And it's like this become like the ultimate litmus, you know, as Democrats emerging right now. And now, I'm not, I'm not dumb. I know voting, voting against the war powers thing. I know that's incredibly toxic as a Democrat right now, but I do think it's fundamentally important to make sure that Iran is not able to build a nuclear bomb. So that's, that, that's just put me where I'm at. We have different views and, and that's, that's defining the Democratic Party in some ways.

[Host]

I think we have the same views, but with different strategies. I guess what I would say is I'm not down with the nuclear bomb and I'm not down with Hamas, and I'm not down with a murderous Israeli regime that dehumanizes a huge group of people either. I'm not down with a world that has lost the ability to solve its problems through collective action and diplomacy. That's the biggest problem. And our government is complicit in that as well. Now, you know that dysfunction. How do we get back to that, Senator? How do we get back to a functional, like even the immigration system? Lankford comes up with a solution that both parties sign off on and Donald Trump comes in before the election and says, tank it, because I want to run on the dysfunction of the immigration system.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah. And I, I knew, I knew we would get rolled on that. I'm like, there's no chance Trump is going to hand over one of their largest kinds of issues. Like, I've, I fully expect that we were going to get rolled over the, the bipartisan deal on, on immigration now. So that's, that's what happened.

[Host]

So in your mind, is it possible to get back to that or are we now just in a dysfunctional cycle and are you more worried about the progressive left than you are about the right?

[Senator John Fetterman]

I'm worried about. We. People are forgetting. It's like, how do we win Elections. It's like, you know, have, have the kind of views that the majority of people that are going to define who's going to be the next wave of leadership. You know, you have to win these people over and not offend them or to put them off the way that's already happened and have made the Trump administration so competitive over the last three cycles, winning two of the three and could have easily won the one in the middle now too. Now there was no voter fraud in Pennsylvania. As the Lieutenant Governor, I've described that. Secure, you know, absolutely fair, fair, fair. If you only complain about an election, if you lose, then obviously that's demonstrating that that's what's behind those things. So that's where we're at. And these extreme views that have never won, have never won a meaningful election overall. I'm saying let's consider, like, let's not revisit that after we've seen how badly that's ended.

[Host]

Any possibility they're running to the left in the primary and will tack a little bit to the center in the, in the regular election.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Well, well, I mean, who knows how that's going to be the, under these extreme things. You know, Trump administration has made virtually anything politically possible and that's why you have some of these people in our party winning that have described things and extreme views that it's made it's okay. Or they dismiss it or say that it doesn't really matter.

[Host]

Right. Well, we certainly appreciate the conversation, Senator. You've been very generous with your time. You've been wearing a suit which I have to tell you gives you a little gravitas. As you were talking I was like, you know, I wasn't going to listen to this guy, but I'm, but overall,

[Senator John Fetterman]

John, you know, I've always been a long term fan. Like we, we discussed where when you made some guys famous because of the 6 degree from bacon.

[Host]

Kevin Bacon, yeah.

[Senator John Fetterman]

That's how long I've been with you back then.

[Host]

Did you go to college with those guys?

[Senator John Fetterman]

Yeah, yeah, I went to college with those guys, yeah. All right.

[Host]

The six degrees of Kevin Bacon guys. Yeah, yeah.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Found out the genius that Kevin Bacon was, was connected entire the universe overall. So that's how long I've followed you. But thank you for having me on and this was a very fair conversation.

[Host]

Well, that's very kind of you, sir. I appreciate your time and I appreciate your passion.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Likewise.

[Host]

And, and, and enjoy, enjoy the rest of your day.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Okay, well, you as well.

[Host]

Thank you, sir. Take care. Hey folks, I know Most people look at me and they think to themselves, well, that that's a fashion plate right there. But actually, you know what? I am comfortable. You might be thinking about, sure, if you wear the same T shirt as last week. But do you know where you can find clothing that fits into this? A company that I actually love, Quince. Quince has got all the fall staples denim, the boots, leather jackets, the unbelievably soft. What do they call them there, 100% Mongolian cashmere sweaters. I'm not talking about, you know, Des Moines cashmere. Mongolian cashmere. So what makes Quince different? They work directly with ethical factories. They cut out the middlemen. You get top quality materials and craftsmanship at half the price of other premium brands. Go to quint.com TWS for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U I N C E.com TWS free shipping and 365 day returns. Quint.com TWS folks, I don't know if you can hear it in my voice. I'm tired. Didn't sleep well last night. I need a good night's sleep. I always need a good night's sleep. And you know what I could do? I could buy a new mattress. Little. Maybe a princess bed. Maybe get a little four poster thing, throw some mosquito netting on there. Spend a ton of money. Or I gotta do the only thing that matters. Get some nice sheets. Some nice, clean, freshly done, comfortable sheets. That's what you need. The bowl and branch way. It's the best way to get a better night's sleep is the bedding. Get the nice bedding you don't want, the chafing bedding you don't want. I sleep in corduroy. Who would do that? Makes no sense. You can upgrade your sleep with Boland branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping. BolandBranch.com TWS with code TWS. Boland Branch B O L L A N D Branch.com TWS code TWS to unlock 15% off. Exclusions apply. That was interesting. Yeah, I'm not really sure what to think here. He definitely feels very strongly about certain issues.

[Joan Stewart]

One in particular.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Yeah, yeah.

[Host]

I feel like we all just got out of one of those movies. You know those movies where it's like sort of, it's like there was like a weirdly traumatizing scene in the movie and now we're all just like, do you guys.

[Joan Stewart]

So I'm gonna take the sea train.

[Host]

Do you want to go get something. I guess I'm just gonna go get a slice and maybe go home, sit

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

in the quiet together and.

[Host]

Yeah. But I'm weirdly thrown off right now.

[Joan Stewart]

Yeah. I mean, what I will say in looking into him is like, he's right. He does vote with Democrats over 90% of the time. And even though, you know, he doesn't grant that same leniency to other people that vote with him that would vote with Democrats 90% of the time because he disagrees with them over Israel, like, he is better. You know, I think about it in baseball terms like he has a high war. He's better than. He's better than Mehmet Oz in terms of wins above replacement. But I would still rather.

[Host]

You have no idea how happy you're making me right now. If you start going into advanced Senate analytics.

[Joan Stewart]

He has a high war.

[Host]

Fantastic.

[Joan Stewart]

You know, he's better than a Republican in that position. And I think a lot of Republicans would say he has a high war and that he's better than a Democrat in that position. But I think both parties would rather somebody more in line with their viewpoints in that position. And so the fact that he's running again, I think is totally delusional.

[Host]

Well, he's going to have to pull either an Independent. I don't think Republicans. I mean, maybe he can win there as a Republican. I just don't know how.

[Joan Stewart]

No, I don't think he can win there.

[Host]

I don't know what he would have to do to. To flip that around.

[Joan Stewart]

He made a totally fair point that in terms of the signature legislation of this administration, he has not been on board with it. What he has done is made it a little bit. He's, you know, greased the wheels a bit on tough votes for them. He's made it so they can peel off a couple people here and there. Susan Collins, guess what? You get to look good to Maine because John Fetterman has flipped sides. And that's called politics. And if you're not good at doing that, you shouldn't be in politics.

[Host]

And the other thing that I think he didn't acknowledge is that it's one thing to vote with Democrats 90% of the time. It's another thing to recognize people's frustration with Democrats not delivering when they had power, when they're out of power. Like, the reason why the energy is coming from the left is dissatisfaction with this. It's not extremism. Kamala Harris didn't lose because the country thought she was nuts and extreme. It's that Democrats didn't believe in her enough.

[Joan Stewart]

Didn't present a vision. She didn't present a vision.

[Host]

Only at 107 days.

[Joan Stewart]

Yeah. What?

[Host]

I memorized the days you guys brought it up last time, and I didn't know that it was 107. And now this time I know he's

[Joan Stewart]

never going to forget it ever tattooed on his.

[Host]

I'm never going to forget it ever again.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Brittany, should we take a deep breath and do some questions?

[Joan Stewart]

Should we take a shot and do some questions?

[Host]

All like. I do feel like. What the.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

All right, all right.

[Host]

What do we got, Brittney?

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

John, did Senators Cornyn and Tillis just get bamboozled by Trump and Blanche, or will Trump and Blanche keep their word?

[Host]

Oh, I think they'll keep their word. You know, there's a saying in Washington. There is no more honorable a promise than a Trump promise. That's why, you know, they don't just build triumphal arches for everybody.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Of course not.

[Host]

You have to earn the triumphal arch. You have to earn the drained reflecting pool. No, I think that in many ways, Tillis and Corin took a large knife to the lining of the Senate, to

[Joan Stewart]

their own integrity, to their own.

[Host]

I mean, even in the thing. Like, it's not just the weaponization fund, the 1.8 billion, which I'm sure he'll reconstitute in some other.

[Joan Stewart]

Hey, it's 1.776.

[Host]

All right, 1.776. That, that, that. That's a good point. And watch. We're a weird $1.776 billion gap in snack benefits to babies that don't have formula. Like, he'll find it somewhere. But the idea that they didn't have the balls to be like, oh, and you're not immune from the irs.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Yeah.

[Host]

Like, you're. You don't just get to do whatever the you want whenever the you want to do it. Like, that was their principled stand. Like, and they've got nothing to lose.

[Joan Stewart]

Nothing. They've already lost it all.

[Host]

You know what's nice to know about that, though? Sometimes you think, you know what these guys are cowards, that they hold what they really believe for political expediency. They don't ever say it. They don't stand on principle because they're fearful of. Of losing their livelihood in the Senate. And it's nice to know that for these guys, they're actually just shitty. That there is no moral principle that they're standing on that freed from the. The bounds of primaries and losing your job, they still Suck, period.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Just the worst.

[Host]

Love it. What else we got?

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

John, do you think a third party created by Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene is the answer to the flaws of the two party political system?

[Host]

You know, I don't know, but, you know, obviously being one of the first people on their mailing list, I'm going to assume that I'll. That I'll find out to get into the platinum subscriber circle that I had to do. And just a few fealty. My favorite thing was the picture of it. Like, it's a picture, but it's taken for like, I don't know if there was an adjunct restaurant or like a different. Like there was a little area over there by the Sunday bar and they were like, do you guys want to take a picture of this? Oh, and make sure no one can recognize us? Sure, I can do that. I can do that. From way back. You want to make, you want to make sure you get in the entirety of the restaurant. You want to get in all the decorations.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

I think it was Tucker's house.

[Host]

What?

[Joan Stewart]

Oh, my God, you're right.

[Host]

He lives in a Cracker Barrel.

[Joan Stewart]

His basement, it looks like. It literally looks like an Applebee's.

[Host]

Yeah. So this is, this is the new Tucker, by the way.

[Joan Stewart]

Yeah, the cabin in Maine Tucker.

[Host]

Yeah, he was the old. The old Tucker was. I'm Buckley. I've got the thing. I'm a young conservative with a sassy mouth and a contrarian streak. And now he's like, no, I'm actually the Marlboro man, honey. I'm gonna head on out to the, to the podcast minds. Put in my eight hours a day toiling with the microphones.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Get some dirt under his fingernails.

[Host]

Let me get that dirt under. Let me rub a little bit on my forehead and take one of them pictures in that. What do you call it there? Sepia. Let me put five zins in my pants. Is that shoeless tobacco or are you just happy to see me?

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

America first, baby.

[Host]

What else we got?

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Last not least. What is James Carville?

[Host]

That is. Did you see Disclosure Day?

[Joan Stewart]

Yeah.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

No.

[Host]

Now you know what he is.

[Joan Stewart]

Oh, that's not fair.

[Host]

You know, to the alien at the, at the end when he stood up,

[Joan Stewart]

he was so tall.

[Host]

Listen,

[Joan Stewart]

cut to black.

[Senator John Fetterman]

Listen.

[Host]

You know my favorite part about it was when he goes, I'm not going to be a part of any part of a party that Hasan Piker is a part of. Well, didn't you just say, like, he's a communist, so he's not part of Your party, so don't worry about it. Or he has a. I'm not going to play a part in a party that Hasa Parker has a role in. And you're like, don't worry, you won't. Like, I don't know. I don't know if he understands how time works. Yeah, like, that's. I mean, and not to be gross about it, but, like.

[Joan Stewart]

Yeah, it's okay. No, I think that's fair.

[Host]

Yeah. That young guy.

[Joan Stewart]

Yeah.

[Host]

That's a fiery preacher for economic populism and. And. And other things. Nope. I'm gonna wait till he burns himself out, and then I'm gonna come back in in 2040.

[Joan Stewart]

It's the 90s, baby.

[Host]

Let's go and reestate. Me and Mary Madeline are gonna do a show.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Why do they keep putting him on tv?

[Joan Stewart]

Because he's available.

[Host]

Because he'll say things that get aggregated. Like, that's. They. In the same reason. Like, you know, that they. They. They clip things. He's a guy that will say and, by the way, contradict himself every couple

[Joan Stewart]

of months as soon as he's been proven wrong.

[Host]

Which, by the way, like, when was the last time you won something?

[Joan Stewart]

Yeah.

[Host]

Oh, like, he tries to still get. Remember Clinton had. It's the economy, stupid.

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Yeah.

[Host]

So now he's playing on that still. It's like, that was, I don't know, 1992.

[Joan Stewart]

It was. Yeah.

[Host]

And he was out there now like, it's the. It's the socialism, stupid. And everybody's just like, was that a play on? What is he talking about? Like, he's literally out there, like, Chipper Canoe and Communism, too.

[Joan Stewart]

Like, 40 of the electorate did not vote in that election.

[Host]

Right. I don't like Ike. I don't like Piker. You're just like, what I. Nobody understands. Even the ref. Nobody understands my reference point. And I'm 20 years younger than that dude. All right. How do they keep in touch with us?

[Producer Brittany Mametovic]

Twitter. We are weekly show pod. Instagram threads. TikTok, Blue Sky. We are a weekly show podcast, and you can, like, subscribe and comment on our YouTube channel, the weekly show with Joan Stewart.

[Host]

Oh, and I'm sure they will this week. Holy as always. Unbelievable job. Producer Brittany Mametovic. Producer Gillian Spear. Video editor and engineer Rob Vitolo, Audio editor and engineer Nicole Boyce. And our executive producers, Chris McShane and Katie Gray. We shall see you next week. The Weekly show with Jon Stewart is a Comedy Central podcast. It's produced by Paramount Audio and Bustboy Productions, Paramount podcasts.