Sen. Bernie Sanders on Dem Wins, Trump & the Future | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

Ladies and gentlemen, Tuesday, November. uh 10th, we are plus seven on the new. world that has dawned for the Americans. This is the weekly show podcast. My name. is John Stewart. We are doing the show. on Tuesday. It'll probably come out, I. don't know, Wednesday or or or Thursday. The new reality, the the giddiness. begins to subside. uh the the elation. you Knicks in five and now it's how are.

we going to be next season? Are we going. to be able to carry uh this win uh. through and it becomes about what will. the plan be? Who will be the. quarterback, the architects of said. plan? Are we going to run the same old. back that we did years ago and. hope that we get a different result? We. don't know. But the one thing we do know. that uh can help us understand it is by. talking to the people that are uh inside. it. And I'm delighted to get an.

opportunity today to talk to our old. friend and one of the gentlemen that I. think was really instrumental in uh. providing the energy and ideas and. substance for uh an electoral turn like. this. And let's just get right to them. for God's sakes. Ladies and gentlemen, delighted to. welcome today independent Senator Bernie. Sanders from the great state of Vermont, soon to be soon to be the chair of the.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Committee because. uh Senator, I need not tell you this. The Democrats are in the majority. >> Really, John? >> Yeah, >> I didn't know that. Let me. >> Why did that happen? Funny story. So, Tuesday night around. 11, Senator, how did you experience. election night, what was what was your. experience of it? When did you get to.

the point where you realized not only. did the Democrats take the House, but. they flipped the Senate as well? >> Well, I take election nights very. personally, and I stay home with family and close. friends. you know, we don't want to be. exposed to the public if tragedy. strikes. I don't handle that too well. Uh, and I get very nervous about polls. Um, I don't always trust them. But. anyhow, uh, a member of my staff, Britt,

detected early in the evening that in a. congressional race in Indiana, which we. had not been following at all, some guy. who I had not heard of, was doing much. better than anybody expected. He went on. to win. And that kind of set the tone. that there might be a tsunami in the. evening. And you sir, if I may say, I mean, I don't know of.

many people who put their political. capital online. in the same way that you had this is. when did the fighting oligarchy tour. when when did that uh kind of get. together? And I mean, you were out. there, you did rallies in front of I. don't know 300,000. >> You know, this is what happened, John. >> Yeah. After Trump won, it was incredibly. demoralizing for everybody in our world. And I thought it was important to just.

kind of start rallying the American. people around the reality of what was. happening. Uh, and we started, I think way back in. February or March. And what we focused. on uh interestingly enough are marginal. districts where you had Republicans who. had won by a small margin. And we went I. think we began in Omaha, Nebraska. actually and then we went to Iowa. >> Uhhuh. >> So we didn't go to these, you know, big.

blue states. We went to marginal. districts and we did that throughout. Sometimes we, you know, went to LA and. we went to Denver, but we we focused on. a lot of marginal districts. And it. turns out that many of those districts. that we visited early played a role uh. in ending up uh swinging those. elections. >> Right. And and by the way, did you feel. the enthusiasm for having you out there? And a lot of times you would bring AOC. with you and other uh kinds of people.

Did did you have a sense. that the enthusiasm that that was being. expressed had the possibility to be. built into something more sustainable. leading into the elections? >> Well, John, I wasn't looking at just. from an electoral point of view. What. the the energy was extraordinary. I. don't I'm not a historian, >> but we brought out turnouts all over the. country. I think we were in Tulsa, Oklahoma. How's that for a communist. stronghold? Uh, and and I think we had.

10 12,000 people. We were in Idaho, John. Idaho might be the most. conservative state in the country. We. had, >> I don't know, many, many thousands of. people out. And and what I saw, John, what I detected, and I wasn't thinking. politically at the time of electoral. politics because what I believe then and. what I believe now is there is massive. discontent in this country. Massive. discontent. Maybe people can't put their. finger on it.

>> Mhm. >> But people sense that there is something. wrong. And that's a discontent, by the. way, in my judgment is what Trump picked. up on. And what he did, of course, is. blame powerless minorities, uh, often. the undocumented, and say those are the. people. You have problems. Well, I know. you're hurting. The undocumented people. or the trans people or the this people. or that people or Canada, whatever it. is, they're the cause of your problems. And what we try to do in that what.

turned out to be 45 events all over the. country for hundreds of thousands of. people is to really talk about what we. felt the most important issues facing. the American people are and what the. causes of our problems are. And that's. something you know John that we don't do. enough as a nation. And I think you know. if you ask me uh what is the most. important issue I in a nation now that. faces many many crises I would say that. oligarchy and the fact that a handful of.

people have more wealth and power than. has ever been the case in American. history. You know you remember the. guilded age right? >> Of course. >> we got to study that in high school. It's much worse now and we don't talk. about it but that is an issue that has. to be taken on and it's not just the. income and wealth inequality which is. huge. It is increasingly corporate. control over the media. It is. billionaire control over our political. process. And one of the very positive. things in this election is you know Musk.

spent $430. million to try to retain Republican. control over the House and the Senate. People said no. But that danger of such. few people with so much power is. something that uh we've got to deal. with. >> And you really saw it. You know, the. Democrats did something that we haven't. seen in a little while, which is they. had candidates that come from the. working class and not in the sense of uh. they were in the working class, but then. they uh you know ran a tech company and.

got big. You elected a uh waitress I. think uh Rebecca. >> Rebecca Cook in Wisconsin. Uh. John, the week before, not the week. before, a few days before the election, we went and we did an event with her in. her district and on, let me get it. right. I think it was a Sunday night or. a Saturday night. She was waitressing. We went into her restaurant literally. and she gave us some dessert. Then the. next day we did an event with them. She's a real life waitress.

>> Gave you the dessert on the house. She's. just she's just passing. See, this is. socialism, Bernie. How many times have I. told you? >> I mean, it was She's a great candidate. Worked tirelessly. In Montana, we had a. guy who used to jump into fire, smoke. jumper. >> In Ohio, we had a guy who was an iron. worker. >> In Pennsylvania, a guy who was head of. the firefighters association. Uh in. Maine, uh Troy Jackson is a I think. fifth, sixth generation log, the guy in. the woods cutting down trees. Uh and and.

more. >> And Susan Collins used that as an. insult. you Susan Collins said to her. constituents, "We don't want someone, you know, he's great to buy a cord of. wood from, but you don't want him in the. Senate." And I thought he used it very. effectively to talk about, but let me. get this straight. you know, because I'm. a hardworking guy who worked as a. logger, I'm not qualified to rep I'm. more qualified to represent mayors. because they align more with uh my.

experience than your experience with 30. years in Washington forgetting about the. working people. >> You know, exactly right. And Troy is, I. think, going to be a great senator. precisely. uh because uh of that reason. >> Now you're So you're back in Washington, but this is the lame duck session. Now, I don't know. I' I'd love to hear a. little bit about the behind the scenes. Uh uh the lame duck session is there's a. bunch of people now who will not be back.

after January. Is there a sense that the. Republicans are going to try to as we. see in Texas where the uh the losing uh. gubernatorial candidates said we've got. to strip power from the governor and. send it back to the Republicans. What do. you think the agenda is going to be in. this lane Congress? >> Yeah, I just got back here yesterday and. I don't know I don't they can't do that. That's not going to happen. They may try. to push piece of legislation through. I. I think the concerns that we have now.

there's uh government funding is going. to expire in mid uh December. >> Mhm. And the issue is nobody wants to. see the government shut down, but we. want to pass a continuing resolution. that will protect working families and. change some policies. So, for example, as you are more than aware, uh Trump. decided to give uh a trillion dollars in. tax breaks in his big beautiful bill to. throw 15 million people off of.

healthcare. Right? >> I would like to see us repeal that. provision, resin that provision in the. continuing resolution. Also, there are. many of us who want to defund the war in. Iran, take away Trump's ability to wage. that war, and we'd like that in the CR. continuing resolution uh as well. But. the real debate now, John, >> is not just about what's going to happen. in the lame duck. The real debate is. where we go from here, >> right? >> And it is no great secret. The Democrats.

want an extraordinary victory. Uh. there'll be 55 56 senators, 250 plus. members of the House. And the real. debate is, if I may be blunt about it, uh do we kind of do the same old same. old what Democrats have always done. >> or do we move forward? >> Which is what to tell me tell me what. you feel like the status quo. Are you. talking about the more kind of. neoliberalism? Are you talking about uh.

being a little too differential to. corporate interest? What is it that. would represent that same old same old. to you? >> Uh give you one example please. >> There are many and I'd like to discuss. them. Our health care system I go around. the country and almost every place I go. I say to people all right please raise. your hand if you think the American. health care system is working. >> Nobody raises their hand. It is a broken. and cruel and dysfunctional system in. which we spend twice as much per person.

on healthcare as the people of any other. nation. Do you know that we spend double. what the Can Canadians do, Europeans do? >> Meanwhile, 90 million people are. uninsured or underinsured. We don't have. enough doctors. We don't have enough. nurses. >> Mhm. >> So, what do you do? All right, John. You're in my place. >> Wait, you're asking me? >> Yeah, of course I'm asking you. >> You know, you know what I would do? >> Tell me. >> Oh, God bless you, Bernie Sanders. Uh. what I would do is I would introduce uh. we have a system called Medicare.

and uh it's when you pay into the system. and you reach a certain age uh it allows. you you would never go broke if you got. sick. Uh you have access to uh you know. governmentf funded insurance. uh it. takes it you're no longer tied to your. job uh where you have the freedom to. make choices for your own agency as far. as work is concerned. Uh it would be to. to remove insurance from employment or.

underinsurance from lack of employment. would be one of the greatest drivers of. liberty that Americans have experienced. in decades. It would be. >> You said it better than I did, John. What you're talking about is Medicare. for all. >> Yes. That's a that's a very catchy name. I like that, Senator. I like that. >> All right. And the reason it's a catchy. name is Medicare is a popular program. We ought to expand it to club. >> dental, hearing, and vision. We got. along with the age. It's a four-year.

program. But here's the point, John, >> and stay with me on this one. >> So, you're going to have people getting. up. They're Democrats, Republicans. living in another world saying the. health care system is broken. We have. got to make sure and restore. those 15 million people who lost their. healthare habitized day. That's about. it. >> Credits for the ACA maybe. >> Yeah, exactly. Yeah, same thing. All. right. And I support that as an. immediate action. I'm not going to let. 15 million people suffer and some die.

because but what we have got to do is. pass Medicare for all. Now, John, you. know this. I'm I'm playing, you know, being facitious here. How many nations. in major countries in the world do not. guarantee healthcare to all of their. people? >> I think I think there's one actually. that. >> you got it. >> There may be one. I can't I can't recall. the name of it right now, but I believe. there might be. >> It's Zambia actually is what it is. >> No, Zambia probably has it. I don't. know. The defaming Zambia, it's the.

United States. >> That's right. >> So, that is the debate. Are we going to. pass Medicare for all which is bill that. I introduced the giant poll in the. house? You know what the latest poll. had? 60 65% of the American people. support it. 80 85% of the Democrats. support it. Kind of a no-brainer, right, John? >> I believe it's a no-brainer. >> Well, we will see if we will get it. done. >> I hate the news. I I hate what it's. doing to me emotionally. I I hate that.

you don't really know where the. information is coming from. Sometimes. you don't know how it's being. manipulated and it it adds to the. creeping fog of sadness that grows. But. I have to keep up. I have to understand. what's going on in the world. And that's. why ground news. It it's they've got a. website. It's an app. It it lets you. compare news coverage across the board. to understand how you're being zoomed. Do you know what I'm saying? You can see. how different news outlets will frame. the same story. They've got a blind spot.

feed so you can challenge yourself about. your news consumption. You'll see who. owns what news outlet to understand why. they're framing the stories the way they. are. This is the one you should uh get a. hold of. Enlighten yourself, please. To. get the same unlimited access to the. Vantage subscription, go to. groundnews.com/stewart. and subscribe to get 40% off. Discount. only available for a limited time. That's groundnews.com/stewart. or scan the QR code on screen.

>> If you were going to do that kind of. healthcare expansion, you would would. you need that 60 vote threshold? No. In. the Senate, you would not. Would you do. it through reconciliation? How would you. do a program like that? Look, what we. understood when Biden was in power, we. passed the American Rescue Plan, which. was a really, it was a $1.9 trillion. dollar bill, which to a large degree got. us out of the recession caused by CO and. I was active in in that bill. Did a.

whole lot of things. We did it through. reconciliation. Trump's disastrous. uh big beautiful bill was done through. reconciliation. Mhm. >> So, I won't bore all of the people with. Senate rules here, but bottom line, you. have the opportunity to throw a lot of. stuff in and you can get it done with 51. votes. And that is my view as to what we. should do. We should raise the minimum. wage to a living wage, 20 bucks an hour. >> And I All right. So, let's just stay on. the issue of Medicare for all. Watch.

closely whether the Democrats are. prepared to take on the insurance. companies and the drug companies and. Wall Street. very powerful entities and. do what the American people want. So, that is battle number one. Battle number. two, you may have noticed that in. California, uh, they're still counting the votes, but a a proposal for a one-year 5% tax. on billionaire wealth. >> Okay. >> Right. >> The billionaires there spent $350. million to defeat it. Mhm.

>> They outspent the proponents like 200. to1 and they managed to get 52 53% of. the vote. They defeated it. >> In my view, at a time of massive income. and wealth inequality. where the billionaires are just making. money hand over fist, >> uh we have to impose a tax on them. This. is also quite popular. It's what the uh. American people want. six little. according to the polls over 60% of the.

people want that. Think we're going to. be able to do it? >> No. >> Why not? uh because the uh the fear from. the Democrats to take on uh bold moves. that will reshape and readjust. uh you know the country from favoring. capital to more favorable towards labor. will be considered too radical. And uh. for some reason everybody believes that.

allowing corporate interests to run. rough shot over the American people to. allow uh money to be speech to allow all. those different things is somehow not. radical. That's what I don't what I. don't understand is why is it radical to. rebalance so that salary isn't for. suckers? It's astonishing to me that. being the outlying country that doesn't. have health care for people, trying to.

alleviate that is the radical position. I I I I really don't under and please. help me. I understand powerful interest, but so let's let's go back to the health. care system. you say. So the fight about that would. be the insurance companies, uh maybe. doctor's lobbies, maybe big pharma, but. also people are reluctant, the ones that. have healthc care insurance right now, to give that up for something that. they're not quite sure will be.

effective. How do you convince them? >> All right. the the polling suggests now. that a pretty strong majority. uh wants Medicare for all. Uh in this. regard also I would tell you that we're. taking on the media. Uh you're a media. guy, right? You pay attention. >> I don't care for it. I don't really. watch that. I don't of course. Tell me. how many programs you have ever seen on. television which discusses why we are.

the only major country on earth not to. guarantee healthcare to all people. >> and why we spend twice zero. All right. >> So you got a media out there, you know, the pharmaceutical industry does a lot. of advertising, insurance companies and. so forth and so we're taking on. >> the media. We're taking on all of the. lobbyists. >> But I think and let me go a little bit. deeper if we could John even beyond. policy. >> Sure. I worry you all aware of what's. happening in Europe uh where in Germany.

uh France uh UK. over the last few years massive growth. in support for extreme right-wing. parties. Right. >> Right. >> Similar to Trumpism in this country. >> Right. >> And a lot of people around the world in. Europe and in the United States. And. this is what I think Trumpism is about. Are there people who are racists and. sexist and homophobes? Absolutely. >> But I think most of the Trump supporters. are people who are saying, you know. what, I'm working hard. I don't have any.

money for retirement. My kid is going to. do worse off than I am. >> Uh, you know, I can't afford this. I. can't afford that. What the hell's going. on in Washington? Do they know that I'm. alive? At least Donald Trump is going to. do something. Right. We like Donald. Trump. Well, what he's going to do the. the the the whole I think foundation of. Trumpism is resourceuarding. The idea is. I work, I play by the rules, and what. the Democrats are going to do is give a. bunch of undocumented and trans people.

free everything. And and I think that's. their resistance. >> Yeah, that that is. And that's what's. going on in Europe as well. They blame. there's always a person to blame. >> You can blame, you know, historically in. this country, blacks, gays, Latinos, whatever it may be. Jews in Europe, big. deal, obviously. >> All right. But what I'm saying here is. democracy right now in America and in. Europe is in a fragile state. Okay? And. people are saying, "Government doesn't.

do anything for me. You give me this. crap every year. You want me to vote for. you. You do nothing. My family is worse. off. My kids are worse off. I'm going to. go to a strong man type of government.". At least Trump, you know, he's powerful. guy. He's yelling at everybody, right? >> He'll do something. >> He'll do something. And you Democrats have your 18-year. programs, you don't do a damn thing. So, what I worry about is not just the. collapse of our health care system or. the millions of workers are working for. starvation wages. I worry very much,

John, that in a sense this may be the. Democrat's last chance. >> if they cannot in a very concrete way. improve the lives of working people. So. working people say, you know, I voted. for the Democrats. Hey, you know what? Something really happened, >> right? >> Democracy actually works. My life is. better today in a concrete way rather. than just, you know, rhetoric. >> So to me, it's a very fragile. moment and we have got to act and we.

have to act boldly. So what I want to. see is us go forward. The Medicare for. all proposal, it's a four-year proposal. You know, we got to sort it. Uh, I want. to see a tax on billionaires, which. frees up the legislation that I have, John, a 5% annual tax on billionaires. would bring in about 400 billion a year. With that money, we could build start. the process of building 7 million units. of low-income and affordable housing. Okay? put people to work addressing the.

housing crisis, universal and free child. care, free public colleges and. universities, and in the first year, a. $3,000 stipen for every workingclass. person in America to get them through. difficult times. People will, if we do. that, people say, "You know what? Democrats made a difference.". >> You know, I think it it's a triage. situation. And I think, you know, uh I. think mom Donnie has done this. effectively in New York. So, he comes in. and the reputation is socialist, radical, Muslim. He's going to turn the.

city upside down. It's going to be a. free-for-all. It's going to be an openw. world uh grand theft auto experiment. It's not But what he did was he did. pothole democracy. He basically just. triaged. Let me go through what do you. got a pothole there? What? And wouldn't. the Democrats be well served to do. pothole democracy writ large on that. scale like healthcare? But the thing I. would ask you is, you know, Medicare for. all unfortunately begins to become a.

kind of a meaningless slogan in in the. way of like when the media used to use. the words the big lie and it was a. standin for something that I don't think. the public so can you break down and. make the case that Medicare for all. would actually lower the cost of. healthare for people, be cheaper for the. country in the long in other words why. is it so difficult for Democrats and. maybe there's not enough support for it. to make that case for Medicare for all.

in a manner that is uh rational and easy. to digest for those that fear that type. of change. For instance, they would say, well, the you know, there'd be weight. times. Well, >> if you look at the weight times right. now for people to see a gynecologist or. a specialist, they're enormous. >> Absolutely. >> In the system we have. >> All right, good point. And again, we are. taking on the whole system. So, I have. the opportunity to chat with you. I. don't can't do that on CBS. I can't do. that on NBC. They don't want to hear.

this. >> Understood. >> All right. But, um, >> I'll go tell them. You tell me. I'll go. tell them. >> Well, don't laugh. I am going to tell. them. Um, uh, all right. Here is the. point. Not a complicated point. No. health care system in the world, not in. Canada or Europe, is perfect. That's. true. And technology makes it difficult. you got to keep up and all that stuff. But what most Americans believe, what I. believe, what you believe is a the.

function of the rational health care. system is not to make huge profits for. the drug companies and the insurance. companies. Right? >> And that's what this system is doing. So. right now, in many ways, the system is. working. >> as designed. >> As designed, >> they're making huge profits. The CEOs of. these companies make tens of millions of. dollars every year. What's the problem? So our we have got to flip that on its. head and say well the function of a. rational system is to provide quality.

care to every man, woman and child. Now. you know what that's pretty hard to do. All right. How many resources do you put. into rural America? How do you rebuild. hospitals? How do you get enough doc? We. don't have enough doctors. >> We don't have enough dentists. We don't. have enough nurses. Okay. How do you use. AI in a productive way? Okay. But the. reason that health care is so expensive. right now is that it goal is to make. huge profits for the drug companies and.

the insurance companies. And that's how. the whole system is based. For example, we spend far less. per capita on primary health care than. do other countries. >> Right? You don't have to be a genius to. figure out that if people are sick and. they don't get into a doctor's office, what happens? They go to an emergency. room. Very expensive. They end up in the. hospital. Outrageously expensive. Gee, what about keeping people healthy to.

begin with, right? >> Wow. That's a crazy and radical idea. >> All right. That's what Medicare for all. could do. So the we know the we got the. numbers that and and the other point. that you made John which is not made. enough and I think we don't make it. enough. >> right now there are millions of people. in America who are stuck on their jobs. >> right they don't like their work. >> right. >> they want to do something else. >> but they have decent healthcare. >> all right maybe their wife is ill their. husband is ill their kids are ill they.

got a healthcare that is good and they. are scared to death of leaving that job. when you guarantee healthcare to all. people. You know what it does? It frees. up people to say, "Wow, I could do what. I want to do and I'm going to have. healthcare for my family." That's a huge. deal. >> No, I think that the health care cost. and the fear of what a catastrophic. health event would mean to families, you. know, it's so shocking to me. And maybe. it's because health care is one of those. items that just does not fit well into.

that forprofit arena. It's just not one. of those. There's too many uh variables. It's people aren't able to comparison. shop. There's a certain urgency to when. you have to get in. People can charge. you anything they want because it's to. keep you alive, right? >> And recognizing that is the first step. to reforming the system, not just buying. into, well, why don't we just then give. subsidies to give people access to this. broken system? How do we how do we fix.

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That's it. There's no catch. The things you want to do. Are we. getting into a debate now about. will the Democratic leadership and this. gets into and it's a much larger debate. and it's very heated about whether Chuck. Schumer should continue to be uh the. majority leader of the Senate, you know, when it when it goes back over in. January into that session. Hakee Jeff as. well. Is he too tied to status quo.

solutions that maybe haven't worked in. the past? Is he too tied to the kinds of. parliamentary protocols of the Senate. and too differential to the. parliamentarian and certain what what's. your opinion on where what the. leadership in the Senate should be? >> Look, I have known Chuck Schumer for a. very long time. Actually, Chuck and I. grew up in the same neighborhood. Went. to the same elementary school. >> Did you really? >> I'm older than Chuck. I didn't know him.

then, but you know, we grew up in the. same neighborhood and and and I have. known him for a very long. Chuck. actually is a very nice guy. He works. very very hard. >> But to answer your question, uh I think. Chuck's views, you know, when you talk. about status quo politics, that's what you're talking about in in. terms of Chuck. Uh do I think we need. new leadership, which is going to move. the Democratic party in a much more. vigorous way to protect the needs of. working families? Yes, I do. Absolutely.

>> And do you have someone in mind that. would represent that kind of vigorous. new leadership or are you still in kind. of because look, his institutional. knowledge is helpful. >> Yeah. But absolutely, but if it's not. helpful to utilize to move the system. urgently, then what are we doing? >> Urgency is is I think the key word. And. if you talk to people like Peggy. Flanigan of Minnesota or Troy Jackson of. Maine or Abdullah Sayed of Michigan, they have come from the battlefield.

They have had hundreds and hundreds of. meetings with people. And what they will. tell you is urgency is the word. People. are sick and tired of the status quo. We. cannot have leadership in the Democratic. party who are going to do the same old. same old. We need to stand up for. working families, take on the big money. interest and improve life uh for. ordinary people. Uh so that is uh what I. think uh we have got to do. You ask of. their names. Uh Chris Van Holland uh is.

one guy who has indicated he might be. interested in running uh for leader that. if he chooses to do that, I will support. him. >> You will support him. Okay. >> Yeah. uh because it's an it's an interesting. uh dilemma because you know right now I. can feel the push back on those who had. criticized that status quo uh leadership. of of Democrats. They're very effective right now at. pushing back. I'm seeing those sorts of. underground influencers that are working.

through uh the speaker's office and and. the majority leaders office trying to. shore up support and attack anybody in. myriad ways that might question whether. or not that's the best way forward and. sometimes attacking uh those people in. pretty ugly ways. I would say. >> uh look the establishment is what the. establishment is and they want to. maintain. the uh kind of society that exists right.

now kind of social relationships. that exist. I think it's got to change. >> And again, I think it's not just that. you need healthcare for all, that we. need to raise the minimum wage, that we. need to deal with AI in a way that we. have not even begun to deal with. >> We got to deal with climate change to. save a planet for our kids. But it is if. we don't do it, if we, you know, if. after this election all that happens is. the same old same old, people going to.

say the hell with everybody. >> Right? We gave you Democrats a chance. You blew it. the hell was it all? Screw. democracy. So, uh, we have got to be. bold and your point is right. The estab. all of the media, the corporate media. will tell us, "Oh, this is Bernie is too. radical and is blah blah blah blah.". It's not where the American people are. at. In my view, what this election was. about, yeah, it was absolutely a. rebuking of Trumpism and his narcissism. and his contempt for the Constitution,

>> but it was also a demand on the part of. millions of people who are struggling. today to put food on the table and pay. for health care and who worry what kind. of life their kids are going to live. That's what this campaign was about. To. say to those people, "Hey, forget about. it. We're going back to the same old. same old. Man, that will be a betrayal. of massive consequence. >> because we don't look when you think. about what people say, well, we're. running big deficits and now suddenly.

the media is very interested again and. Republicans are very as they've lost. control, they are suddenly very. interested again in deficits. It's so. interesting. The criticism of Democrats. was always tax and spend liberals. you're gonna tax people and then spend. that money to help people. Well, the. Republicans appear to be tax cut and. spend Republicans. They still spend. sometimes in far greater measures than. the Democrats do, but they also cut.

revenues to the government. It makes no. economic sense what they seem to be. about. >> Well, what they are about is protecting. I mean, you see it. The one thing I got. to acknowledge about Donald Trump, he's. pretty upfront, right? I mean, he has. the wealthiest people in the world. sitting right behind him. These are my. guys, and I'm going to make them richer. And by the way, I made myself $2 billion. richer. What is your problem, America? Not to mention the reflecting pool. that's ever so nice, etc., you know. All.

right. But but again, John, I cannot. overstate that if we do not act boldly, and that means improve the lives of. working people. point you made, you. know, 10 minutes ago, just I want. everybody to think what it would mean to. their lives if they did not have to. worry about what happens when their kid. gets sick or when their mother can't. afford a prescription drug. >> That anxiety, people would breathe in a. way that they are not breathing today.

People would say, "Thank you, Democrats. You have made a difference." If we raise. the minimum wage to 20 bucks an hour, millions of workers will say, "Thank. you, Democrats." You know, one of the. things maybe not talked about enough. from this election, but my memory is. correct, something like uh 43 out of 44. communities that voted on data centers. uh voted no for data centers in their. community in one way or another. uh and. meanwhile until very recently the issue.

of significant guard rails around uh AI. not a subject for discussion. So you had. Musk and Altman and Bezos, they're. pushing this. unbelievable transformative technology. on the American people, >> right? >> And are we discussing it? Do we want it? Well, I think you know we're working. hard on that issue and I think it's an. issue that's got to be put on the table. My own view is not only do we need a.

moratorium on the construction of data. centers, national moratorium, Alexandria. Kaziocortez and I introduced that uh six. seven months ago. Uh but we need to do a. pause on advanced AI development and a. ban on super intelligence. I have talked. to some of the leading figures in the. world on this issue and John I suspect. you have as well. >> What they are saying is that if AI. becomes smarter than human beings and if.

human beings are unable to control AI. there may be very very dire. consequences. Okay. So why the hell are. we not discussing this issue? You tell. me. Not only are we not discussing this. issue, Americans are being asked to. finance at their detriment that very. transformation. Hey, uh, we've got this. thing that is here to ultimately replace. you. Can I have $50 trillion.

to to start building it? Is that cool. with everybody? Oh, and we're also going. to need a lot of your water and. electricity. We good? Is that okay? It's, you know, it's so interesting that demonization of. what they call socialism. A, nobody has. a proper definition of what it really. means. And nobody in America is talking. about the nationalization of industries.

other than perhaps Donald Trump who. strongarmed his way into, you know, getting pieces of companies. But they. don't understand that government picks. winners and losers all the time. The the. thing that they do mostly though is they. pick they decrease friction for. corporate interest and increase friction. for normal human beings. And all we're. saying is why don't we reverse that? >> Right. That's right. You got it. Is that.

the type of Now, this gets into a more. difficult conversation to be able to do. that. in a Senate that is paralyzed by 60. votes. What does happen to the. filibuster, which is considered sacrian, even though I think it was only. instituted in the 1900s and had been. amended a few times throughout the. 1900s? What's what's your position on. that? >> Uh, that's a good question. And here's what. my hesitancy is. I I could, you know,

absolutely support doing away with the. filibuster, bringing democracy. to the uh Senate where majority rules, which is not the case right now. >> Two things we can do a lot right now. with. uh. with legislation, budget reconciliation. bill, as I mentioned before, >> right? But that's a cheat. That's that's. a cheat that relies on manipulating. kinds of what what budget reconciliation. is really supposed to.

>> I wouldn't say that it has been done a. number of times in very big ways. That's. what Trump did. That's what we did when. Biden was in office. >> In terms of the filibuster, it goes both. ways. The theory of the filibuster is it. protects the minority. And what I have. to say is the Republicans, Trump wanted. to do away with the filibuster. Uh the. Republican leadership in a sense. resisted them. They had the power to do. it. >> They didn't do it. So, it's a difficult. issue. I can go I haven't formulated. I. want to hear all of the arguments. Uh.

but remember, it goes both ways. Let let. me let me make the case for dissolving. the filibuster that's not about, you. know, they say protecting the the. minority, but there's a lot of checks. and balances in the country there. But. isn't there an argument to be made that. when you win an election, you should be. able to institute the policies that you. wish because then two years later, >> four years later, the public will judge. But if we don't allow the voters who put.

in these majorities, including. Republicans, I'm not saying uh we have. to stop Republicans from doing it, but. we'll let Democrats do it. I'm saying. let them do what they say they're going. to do in the way they say they're going. to do it. >> I think you make the argument. You make. the argument which might be the right. argument. I mean that may be the most. important point. I mean I do worry about. minority rights but on the other hand. you are saying hey there's an election. one side won. Let them do their things. People don't like it they can throw them.

out of office. That's a strong argument. That may be the strongest argument and I. am absolutely not unsympathetic to that. >> Right. All right. So, let's talk about. the things that are are necessary to. protect that very potential for. democratic change through uh. legislation. And that's the decisions. that the Supreme Court have made over. these last 20 or 30 years that I think. have put democracy in real peril. And.

I'll go I'll go through those uh real. quick. I think Citizens United, I think. Ka, I think uh the decisions they've. made that have increased corporate. influence on elections, the decisions. that they've made that uh waters down. the definitions of corruption, the. decisions that they have made that has. made the executive branch invulnerable. to any kind of oversight.

how the decisions they've made that made. partisan gerrymandering. possible. Do you believe that we need a. constitutional amendment? Because I. think if if they're deeming it. unconstitutional, legislation won't do. it. That will protect nonpartisan. gerrymandering. uh that will protect this flood of. corporate uh money. What do you think is. the best remedy for that? >> Okay. I think for a start, you know, everybody if you I think if you talk to.

every Democrat. uh and you say, should we overturn Ro. should we overturn Citizens United? Uh. they will all say yes. But having said. that, I don't think there has been the. real energy that we need. So getting. rid, you know, we got to pass something. here in the Congress. >> Uh then we got to take it to the states. And that is to me a major major. priority. The current campaign finance. system as a result of Citizens United is.

horrific. It allows billionaires to buy. elections. We've got to change it. Now, one of the things we can do immediately, and I pushed hard on it, maybe it will. happen, is we can in fact, it it turns. out that legally. uh institutions like the Democratic. Party and the Republican Party are kind. of like private clubs. You can make your. own rules. And one of the rules that. they can make is to make it very very. difficult for any candidate running for. Congress or president of the United.

States who allows a super PAC to support. him or her will pay a price. In other. words, you can get super PACs out of the. political process and that's something. that I want to do. The other thing that. I want to do is move toward public. funding of elections. So right now Mr. Musk is funding the elections. I think a. small amount of money we could have. You. know, you want to run against me, fine. I can't spend more than X amount of. dollars. You raise it publicly. It's a. fair fight.

>> rather than me getting a zillion dollars. from Mr. Musk, >> right? And making it so that super PACs. are now out of the game. I I guess what. you would call dark money, a way to get. dark money out of the game. Is there a. way to also uh put maybe finite limits. on election season in the way that they. do overseas? >> I think that's real I don't know how you. do it. I think it's really important uh. because from the media's perspective and. and this drives me crazy.

What we need in this country is a. serious discussion on serious issues. >> and we don't have that. >> What you have is. >> not on any of them Bernie. Not on any of. them. >> All right. And then you know if you have. serious if for example you know you. bring people who are interested in. running for president on your show tell. me what you think about healthare what. do you think about income and wealth. inequality what do you think about. climate change people can then say okay. I like that guy I hate that woman I like. this woman whatever it may be. >> instead it's a horse race and it's a.

beauty contest who is gonna run in 2028. no. >> right. >> so and it never ends and the media loves. it gives them something to write about. So, I I absolutely agree with you and I. think most Americans, they're sick and. tired of these never- ending campaigns. Talk about the bloody issues and. candidates who are good, who are. articulate, whose are attuned to where. the American people are will rise to the. surface. Those will be your candidates. in my view.

Christmas time is here again. I think. that was I was I really just wanted to. sing a Christmas jingle and then I. figured once I was you know when you. start a song and you have nowhere to go. but you feel like I've got to I've got. to kind of own this or you're doing it. publicly and people are staring at you. Well, that's what happened to me. I. began to sing a Christmas jingle and now. uh Quint will be the beneficiary of my u.

tide spirit. Uh, man, this place, if. you're looking for gifts, it's Quint, baby. Be generous. Stop thinking of. yourself for once. That's right. You. heard me. Buy some gifts for other. people. Quinc is this company. They. focus on high quality staples for. wardrobe. It's a wardrobe thing. Quint. has everything you can need for uh the. upcoming season. Jewelry, leather bags, hotel quality bedding, chef grade. cookware. Give the gift of quality this. holiday season. Download the Quint app. for app exclusive offers. Or go to.

quint.com. Get free shipping on your. order and 365day returns. Now available. in Canada and the UK, too. And when. Quint asked where you heard about them, let them know it was the weekly show. Best way to support the show. You brought up a really interesting. point, Senator, that uh we don't really. have those discussions. And I'll bring. up immigration, I think, is a great. example of that. Yep. >> We have this unbelievably reckless and. chaotic enforcement issue right now.

going in there. Uh but we've never and. Langford tried to have it when you guys. worked on a bipartisan solution and put. in some limits, but even then we never. got to the core issue of does this. country need immigration, >> right? >> What is what are the economic benefits. and detriments of that immigration? Where do they want? What are the numbers. that we believe this country can absorb? Are there places in the country that. >> that is not something that it seems to.

be part of any of the discussion as to. what are the parameters of all this. >> All right. For a start, you're. absolutely right. I could tell you that. in the state of Vermont, we have a labor. shortage. >> And I could tell you that Trump's. policies have made it harder for people. who running nursing homes. >> Mhm. to get the staffing they need. running child care centers. If we got. rid of all of the undocumented people in. agriculture in America, whether in. California, Vermont, any place else, the. price of food would sore. All right.

>> So the point is how do you have a. rational this is the converse of that? Oh, let's just have open borders. Anybody wants to come into America, 50. million people want to come in, no. problem. Nobody except Republican liars. are talking about that in that way. Right. So you're talking about what is a. rational immigration system? >> What does it look like? Right. >> Right. And the answer is we need to have. that discussion. But to I will tell you. that uh undocumented people during co.

you know who worked in the meat packing. plants, >> right? >> You know who died. Those are. undocumented people in many cases. So we. need starting tomorrow instead of doing. this disgusting. attacks against the undocumented people, breaking up families, throwing people. who have lived in America for 20 years, hardworking people, throwing them out of. the country. We need to have that. discussion and I think the answer is we. certainly need comprehensive immigration. reform. people who have lived in this.

country who have not broken the rules or. are law-abiding raising their kids. There got to be a path toward. citizenship. Absolutely. And we got to. start the demonization of undocumented. people. >> as as Democrats hopefully with the kind. of direction that you're talking about. start to move in that more rational uh. direction. What do you think? What are. your fears for what the Trump. administration might do? Certainly, they're not going to uh just step aside.

and say, "Look, the people spoke very. loudly and so now we're going to allow. uh Congress to retain its position as a. co-equal branch of government." Where do. you think that push back will come from? And what do you think you can do to to. ameliate that? Well, in my view, what I. think the view of most Americans is we. have a president who is mentally. unstable. I mean, I don't I don't mean to say that.

in a defamatory way. I think that's I. mean, >> might be the nicest way you could put. it. So, but I I also want to say this and I. I've said this before uh and the ugliest. aspect of Trump is. uh his his desire to divide us up, his. racism. I mean, the kind of stuff that. he was saying about uh Abdul Elsed, you. know, he's a terrorist, a jihadist. Uh I. think he thinks that every black member. of black woman who's a member of.

Congress is low IQ. Do you know how. often he you're a black woman, you say. something, you're low IQ, all that. stuff. >> Um, and that's ugly and terrible. But Trump is, while he may be mentally. unstable, he is not stupid and he is not. a bad politician and he is an incredible. narcissist. I am, and I may be dead wrong on this. one, John, >> but I am not so sure that if we did. something like pass a Medicare for all.

and Trump looks out, he says, "Oh my. god, the American people want this. It's. going to be an impact." I could call it. Trump healthcare. I'll be known forever. So, I am not so sure. >> that handled well, he may not be. supportive. He has no ideology, >> you know, right? >> Talk to the Wall Street Journal. They. don't think he's a conservative, >> right? a racist maybe but not a. conservative. >> Got it. >> So I think he might be moved. Uh he. might not. And in in which case what we.

have got to do John from a policy point. of view you know some of my colleagues. say well you know we got to he's the. president you got to temper down. You. got to be more conservative to see if. he'll do something. I don't think so. If. you go forward with strong legislation, if he vetos it, >> maybe then you can sit down and talk. about how you could work out some. compromise. But our job is to come. forward with strong legislation. >> Well, he even, you know, look, you saw. how it went in the in the days right.

after the election. He sits down for an. interview and he says, "I went too far. on immigration. I think it was too. tough. I definitely think we can work. out a deal. You know, these are here. These workers, they're here. They've. been working." He of course only puts. that in the hotel industry. So it's only. waitresses and you know room service and. that kind of thing. >> And then MAGA freaks out and he comes. around yesterday and says no no no no. I'm ne we're never doing uh amnesty. So.

he's truly all over the place. And I. worry the issue, as you say, he may be. agnostic ideologically, but he has empowered a real core of. ideologues, Russell Vote and the rest of. them. >> That's right. >> That are going to be really difficult. They view this as. >> their one shot to save our Christian. national republic. that that's where I. think you may find it most difficult. >> Yes, vote is and some of these guys are.

absolute extreme right-wing ideologues. No question about it. >> And is that something that uh you know. you can work on protecting the areas of. government that they have hollowed out? Is that something else that the. Democrats could begin to rebuild while. they have this uh House and Senate. majority? >> I hope so. Um, having said that, what we. have got to do, one of the things that. saddens me very much, >> Mhm. >> is with all of the demonizing of.

government, you're seeing a lot of young. people, you know, who wants to go to. work for the government, right? Uh, I. mean, there was a time where people were. idealistic. You know, I want to work for. the government. I want to help. >> Ask not what your country can do for. you. Yeah. >> Right. Exactly. And I worry about that. I worry about the same thing in terms of. teaching. I mean, think how how much. teachers are attacked every it is so. hard to be a public school teacher. today. You're underpaid. Classrooms are.

too often uh too large. Kids have. problems. >> So, what we have got to do is create a. culture in this country where we want. the best and the brightest to say, you. know what, it's great to be a teacher. I'm so proud of being a teacher. I am. proud of working in the government. because I am doing I am protecting the. environment. I am protecting workers. But we need to create that culture and. we need to break down. There's a lot of. bureaucracy. >> in government and we need to deal with. that reality. So you know you talk about. M daddy and and you know I talk to him.

uh fairly often. He's doing a fantastic. job in New York City. And one of the. things that he is trying to do is not. only fill potholes and fix playgrounds. And he is just the general ethic is we. are going to make government work and. it's going to work efficiently. And. we're not going to have all these stupid. consultants out there wasting money. We're going to put money into child. care, into transportation. >> Right. >> And that is the model I think we've got. to adopt nationally. >> It's about your quality of life. >> Exactly. from your when you walk outside.

the streets being safer and cleaner and. also when your elderly parents need care. or your child needs care that we're not. going to, you know, you can become a. teacher and not worry that you'll never. be able to survive. >> Absolutely. >> By choosing that profession. That's. right. >> What more important profession is there. than teaching kids? >> Uh you know, it's funny. We've had this. long conversation uh and I always enjoy. talking to you and and what we didn't. talk about is this sense of.

investigation and accountability. I fall. on the look, I'd love for there to be. accountability for the corruption that. is running rampant in this country. I'm. not so sure I believe in our. government's ability to to to hold. people to account because I just haven't. seen it. Even, you know, if you think. about the SEC or those things where uh. banks misbehave or uh literally launder. money for narot terrorists and all they.

have to do is pay a fine. What's your. position on those kinds of issues in. terms of accountability? Obviously, there's the we're going to impeach. everybody is one side of it and the. other side is well, we we do have to. look into, you know, why Donald uh Trump. Jr. has a drone company and why he's got. a $600 million, you know, Pentagon. contract. So, what's your what's your. position on that? >> My answer is that I think we can chew. bubble gum and walk at the same time. >> I I'm see I'm not sure. I've I've seen a.

lot of people trip. >> All right. But I think you cannot. ignore, you know, all of the corruption. within the Trump administration, all of. the illegal and unconstitutional. actions. You can't ignore that. On the. other hand, if that is all you do, >> then people say, "You know what? Thank. you. It's a very interesting you guys. inside the beltway having a great time. I still can't afford groceries. I can't. afford to fill up my gas tank. Uh my kid. can't afford to go to college. Go to.

hell." So, I think we have got to do. both. We got to hold Trump accountable. But we have got to like a laser figure. out how we are going to improve life for. working families. 60% of whom John are. living paycheck to paycheck. They need. help. They want help. We've got to. deliver. >> Well, that's a a magnificent kota for. all this. And I know I think you've got. votes to to do today. Is that correct? >> Among other things. Yes, we got a lot. >> All right. You got a lot to do. Uh as. always, appreciate your time. Appreciate.

your insights. Congratulations. Uh I. think the foundations that you led uh. all throughout your career, but. especially uh since you ran for. president and in 2015, I think those. seeds uh really sprouted and I think. paid big dividends in this election. season. So congratulations to you, sir. >> Thank you all very much. Keep up the. great work, John. >> All right, sir. Independent Senator. Bernie Sanders. Uh hopefully we'll get a. chance to talk to you again soon. Take.

care, Senator. >> Bye-bye. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed. that edition of. two old Jews nodding in agreement at. each other. >> I enjoyed it. >> It really would be like, "We've got to. get that done." He's like, "Absolutely, Rach. We got to the ols the ols cannot. be allowed to continue to control our. politics." Then he would say something. I'd be like, "Yeah, bless up.".

energy was through the roof. >> Come on. I love it. >> He's He's He's excited. Um, you know, I it it's interesting. It is the clearest path to some. legislative changes that I've seen in a. while. And. uh I was most interested to think if he. thought the leadership would be on board. with that kind of urgency. And it's. clear he does not. Yeah, I would say.

that wasn't the most um encouraging. response and it's really unfortunate. I'm curious like. >> what they actually want to do then or. like what they think their mandate is. which is just you know putting the same. subsidies in place that people have come. to miss but still couldn't afford. before. And I think though if they don't want to. just once again paper over a broken. system, yeah, >> they are going to have to become better.

at not just using the catchphrases. of policy, >> but. >> they have to really be able to. understand how to explain to people what. this will do. >> Yes. >> Overall, it can't just be we need. Medicare for all. It has to be here's. what's happened to your health care. prices. Here's why the subsidy system. doesn't work. Here's why we have to make. that reform. Here's the four-year pilot. program to do that. And then at the end,

we'll revisit it. But I think they've. got to become much better. Like we said. with immigration and everything else, it's it can't be just a bumper sticker. culture. >> No. >> No. And I think they have to recognize. that people are smart enough to. understand all that information. They're. desperate for it. >> That's correct. And I think that's what. last week really showed is like people. can understand when you lay things out. for them and they can follow along. So. don't talk to people like they're. idiots. >> It was so like people were offended by. the $5,000 check proposition because.

they're being treated like idiots. >> Yeah, >> that's right. And he I think he's become. very comfortable treating people like. idiots. >> Oh my god. He goes to his rallies and he. says, "You're all idiots.". >> Right. And which is why the day before. the election, he's got the balls to go. down to the reflecting pool and show. people pictures of drains. >> Literally holding up drains. >> This is what the people want. >> Well, I I know the people I know the. election is tomorrow, but I know people. are very concerned.

>> I know. I said I was going to drain the. swamp, but what you didn't know was this. swamp. >> This is the swamp, and this is the only. thing. >> I meant the literal swamp. But I I I. have to say. >> I am encouraged by how formidable this. new slate of Democrats appears to be. and and you know even in our discussions. just briefly with uh Josh Durk in Iowa. and Elsa in uh Michigan their. understanding.

of the intricacies of the health care. systems they're looking to uh overturn. >> are impressive. >> Yes. >> And that they came out I mean right off. the bat you know Peggy Flanigan Abdullah. said they said Schumer is not going to. cut it. They didn't wait to, you know, they didn't even wait for orientation. >> I love that there's gonna be an. orientation. Chuck will just be up. Well, welcome to the I hope you enjoy. I. don't know if you know, we have a gym.

>> The picture of them all with so brutal. It's so bad. >> It's brutal. Visiting grandpa before. they send him to the home. Yeah. Brutal. Britney, what what are the people. feeling this week? >> All right, John, we've got four this. week. >> John. What do you think happens when you die? >> What? When I die or Well, I I hope I'll be. >> missed. Or do you mean my I'm just going. to give Trump's answer to the whole.

thing. >> Well, I I mean I'm a religious person. >> That was my By the way, that was my I. think that might have been my favorite. quote. >> of the Well, I'm a I'm clearly I'm a. religious man. I You You see my piety on. display. Does traveling to strip clubs. and casinos count as church. as as a religious man? I owned a few. casinos. >> Yes. >> Not all of them. And I am uh whose. tables did they overturn in the temple? I can't remember if they were if they.

were mine or not. Uh but yeah, I found. that to be by the way, one of the most. disarming interviews of Trump that I've. seen. And I don't know if it's because. his manner is. he does not have a confrontational. manner. This Ross and I'm going to say. his name wrong as I've done doubt or do. that do that. I don't know. I'll just. say it differently each time.

But he drew him out in a way that I. thought. it wasn't winning the interview. It was. allowing someone to expose. uh their inanity. >> enough rope kind of. >> Yeah. >> To have an interview where 20 minutes. earlier Donald Trump says, "I'm a. financial genius. You don't understand. I see the matrix when it comes to. finance in a way that nobody in history.

ever has." Juaposed with how did you get. $3 billion richer while you were there? He's like, "I don't know." Yeah. He's like, "I think there's a I I think. a billionaire goes to sleep at night and. the billionaire fairy puts something. under your pillow and then you got two. billion." But my favorite part is he's. like, "The stock market's so great." And. you're like, "If you run through how. he's made his money, it was a meme coin. It was World Liberty Financial. It was uh uh grift. It wasn't the stock.

market, by the way. >> Bri, scams, and insider trading, >> right? Yeah, the trifecta. >> But you didn't have to say you. You could just let him do. it. And it it's so self-evident. to anybody watching it. I thought it was. it was really well done and one of the. most pleasurable. uh you know watching the online version, you know, one of most pleasurable 40. minutes.

>> I would say it was foreplay for for many. people. Uh what what else? What else do. the people want? >> John, >> do you think Pete Hexath scares people. more because he is so macho or such a. >> Macho. It's people can't handle. testosterone and uh alpha male energy. There is nothing uh that says uh alpha. male more than look at me up in a. dunk tank on Fox News and now I run the. most powerful military in the entire. world. Anybody who's so insecure.

that they have to march on stage and say. no in the military, like. Go yourself. Like like that that. tiny percentage of people who swore an. oath to the Constitution to defend this. country, who put themselves in harm's. way to defend this country that you. believe is weakening our ability to. fight, then you don't have it. the the. the military should reflect the public.

that it represents in all facets. It's. such a narrow, cartoonish, caricatured vision of what it means uh. to have a a a force that's effective and. by the way utilized properly. It's not just about the strength of it. It's about not getting us into reckless. situations that people could see forming. from a mile away that would constrict. our ability to get fuel for the next.

year. >> Totally. >> Other than that, I think he's doing a. good job. >> Oh my god. Of course. Like the push-ups, >> handsome as the day is long. Oh, let's. Jillian, thank you. The squats, the. hair, and from what I understand, he has. kung fu grip. >> Oh, >> yeah. No, he has the Didn't you guys. ever have the GI Joe with Kung Fu Grip? Was that. >> No, I never had GI Joe. >> I was wondering why that reference. seemed to to go over everybody's head. There was G.I. Joe, the world famous uh.

>> Yes. More uh. further back and made of plastic and no. genitals. And uh then they came out with. the big upgrade of the G.I. Joe was G.I. Joe now with Kung Fu Grip. And uh as. someone who had a GI Joe, I I never. thought like the complaint I I never had. with G.I. Joe was it doesn't hold things. well. >> Yeah. I was going to say, what is he. holding? >> Yeah. Oh, he keeps dropping his gun. >> Is he doing like pull-ups? >> Yeah. I don't know. I don't know what's.

going on. Uh but uh yeah. Yeah, he had. he had the kung fu So, uh yeah, not a fan. >> You love him? Yeah. >> Not not a fan. >> Do you agree that he should be. impeached? Christ. I don't I mean does Here's what. I believe. He sucks so badly that the. president should fire him. That the. chaos that he's bringing. Now that. doesn't mean that the military shouldn't. be reformed. But this is a guy who's. also advocating for $1.5 trillion budget.

for the military. This is not somebody. who's bringing uh an efficiency and a. new direction. Uh this is somebody who. has a cartoonish view of what a fighting. force is and also let's double their. money. >> Yeah. >> So I like the idea that impeachment is. the only uh recourse for any of this. He. should be fired for sucking. sucking. That's that's a. t-shirt. >> That's let me say this that that is not.

Clarence Darrow level of persuasion. Let. me let me see if I can rephrase that. No, he shouldn't be impeached. We should. live in a system where the people that. run our uh institutions are accountable. enough that obvious uh lousy performance. has consequences to their employment. >> Well, now you're asking for the world. >> Rain it in.

>> Okay. The idea that impeachment is our. only recourse which is a already a you. know a. >> cluster. >> BS. >> Yes. >> Political. >> Is that it? >> No. We have two more. >> Oh, >> John. How do you think Congress should. prepare for Trump's pre-pardoning. himself in taking all of the gifts to. Mara Lago? >> Good. Take them. Go. Let him go now. Tell them now. Pre-pardon yourself. Go. to Mara Lago now. Apparently, there's an. airport there with your name on it, just.

waiting for you to fly in there with. whatever boxes of whatever you want to. bring. Bring the reflecting. pool. We'll build another one. I don't. give a Just go. back to Florida. He's one of the few. guys who normally you go to Florida and. bring back souvenirs. That's a He brings. the souvenirs back to Florida. >> Classified documents like. >> whatever he wants, babe. Yeah. Take take. the ballroom. Bring the ballroom. >> Oh, he's taking that ballroom.

>> Just if I had the confidence that he. would leave. I just Man, there's very few people I. know that do that extensive a renovation. to the place they live cuz they're. planning on moving. Like that's the. thing. >> that I go like he's So, let me get this. straight. He's gonna build a ballroom. and an arch and then be like later. >> I don't think you know anybody that. loves home renovation as much as he does. though. So.

>> why don't we just give him an HGTV gig? >> Honestly, we'll give him a budget. >> Knock yourself out. >> Move him out. >> This is it. It could be, you know, a. real example of how gold cherubs can. sparkle up any drab room. Do you think he's going to leave? >> I do. I really like I there was a time. when I was there was there were some. dark moments in the last two years, you. know, where things felt pretty bleak, but I don't I don't feel like that.

anymore. I think there's no appetite for. him to stay. And I think even he can. tell when the party's over. >> I think he's not having fun anymore. Like when he was winning and like. dunking on people, but I think the fun. of winning is gone. And so what does he. really like? >> And I think for at this point. >> even the sick of fans that would laugh. when they were asked by the media if he. they think he's going to run a third. term and would say I don't you know the. country loves that they have no appetite. for that anymore because they know he's. toxic now.

>> Yeah. I mean Melania has already left. So. >> it's the thing that I wonder about is. those who would abandon have abandoned. But in the bunker is only the most. devout. >> And sometimes in the bunker, you know, it's very easy to lose perspective on. and and have an unbelievably skewed and. surreal view, which he already does of. what the actual world thinks of you. And.

you know, I don't know that that maybe. it does permeate him at some level, but. boy, in the bunker meetings with him and. Stephen Miller and Hegathth and Russell. vote, like. >> I'm sure they're not like, >> "How'd this all go wrong?". >> This I'm sure it's all like, >> "You're you're a man of substance and. history.". >> It sounds like someone is vacuuming your. street. >> That's the street cleanings, you guys. Oh, it is. That's what happened. Pum.

Donnie. >> Okay. >> He told me that he wouldn't clean the. streets. >> Last but not least, John. >> How long do you think it takes Trump to. get through his morning routine? You. know, the hair, the bronzer, the. McGriddles. >> So, there is no morning routine because. he has no circadian rhythm because he. >> he is a creature of all times. He is, you can tell, you know, people. don't tweet at 1:00 in the morning and. 3:30 in the morning and 5:30 in the.

morning. And so I think he lives a life. of small respits from so there is no. preparation. >> Yeah. In his meetings, that's when he's. sleeping. >> That's right. He he waits until the. meetings to kind of. >> to he's up all night tw. >> to shut it down. >> Got to sleep somewhere. as people that. look I'm the wrong person to ask uh. about preparations as you can tell from. how I look.

>> Uh as as people who may understand a. little better uh the render times of. that kind of thing, what what would you. give his hair? What would you say he had. to. >> I woke up like this, John? >> No, understood. Understood. I I didn't. mean you guys. >> Yeah, thank you for that. as somebody. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> He's just he's not like take, you know, he's not it doesn't appear that he's. taking a lot of time with it. Like it's. while it does look purposeful, it's not. >> super um well applied,

>> right? >> So, >> but also how is it applied? I really my. biggest hope is we find out is it. bronzer like a tanning bed like a spray. tan like who's how is it happening? >> Well, he's got white around the eyes. So, if it's a bronzer, he can't be that. fragile in terms of like putting it. around his eyes. >> It's got to be something else. >> And that's a tanning goggle. Tanning bed. goggle. >> Oh, yeah. But that it's just But you can. see the cut off point, too.

>> I've got so many questions. We could. spend an hour on this. >> Do you think he goes in with the suit. and the goggles and so he's just getting. like a weird tan or he's just getting. his face spray tanned? >> I don't think he's been naked in over. nine and a half years, >> God willing. Let me ask you a question. that gets to kind of the fundamental of. this in a different way. There are times. when I look at myself in the mirror and. I think I look like no one loves me. >> Do you know what I mean? Like that I. look like no one before you walk out of. the house goes,

I love you and I'm not going to. And and. Lord knows Tracy tries, but it's I'm a. lost. She does. But uh do you think. Trump looks like no one loves him? >> Yeah, >> that's what I think. I think he looks. like no one loves him because if someone. loved him, they'd go, >> "My man, >> he certainly looks like nobody stands up. to him. >> because anybody that had the nerve to. say,

>> you know, maybe blend a little bit, >> right?". >> Yeah. One of them. >> So you think it might be fear, not not. lack of love. It's it's more it's more. like the more Marar Gaddafi like. >> Yeah, you really epalites. Okay, >> you can be feared and unloved. You can. be both. All right, fair enough. Well, uh very much enjoyed it. Uh Britney, how. how are the people going to get in in. touch with us? How are they going to. keep in touch with us? >> Twitter. We are Weekly Show Pod, Instagram threads, Tik Tok Blue Sky. We. are Weekly Show podcast. And you can. like, subscribe, and comment on our.

YouTube channel, The Weekly Show with. John Stewart. >> And do so and we will answer your. questions as they appear. Thanks as. always to our fabulous team. Producer. Britney Metavic, producer Jillian Spear, video editor and engineer Rob Vatollah. is off on paternity leave right now, but. we are lucky enough to have a stand in. Sam Reed. So, thank you Sam Reed. Audio. editor and engineer Nicole Boyce, associate producer Rebecca Rodenberg and. our executive producers Chris McShane. and Katie Gray. We is next week. Thanksgiving? No following. We have a.

show next week and uh and then. Thanksgiving. The fun never the fun never stops. Uh. thanks so much guys. Excellent as always. and we'll see you next week. The weekly show with John Stewart is a. Comedy Central podcast. It's produced by. Paramount Audio and Bus Boy Productions.