Jon Stewart & Sen. Klobuchar on the Harris-Walz Campaign & the Democratic Shakeup | The Weekly Show

can I tell you if that ever happened in. my phone I would assume it's Springsteen. I would always assume in New Jersey you. get that blocked line you just have to. assume it's. [Music]. Springsteen hey everybody Welcome to the. weekly show my name is John Stewart we. are joined as always by producers. Britney mic Lauren Walker apologies for. last week uh we did not do a show. because uh as a frail old man uh I got.

Co for the first time and holy [ __ ] am I. not a fan uh so it it knocked me on my. ass even whatever version this was. whatever uh Omron adjacent uh type of. thing that finally snuck through my uh. hermit-like. defenses and attack my immune system I. was knocked out uh feverish for for days. I am now I've decided I am going to. drink only PA lovid.

smoothies forever I am never getting off. uh and by the way I don't know if you. guys tuned in at all to the Twitter. spaces the Donald Trump Elon Musk. Extravaganza oh did we yeah but holy. [ __ ] was that just like two old dudes in. a basement talking about how hot each. other is like. wow I the one thing I didn't think I. would be on it was bored I was [ __ ].

bored yeah I thought the best like point. of it was the part when it wasn't. working that was the most entertaining. that was pretty entertaining so my son. was was he was listening to it live. because I was driving home we were I was. driving him home and he was listening. live he's like you can't even you can't. even get on it and then came out that. thing where I guess Elon had said this. is a denial of service and so Nate. started reading me all the comments that.

were coming in which were like the Deep. State doesn't want this conversation to. happen Iran is stopping the only two. people that can save free speech and. democracy and then like you got down. like 20 uh comments and then somebody's. like uh you know a denial of service. doesn't just work on one space right. that's how it works yeah that was my. first thought was like wow one space. doesn't work but I can scroll the rest. of the website that's nut yeah that's. that's this is not the Deep State trying.

to restrict Free Speech this is just. sometimes when you fire 80% of your. engineers [ __ ] goes. Haywire yeah or how about when we heard. Trump's like heavy breathing in the. beginning oh my goodness it did make it. seem like it was going to be a very. different kind of a kind of his face it. was going to be kind of a hot like Elon. and Donald after dark yeah kind of a. Vibe where they were go I I I will say. this like it was and I know people have.

have comment on it but at first I did. think there was something. wrong like especially as as he kept. talking with the way he was talking yeah. I started marking down what types of. words were doing it definitely felt like. because at the end it was more. pronounced yes so maybe the glue was. ungluing you think it was a you you. think it was a denture situation I feel. I'm an audio girl now I'm like listening. I'm like what is that I was studying it. I probably didn't even hear what they. were talking about cuz I was studying.

the sound right yeah see at first I. thought maybe he had a tooth removed you. know how sometimes you get a tooth. removed and it creates that one little. space with the whistle and I thought oh. maybe maybe this is a a situation would. grow more pronounced as the talking went. on you know Lauren that's a great. question that's one that as a as a non-. dentist and a non uh audio engineer and. a non- gerontologist I'll tell you what. I think is happening to be perfectly. honest I think is before our eyes.

becoming. Biden in this race like the whole idea. was that performance by Biden in the. debate was so shocking to the system of. functionality where you watched a guy. and you go like oh [ __ ] like this is a. real decline in a way that we had not. anticipated but it. obscured what is clearly going on with. Trump as well and so when you remove.

that from the equation you're just left. with a much more Stark focus on what his. decline is and then you listen to those. Twitter spaces and again like he's. always been a bit rambly but holy [ __ ]. yeah actually a journalist uh emailed. his campaign asking uh why is he. speaking so weirdly what what's going on. paraphrasing and they said you need to. get your ears checked your hearing is. [ __ ] or something along those.

lines it's it's their campaign of. kindness yeah as they continue to go. through with uh any any query that comes. their way oh how about this go [ __ ]. yourself hey oh oh hey I got an idea why. don't you take this [ __ ] out of your. ears and listen because Donald Trump is. articulating uh and hallucinating better. than any human being has ever done it in. the past so very clearly you got [ __ ].

for. brains and fungus in your ears John I. like your campaign manager thank you. that's my that's my campaign manager uh. and speaking of which by the way we are. going to be talking to as everything you. know in the political landscape is. changing with a speed that I don't think. I've ever seen but uh senator kashar of. Minnesota she is at the Nexus of she was. vetted to be a vice president she ran. for president she's from Minnesota where. uh Governor walls is from she knows.

Governor wal she knows uh VP Harris she. served in the Senate with her you know. she's kind of uh this you know at the. Nexus of all these different angles on. the campaign so we're going to get a. chance uh to speak with her about it and. then uh of course afterwards we will. take our questions from listener. question from our from our fabulous. listeners who hopefully their questions. would be why is John talking so funny. and then Lauren you can call them back.

and go take the [ __ ] out of your ears. you dumb prick he's totally normal I'm. totally normal uh all right let's join. in uh with Senator kishar and then uh. I'll see you guys in a little. bit boy we're we're joined today uh very. exciting senator Amy kashar Minnesota. senior senator from Minnesota chair of. the rules committee and of the Judiciary. subcommittee on. competition you're no is bipartisan for.

God's sakes the most bipartisan bills. yeah number one for bipartisan bills. here you go but you're here let me tell. you something so you were at the Nexus. of this unbelievable moment yes in in. political you you are someone you've run. for president uh you were vetted to be. the vice president under Joe Biden. you're from Minnesota where the current. vice presidential candidate uh Governor. walls is from the Nexus with your career.

is is running everywhere through this. you are at the you're the Hub you are. the John bonjovi rest area totally of. all things that are happening in that. area uh what what have these last I'm. going to say three weeks been like for. you uh as I'm sure a central figure in. the vetting of Governor walls in knowing. uh Senator and then vice president. Harris in the way that you do what what. what's it been like for you the most.

important question that's on everyone's. mind but I think what I went through is. what everyone went through is just um I. have such deep respect for Joe Biden. that was a really hard decision he made. and he put the country first and he. passed the torch to the Next Generation. and the way that kamla Harris you think. about what she's done in 21 days maybe. 22 days now extraordinary I mean she. United our party she cinched the. nomination she you know rais over2.

million she has picked an excellent vice. president she's filled Aras with 15,000. people and she's really pissed off. Donald Trump so for me um when she uh we. got to be friends when we ran against. each other usually people don't get to. be friends we got to be closer friends I. have a lot of respect for her believe. she brings the receipts to this election. in a big way for leadership on domestic. and international issues and then she. had a pick a vice president and it was. like speed da and she had so many good.

choices many of them my friends and. colleagues um that was the moment where. I think she made a decision that at. first seemed counterintuitive to a lot. of people they you know they did not. know Tim Walls um because he's just been. doing his work signing up to serve at. age 17 growing up in a small town and. you could just see the reaction from my. state is almost as good as Sunni Lee of. Minnesota winning the uh gold medal oh. really just greeted her at the airport.

she came back that was super fun is that. just is that what the Senators do out. there is it you you just wait at the. airport for the Olympians to come back. that's really nice yeah yeah well she is. a HomeTown girl like we all know her so. it's a little different situation um and. her parents of course part of our M. community and it was just really. exciting but next to Sunni Lee winning. the gold from Minnesota not to mention a. few others I mean people have really. been excited about this because it's a.

it's a big month for Minnesota yeah it. is Minnesota is is on the map were were. you surprised knowing vice president. Harris uh that her and Governor walls. are a match is there what is it about. him that you think lines up well with. her and and why do you think they're. they're a fine team okay so here's no. one never really got into this but he is. really good working with strong women he. is used to it he is with both our. Senators myself and and Center Smith.

women one of only four states in the. country his wife Gwen which people are. going to get to know teacher herself. incredibly strong person his lieutenant. governor Peggy Flanigan is really strong. and I think that that that chemistry. that he's had with us uh you see on the. national stage uh with KLA Harris and at. the same other point you see you know. Donald Trump and JD Vance and they look. like they almost need to go into couples. counseling already okay like I think. he's left JD Vance on red like I think.

it's I think it's over I don't think. they have any relationship they asked. him at the National Association of black. journalist about the vice president he's. like vice president doesn't hey that. doesn't mean anything that's doesn't. matter that's not even a real job JD van. said it himself it's not a job of course. it does matter because they're next in. line if something happens to the. president it matters a lot um and I do. think that people the way that KLA. Harris has handled this and pick someone. that literally want the sharp shooting.

contest in Congress someone who stood in. a deer stand in 10 degree weather in. Minnesota now is that was was that an. important balancing sort of this idea. well she's a. California uh liberal so she's got to. take someone who looks comfortable and. flannel is that sort of the general idea. of how you balance these things and is. that an actual consideration do they. really talk about that like when they're. talking about it do they really say well. Shapiro is it's Pennsylvania it's the. Northeast East he's a Jewish guy but.

this guy goes hunting well very good. questions she might have some flannel. she may is that really something that's. explicitly talked about I think what. they do they bet people and they think. are they okay and a number of those. candidates were well vetted going into. this thing that really wasn't the issue. she's got to decide three things one is. it someone that I can trust by the way I. know a lot about this because Minnesota. is the land of Vice Presidents right. well you've had two I think you H and M.

it's yeah so moms bounce their babies on. their knees and say one day you can grow. up to be vice president well anyway so. one the. truck okay let's not let's and then run. against Reagan and lose every state but. Minnesota that's not we're not going. there trust matters trust matters the. second thing that matters is someone. who's smart uh who can take over who can. govern and the third thing that matters. is that kind of chemistry and also does. this person add to your strength I mean.

Donald Trump doubled down with JD Vance. and Hulk Hogan at that convention okay. that was like whoa and in this thing. she's picking someone that you know grew. up in a small rural Town signed up to. serve when he was 17 who then became a. geography teacher and took a winless. high school football team and turned him. into a state champion there's a humility. there's a humbleness uh uh to this pick. you know I wonder uh when you talk about. JD Vance and Donald Trump it was very. clear that there was a kind of uh the.

more uh Tech oriented you know the Peter. tealwing of that more libertarian group. was really pushing hard for somebody. like JD Vance I was surprised when. Governor wals came out that uh from AOC. to Senator Mansion who I mean you. couldn't find the larger Spectrum in. mansion to the point where he left the. Democratic party and he became an. independent they both expressed.

a real positive response to Governor. walls which was that surprising to you. no because people have gotten to know. him he served he won his very red. congressional seat five times he is. someone that was in the top 10 of that. entire house of representatives for. being bipartisan right in terms of bills. he introduced what he did he is someone. uh that has this even if you don't agree. with him and of course there's people. don't agree with him all the time and. things he just does this with this happy. warrior philosophy and brings people.

with him instead of cutting them down if. they don't agree with him total opposite. of say uh Donald Trump and I think that. has allowed people of different. ideological views including modern. Republicans and Independence to support. him over the years and you know Dean. Phillips in our state immediately said. nice things about him you know he'd run. against Joe Biden so it is I think we. saw that immediately and then you see. people who have served with him high. school students he taught just this. whole philosophy of the people that he.

brought with them how long have you. known him how how how long have you been. I'm the only one that can say this my. mother-in-law my husband grew up in the. same town as Tim wals where he taught. school man Minnesota mano's where isn't. that where the Vikings do their uh yes. they used to have their practice now. they're uh in the Twin Cities you're. right that's right my dad used to cover. him my dad was the sports writer for the. Vikings oh wonderful little fact he. wrote book called will the Vikings ever.

win the Super Bowl which is sadly still. relevant today that is a true story so. uh so you spent your Summers with Fran. Tarkington and and the Purple People. leaders that's incredible so back to. back to um Mano so they grow up my. husband my mother-in-law and. father-in-law have six boys in a trailer. home and one of the things that happened. was that when she would have her kids. people would buy chicken parmesan.

dinners and other things to her and so. she gave back through the years and. she's done that with hundreds of people. and she serves cookies at the funerals. so when the Wales had their child Gus um. it was my mother-in-law that went over. there with a chicken Parmesan dinner and. decorated the place in balloons because. he was at that point the you know no one. thought he could win candidate for. Congress and now you're going back to. 056 time so Tim and I got to knew each.

other then we came into Congress. together um literally I you know. campaigned with him all the time and. then we governed together for years and. did a lot for Rural Minnesota Rural. America we both serve on the a committee. um and then we also worked on a lot of. manufacturing issues things like that so. it was we were we've been good friends. well let's let's talk about that for a. minute because I think that's that's a. really interesting uh uh place to land. at this you know in this country there's.

so many different divides and we talk. about race and gender and all those. things but I think the rural urban. divide is one of the least talked about. but most. impactful and it it really is a. different economic environment uh and. and Rural America has struggled to keep. its you know uh younger people staying. in that area the manufacturing base I. don't think people talk enough about how. even something as small as Amazon coming.

into places knocked out so many support. businesses for whether it were Farms or. or uh you know local businesses the. centralizing of goods and services has. been really difficult on Rural America. how what are the challenges out there. especially economically and and how does. that fit into you know what this new. ticket is going to be running on exactly. and this is Tim Walls and I know kamla. gets this but poverty is not exclusive.

to urban areas in fact you'll have rural. areas where it's higher you looked you. know in the pandemic when kids were. trying to do their homework at home uh. before the vaccine was out 10 20% of the. kids in our rural counties couldn't even. access the internet because they didn't. have Broadband um we have um all kinds. of towns that are child care deserts. housing deserts around our country and. so what many people and you ask about. these people like Joe man and others. that have a state like West Virginia are.

excited about Tim that he brings to this. ticket is just that understanding of. rural areas and that a Manufacturing. Company even a 25 person business. leaving a smaller town can be. devastating for that town or um if you. have uh you know people are messing. around on the farm bill and we don't. have that Safety Net in place um or Aven. flu hits a a farmers uh chickens you can. literally have someone lose their.

business so that's why there's a real. fragility in Rural America that that. makes it difficult right and there's a. pride there we have as you know from all. the work you've done with veterans and. Military you have an over number of. people that sign up to serve that's the. Tim all story at age 17 most people. would wa what um and a lot of people. going into the National Guard to serve. so there's a sense of patriotism but. then there's also a sense of things. could go bad at any moment I've always. believed that kids that grow up in Rural.

America should be able to live in Rural. America and that's just driven a lot of. my work to go not just where it's. comfortable to campaign and to um talk. to people and have town halls but also. where it's uncomfortable and that means. just hearing them out you don't agree. with them on everything but you have. common ground and that's what Tim Walls. brings to the ticket Senator why why has. it been so difficult in your mind to get. the kind of you know high-speed internet. coverage or those types of things that. you know if you look over in Europe. you'll find that the coverage is more.

widespread it's probably more efficient. why in America has it been difficult to. wire up Rural America in the way that. they deserve because boy does that. create a gap in terms of education and. progress and and and different things. why is it so vulnerable to that because. you have to make the commitment to. invest and you know Donald Trump may. have talked game but that just didn't. happen and what happened just in these. last few years and you see these grants. going out now is that we passed the.

bipartisan infrastructure bill um under. Joe Biden KLA Harris's leadership that. included uh this major funding to reach. every corner of our country and why it. hasn't happened is it's hard to to get. to rural areas it's the big phone. companies don't make as much money off. of that last leg so the the competition. doesn't exist in terms of No and then. they get taken advantage sometimes with. when grants go out and This what I loved. about this bill that secretary Rond and.

a number of us worked on um. representative klyburn and I actually. LED that piece of the legislation is. there's a clawback so that if they don't. actually build the internet and they get. the money that we can claw that money. back and give it to right someone else a. rural Co-op electric company whatever it. is to make sure it gets built so this. that legislation is really important are. you starting to see the fruits of that. are you starting to see it penetrate. those areas that you think it it really. need to go to yeah I mean in our state.

we're the state where what women are. strong the men are good-look and all the. internet is above average so you know. we've tended we've. tended New Jersey has the exact same. slogan I can't believe this so exciting. okay so but but the the point is is that. we've been above average and I'm not. kidding on internet and so now we're. just starting to get to those uh last. miles and it's just really important for. world it's going to be a big deal I.

think things that uh the uh that walls. and Harris talk about all the time so. right now have you had a chance to speak. with you know you were one of the first. people that uh basically endorsed vice. president Harris almost immediately is. is that something that you had thought. about previously that you had discussed. with her uh previously that you were you. know it all happened sort of lightning. fast but a lot of people were being very. reticent yeah well so first of all of.

course she didn't talked with anyone she. was there for Joe Biden um about this. until Joe Biden made that decision then. when he made that decision I'd been. saying for weeks to people that if he. did make that decision and it was his to. make um that we wouldn't have some. fantasy football primary I kept telling. people like you know tough love here. like I know you guys have this person. this person it's not going to happen. there's not enough time and we have. someone that's ready to go and so that. is why I immediately endorsed cuz this. is just not the time to mess around and.

actually she called me that day I was in. the airport stranded we all remember the. lovely internet breakdown there with the. Airlines and I was in the airport. stranded and I saw these two guys they. were against the wall and they're like. hey I'm with yam and I thought well. here's my first focus group so I said uh. so what do you think of the decision. today and vice president Harris cuz they. weren't maybe the ones you'd think would. immediately say this and they're like. yeah we're okay with it we're okay with. it we're okay with it is in Minnesota I.

believe considered a rave that's five. stars for Minnesota yeah it was pretty. good so they're younger guys I'm holding. my phone right and the phone goes and. it's a line that is blocked right it's. that's and then I think well maybe this. is her so I go well maybe this is her. Colin I pick it up it's her I go hey. guys you want to tell her right now. yourselves and they. did yeah I could it could have gone. these two. the airport the vice president Harris.

can I tell you if that ever happened in. my phone I would assume it's Springsteen. I would always assume in New Jersey you. get that blocked line you just have to. assume it's Springsteen yeah it's almost. usually a senator but for me but I don't. know so anyway so I had a great talk. with her then um when the vice. presidential um thing started up and. everyone was going on TV I always would. you know people would ask me but I. really believed in the end that it was.

her decision to make cuz unless you're. in that chair and you're her you just. don't know all the factors that going to. go into that so I wasn't in some major. lobbying campaign yeah I sure and. there's a chemistry to it I'm sure yeah. you know she makes her own decision on. this so yeah what was your experience so. as somebody who had been vetted for vice. president obviously that was not done on. the sort of crush uh timeline that it is. does it make you think about and this is. something that I think about lot one of. the biggest issues we obviously have in.

politics is the amount of money uh. that's pouring in whether it was from. citizens united and the super packs and. dark money and all these different. things it's a really difficult thing to. ever get a handle on I can't imagine. that uh the parties and the people the. money people the lobbyists are ever. going to give that up but couldn't we. solve it by. truncating our election season if we. made the election season a finite and.

manageable amount of time don't we. immediately remove a ton of money from. the process by just naturally shortening. it and it's pretty clear that all those. things that they said couldn't happen. because we didn't have enough time did. happen and happened fine yeah I was. asked about this by BBC and I thought it. was funny because the guys like me and. the BBC that's what I'm talking. yeah I thought it was funny because in. kind of a snot be way I won't try the. accent you can do it but it was this.

question about like well how could you. do such a short election I said don't. you guys do that all the time isn't that. what you do with your prime minister and. I do think shortening this timetable uh. might be a good idea because you're just. asking people to endure months and. months and months and months of this of. course with a democracy uh you would. have to somehow shorten the primary uh. time thing of how you do them so spread. out I mean that it seems very feasible. and you really can't stop people from.

getting in early and there is a thing. for candidates you know going way back. Zone like Jimmy Carter Bill Clinton um. sometimes if you're not the presumptive. nominee um that timetable allows people. to get out there and meet people and. raise money and the like so there's it I. think you could argue it both ways but. it has been clearly uh allowed them to. kind of captivate and change the. trajectory how this was going in a big. way cuz people were are just now we have.

changed this internet blah and. negativity every time they attack her. and as a woman candidate um I remember. after the election um one of the groups. showed me that what would happen to me. and Elizabeth Warren and kamla um when. we would get attacked anything they. would try that would go after either you. don't look good or you're dumb or you're. mean or you're too tough any of that. just goes because just you're dumb.

that's that's the one you're D you're. you're both you're prosecutors you got. through you're dumb yeah I know I know. but I'm just telling you they try this. with women they try to get into this bad. Zone and do that so what happened that. KLA and her team has done that's been so. extraordinary is these negative attacks. where they go after her laugh that's. turned into a meme with beyon songs or. they go after coconut trees and we. turned that into a positive steered into. it and made Joy right and then instead.

you know they say cat lady and you're. going to piss off every not just every. cat lady in America but it just sounds. ridiculous so I think that all of this. has really made a difference in terms of. how we've taken some of this and instead. of just getting pissed off as much as. you want to it's been turned into which. I always think it should when it's. appropriate you got to always make a. decision you're going to ignore it some. of it's been ignored do you want to take. it on because it's so disgusting um or. do you want to actually make a joke.

about them and turn it into what it is. and as an expert on humor John Stewart. what's. that some some would disagree I I think. some of this has been U missing from you. know what we're doing well there's a. certain Judo to you know I I think when. you're caught flat-footed by attacks. it's very difficult for you to use uh. that momentum against them I think. that's been one of the the biggest. things look. you know when you have on the right them.

attacking vice president Harris or or. you as a mean boss well Donald Trump I. mean I I I think from what I'd read like. 60% of the people that work for him in. his cabinet will no longer support him I. I think what has eased some of this is. they're running a candidate that makes. it very difficult for them to attack. vice president Harris because their. candidate has so many of those uh.

negative qualities in such large measure. that so what are you going to say she's. mean you're you're you're running a guy. that calls people horse space like what. are you talking about and he calls. veterans suckers and losers and goes. after John McCain for being a. p right but listen that's always been on. the right they have always you know that. paper patriotism I support the troops. unless God forbid one of of the troops. is running against us and then we're.

going to run a swift boo campaign or. even with McCain who was in a war hero. you know that you can't argue they even. went after him I did want to mention. this because because of the fact that. they were attacking Tim Walls this guy. served 24 years in the National Guard. first in Nebraska then in Minnesota and. as you know well according to. Republicans it's not he had to serve 30. or 25 it wasn't long enough. the retirement time where you know.

you've kind of vest it's retired is 20. years so he decides to take four more. years with the guard and while he did. not serve in combat he's been very clear. on that it's because his unit was. deployed to be in Europe um after 911. right so that's where they get deployed. uh to protect our assets there and get. the supply carry a weapon don't you even. when you're exactly and he trained. people but the the one way I want to. look at this is instead of and I respect. JD Vance's four years in the Marines of.

course we do but the thing here is that. the National Guard is a very amazing. concept that people in States love why. it has two purposes one is they can be. activated to serve and they have been. and served a long sign active duty but. they also protect the Homeland so when. there's tornadoes and fires and floods. and all kinds of things uh the National. Guard hurricanes um come and help the. state and Tim Waltz has done that over. and over again as part of his National. Guard Duty so I just think that these.

it's a tried and true methodology from. Republicans they support the troops they. support patriotism unless you're going. to run against them and then they will. try and pick your service apart it's uh. it it it almost Bears a ridiculous uh. idea even to answer to them because uh. it's such a very clear strategy I will. say though it pivots into these are I. know issues that that you've worked on. you did great work with toxic exposure.

stuff you're doing great work with the. Afghan adjustment act the National Guard. really did Bear a tremendous burden. during the global war on terror in a way. that was really. different than things had been so you. had people who were they worked in. accounting offices and then the next day. they were in bad and then they were. there for 16 months and then they were. just back in their Accounting Office the. the real kind of.

whiplash that occurred for so many. National Guard troops uh I think has led. to a lot of the PTSD that you've seen a. lot of those uh mental health issues. this was a really rough ride for so many. National Guards and hard for the. communities and their families we lost a. number of them in service so one of the. things that came out of that in addition. to the work uh that actually when Tim. Walls and I arrived in Congress what we.

worked on was after the Fiasco at Walter. Reid uh was upping the healthc care. right upping the health care that's. right um in terms of what they got for. everyone active duty and National Guard. then the second thing was making sure. that National Guard got some of the same. benefits when they were serving in. active duty because they were literally. doing the same thing that's right and. I'll never forget um uh visiting Iraq. and I was in the airport and the. National Guard from Minnesota they duth. firefighters they came over and. introduced themselves I've since gotten.

to know them when they back here years. and years later and their job at that. airport was to stand and salute uh when. the caskets were loaded on the planes oh. boy and and that's how I met them and I. will never ever forget that moment um. because this was a this is the example I. mean they were serving in of course. dangerous places but then they were also. performing those kinds of Duties so. that's why we upped it that's why we. involved the National Guard with the. Joint Chiefs a lot of things changed um.

as a result of what happened in Iraq and. Afghanistan uh with our guard and the. benefits so that's why I think there's a. pride in the guard and a lot of those. folks are First Responders a lot of them. are firefighters and cops we had a. contingent out here out of New York that. lost members in a helicopter crash in uh. Iraq and I remember seeing them there. afterwards like it's it's devastating. and. as you say to the communities back home.

and all those things but tell me a. little bit about you know this Afghan. adjustment act this is something that's. been worked on there were so many people. Afghans that worked on behalf of US. troops and I don't know if people are. aware of the kinds of risks that they. had put themselves uh into the Taliban. would say to them uh I will kill your. whole family unless you attack you know. a blue on green you you go after. American troops or as soon as the. Americans leave a lot of these folks. have had to go into hiding and we've.

gotten a lot out but we've had a real. hard time why has it been so difficult. it's one of the only bipartisan bills I. can think of that's going out there it's. you and Senator Graham why is it so. difficult to to get that through to get. these folks that did so much for us. during that uh time of global war on ter. to get them to safety um I think. anything that has to do with the. immigration sometimes just people no in. this case these are 80,000 people that.

are already in our country and just like. the M people came after Vietnam right we. made sure that those had who had stood. at our side didn't have to be forced. back in this case they'd be forced back. to the Taliban and we gave them after. they were vetted we gave them permanent. status what this bill does is it says. when you're here and there's a few. others that are assets that are in other. parts of the world of course that we. like to bring over cuz they literally. were translators for our troops um they.

stood with our with our troops there's a. movie called The Covenant um that is. about an Afghan translator that saved. the life of a soldier that I suggest. people watch because it we made a. covenant with them that we were going to. stand with them and their families so. now that they're here they are allowed. to work some but they don't have any. kind of status it's like there's a trapo. under them so the biggest loudest voices. to get this done are our own American. troops who know that they thank their.

safety and their lives to these Afghans. that stood with them and the American. Legion the BFW uh the Iraq and Afghan. veterans they've all made this a big. priority no one left behind I think is a. is a huge organization that also works. towards us right exactly we've got. Stanley mccristal we've have all the. generals that are standing there. supporting this bill so where where is. the friction where is the difficulty in. pushing there really isn't except no one. likes to vote on stuff like this so I've. gotten I've gotten literally Roger.

wicker Roger Wicker's on the bill no. people have put their names on the bill. right he is the ranking on armed. services very conservative I've got. Mullen the guy that you know challenged. the teamster to the cage match that guy. yes he's on the bill he's a veteran I've. got uh the support of Senator Rish on. the bill uh the ranking on for this grah. Moran the head of veterans on the. Republican side he he was actually quite. helpful on. act.

Kansas as well like they were they were. quite helpful exactly so my hope I know. I have the votes to get this you know. how that magic number of 60 to break the. filibuster I have those votes for sure. and more fantastic we just have to have. it as a vote to get on and of course the. house then it we've got bipartisan. support there too but we need to get it. on a major Bill and then it goes through. could be the Defense Act could be a. budget bill at the end of the year but I. it has been just gut-wrenching to talk. to some of these soldiers and they can't.

believe it didn't pass yet because we. stand with those that stood with us and. that is how it is otherwise no one's. going to want to join us in other. battlefields or other situations across. the across the country you know our. soldiers talk about the kinds of moral. injury that that does to them you know. in terms of look there there're already. I think have really ambivalent feelings. about what happened in Afghanistan and. uh the way that we left and how uh it.

has since turned out and there I think a. lot of really ambiguous feelings about. that and ambivalent feelings about that. but I think this issue in particular. where they felt so invested and so. personally uh indebted to some of these. folks uh the Afghan translators and the. other people who worked in support. capacity to not be able to have that. codified I think has been really. difficult for people it is that it's. just it's I think I'm going to get it.

done I Almost sure I am I never get up. I'm number three for passing bills last. Congress I will get this done but it is. they Rite that is it like Glen Gary Glen. Ross there's like little get you get a. set of steak knives because you you. remember I never say it with other. Senators you oh all right yeah they know. grassley's ahead of me I I I'm aiming. for number one grassley's ahead of you. that I would might have happened might. have happened all right fair enough and. then when that's done we're still trying. to get there's some loopholes in PAC DEQ. that we're still trying to to close out.

including uh the K2 veterans who had. deployed uh to that base in usbekistan. who've suffered greatly from uh. radiation exposure and nerve gas. exposure we're just trying to tie those. up yeah and then also we had over a. million now a million of those that. sered that have made claims on it's. unbelievable and and by the way Tim. Wall's not to keep going back there but. he actually did early on before was cool. to before the packed act um worked with. me we did a number of things on. disability claims on Mental Health.

claims and the like that are right there. in his record he led a number of those. bills um but on the packed act I. couldn't believe how many Vietnam. veterans have come up and thanked us for. this because they they we redefine the. triggering things for agent orange. coverage and that's been helpful well. you know the big one was hypertension. you know people don't realize agent. orange is you know those dioxins so you. had all these Vietnam veterans who were. suffering from this hypertension but. it's a I I almost think more importantly. it's a.

recognition yeah that you're not insane. that you were exposed to these terrible. things and that it's causing you uh a. good deal of harm yeah one other thing. is that our firefighters and our First. Responders police officers they also not. associated with um serving overseas they. also have been exposed to toxic. chemicals and get cancer at an. overriding rate as you know from your. work on on 911 and survivors and so what. I actually lead uh the bill with Senator. Kramer that covers make sure that they.

get covered that it's considered an. while if they get cancer while they're. serving um that they actually get. covered as well when they leave that's. not necessarily the case and their. spouse doesn't get the benefits in. Minnesota we changed that law uh because. of one firefighter who died but that. bill is gaining a lot of support as well. and that's called honoring our fallen. heroes act so and it's very related to. the work that you did uh for the 911. Survivors by the way you were incredible.

and you were incredible in the pack deck. just so your listeners know that thing. was going down it was going in Flames. but it was going in Flames because. partisan crap um from the Republican. side after they had voted for it once. and the veterans including a Minnesota. veteran named armanda B Barbosa decided. to she's cool and her husband uh got. very sick from being next to a burn Pet. Well he got I think he goton I think it. was I think it was and he's doing he was.

doing better when I talked to her last. year I hope that continues although last. time I talked to him he bought a. motorcycle so things things right he was. still living on the edge for God's sakes. can't believe we both know these people. that's correct okay so so what happens. is they're all sleeping on the steps and. she was one of the leaders in that. decision and I went there that night as. did Senator gilbran and we went there. and talked to him and then I always the. way I tell the story to Veterans I'm. like and then John Stewart showed up and. it was all over that's true you went you.

went to those steps and we got it done. and so it was incredible I was I was so. pleased uh to be a part of that but you. got the convention coming up oh yeah uh. what in particular are you looking. forward to to seeing kind of codified. it's all been a whirlwind so there. hasn't been a whole lot that's come down. in terms of uh the priorities the. platform all those kinds of things I. imagine there'll be a lot of sort of. boiler plate do you think it's going to. be substantially different than what a. Biden uh presidential platform would.

have looked like uh are they actively. doing it do you have input into that. process what's what's the next step well. so I think the convention is going to. give this opportunity um for us to. really focus on some of the future every. rally right we're going forward we're. not going backward that means we're not. going back to Donald Trump in the. darkness and the felony convictions and. no one wants to deal with this um but. what they're going to be focused on is. what the future looks like right there's.

still like people are challenged on. child care they need housing some of. these things I think that's going to be. really important as well as the issue. that is such a change between kamla. Harris and Donald Trump which is that he. said he was proudly the person. responsible for overturning roie Wade. his exact words on video which by the. way everybody's happy about apparently. apparently that was a decision that uh. everybody's happy about they've all been. CL nobody's complained since then very. no it hasn't mattered at all like not in. Kansas mean I don't you saw there's this.

group of women in in Texas who are suing. because they were not treated for there. was one woman I was reading the story an. ectopic pregnancy that ruptured and. she's now you know utterly damaged. because they would not treat her they. just s her home so you have women. bleeding out in parking lots of. emergency rooms because of these. decision you had me my of prone still at. risk right um the Supreme Court gave a.

temporary reprieve but still at risk. because you have people racing to the. state legislators to figure out how they. can ban it I mean this is when he says. ibf at risk I mean really things that. people take for granted yeah in mod to. the States this is the chaos that has. resulted and I always thought they bring. us back to the 1950s but it's actually. the 1850s they are like pre- Yellowstone. prequel like they are they are like back. at a time of you know pointy shoes in.

medieval days so that's what's going on. here Banning pointy shoes um so I am I. think this has just people get it it's. it's like the symbol of the backwardness. so this convention yes there'll be a lot. of focus on the contrast right and. project 2025 no it's not the number of. felony indictments he has but it's going. to it there'll be some focus on that but. it's also going to be a positive Focus. as there campaign has been since it was. launched 3 weeks ago on what can be and.

how we can make things better and I. think that's what people are thirsting. for and that's what you're going to hear. at the convention right well uh we'll. see you there we'll be we'll be in. Chicago uh oh you are oh maybe I'll stop. by internet will work the whole time. we're doing shows we're we're we're. banging things out uh you know when we. heard they're going to do a Democratic. National Convention in Chicago well I. thought what could go wrong I mean. that's. the history there is on their side but.

uh I've never seen a I mean it was only. a month ago that there was an attempt on. the ex-president's life bid uh last. question before you go I don't know if. you've talked with President Biden but I. imagine this has been a really difficult. emotional Reckoning for uh President. Biden are you in contact with W with. their folks I mean well I know he's. gonna you know be be there and he'll be.

at the convention yeah and I think that. that's going to be a really important. moment for the world to see um and the. love for President Biden the hard. decision he had to make I mean remember. he knows how important it is to save our. democracy as he talked about in the. recent interview on CBS how important it. is to save our democracy and make sure. that Donald Trump is not back in that. white house so that was a lot of what. was motivating him to hang on and then. he made took the honorable path made.

this difficult decision and when you. look back at his presidency as history. will tell he is the one that saved our. democracy by winning that election and. stood in that inauguration after that. Insurrection under that blue sky and. pledge that he would stand up for the. soul of America he's the one that got us. out he and KLA Harris out of that. pandemic by getting the vaccine. distributed in a bit of mess getting it. distributed brought back our economy uh. so much faster than so many other.

developed Nations across the world. you're are you speaking at the. convention because this is I I will. spiler play you can jump right in with. this oh come on no what I'm saying is. there is going to be uh some thing of a. of I just think a big they're going go. They're gonna give a big hug and they're. going to give him a big thing how how. forceful did it get you know was it did. people have to go and say like look. these folks are serious is they're going. to invoke real strong measures to to get.

you out if you're not going to uh accept. that as a reality you know I think that. in the end he made his own decision I. really felt it was his to make that was. my view of this whole thing um and he. came to the right decision um but you. can understand why he was it was it was. a hard decision to make in some ways. because of you you're in the middle of. an election time you don't know what. that's going to mean when you step out. so even if you look just completely. rationally even if you don't like Joe. Biden you could see when he wants to win.

the election and beat Donald Trump why. it took a while to get to that decision. and he made the right decision and he. did it I think in a good way as well I. think in in I think and and the results. have shown in in what a good way but the. kind of Reckoning forget about even you. know leaving this seat of now at the. Supreme Court almost absolute power but. the Reckoning of the end of a career the. Reckoning of you know as what age does. to all of us I imagine you know and you.

kind of you can liken it to well we had. to take our you know we had to take a. car away from my mom when she turned uh. 90 but we also didn't have millions of. people on the internet going let her. drive like that so for him to do that. willingly and come to grips with all. that in such a short amount of time that. you know yeah it was and I also think he. remember he's still our president and. every day is doing good things and so. and keeping this together as we look at. what's going on around the world and how.

difficult it is so a little rough right. now anyway I'm looking forward to seeing. him the well thank you so much for for. joining us Senator clovar uh we'll see. you in Chicago and and thanks for all. your insights today great stuff all. right see you. [Music]. bye you know what you forget sometimes. so so we just spoken with Senator. clashart the state center you know we're. so used to the National conversation and. everything is uh National and how's it.

going to play out in the swing States. and all these different things but you. forget like oh when you're a senator. from a state like you are State Centric. so so much of what she's like so Obin. man and the Minnesota and the pride in. Sunni Lee and you're like oh right. that's that's that kind of uniquely. proud uh homerism that is when you're. coming from an individual State and I. guess it's kind of cool to see Thea even. when she's like yeah I'm in an airport.

with these two dudes from Minnesota and. I'm like hey you want to get on the. phone with vice president Harris yeah. it's it's kind of. colloquial and great what what are what. are the the commentators what are our. people saying let's get to listener. questions listener question let me hear. it all right first one uh somebody has. asked if you would ever host a. presidential debate but also how would. you design your ideal debate format oh. the presidential debate format uh I.

would design it with the least amount of. uh Interruption that it is so gamified. now with you've got a minute and then. you've got a minute and then we're going. to hit a buzzer and you've got to switch. over it has to be if you're going to. have legitimate debates there has to be. a series of them and they cannot run. like a a [ __ ] episode of a game show. like Press Your Luck like just can't be. okay now we're going to go to the speed. round drug policy yeah education Pharma.

like you can't get into so all that. happens is when it's been gamified the. candidates understand well I only need. 30 seconds or 45 seconds of boilerplate. nonsense and then they're going to say. they're 45 seconds of boilerplate. nonsense and we're never going to have. to deal with it again two people at a. desk what are you going to do. differently uh uh to Rin in drug CA and. just let him [ __ ] talk.

mhm maybe a concession for the people. who really like Pizzaz we can have cool. entrances for the candidates instead of. the boring. walk-on love it see I love that or have. you know at the end you can do musical. things or you know you get 15 minutes of. conversation and then everyone has to do. a Tik Tock dance fine a little Talent. portion swimsuit competition I'd love to. see that Biden's already in it he's. already in Delaware in the in the. Speedos he doesn't even give a [ __ ].

anymore I don't know if you saw the. video but he's just like filming his own. Corona commercial sitting on the beach. like life is good absolutely all right. we've got one last question one last. question favorite segment of the Pod. John influencer question of the week oh. man what's yeah what do you look for in. a pair of. glasses oh uh a. magnification of around 2.75 or three.

that that's what I look for and I look. for so uh I only have reading glasses I. I can. see you know distance yeah I am uh what. what they say farsighted so I can see. everything and all all that only in the. past few years have I not been able to. see anything up close so I'm obviously. very hungry because I I go to. restaurants and then I just look up and. say I don't know I can't help they say. what do you want I say I don't know what. this is and I'm going to have to just go. home hungry uh but what I've noticed as.

this has gone on is so I there was a. time where no matter what drugstore I. went to I would buy a reader and it. started out very reasonably you'd go in. you'd buy a reader and then I noticed. like the readers that I got were no. longer had any efficacy I was starting. to get worse and worse and I started and. so now I'm at the point where I can. almost not. reach the only reader you need the only. glasses that will actually solve uh the. the the problem that I have because I've.

I I've absorbed all the 175s and twos. and 225s that doesn't do [ __ ] anymore it. has no efficacy anymore I need that 275. I need that three I'll jump to a 350 if. they have it but if they do I'm not a. tall man and generally on the stand you. have to go all the way up so it is. paradoxical to the aging process because. the older I get the worse my vision gets. but the higher up the glasses go yeah so.

the frailer I get they're slowly I think. this is some kind of I think this is how. most people break their hips oh my God. that I I believe that is how I will die. I will. die reaching out over a cliff for some. readers that were placed why would you. do that to old people why would you. place the. readers why wouldn't you just for old. people scatter the readers on the ground. let the old people for let us forage.

didn't somebody give you a bunch of [ __ ]. for like the style of readers I'm sure I. mean they're all look I I I are they. scattered around your room right now yes. of. course oh we just got a costume change. here's one look at this that one's. missing an arm those that has. personality there here's one just. dangles off your. face. G for your birthday one year I think we. all get got you like 70 pairs of readers. and you just had a a basket in your.

office I I have a basket of them and I. just grab them whenever I can now this. one was done because Tracy said uh when. you're on camera you look. ridiculous and I was like well how do. you know that and she's like because I'm. a human being with taste and eyes and I. you look ridiculous so I'm going to get. you a pair of proper glass is made by. people that design them yeah not made.

outside of a drugstore not not made for. CVS so that's what these are so that's. why I wear them on whenever I have to do. something uh where where people might. might see it they're great that's very. kind of you to say that I just want to. ask people to keep sending in more. questions because we're really enjoying. this you know what we are enjoying this. I'm having fun I am I am as well and you. guys are killing it as always lead. producer Walker producer Britney MC uh. by the way uh filling in for Rob BTO.

this week Sam Reed on video editing. engineering but I'll be perfectly Frank. Nicole she crushed it she jumped in. she's normally audio editor and engineer. but she was doing video she was crushing. it this week uh Jillian uh Jillian spear. researcher associate producer executive. producers Chris McShan Katie gray as. always very excited Britney what are the. socials that we go to yeah Twitter we. are weekly show pod Instagram threads. and Tik Tok we are weekly Show podcast. and we are weekly show with John Stewart.

on YouTube uh great job guys that's all. for the weekly show we'll see you uh. next week. [Music]. [Music].