Jon Stewart Tackles the RNC and Trump Assassination Attempt | Bill O’Reilly
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You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central, it's America's only source for news. This is The Daily Show with your host, Sean... Welcome! Welcome!

Please, please. How is everybody doing? Wow. Wow. What a terrible f***ing week. Hey, John, come back to The Daily Show just for the election. You'll do one day a week. It'll be a larf. What could go wrong? Obviously, we were supposed to be doing our shows from Milwaukee for the RNC this week.

But because of the attempt on the former president's life, our venue, the venue in which we had planned to do this show, a theater, which was originally located in the soft perimeter, they called it, security-wise, was shifted, understandably so, to the hard perimeter. They called it the hard perimeter. You really don't want to be in the hard perimeter. It was locked down. They built cages around the...

And because of that, we felt that we could not logistically put on the theater shows effectively without people. But I do want to say to the city of Milwaukee, the mayor of Milwaukee could not have been more accommodating to the show, more gracious to us. We thank you so much. I do hope that we will be able to come back to Milwaukee.

We really do want to come back at some point and make up some of the events we had planned, especially our in-dog scission. We get dogs adopted and people registered to vote. Or it's the other way around. I don't really... I don't remember. But as always, the biggest slice of praise is reserved for our production team and crew. They turned this ocean liner around on a dime! On a dime!

It is a big production to take a show like this on the road, on short notice. Our crack production team and our crew got us back to New York City, rejiggered all the things in the studio to get us ready to do a program this very Tuesday night. It's remarkable work, and I just want to thank the staff. Remarkable! Remarkable!

But even though we are not in Milwaukee, last night was night one of the RNC. And obviously, after what happened this weekend, there was a clear theme going in. Obviously, right now, unity is a theme that we need to be focused on. I think that we're going to hear a lot of unifying type speeches. We got to create some unity. The vitriol and the hatred, it needs to stop. We should bring the temperature down. Let's turn this moment into a moment that helps us down that path of healing and unity.

That is Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. He is known as a particularly divisive, divisive, or whoever you want to pronounce that, a divisive figure. So to hear that healing rhetoric coming from Ron Johnson is impressive. I, for one, look forward to hearing his unifying remarks on the convention floor. Today's Democrat agenda, their policies are a clear and present danger to America.

I'm sorry. I guess he's what's known as unity in the streets, divisive in the sheets. But to be fair, to be fair, and I want to be fair in this new environment, Senator Johnson did not mean to stoke anger. His teleprompter did.

What he wanted loaded in the prompter was that we needed a somber moment in history. We should heed President Trump's call to unite, to be strong, to be determined. We must heal. He said, I don't know how the other one got in there and screwed up the teleprompter. But again, he went ahead and read it. What a douchebag! Sorry, I didn't mean to say that. That was in my teleprompter. I apologize.

Rogue teleprompters weren't the only ones having trouble adjusting to the Republicans' new tone. One particularly fiery member of Congress struggled mightily as her body rejected the unity theme as though it were transplanted like a monkey heart. The founding father of the America First movement, Donald John Trump, make America successful again. Wealthy again.

The country we deserve. She knows she's making that noise, right? Or is that the noise she makes when the interior monologue is going, Marjorie, there's going to be plenty of time to talk about satanic Democrats. Just keep it in. Marjorie, just... Oh, this is hard to do. Oh, man.

But perhaps the weirdest moment of last night was when the RNC looked like it was turning into the DNC. One of its featured speakers was Amber Rose, founder of the LA Slut Walk and a sex-positive, pro-choice internet celebrity. Donald Trump and his supporters don't care if you're black, white, gay, or straight. It's all love. Love! It's love! You just better hope all that love doesn't lead to an ectopic pregnancy, because then... Ah. All right.

The guys know what I'm talking about. They're feeling that in the old fallopian tubes over there. But the moment that really felt like the DNC had snuck into the RNC was when Sean O'Brien, the president of the Teamsters Union and apparently Rob Corddry doppelganger, came up to the lectern. Come on, Corddry! It's an honor to be the first Teamster in our 121-year history to address the Republican National Convention.

The crowd went crazy until he began to tell them what he thinks. Legal protections that make it safer for workers to get a contract. Trade policies that put American workers first. Labor law must be reformed. Companies fire workers who try to join unions and hide behind toothless laws that are meant to protect working people but are manipulated to benefit corporations.

Where are the cheers? Where are the cheers on the floor of the convention? Yes, apparently Republicans are pro-worker now and pro-union. I hope somebody tells all the Republican governors who passed right-to-work anti-union laws in their states and all the Republican-appointed judges who made it easier to break unions and Donald Trump himself who helped kill a bill that would have protected unions. But of course, the main event from last night was the crowning of Donald Trump's MAGA movement heir apparent. No, not that guy.

There you go. The other dark-haired, bearded dude right in front of that one, J.D. Vance. I gotta tell you something, man. That ain't right. It's like for vice president, Donald selected the actor who would be hired to play Don Jr. in the Lifetime movie. It's not right. It's like Don Jr. was the beta version that had to have some kinks worked out.

He's the default avatar in the video game. And then Donald Trump Sr. adjusted the pretty eyes and charisma sliders up a little bit. 66 intelligence. And then it was time for Donald Trump's big entrance. The great Lee Greenwood did the honors with a rousing rendition of God Bless the USA. Is there any doubt who's going to be the next president of the United States? Prayer work.

This nation based on faith, prayer works. Because he was sure as Donald Trump turned his head just slightly that the bullet missed him just enough. You know what? I'm sorry, Lee. We're going to have to skip ahead just a little bit. None of the side patter if you could. The great Lee Greenwood introducing Donald Trump. Here we go.

We have believed for so long that God will make some changes in this country. And he's about to make a change in the current administration and send them home. Thank you, everybody, for being here. The man is wearing a time release ear salve, for God's sake. Help for our veterans and God bless our military wherever they are in these United States and abroad.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the next president of the United States. They cut him off. Is it possible to bring out another band to play a band off? But then finally Donald Trump himself arrived, waving to his adoring crowd, and then went to sit down in what can only be described as some sort of chair trap. Oh, what's that? I don't know.

That's what that being back with the hell. Meanwhile back in the back cave Joe Biden was sitting down with NBC News anchor Lester Holt to answer questions about what he would do to cool our nation's overheated rhetoric. But have you just taken a step back and a little soul searching on things that you may have said that could incite people who are not balanced. How do you talk about the threat to democracy which is real.

when a president says things like he says. Do you just not say anything because it may incite somebody? My opponent is engaged in that rhetoric. He talks about there'll be a bloodbath if he loses. Like, remember the picture of Donald Trump when Nancy Pelosi's husband was hit with a hammer, talking about, joking about it? This doesn't sound like you're turning down the heat, though.

He's telling you what the other guy had been saying. How are you supposed to discuss the temperature or the rhetoric if you're not allowed to mention the rhetoric? It became clear that Biden was ready to turn it down for everybody but Lester Holt. -Are you seeing what they saw, which was moments of, frankly, that appeared to be -- you appeared to be confused? -Lester, look, why don't you guys ever talk about the 18 to 28 lies he told? Where are you on this?

Oh, shit. Seriously, you won't answer the question, but why didn't the press talk about all the lies he told? Let me ask you something, Lester. Let me ask you something. Let me ask you this. Who's got two thumbs, Lester, and is about to beat your ass? But of course, this entire debate over rhetoric is happening because of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump over the weekend at a rally in Pennsylvania, which was obviously terrifying and disorienting.

And I think I learned that in an emergency, when shit hits the fan in this country, the Internet is a great source of information. For instance, within minutes, I found out that this is staged. And then I found out that it was actually an inside job. And then I found out that it was Joe Biden who ordered it. And then I found out that this guy is the shooter. Great job, Internet. You did it.

Except it turns out that that guy is an Italian football commentator named Marco Violi, who does, to be fair, look a little shootery. But I can only assume was in Italy sipping Aperol spritzes on the piazza when he got a panicked call from his Nona. And I have to say, and I mean this, and I'm not, I have a slight confession to make, and I am not proud of this in any way, shape or form.

But I'm following social media during all this to find out who did it because it's this pattern I feel like we now have in the country when we hear about a horrific event. You're on pins and needles in this sort of reverse demographic lottery to make sure that the psychopathic shooter doesn't belong to one of your teams.

You know, you just sit there going, please, no Democrats, no liberals, no progressives. It's like that press your luck game. No Dewey, no Dewey, no Dewey, no Dewey, no Dewey. And we're all doing it. We're all doing it because we have to know what our posture will be on the tragedy. Will it be a haughty, I told you, or perhaps a circumspect? Well, let's not rush to judgment. We shouldn't generalize.

And then it ends up being someone we can't even f***ing figure out in the first place. A bullied, loner, white guy, registered Republican, donated to a blue pack, argued conservative causes, is a dude, but if you flip his picture upside down, kind of looks like an old lady. I don't know what's wrong with this guy!

It's a jump ball. We don't know yet who's got dibs, who wins. And none of us knows what's going to happen next. Other than there will be another tragedy in this country, self-inflicted by us to us. And then we'll have this feeling again. I remember it on 9-11, this disorienting, holy shit, stop the world, I would like to get off feeling. And in that moment, there will be some incredible Americans who, in the midst of it, for some unknown reason, rush towards it.

And get us back to some sort of equilibrium. And we'll count on those folks to hold us together again. And it does remind us that by a hair's breadth, we dodged a catastrophe. But it was still a tragedy. Because one of those first responders lost his life. His name was Corey Comperatore. He was a retired fire chief in the area. He had given his life in service to his community. And he died literally shielding his family. He's a reminder that in those moments of crisis, there are helpers.

And we can all make a choice to try and be one of those people. Or you can be one of these guys. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, an article from Forbes titled, Will surviving gunfire be Donald Trump's next appeal to black voters? Not helping! When we come back, Bill O'Reilly will be here. Don't go away.

My guest tonight, he is the host of the O'Reilly Update, and he's the author of the forthcoming book, Confronting the Presidents. Please welcome back to the program, Bill O'Reilly. Sir! Come on out. Take your time. Thanks for having me. Take your time. Appreciate it.

William. Yes, sir. You our country. We are in such a dangerous moment. You've written books on almost every assassination as you have a whole line of the killing, the killing, the killing, the children's series. You're right about killing presidents is the time we're in. In your mind, are we in a unique time in American history of polarization or as you looked back?

on those other moments of terrible tragedy in our country, are there similarities or differences? -Yeah, it's not unique, but the social media and the corporate media heighten

everything. So you're saying Lincoln's tweets were not a part of he had to like get a pigeon and throw them out the window and limited. But the assassins all have one thing in common. They were all mentally ill, all of them. And most of them

did their terrible deeds because they were in a rage. And you're going to find out that this guy in Pennsylvania fits both of those categories. That has been human nature since they got out of the caves. So do you believe, then, that the political rhetoric... I mean, John Wilkes Booth was clearly a political actor, no? But he was also mentally ill. Well, John Wilkes Booth was a fanatical conservative and racist who hated Lincoln because... Good thing that's gone out of the country. Well...

That's what I'm saying. No, I know. I was saying it too. I'm saying that's right. We were both saying it. No, we're obviously sharing that opinion. We're simpatico. Yes, exactly. Exactly. Don't throw Latin into it. I'm sorry. So it's not new, but we're now in a society where hatred is rewarded.

It's incentivized. It's monetized. That's right. And I'm on a... The hate brigade is now pulling back a little bit because they have to, but they're going to be back in two weeks because they get paid to do this. They're so untalented. But you and I... Oh, boy. Oh, boy. I want to make this point because Stuart and I have a history, all right? We go back.

But if you watch, if you Google, all right, Stuart and I. Ships passing in a night. It's real. We are able to disagree without hating each other. Now, I truly hate him. But I don't show it. You hold it very well. I don't put it out. No, absolutely. But now, that's not rewarded. That kind of detente where two people look at life differently isn't rewarded. The haters get the big money.

And so that's what you have. And I think all Americans start to hold the corporations accountable. You can't do anything about the guys in the basement that are chucking this stuff out that you just had it on, these conspiratorial nuts. Can't do anything about that. But you can say to corporations, you better knock this stuff off. You better stop calling people racist and Nazis and this and that. Now, your question, and thank you for letting me take over the show. Did I have a question? I don't remember. Yeah.

Thank you for letting me run the show. While you were talking, I was watching a different program. I'm watching South Park reruns right now. I don't even know what you're talking about. But this one is better, so listen to me. I'm going to listen to you, but then I have a follow-up to this, which I think is important. Okay, so your question is then, what can people do about this? Reject it. Don't celebrate it. So this kid, 20 years old in Pennsylvania, we don't know what...

caused him to do that. We knew he was a miserable kid who was bullied and all of this stuff. Right. We all know that. But we don't get into, oh, he's a Republican. That's the first thing they said on The View. The first thing they said on Monday on The View, he's a Republican. Stop it. That does nobody any good. All right. But Bill, let me let me push back a bit. Look, you and I are both somewhat fossilized practitioners of

the rhetorical arts that are confrontational at times provocative at times and we made a really spectacular living pushing those envelopes it seems now to say hey these other people should stop. Well, it's like it's like it's like. But don't you believe let me let me go ahead to it.

We keep saying, like, we don't know why these people do it. They're all mentally ill. But let's stop the rhetoric. Even though we have no idea, wouldn't it be better to come up with people can be passionate. People can defend their position.

And shouldn't we be, shouldn't the argument be we have to start arguing with each other in good faith? Okay. So Biden made a good point last night in the Lester Holt interview when he said, what am I supposed to do? Not criticize Trump because I feel. He feels it is a threat to our democracy. Yeah, because I feel he's the third Reich. You know, okay. You know he didn't say that. But no. But he was thinking it, Stuart. He was thinking it. I can read him. Stop monetizing your anger. So anyway. Stop.

I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. But he made a point where I got to criticize the guy because I don't believe he's good for America and I believe he's X, Y, and Z. Okay. Criticism is good. Robust debate is good. I like coming on here in front of all of your friends out here. And the audience should know, I have no friends here. Okay? Well, not just here. Well, yes.

I'm giving him that one. All right. OK, so we have made a nice living. Yes. Confronting other people, sometimes making fun of them. Yes. Sometimes serious debate. I'm going to do your podcast tomorrow. Correct. And I'm going to kick your butt. Of course. OK, so but we don't want to see them. At least I don't. Destroyed. Right. That's the difference.

The fanatics on the left and the right want to see their opposition destroyed. They want to hurt them. But I've heard a lot about, and even from you. You're not arguing that point, are you? I'm not arguing that point. I think that's a more measured point than you've probably been making and that I've been hearing.

Come on. Most of your points, from what I've been following, is that the left has to take it down a notch. You've mentioned MSNBC. I ran a montage on the No Spin News last night. It's on BillOReilly.com. By the way, four million... By the way, log on. It is hard to get on there. It is. It's not hard for the four million people that watch me over the weekend. Four million? Four million. Wasn't hard for them. That's a lot of cheese. Thank you. All right. So...

I ran a montage of haters on the left and the right. Okay. And I didn't have to go, he's terrible. I just let their words speak for themselves. On the right, and I don't know if you would argue this, there is a feeling that they haven't been doing that and that it is the purview of the left. There's been a lot of that. People believe what they want to believe. But those of us who are sane and fact-based, and that might not be you...

We know what reality is because we can see and hear it. But we're no longer agreeing. How can we have a conversation about rhetoric if we can't even agree, if there are delusions of it's really only them? I mean, when I watch the guy from the Heritage Foundation say the revolution will be bloodless if the left, you know, allows that. And you're just like.

What are we doing here? You know, some of the fears of people are justified. Tens of millions of women lost access to reproductive choice based on the decisions of that party. Those are real life consequences of great gravity and weight. How do we talk about those in a way that

So that you're able to express it. It's not difficult to talk about it. It seems like it is. See, the mistake that you made, one of the many. Yeah, understood. You're trying to get the fringe people in to be reasonable. You're never going to do that. The Harris Foundation lead is not the fringe. No, no, no, no. It is. The people don't know what that is. Most Americans, I put the number at 70%, are good people. Don't want acrimony. They don't want violence. I don't doubt that.

Those are the people you play to, not the fringe people who are just out there wanting to, as I said, destroy the other party. But you're your candidate. No, I don't have a candidate. Oh, OK. A registered independent. That's what this guy did. No, no, no, I understand. No, no, this is what you did. I really need to take a look at this Cornel West fella. Right.

If you guys watch the rumble in the air-conditioned auditorium, he did the same thing with Romney. Listen to me now. You are fossilized. Listen to me. Yes, I'm listening. The candidate who represents many of your kinfolk. Kinfolk?

He said the election was stolen and rigged. Right. And drove people to this madness on January 6th. How are we to deal with that truly now?

You know, what is the hallmark of a democracy? Peaceful transfer. That is how we put that in jeopardy. That has haunted him every day since. Oh, he's paid a terrible price. No, he has. Can I explain the price? He's going to go back to the White House and have to fix the damage himself. Paint that wall. If Trump hadn't done that on January 6th, he'd be ahead of Biden by 25 points in the poll.

I mean, that's how bad Biden has been for the country. Well, I disagree with that. But that's of course you do. But that's OK. Well, I understand. I can back it up. Do you want me to? OK. I'm going to ruin your day. I'm going to ruin your day. So you brought a handkerchief. I was prepared for this.

Food prices under Biden up 20 percent. Gas prices, 38. Mortgage rates, 160 percent. Yeah, prices are gone. Drug ODs up 36 percent. OK, car insurance, 125 percent up. These are folks. They have to spend that money. Listen, there's no question that post-pandemic this country and the world have suffered. Trump had two years of post-pandemic.

Right, but Trump ran an $8 trillion deficit. He spent $1.7 trillion on tax cuts. He deregulated... Inflation was 1.5% when he walked out the door. Right, but look at it in relation to the world. I respectfully say, yes, inflation was too high, and that hurts American consumers. You want this? So what did Biden do to create that, though? I don't know, and that's what I would have asked. I...

So basically, you wrote down a piece of paper, but you didn't look up the answer? No. We're going to need two days on the podcast. I want to ask Biden about that. Okay. So you're saying, why didn't Biden do it? I'm not going to hear and say. If you don't mind, that was a very poor impression of how I've been saying this. That's not so bad.

Okay. All right. So my job as a journalist is to say... Oh, when did you get that job? Too easy. You really make it too easy. We're going to talk tomorrow. We got to go. This is too long. Thank you for being here. Confronting the Presidents comes out September 10th, available for pre-order. Bill O'Reilly, we're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back. I'm stealing a mug. That is our show for tonight. But before we go, we're going to check in with your host for tomorrow night, Mr. Ronnie Chang. Ronnie! Ronnie!

Obviously, big things going on. What do you have planned for Wednesday night? Well, John, I'm going to be talking about J.D. Vance, the perfect vice presidential pick for the Trump ticket. He's tall, he's bearded, and most importantly, he's loyal. Well, I mean...

I don't know about loyal. Like, he thought Trump was basically Hitler a few years ago, so... Ah, John, come on, okay? If that's the standard, then nobody is loyal, all right? Like, who hasn't called their boss Hitler at some point? Have you called me Hitler, Ronnie? John, now is a time for unity, okay? It doesn't matter.

What people said yesterday. And yes, I do accept your nomination as vice president of The Daily Show. Thank you. Ryan Chang, everybody. Here is your nominee, Jack. And if I may, before the benediction, give you this promise. You're going to be so blessed. You're going to be tired of being blessed. I guarantee it.

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