Trump’s Economic Denial, Pardon Politics, and a Life in Laughter
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Welcome to the Cooper residence. Cooper McAllister. I'm surprised you put my name first. Come on in. From the brains behind the Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon, CBS is excited to welcome back some beloved, familiar folks. I am so glad that you and Cece are here. And Georgie. Atta girl. It's a whole new chapter. Georgie and Mandy's first marriage premieres CBS Thursday, 8, 7 central and streaming on Paramount+.

Hey, who doesn't love bacon? And did you know Oscar Mayer smokes their delicious bacon for 12 hours over real hardwood? That's a really long time to perfect the smoky flavor

and even longer than it takes to go on a long road trip from Chicago to Pittsburgh, stop for food along the way, and still get there while the bacon is smoking. The point is, Oscar Mayer takes the best cuts and smokes them over real hardwood chips. There's no wrong way to enjoy it. So buy some Oscar Mayer thick-cut bacon now. You're listening to Comedy Central. Now!

From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central, it's America's only source for news. This is The Daily Show with your host, Jordan Clemmer. Welcome to The Daily Show. I'm Jordan.

We got so much to talk about tonight. We find out who Joe Biden is going to pardon, inflation is falling, and Fox News says voting for a woman makes you gay. Plus, my guest tonight from Monty Python, the legendary Eric Idle, is here. So let's get into Indecision 2024. Let's kick things off with the number one issue for voters, the economy. Everyone's favorite system of producing and distributing goods and services.

Inflation has been a major headache for America the past few years. But for those of you who like paying less for things, today brought some welcome news. Some new economic info. Just today, we have new inflation numbers. Annual inflation rate now 2.4%. That's according to the Consumer Price Index. It is inflation's lowest point in three years. Yeah! Suck it, inflation! Suck it! You get down and you stay down. Now...

For those of you who aren't big CPI heads like myself, 2.4% inflation is getting pretty close to the Fed's target level of 2%, which was chosen because it's Jerome Powell's favorite kind of milk. Of course, good news for the Biden-Harris economy is bad news for Donald Trump, who is campaigning against the Biden-Harris administration. But throughout this campaign, Trump has had a very subtle way of casting doubt on positive economic reports. See if you can catch it.

Wall Street ends the week on a positive note. The Dow and S&P 500 both hitting record highs. We are a nation whose economy is collapsing into a cesspool of ruin. 2024 has kicked off with a bang. 353,000 jobs were added. You're going to lose your jobs. Main Street hiring, firing on all cylinders here. The economy has just been reported to be doing very badly. One month gain in job growth.

best since January 2022. Their economy is doing terribly. The numbers that we're getting on the real economy show that it's holding up remarkably well. The Biden economy is a nightmare. Look at that spike in consumer staples. Everything's looking great here. I keep hearing about their economy. Their economy is terrible. The blue chips make history for the fourth straight day. It's the worst economy that we've ever had. Jobs are up. The stock market hit that all-time high. Do you acknowledge that the economy is improving? No, it's not.

Now look, in Trump's defense, just because the numbers are good doesn't mean people aren't struggling. I mean, just the other day, I saw one very desperate American pawning everything he owns for chump change, you know?

So sad that Bitcoin was a family heirloom. His grandfather smuggled it out of Europe in his ass. But while an improving economy is a boost to Kamala Harris, she's got another big problem on her hands. What is becoming a growing concern among Democrats and the Harris campaign that she is indeed struggling with male voters. Among men, Trump has a sizable lead. He's beating Harris by 12 points.

Wow! Wow! 12 points! Really? That's a lot. I mean, surely men would be open-minded about having a female president. You know what? Hang on. Let me check something. Okay, let me see. Uh, all right here. Okay. All right. Oh, no. Seriously? Okay. Whoa! Oh, my... Oh, God. Oh, God. All right. Oh, my. Yeah. Oh, okay. No. No, no. That checks out. Yeah, that checks out.

So, perhaps this shouldn't come as a huge surprise. There's a reason why America has the same number of female presidents as the Taliban. But there's a certain type of person who thinks that voting for a woman makes you less of a man. And that type of person is on TV.

No real men would ever vote for Kamala Harris. I don't see why any man would vote Democrat. That person has mommy issues or they're just trying to be accepted by other women. I vote like a real man and I vote for the conservative. The Democratic Party...

has been emasculating men for decades. Kamala Harris picking up a shovel. It's like she's never used one before. If you want weak men and the angry women around them, like, that's the party for you, for sure. Exactly. Republicans are the party of real men, real tough men who are strong and love America and won't back down and hate Democrat-run cities because there's so many scary people

That's how a real man feels. But that's what right-wingers believe. If you're a man who votes for a woman, your penis evaporates. And then you just walk out of the voting booth with a smooth mound with an I Voted sticker on it.

But it's not just Democrat voters who aren't real men. The Democratic Party itself is so emasculated that not only is it its presidential nominee not a male, but her male running mate isn't even a male. Women love masculinity and...

And women do not love Tim Walz. So that should just tell you about how masculine Tim Walz is. Tim Walz trying to basically redefine what masculinity is. He's like a soft man. You look at the way that Tim Walz dances around on the stage. It's not someone who comes across as this alpha male, someone who's a killer. Here's Twitchy Tim on stage.

waving profusely in a very unsettling manner. Very unsettling. The Tim Waltz jazz hands and high kicking tour. Men should not move this way. The other day you saw him with a vanilla ice cream shake. Had a straw in it. Oh. Again, that tells you everything. Yeah. Yeah, real men don't drink milkshakes with a straw. You crawl your way into a cow and drink it from the inside. Or you punch the milkshake then lick the remains off your hands.

Or, and this one maybe is a long shot, real men don't have opinions about the right way to drink a vanilla milkshake? Maybe. I don't know. I don't know. You know...

This really shows you how much they love moving the goalposts. Democrats nominate a deer-hunting military vet football coach who can change a spark plug. And you're like, "But have you seen the way he waves? "You know, for a bunch of manly men, you guys are some catty little bitches." Look, I'm not... I'm not here to condemn anyone. As an impartial fake journalist, it's... it's not my place.

To say that pointing at someone and calling him a wuss is in any way inappropriate for a serious political party. But I should warn conservatives that some of the shots they're taking might be hitting one particular target they didn't mean to. Conservative women want strong men. We don't want these wimpy, woke guys that, you know, focus more on their hair. I'm just checking out the hairstyle as I'm talking. Men just look at another man and you can kind of know if he's an athlete.

Kind of look at the way he can go down the stairs. Being a real man is about having personal responsibility. January 6th, is there anything you regret about what you did on that day? I had nothing to do with that. The hug is not the way you hug your wife. You hug your wife from the body. You don't hug like this.

Here's Twitchy Tim on stage, waving profusely in a very unsettling manner. Men should not move this way. It's not the way we move. Don't listen to those meanies, Donna. Don't listen to them. Nothing is more manly than your dance moves, Donnie. Nothing. For more on the gender divide, let's go live to Washington with Troy Iwata. Troy! Troy!

Is this strategy of saying only real men vote for Trump really that effective? I mean, why do Republicans think this strategy works? Well, it appeals to men's top concern. Like, yeah, like the economy or jobs? No, not being called gay. Yeah. It goes, prostate cancer, teens laughing at your Cybertruck, gay. Okay.

I gotta say, you know, that's so sad. I thought in the year 2024, other men would have moved past this latent homophobic fear that somebody will think they're gay. Well, of course, you know, you and I don't mind. You know, as gay men, we tend to be more... You're a gay man. I'm not gay. Oh, okay. Well, anyways, regardless, the Trump campaign is hoping that... I mean, hold on, hold on. I mean, uh, I'm sorry. I mean, just...

What made you think I was gay? Was it like the pomade? It was part of it. What do you mean part of it? What's wrong, Jordan? You feeling uncomfy? You thinking of voting for Trump now? No, no. I mean, maybe. I mean, if I did, would that make me straight? I mean, I am straight. I can satisfy my wife. She'll tell you that. You can call her. Feel free to call her.

I'm not going to call your wife and ask her that. But you see what I mean, right? You're sweating. You're questioning. God damn it. You're right. You're right. You're spot on. This is powerful stuff. See, how are Democrats supposed to fight this? They shouldn't. You can't fight decades of ingrained homophobia. Instead, Democrats need to just go all in on gay. Just lean into it, all right? Just...

Straight men, we don't want you anymore, okay? And I promise, if they get into power, the government will go all gay. I'm talking no more state dinners, just long brunches. I'm talking Britney Spears doing her knives dance at the inauguration, you know? And no more war. Just let Eurovision settle it all, you know? Sure, sure, but...

Yeah, but won't that cost Democrats the straight male vote? Who needs it? You get gay men plus women who like gay men. That's like 56% of the country. That's the whole sports game. You said sports game. I think you mean ball game. Oh, right. I keep forgetting you're straight. Why do you keep forgetting? I work out. Look how much I can weight lift. Do you see this? Yeah, right. Yeah, because all gay men hate working out. Okay, damn it. All right. Troy Iwata, everyone.

When we come back, Ricky Velazquez will give us his opinion on presidential parties. Don't go away. HBCUs are the mecca of black scholars, and BET Plus is the home of black creators. Celebrate the black experience on BET Plus with over 2,500 hours of black content and 1 billion hours streamed. BET Plus is the number one black streaming service. Stream ad-free original series and movies and weekly premieres 24-7 on BET.

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Practical? Check. Meaningful? Double check. Plus, it's fee-free and so fun for wedding guests to shop. So why get more stuff when you can have unforgettable experiences? Join the revolution at HoneyFund.com and start your adventure today.

The 2024 presidential election is here. MSNBC has the in-depth coverage and analysis you need. Our reporters are on the ground. Steve Kornacki is at the big board breaking down the races. Rachel Maddow and our Decision 2024 team will provide insight as results come in. And the next day, Morning Joe will give you perspective on what it all means for the future of our country. Watch coverage of the 2024 presidential election Tuesday, November 5th on MSNBC.

Welcome back to The Daily Show. We all know that I've got great opinions, but I'm not the only one. Studies show that other people also have opinions. So, here with another installment of In My Opinion is our good friend, Ricky Vales. Hi. We are one month away from a presidential election, and people are really nervous that Donald Trump is going to win. Not me, though. I think Kamala has it in the bag. Okay? Yeah. Yeah.

She's been endorsed by the most beloved Americans of all time, like Liz Cheney. Every barbershop in this country, there's always three photos, Biggie, Obama, and Liz f***ing Cheney. But still people believe if Trump wins, he's going to abuse the criminal justice system to go after his enemies and pardon all of his friends. And when they said that, I was like, what? That's not the Trump I know.

But then they made me do some research and I looked into things and it turns out that the last time he was president, he pardoned a ton of people.

Dang! Is Diddy just sitting in jail alone right now?

No wonder Trump wants to be president again so he can finish the job. And he's going to pardon Diddy. Google Diddy and Trump pictures. I dare you. They have more pictures together than I have with my own family. Seriously, I've seen these pictures. He's at every party. I don't understand it. He doesn't drink. He doesn't smoke. What is he doing there? What's the vice? I think I have found it out. It has something to do with baby oil. Who else?

Does he want to pardon? Maybe his homie Steve Bannon, but I'm guessing that Bannon doesn't want to leave prison. He's in there like, these are my people. And I didn't know there were so many Nazis in prison. What is this utopia? That's where he's at. Oh, and Trump will also pardon the January 6th soldiers, right? He has to.

No, because you know he needs them for the next January 6th. You don't want all your star players sitting on the bench, right? And he's being very coy about it, but there's another guy that I think Donald Trump is definitely going to pardon. Mr. President, if you were reelected, would you pardon yourself? Let me just tell you. I said the last thing I'd ever do is give myself a pardon. Uh...

I think he's lying. This dude is 100% going to pardon himself, and he should. The pardon is the coolest power a president gets. And every president doesn't. Even my boy Abraham Lincoln. He pardoned his wife's sister, which I totally understand. I have a wife. You know how hard it is to argue with them? Imagine, oh, so you'll free the slaves but not my sister? That has to be...

But Lincoln sitting there just being like, she's a bitch! She said my hat was gay! For the love of God, I hope I die at this play tonight. The only president who has been boring about pardons is our boring president, Joe Biden. He won't even pardon his son because, supposedly, it wouldn't be right. It's right! It doesn't matter. It's your right, Joe.

How bad was Hunter Biden anyway? - The president's done guilty of three felony counts for illegally possessing a gun while he was addicted to crack cocaine. - Hunter Biden spent money on strippers, on luxury cars, on drugs. - Smoking crack every 20 minutes or so. - Biden wired an employee money and labeled it a golf member deposit when according to prosecutors, it was used to purchase a membership in a sex club. - Okay.

Okay, before we go any further, I just want to put this on record. I would party with Hunter. All right, huh? Hit me up, dog. I'm about that life. Come on, Joe. He's your own flesh and blood. You know, flesh and blood, that stuff that used to be in your face. Just pardon him instead of wasting all your pardons on shit like this.

Thanksgiving is less than a week away here in the U.S. and two turkeys won't be on the dinner table thanks to a presidential pardon. U.S. President Joe Biden pardoned peanut butter and jelly on Friday. Turkeys, dude? Seriously? That's what we're doing? Turkeys? Do you feel bad for them just because they look like you?

Listen, if you think the pardon power is unfair, then change it in the Constitution. But until then, you can't hate on it. I'll tell you something. If I was president, I'd be throwing pardons left and right. I'd be the Oprah of pardons. Look underneath your seat, Tiger King. You're pardoned. I need another season. Thank you to Les, everybody. When we come back, Eric Adelman will be on the show. Don't go away.

HBCUs are the mecca of black scholars and BET Plus is the home of black creators. Celebrate the black experience on BET Plus with over 2,500 hours of black content and 1 billion hours streamed. BET Plus is the number one black streaming service. Stream ad-free original series and movies and weekly premieres 24-7 on BET.

Hey there, fellow globetrotters and destination dreamers. If you're anything like us, you know that life's too short for boring toasters and towels. That's why we decided to ditch the traditional wedding registry and went with HoneyFund.com. Imagine your friends and family chipping in to send you on a dreamy exotic honeymoon.

Practical? Check. Meaningful? Double check. Plus, it's fee-free and so fun for wedding guests to shop. So why get more stuff when you can have unforgettable experiences? Join the revolution at HoneyFund.com and start your adventure today.

The 2024 presidential election is here. MSNBC has the in-depth coverage and analysis you need. Our reporters are on the ground. Steve Kornacki is at the big board breaking down the races. Rachel Maddow and our Decision 2024 team will provide insight as results come in.

and the next day Morning Joe will give you perspective on what it all means for the future of our country. Watch coverage of the 2024 presidential election Tuesday, November 5th on MSNBC. My guest tonight is an award-winning comedy legend and founding member of Monty Python whose latest book is The Spamalot Diaries. Please welcome Eric Idle. Thank you.

I have to get it out of the way. This is a huge treat for me. I would not be doing comedy in this world if it wasn't for you and the folks at Monty Python. So thank you. There was a 15-year period before I actually got legitimate employment in comedy. And during those 15 years, I would have cursed you if I saw you on the streets. But once I found a little bit of employment in comedy, now you've become a hero yet once again. So thank you. Oh, thank you. Yes. Well, that's very kind of you. I'll take all the praise for that. Thank you. You get it all. You get it all. Thank you. Yeah.

This book is fascinating. You said you kept a diary while you were working on Spamalot on Broadway, and then you found it years later as you were cleaning out the house? I found it two years ago. We were moving, and my wife and I were moving out of our big house to a smaller house. We call it Downsize Abbey. And it's something that happens as you get older, you'll find out. And you find all this shit you've accumulated for over 24 years. Yes.

you know, and I found that I... This diary that I'd kept during the time we were rehearsing and making Spamalot here in New York. And it was... It was an eye-opener, actually. I rather enjoyed it. Because, you know, and I...

It's all about how we quarreled and fought, and there were lots of arguments and things, which I find fascinating. I kept it in the book because I think it's important that you can argue with people and disagree and fight, and it's okay because, you know, you're making something creative. -Yeah, yeah. So, wait. Is that an argument for hoarding or an argument for cleaning? -Well, I mean, I went to boarding school, but my wife went to hoarding school.

I am as bad as her. I have 27 guitars. I mean, I've only got two hands. So, I mean, you just keep stuff. You just don't throw it away is all you do. And then at the end, you've got to try and decide what to do. Now, it's interesting you talk about, like, the creative process is about bringing different ideas, fighting, finding the best idea, the one that wins. Part of what I loved about reading this is the director, Mike Nichols, acclaimed director, legend Mike Nichols. You're working with Mike Nichols here, who...

You mentioned he was looking for meaning in everything. And it felt as if, correct me if I'm wrong, so much of Python and some of the creation that you're working off came out of silliness, and he was trying to impose meaning on top of certain things. Did you see it that way? I don't think he meant meaning. I think what he always was saying is you've got to believe in it. I mean, you really must believe in it, because if you don't believe in it, why should the audience believe in it?

And I said, you're talking about the knights who say knee. LAUGHTER APPLAUSE

And he said, nevertheless, they must believe that they are the knights who say knee, otherwise it's not funny. And I think it's true like something like the Ministry of Silly Walks. If you don't take it seriously, it's not funny. It has to be serious ministry that's giving out awards for people to walk silly. And if for any second you let on it's a joke, it's not funny. Now, as you've gotten acclaim in writing comedy for half a frickin' century...

Congratulations. One of the things I respect so much about you is you're still out there. You're still constantly creating. You're hitting the road in a week. Has your process shifted in that way? It's gotta be harder to continue to write when you have legend status and the ability to do something is going to be seen by so many other people and dissected in different ways. Have you had to evolve and change with that?

I think we learned, we were in a club called the Footlights Club in Cambridge and I was 19 and you learn, I mean, what I got used to was writing a new show and doing it in the fall. And I've still got into that feeling and doing it. And I think it's the same always. You're still never sure whether it's funny until you give it to the audience. And they're the ones who tell you whether it's funny or not.

And then if you're lucky, you get away with it. So we'll see. I'm going to New Zealand to give it a fair try. Actually, I thought they said New York, but the line was very bad. Yeah, yeah. Very different. I'm appearing in front of a lot of sheep. How are you expecting that? You've been on the road. You've dealt with modern audiences.

Famously, your Monty Python co-patriot, John Cleese, has been prickly about some modern, woke comedy audiences. Have you seen a shift in the way people are responding to your humor?

Not to my particular humour, no. I mean, I opened Sketchfest in January in San Francisco, and I think if you treat the audiences respectfully and you say what's funny, I mean, you can't be hip and cool and all that at 81.

You can't be unthoughtful. You must be mindful of what people are thinking. My job is to make them laugh.

And I like to hear them laugh. And it's... I think it's a sickness. LAUGHTER I think you desperately need reassurance. LAUGHTER Terrible weakness. But it makes me happy to do that. I like my job. And I also think my job is cheering people up. So I always have to sing, always look on the bright side of life. CHEERING APPLAUSE

Which is funny because it's become the number one funeral song in England. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, it's a good thing, but the bad thing is they don't give any royalties. I'd consider it for my funeral. Either that or Love in the Elevator by Aerosmith. I haven't decided yet. Living it up while you're going down. But it is. There is something about it. I joke about that, but it is true. What is it like having the last word on somebody's life?

Well, I'm not there. You know, I actually, I think it's rather good. I think it's very healthy. I think, you know, at these times of a great emotion, I think laughter and tears are very close together. And it's nice to be able to sing. Everybody sings, you know. And I think that's very healthy. I think it's much healthier than some dirgy old hymn. Or her. I think...

I mean, even watching the news today. People are so exhausted by what's happening globally, the climate, there's solar flares, there's an election that's coming up that everyone is... Are we not wearing solar flares anymore? No, no, no, yeah. Damn, I miss that. We have a new moon and everything. We do everything. It keeps turning every month, actually. Yeah, yeah.

It's a dark, depressing time. How do you always look on the bright side of life when you're faced with a 24-hour news cycle? I don't watch. Oh, is that it? But my wife watches everything. I don't get a vote, so it doesn't matter what I think anyway. But my wife watches everything. She's very involved.

and I like to read a book and play guitar and have a bit of a jam with some friends, you know. So I think it's healthier. I think this endless news cycle drives people crazy. It's too much. You can't, you know, it goes on forever. And it seems to be going on for four years already. Yeah. So, I mean...

I'll be glad it's over. Oh, it's never going to be over. It's never going to be over. But you know what you have to do. You have to always look on the... Thank you very much. Okay, yes, yes, yes. It truly is a joy. Thank you for making me laugh and the world laugh for so long. And good luck continuing in New Zealand. Check your flight to make sure you're going to the right spot. Yes, yes. The Spamalot Diaries is available now. Eric Idle. Thank you for watching.

That's our show for tonight, but before we go, World Central Kitchen is on the ground now providing meals to communities impacted by the recent hurricanes. If you can, please support this amazing organization and their work at the link below. Now here it is. Your moment is in. Mr. President, have you spoken with former President Trump at all? Are you kidding me? Mr. President Trump, former President Trump.

Get a life, man. Help these people. Well, you pulled him accountable. You said you were going to hold those accountable. Well, do you plan to speak with former President Trump? No. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching The Daily Show, wherever you get your podcasts. Watch The Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount+. Paramount Podcasts.

Welcome to the Cooper residence. Cooper McAllister. I'm surprised you put my name first. Come on in. From the brains behind the Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon, CBS is excited to welcome back some beloved, familiar folks. I am so glad that you and Cece are here. And Georgie. Atta girl. It's a whole new chapter. Georgie and Mandy's first marriage premieres CBS Thursday, 8, 7 central and streaming on Paramount+.

Hey there fellow globetrotters and destination dreamers! If you're anything like us, you'd know that life's too short for boring toasters and towels. That's why we decided to ditch the traditional wedding registry and went with HoneyFund.com. Imagine your friends and family chipping in to send you on a dreamy exotic honeymoon. Practical? Check. Meaningful?

Join the revolution at HoneyFund.com and start your adventure today.

Hey, who doesn't love bacon? And did you know Oscar Mayer smokes their delicious bacon for 12 hours over real hardwood? That's a really long time to perfect the smoky flavor and even longer than it takes to go on a long road trip from Chicago to Pittsburgh, stop for food along the way, and still get there while the bacon is smoking.

The point is, Oscar Mayer takes the best cuts and smokes them over real hardwood chips. There's no wrong way to enjoy it. So buy some Oscar Mayer thick cut bacon now.