After Trump teased an upcoming "big announcement" last week, Jon Stewart contemplates what news Americans are supposed to be so psyched for: the possible suspension of d]cess, Trump's appointment of Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as D.C. district attorney, Qatar's $400 million luxury jet "gift" for Trump, or lower prices on the "fat shot drug"?
Retired four-star general who served 34 years in the U.S. Army, General Stanley McChrystal, sits down with Jon to discuss his book "On Character: Choices that Define a Life." They talk about leading a national conversation on character, employing empathy in war to negotiate with ideological warriors and mercenaries, what upset him most about Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth’s Signal chat leak, and how his wife taught him to live “with no use for the rear view mirror.”
In 2024, 70% of nationwide elections went uncontested. The Daily Show knows that when we don’t have choices, democracy suffers, so we’re partnering with HeadCount for “InDecision: Take a Seat,” to shine a light on vital offices and encourage you to throw your hat in the ring. Learn more at TheDailyShow.com/TakeASeat.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Comedy Central.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central is America's
only sorts for news. This is The Daily Show with
your host John Stuart.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Thank you very much man, Welcome to the Daily Show.
We got one point tonight. My name is John shirt.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
What a program we have designed for you a la carte.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
It's gonna be fantastic. Our guest tonight, General Stanley McCrystal Webb.
John wrote a book.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Chances are I will macrib.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Him about the McRock war, all right, first.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
President Donald Trump. God, no, no, no respect his Authoritah.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Honestly, she's so much comes at us every day with him.
I can't even sleep organized thoughts eat.
Speaker 5 (01:32):
I just.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
And he knows, he knows he's toying with us. Here
he is. On Tuesday of last week.
Speaker 6 (01:42):
We're gonna have a very very big announcement to make,
like as big as it gets.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
And I won't tell.
Speaker 7 (01:48):
You on what.
Speaker 8 (01:56):
Oh good, so we won't know how to prepare, should
we wear our good pants or the ones we piss in?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
But fine, don't tell us this big announcement, just tell
us when.
Speaker 6 (02:13):
And that announcement will be made either Thursday or Friday
or Monday before we leave.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Why are you mentioning it? Is it sweeps week? Is
that what this is?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
But fine, we will keep our eyes out for any
announcement bombshells.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And on Friday, I think we got one.
Speaker 9 (02:39):
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be
suspended in a time of innovasion.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So it said, that's an option. We're actively looking at
a murder as a murderer. The government, the United States government.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Is actively looking at suspending due process and then the
rule of law. That's a big announce big enough for
Stephen Miller to risk bursting into flames because of the
touch of God sunlight.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
The only time a president has done it unilaterally without
the without the authorization of Congress was Abraham Lincoln during
the Civil War.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
That was the less really so back when slavery was
legal and the treatment for diarrhea was amputation.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
But that being said, this is a big announcement.
Speaker 9 (03:36):
As you know, you know, ability of somebody to challenge
their rights in courts is a pretty essential part of
the rule of law. You so certainly raising a lot
of eyebrows with that comment, just just eyebrows.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
The Truman administration is thinking to tear it up the constitution.
So here in Washington, we're hearing a lot of huh.
One legal scholar even said that's weird. So maybe that's
the announcement suspension of AB's corpus, unless there's something else.
Speaker 10 (04:06):
President Trump is appointing former New York prosecutor Janine Piro
as interim US Attorney.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
You may say to yourself, well, that can't be the announcement,
because that's just not that big a deal yet in
this new world that we live in, this announcement registers
the same as suspending habeas corpus.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
On the eyebrow metour.
Speaker 11 (04:36):
Jean Pirou of a lot of eyebrows are being raised
at this pick so far.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Hey, hey, hey, Jeanine, you're going to be the new
US attorney in DC.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
Yeah, I know, we're surprised too.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
That is, by the way. The sound. Oh also, they're
suspending habeas corpus.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Is a statement, all right, So maybe maybe that's the
big announcement. But hey, we've got it till today for
any other announcements, or is there anything else.
Speaker 11 (05:28):
The Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury
Boeing jumbo jet from the royal family of Cutter.
Speaker 12 (05:34):
That luxury jumbo jet, which has a value estimated at
four hundred million dollars. The aircraft would be used by
President Trump as a new Air Force one and then
transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation shortly before he
leaves office.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
What Cutter is giving us a plane that Trump gets
to keep.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Like the reverse Oprah.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
I get a jet and that's it. I get a
jet for my library. Why does his library need a jet?
Why would your presidential library? Yeah, hello, I'm calling from
Europe and I need a book about Trump by morning.
And the book must travel in the comfort and style
(06:25):
one can only get from Cutter.
Speaker 11 (06:28):
It's known as the most luxurious private jet in the world.
Described as a flying palace, it features the biggest master
bedroom in the sky, as well as some very plush
living quarters and several private offices. Some of the nine
bathrooms on board have full showers and even a bidet.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Wally right, I didn't even know water could go there.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Okay, holy trap, he's not a plane. That is a
flying palace. I'm not gonna tell Trump how to run
his business, but I would steam the shit out of
those carpets. But Hey, it's a jet from Cutter. We
can trust them. They're not suspect like Canada or working
(07:19):
to undermine us like all of our other democratic allies
in Europe.
Speaker 12 (07:24):
Cutter is considered an American ally, but it is also
an ally of Iran and China and even Hamas.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Oh, Trump's going to take a four hundred million dollar
jet from people he would expel from Columbia University.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I think you know what this is shocking. This is shocking.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
I think I know what this news might do to
our ipews. It raises many many eyebrows to have this
sort of deal at all.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Actually, that's how the plane flies.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
It overcomes Earth's gravity through the power of.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
The raised eyebrows.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Look, obviously, the president would understand that a gift of
this magnitude from a government with questionable ties to terror organizations,
combined with Article one, Section nine constitutional prohibition against the
president accepting a foreign flying palace, he would understand that
that's a legitimate I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
He was appalled that you'd even ask they're giving us
a free jet.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
I could say, no, no, no, don't give us. I
want to pay you a million or four hundred million
or whatever it is, well, I could say, thank you
very much.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
It's not a free jet.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
That's the point, you know, the expression there's no such
thing as a free launch.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
That's about being skeptical.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
The motives of somebody who gives you a sandwich, a
sandwich a BLT. Now imagine that that BLT has an engine,
nine bathrooms.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
And funds proxy wars.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
So when the dizzy run up to this big announcement
of the possible suspension of Habeas Corpus, or maybe the
appointment of another Fox New star, or the naked bribery
of our highest elected officials, none of those were Trump's
big announcement.
Speaker 13 (09:28):
President Trump just announced that prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices
will be reduced by thirty to eighty percent almost immediately.
This appears to be the major announcement that the President
has been teasing for days.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
I am having wanted that for years pharma has exploited
the American consumer, while we have in turned subsidized their
whole industry with tax incentives and direct funds. I like this,
but without getting into the weeds, explain this thing that
I've wanted for a very long time, Like I'm incredibly dumb.
Speaker 6 (10:03):
Drug prices will come down.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
We're getting them down.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
Sixty seventy eighty ninety percent, but actually more than that
if you think about it in the way mathematically.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
If you think about it mathematically.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I don't want to brag. I often think about numbers mathematically.
How is this going to work?
Speaker 6 (10:35):
The rest of the world's going to have to pay
a little bit more, in America is going to pay
a lot less. Basically, what we're doing is equalizing. There's
a new word that I came up with, which I
think is probably the best word. We're going to equalize.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Europe eureka euclid. Yeah, here it is equalized. I thought
it sounded familiar.
Speaker 14 (11:25):
Fuck, he's trying to kill us all.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Look.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
I would like to think that the tenacious pleadings of
progressive leaders like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders helped make
this possible.
Speaker 15 (11:46):
We are sick and tired of paying, by far, the
highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.
Speaker 10 (11:53):
I'm going to attack the prices on commonly used drugs.
Put a cap on the cost of insulin, a cap
on the cost of prescription drugs.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Not one of those child caps that you can't and
I have diar, Really, what's happening?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Unfortunately, it turns out credit for the biggest, most important
announcement in the history of this presidency goes to someone else.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
I mean, I'll tell you a story.
Speaker 6 (12:21):
Friend of mine who's a business man, very very, very
top guy. Most of you would have heard of him,
a highly neurotic, brilliant businessman, seriously overweight.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
That took a turn.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Top guy, brilliant, you know him, famous bit of a chubs.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Anyway, I'm public press covers is a rough way for
this guy to find out that he is saved in
Trump's phone as neurotic fat friend. Well, what else can
you tell us about this friend who's very famous, successful.
Speaker 6 (13:15):
Businessman, highly neurotic, brilliant businessman, seriously overweight, and he takes
the fat the fat shot, drug, fat shot, the fat shot.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Do you read any of your briefings.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
The fat He takes the fat shot, you know, the
fat shot.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
I got another friend, brilliant real estate mobile. He takes
the dick stiff bills.
Speaker 5 (13:50):
This guy takes the fat shot.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
This guy takes the dick stiff bills.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I'm sorry, continue the story about this fat of a
friend of yours and he called me.
Speaker 6 (14:00):
Up and he said, uh, President, could I ask you
a question.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
What.
Speaker 6 (14:05):
I'm in London and I just paid for this damn
fat drug I take.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I said, it's not working.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Yo, Rickles, that is ice cold.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
The friend is like opening up, like, oh, I took
this bad drug.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
He's like he's not working. He's like, I'm drunk. This
poor guy, he's just catching strays. In the middle of
a presidential press.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
College, Trump's talking about drug pricing reform and he's like, hey,
when this guy goes to the hospital, the nurse gives
him fifty.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Ccs a Crisco.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
He's fat.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Hey, my friend, he's very successful.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Went to London and when they saw him they changed
the name of Big Ben to just Ben because this
guy's fat. He's a fat He's shit this guy.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Anyway, back to life saving drug pricing.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Again, President drum What does any of this have to
do with pricing?
Speaker 6 (15:11):
He said, I just paid eighty eight dollars and in
New York I paid thirteen hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
What the hell is going on?
Speaker 6 (15:22):
He said, So I checked and it's the same box,
made in the same plant, by the same company.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
It's the identical pill.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
This is a great businessman, but he's not familiar with
this crazy situation that we have.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
But he was stunned. He was as stunned as he
is fat.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
I mean, by the way, I don't know if anybody realized,
but the fat shot somehow turned into a.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Fat pill in the middle of the story.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
It's how you know the story is true.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
But you know whether the story sure not.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Donald Trump's point is, if you find yourself in the
socialized healthcare systems of London and you want to run
out and get some mozempic and some vision chips, don't
bother because his fat fip of.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
A friend.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Ate them all like a pot of work is on
a tuna bender. But the point is, right now, his
poor friend is at home going don't look at me.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
It feels like a decade.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
Ago that they threatened to suspend Avias Corpus. It was Friday,
that long ago, yesteryear, when the knicks were still.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Up two oh and since then, we've had the largest
bribe ever given to an American president, the seeming surrender
of a trade war we started, and the socializing of
our pharmaceutical industry.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
What eve it is this country? What operatings?
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Four months ago we were a standard issue democratic, constitutional republic.
Now we're some kind of a narco klepto socialist, communist Silk.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Road reality show.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
The only foundational unchanging edict that we can even hang
our hats on anymore is that whatever we are now
as a country, that country is closed to any refugees.
Stephen Miller said, America is now for Americans only, So
hopefully there will be no more surprise announcements that overturn
that apple cart.
Speaker 10 (17:38):
After pausing virtually all refugee admissions for those fleeing war
and famine, the Trump administration is now planning to welcome
one group, white South Africans.
Speaker 16 (17:48):
What the fuck?
Speaker 1 (17:51):
White South Africans. That's the only group we're opening?
Speaker 4 (17:55):
What you already have one? Why you you know what,
mister president, You don't need thirty thirty seven South Africans.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Now you'll make do with just one or two?
Speaker 5 (18:12):
Wait?
Speaker 1 (18:13):
This wouldn't have anything to do with the white thing,
would it.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
The Orlanda is being confiscated in South Africa.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
I don't care about their race, their color.
Speaker 6 (18:21):
I don't care about their height, their weight.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Oh you care about their weight? When we come back.
Speaker 17 (18:32):
General Stanley mcrystal'll be joining us.
Speaker 16 (18:34):
Don't go away?
Speaker 5 (18:49):
What about Dallas, My God? Tonight.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
He is a retired four star general served thirty four
years in the United States Army. His latest book is
called On Care Character Choices that define a life. Please
welcome to the.
Speaker 17 (19:02):
Program, General Stanley McCrystal, sir, how you can.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
See you again.
Speaker 7 (19:23):
It's great to see you.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Thank you for joining us. The book is called on Character.
Tell me about this idea character? What is that?
Speaker 4 (19:33):
And how do we get that in public life?
Speaker 7 (19:37):
Well, I'm just going to break out of this and
start with what I want.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
From you for me?
Speaker 15 (19:42):
I want a movie, all right, to start a national
conversation on character? Yes, I think we could begin it
tonight with this group.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
It's a fine group. I think, what's the framing of
the conversation?
Speaker 7 (19:56):
We turn the lightship, we bring some beer in.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
What kind of character are we looking for?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Well, how would you what is the framing of the
national conversation on character?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
In your mind?
Speaker 15 (20:19):
I think first is character is our choice. That's the
great thing about it. We have agency over who we
as individuals are. And Heracleidis said an individual's character is
their fate.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Character. That's true.
Speaker 15 (20:35):
I also think it's true of a nation. And so
we get to choose what our character is. Now somebody
else we get to choose, and it's the didn't we
just try that?
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Yeah, we chose something some American people went.
Speaker 15 (20:53):
Generally sixty five percent of America voted yes. And the
reality is we can do better than that, and I
think we can.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 15 (21:01):
But if character is the essence of who we are,
Thomas Paine said that reputation is what men think of us.
Character is what angels know of us. Then I think
if we look inside and we say what can we
each of us, as individuals be, we have the opportunity
(21:25):
to be something different. I mean, none of us is perfect.
Every one of us makes a mistake every day. I'm
seventy years old. I make mistakes and it still frustrates me.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
You're seventy What am I doing wrong? What the hell?
Speaker 5 (21:41):
What is that?
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Well? You just choosing good character?
Speaker 16 (21:43):
He just.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Mean?
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Why I look like I sleep in a meat dehydrator.
Speaker 15 (21:50):
The great thing about character is it is a combination
of two things. It is our convictions. It's what we
believe right, and there's no right or wrong to that,
except we have to have thought about them. We have
to know what they are. The beauty of the writing
this book is it forced me to put on paper
and to really think about what I believe. Then the
other half of it is our discipline.
Speaker 7 (22:12):
Do we live to them?
Speaker 15 (22:13):
You know, you can have a lot of convictions you
tell people about, but if you don't live them, there's zero,
right And so I think our character is the essential
identity of us as people and us as a nation,
and we've let it a road.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Do you view this? So here's what I see with.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
The audience a little bit now, and I come out
usually in the beginning, and I have a little conversation
with them, generally beerless.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Fortunately that's a mistake, and it really is.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
It's okay though, because the log get highest, right.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I'm noticing a thirst.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Yeah, Like I've never an anxiety about this idea of control.
I think people feel they've lost that agency by living
in a country. And look, people when elections, people lose elections.
Sometimes you live with a president that doesn't necessarily reflect you.
This feels different. So how does this conversation around character.
(23:14):
I've always thought action is the antidote to anxiety. What action, then,
within this can bring some relief. There's a thirst out
there for conviction, leadership, discipline that they're not getting.
Speaker 15 (23:29):
Yeah, I think it's got three steps. I think the
first is we need to think about character more. That's
largely individual, but you can share.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
It with people. Then we need to talk about it.
Speaker 15 (23:39):
We need to talk about it in small groups, not
just on TV, but we need to talk about it
in our schools and our families.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
We need to have those What are the parameters when
you say we need to think about character? What are
the parameters that come to your mind when you think
about that? Is it boy scout pledge, stuff like be courteous,
kind and forgiving all that sort of thing, or is
it something different?
Speaker 15 (23:59):
There are certains that I think almost all of us
should agree on, But as you talked about faith earlier,
there are parts of faith that we vary on. But
I think that if we talk about what are the
things that sort of bound America together?
Speaker 7 (24:17):
What are the things that we all believe?
Speaker 15 (24:19):
How we treat people, be fair to people, have empathy,
give an opportunity to people.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
So how do you square that?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
It brings up such an interesting conversation because the worlds
that we might inhabit would have a very different view.
I might look at the January six ers and go,
that was a lack of character. You know, one man's terrorists,
another man's freedom fighter. How do you square that? And
what do you do with people that you think stepped
over a red line but in their mind was almost
(24:51):
a heroic action.
Speaker 7 (24:53):
I think that's right. First you need to listen to them.
Speaker 15 (24:56):
One of the things I learned in the counter terrorist
fight was we had our forces, which you know, I
was obviously very close to the most elite people, and
then we had our enemies, and there was a perception
that they were two poles different.
Speaker 7 (25:11):
They actually had bent up.
Speaker 15 (25:14):
The personal attributes of the best people that I worked
with and the best people that we fought. They were courageous,
they believed in their cause, they were willing to sacrifice.
There was a different life journey that got them to
where they were. And if we're willing to listen to
another person's life journey and admit often that had we
(25:36):
had that same life journey, we would reach those same conclusions.
Speaker 7 (25:40):
Then you reach it a different point.
Speaker 15 (25:41):
Then they're not suddenly the enemy, they just have a
different perspective.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Is the idea.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
If I had just had Fox News on, I would
have been doing that on Nancy Pelosi's desk, like that
just doesn't There must be some incontrovertible truth though, is
there not? We can't be is the idea that we
(26:08):
are al Qaeda? Al Qaeda is us? That that's hard
to square.
Speaker 7 (26:13):
Well, it is.
Speaker 15 (26:14):
But if we try to say they're incontrovertible truths to
many of them, what are they?
Speaker 1 (26:21):
You know?
Speaker 4 (26:21):
We start to say the courteous kind and forgiving.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Yeah, I mean that's pretty good.
Speaker 15 (26:28):
And those are the things that are common denominator sort
of things. And that's where we have to connect because
the reality is we're not going to have the same
view from different parts of the world, different parts of
the country, different zip codes, different economic backgrounds, because your
life journey is just enough different.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
Tell me in practice, so you have to negotiate.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
You're in the war now.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
I refer to either the countersearchs in I Rock or
in Afghanistan. You are dealing with, on one level, ideological warriors,
maybe in Afghananistan on another level mercenary to some extent.
You go in there with a bunch of money and go,
what are they paying you, I'll pay you this. How
did you find common ground with them? Did you have to?
(27:13):
Where does the wisdom of this come from for you?
Speaker 7 (27:16):
Yeah? I think from experience.
Speaker 15 (27:18):
One of the things you learned is you have to
try to find common ground, and you have to start
by having enough empathy. And remember it, empathy is not
Sympathy doesn't mean you're rubbing somebody's belly and you agree
with them.
Speaker 7 (27:29):
It means that you can.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Would that have ended the Afghanistan war probably pretty quickly
bring in.
Speaker 15 (27:36):
The You have to be able to put yourself on
the other side of the table.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
You know.
Speaker 15 (27:42):
I would talk to Poshtune elders and they had big
turbans and beards and craggy faces and different lives in mind,
spoke a different language and had a different religion. But
reality they were actually pretty good people, and if you
had their loyalty and their respect, they were as good
as we are. In fact, they are very similar to
(28:03):
we to us. So if you stop with if you
stop assuming that anyone who doesn't share those attributes is
different and therefore less than you, you have a different
approach to it, and you have to be of course
harder yourself as well.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Because is that. You know, the book starts you famously.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
You did an interview for Rolling Stone during the Obama
administration and where you were critical of maybe some of
the tax that we had taken in the war, the
way it was being prosecuted, not enough to supply things
like that, and you resigned because of that. That's how
you open this book, right, is that where you're reflecting
(28:45):
on yourself very much.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So.
Speaker 15 (28:48):
Of course I cancel my Rolling Stone subscription right after that,
but the.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
Reality everyone else did to don't.
Speaker 7 (28:57):
Even worry about it.
Speaker 15 (28:58):
It's funny now because you know, we've got a little
time and space. But no, we had an article that
came out that I didn't think was accurate, but I
accepted responsibility for it. And the reality was, in that moment,
I had been I'd been born in an Army hospital,
I'd lived in an Army family. I'd gone to West
Point at age seventeen. I was now fifty five, almost
(29:20):
fifty six, and suddenly, in an instant, I offer when
I offered my resignation to President.
Speaker 7 (29:26):
Obama, I'm not a soldier anymore. I'm not a commander.
I'm not a soldier.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
What am I?
Speaker 7 (29:34):
You could say, I'm a failure. I go home.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Is that how you felt?
Speaker 15 (29:38):
It felt exactly that way. I felt as though a
bolt of lightning had I'd always thought I could be
fired for incompetence.
Speaker 7 (29:46):
Who are killed in combat.
Speaker 15 (29:48):
I never thought i'd be accused of something like that.
And so I offer my resignation to President Obama, who
was very gracious and but he accepted it. I had
flown home all night from Afghanistan for this meeting. I
drive across the city to where my wife was living
(30:09):
in a set of military quarters, and I tell Annie
it's over, because she and I had been married for
thirty four years, and I said, our career's over.
Speaker 7 (30:18):
I'm out.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Holy.
Speaker 15 (30:20):
She looked at me and she said, good. We've always
been happy and we always will always be happy. And
in that moment, what she communicated to me, without being straight,
she said, can I face forward? And I always describe
Annie as driving or a living life like she drives
with no use for the rearview mirror.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
And away, shoot, I don't not say any about she's here.
She can hear you right now. I see her right
over there.
Speaker 7 (30:57):
It's gonna be a long night.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Who's driving known?
Speaker 15 (31:01):
But we've been married forty eight years, and if you
think about it, you commit to something. And I had
committed to the military, I had committed to my marriage,
and I'm committed to my country now. And so when
I ask you to help lead a national conversation on character,
you have the stature, you have the reach.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
It's basic cable, sir, it's not you really should have
gone on, Colbert. I think that if you want stature
and reach.
Speaker 15 (31:32):
No, I mean, as we say, if people are thirsty
for something, for what they see, let's encourage them. Not
that we're going to provide it from the outside, but
we're going to have them provided to themselves. This needs
to start with young people.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
So you look at me, Okay, this is but it
brings up such an interesting thought because so I'm reflecting
on when this happened to you. It was basically it
was an article where you said some things that might
be intemperate for a man in uniform or in command.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
That's really it. There was no secrets divulge.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
Now you're watching the Secretary of Defense snapchatting his wife.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
Hey, we're bombing to day. You know, doesn't resign? Is
that character?
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Because it's not you resign because your sense of duty
and character felt that you would let yourself down and
let the country down. But is there character in the
reason he's still there? Is loyalty And isn't that a
character trait that's also valuable? How do you process what's
(32:44):
happening now?
Speaker 15 (32:45):
Yeah, I certainly think you got a value loyalty. I
can't put myself in his position. I can put myself
in the position of an American. I can put myself
in the position of someone who has both launched and
been on those missions. And if someone had been you
using an unsecure mode to communicate about them, I'd have
been upset about it.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
In fact, I could see that.
Speaker 15 (33:09):
Yeah, I think for the people I worked with that
had gotten your ass kicked. But the reality is the
thing that upset me most about that was not the mistake.
People make mistakes and we'll make them forever. It was
after the fact, when people went on public news and
they said the information wasn't classified.
Speaker 7 (33:29):
Of course it was. And I don't like the idea
that they.
Speaker 15 (33:34):
Would look and say something that I know is not
true and I think they know is not true.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
And how much of an impediment to a national conversation
about character. Is the reality distortion field about you know,
incontrovertible things.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
That are true or not true?
Speaker 4 (34:00):
And how do you have a conversation about character in
that environment.
Speaker 15 (34:03):
Yeah, it makes it particularly hard because if we start
to have a conversation on character, now, a certain group
is always going to feel defensive because they think that.
Speaker 7 (34:11):
You are leveraging the word character against them.
Speaker 15 (34:15):
In fact, they can go both ways. People on both
ends of the spectrum can feel that. But we've still
got to have it. And that's why this has got
to be a conversation that begins in the center. I
think at pretty low levels, that starts with saying we're
not going to vote for you, we're not going to
buy your products, we're not going to like you on
social media, we're not going to do all of those
(34:36):
things you want us to do.
Speaker 7 (34:37):
Unless we see.
Speaker 15 (34:39):
Some level of character, not perfect character, we're never going
to see that. But what we're going to see is
a set of norms that say we respect the requirement
that there is character. If you make a mistake admitted.
What can our kids learn from watching us if they
are absolutely point every time they see or if they
(35:02):
just assume that's the way it is, that'll be worse.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
And I do think there is a certain now mindset
that what is rewarded now is result and not processing character.
It's you know, we're in a different situation. But I
would even say expand your aperture on this. It's not
just about character. I do think there is a certain
lacking of national conversations on everything, a truth and reconciliation
(35:29):
for the American people with each other.
Speaker 7 (35:32):
I think it's absolutely right.
Speaker 15 (35:34):
I think it could start with character, but it really
has got to emanate out from there. We have to
have a different definition of what we think it means
to be an American citizen, right because right now, many
American citizens think that if you pay your taxes and
you vote, and only about sixty five percent of us vote,
that you've done your job. In fact, the responsibilities are
(35:55):
much broader than that it is to every other American
because the nation is only a cover in it between citizens.
Speaker 7 (36:01):
God did not create the United States.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
What are you saying?
Speaker 4 (36:07):
What you're blowing it?
Speaker 7 (36:12):
It's an agreement, yeah, and we.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
All set to the go, right.
Speaker 7 (36:15):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Yeah, Well, it sounds to me like you have a
series of books to write on character and other things,
so I flip it back to you.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
You keep the conversation going about that general.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
It's so good to say all careful deveiled them out
general than in the personal.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Kirk break to right out after this such.
Speaker 16 (36:39):
An important.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Ally.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Let's not talking tonight.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Before we go, though, We're gonna check in with your
hopes for the rest of the week, mister Jordan Clopper, Jorday, Yes,
what are you?
Speaker 1 (37:07):
What are you covering this week?
Speaker 18 (37:08):
Well, John, Mother's Day is coming up next Sunday, so
we'll be looking at all the best ways to show
the mother in your life how much you'll love her.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
So Mother's Day was yesterday?
Speaker 16 (37:24):
Was it?
Speaker 5 (37:25):
Damn it?
Speaker 1 (37:26):
That's okay, that's okay.
Speaker 18 (37:28):
I can make it up to her on her birthday.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
When's your birthday, Jordan may second, Oh boy, it's it's
May twelfth, Geordie.
Speaker 18 (37:36):
Okay, that's all right. I'll make it up to her
next week on Cinco de Mayo.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
She loves Cargerina, Jordan Clupper, everybody, Jordan Clopper, you just
gotta do that your locker. By the way, I'll go, hey,
before we go, quick announcement here to the Daily Show.
Starting a little non partisan initiative in partnership with Headcount.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Which is not what it sounds like. The initiative is
called Indecision Take a seat.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
Seventy percent of elections last year uncontested completely or open.
That can change because democracy works better when you got
some choices there.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
So sign up.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
You'll get information on how to run for school board, braces,
city council, leagues of extraordinary gentlemen, all the things you
want to be. So, if you're tired of complaining about
who's running things and would like other people to complain
about how you're running things, scan the QR code there
or go.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
To the link and learn more. Now here it is
your moment.
Speaker 6 (38:36):
Is that to accelerate these price restrictions and reductions, my
administration will also cut out the middlemen. We're going to
totally cut out the famous middlemen. Nobody knows who they are.
Middleman they I've been hearing the term for twenty five years.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Middlemen.
Speaker 5 (38:51):
I don't know who they are, but they're rich.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
That I can tell you.
Speaker 19 (38:56):
Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by
searching The Daily Show wherever you get your podcasts. Watch
The Daily Show weeknights at eleven ten Central on Comedy
Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount plus
Speaker 7 (39:15):
Paramount Podcasts
You're listening to Comedy Central.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central is America's
only sorts for news. This is The Daily Show with
your host John Stuart.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Thank you very much man, Welcome to the Daily Show.
We got one point tonight. My name is John shirt.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
What a program we have designed for you a la carte.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
It's gonna be fantastic. Our guest tonight, General Stanley McCrystal Webb.
John wrote a book.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Chances are I will macrib.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
Him about the McRock war, all right, first.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
President Donald Trump. God, no, no, no respect his Authoritah.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Honestly, she's so much comes at us every day with him.
I can't even sleep organized thoughts eat.
Speaker 5 (01:32):
I just.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
And he knows, he knows he's toying with us. Here
he is. On Tuesday of last week.
Speaker 6 (01:42):
We're gonna have a very very big announcement to make,
like as big as it gets.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
And I won't tell.
Speaker 7 (01:48):
You on what.
Speaker 8 (01:56):
Oh good, so we won't know how to prepare, should
we wear our good pants or the ones we piss in?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
But fine, don't tell us this big announcement, just tell
us when.
Speaker 6 (02:13):
And that announcement will be made either Thursday or Friday
or Monday before we leave.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Why are you mentioning it? Is it sweeps week? Is
that what this is?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
But fine, we will keep our eyes out for any
announcement bombshells.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
And on Friday, I think we got one.
Speaker 9 (02:39):
The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be
suspended in a time of innovasion.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So it said, that's an option. We're actively looking at
a murder as a murderer. The government, the United States government.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Is actively looking at suspending due process and then the
rule of law. That's a big announce big enough for
Stephen Miller to risk bursting into flames because of the
touch of God sunlight.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
The only time a president has done it unilaterally without
the without the authorization of Congress was Abraham Lincoln during
the Civil War.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
That was the less really so back when slavery was
legal and the treatment for diarrhea was amputation.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
But that being said, this is a big announcement.
Speaker 9 (03:36):
As you know, you know, ability of somebody to challenge
their rights in courts is a pretty essential part of
the rule of law. You so certainly raising a lot
of eyebrows with that comment, just just eyebrows.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
The Truman administration is thinking to tear it up the constitution.
So here in Washington, we're hearing a lot of huh.
One legal scholar even said that's weird. So maybe that's
the announcement suspension of AB's corpus, unless there's something else.
Speaker 10 (04:06):
President Trump is appointing former New York prosecutor Janine Piro
as interim US Attorney.
Speaker 4 (04:18):
You may say to yourself, well, that can't be the announcement,
because that's just not that big a deal yet in
this new world that we live in, this announcement registers
the same as suspending habeas corpus.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
On the eyebrow metour.
Speaker 11 (04:36):
Jean Pirou of a lot of eyebrows are being raised
at this pick so far.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Hey, hey, hey, Jeanine, you're going to be the new
US attorney in DC.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
Yeah, I know, we're surprised too.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
That is, by the way. The sound. Oh also, they're
suspending habeas corpus.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Is a statement, all right, So maybe maybe that's the
big announcement. But hey, we've got it till today for
any other announcements, or is there anything else.
Speaker 11 (05:28):
The Trump administration is preparing to accept a super luxury
Boeing jumbo jet from the royal family of Cutter.
Speaker 12 (05:34):
That luxury jumbo jet, which has a value estimated at
four hundred million dollars. The aircraft would be used by
President Trump as a new Air Force one and then
transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation shortly before he
leaves office.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
What Cutter is giving us a plane that Trump gets
to keep.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Like the reverse Oprah.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
I get a jet and that's it. I get a
jet for my library. Why does his library need a jet?
Why would your presidential library? Yeah, hello, I'm calling from
Europe and I need a book about Trump by morning.
And the book must travel in the comfort and style
(06:25):
one can only get from Cutter.
Speaker 11 (06:28):
It's known as the most luxurious private jet in the world.
Described as a flying palace, it features the biggest master
bedroom in the sky, as well as some very plush
living quarters and several private offices. Some of the nine
bathrooms on board have full showers and even a bidet.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Wally right, I didn't even know water could go there.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Okay, holy trap, he's not a plane. That is a
flying palace. I'm not gonna tell Trump how to run
his business, but I would steam the shit out of
those carpets. But Hey, it's a jet from Cutter. We
can trust them. They're not suspect like Canada or working
(07:19):
to undermine us like all of our other democratic allies
in Europe.
Speaker 12 (07:24):
Cutter is considered an American ally, but it is also
an ally of Iran and China and even Hamas.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Oh, Trump's going to take a four hundred million dollar
jet from people he would expel from Columbia University.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I think you know what this is shocking. This is shocking.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
I think I know what this news might do to
our ipews. It raises many many eyebrows to have this
sort of deal at all.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Actually, that's how the plane flies.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
It overcomes Earth's gravity through the power of.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
The raised eyebrows.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Look, obviously, the president would understand that a gift of
this magnitude from a government with questionable ties to terror organizations,
combined with Article one, Section nine constitutional prohibition against the
president accepting a foreign flying palace, he would understand that
that's a legitimate I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
He was appalled that you'd even ask they're giving us
a free jet.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
I could say, no, no, no, don't give us. I
want to pay you a million or four hundred million
or whatever it is, well, I could say, thank you
very much.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
It's not a free jet.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
That's the point, you know, the expression there's no such
thing as a free launch.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
That's about being skeptical.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
The motives of somebody who gives you a sandwich, a
sandwich a BLT. Now imagine that that BLT has an engine,
nine bathrooms.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
And funds proxy wars.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
So when the dizzy run up to this big announcement
of the possible suspension of Habeas Corpus, or maybe the
appointment of another Fox New star, or the naked bribery
of our highest elected officials, none of those were Trump's
big announcement.
Speaker 13 (09:28):
President Trump just announced that prescription drug and pharmaceutical prices
will be reduced by thirty to eighty percent almost immediately.
This appears to be the major announcement that the President
has been teasing for days.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
I am having wanted that for years pharma has exploited
the American consumer, while we have in turned subsidized their
whole industry with tax incentives and direct funds. I like this,
but without getting into the weeds, explain this thing that
I've wanted for a very long time, Like I'm incredibly dumb.
Speaker 6 (10:03):
Drug prices will come down.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
We're getting them down.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
Sixty seventy eighty ninety percent, but actually more than that
if you think about it in the way mathematically.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
If you think about it mathematically.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
I don't want to brag. I often think about numbers mathematically.
How is this going to work?
Speaker 6 (10:35):
The rest of the world's going to have to pay
a little bit more, in America is going to pay
a lot less. Basically, what we're doing is equalizing. There's
a new word that I came up with, which I
think is probably the best word. We're going to equalize.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
Europe eureka euclid. Yeah, here it is equalized. I thought
it sounded familiar.
Speaker 14 (11:25):
Fuck, he's trying to kill us all.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Look.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
I would like to think that the tenacious pleadings of
progressive leaders like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders helped make
this possible.
Speaker 15 (11:46):
We are sick and tired of paying, by far, the
highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.
Speaker 10 (11:53):
I'm going to attack the prices on commonly used drugs.
Put a cap on the cost of insulin, a cap
on the cost of prescription drugs.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Not one of those child caps that you can't and
I have diar, Really, what's happening?
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Unfortunately, it turns out credit for the biggest, most important
announcement in the history of this presidency goes to someone else.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
I mean, I'll tell you a story.
Speaker 6 (12:21):
Friend of mine who's a business man, very very, very
top guy. Most of you would have heard of him,
a highly neurotic, brilliant businessman, seriously overweight.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
That took a turn.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
Top guy, brilliant, you know him, famous bit of a chubs.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Anyway, I'm public press covers is a rough way for
this guy to find out that he is saved in
Trump's phone as neurotic fat friend. Well, what else can
you tell us about this friend who's very famous, successful.
Speaker 6 (13:15):
Businessman, highly neurotic, brilliant businessman, seriously overweight, and he takes
the fat the fat shot, drug, fat shot, the fat shot.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Do you read any of your briefings.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
The fat He takes the fat shot, you know, the
fat shot.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
I got another friend, brilliant real estate mobile. He takes
the dick stiff bills.
Speaker 5 (13:50):
This guy takes the fat shot.
Speaker 1 (13:52):
This guy takes the dick stiff bills.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I'm sorry, continue the story about this fat of a
friend of yours and he called me.
Speaker 6 (14:00):
Up and he said, uh, President, could I ask you
a question.
Speaker 4 (14:05):
What.
Speaker 6 (14:05):
I'm in London and I just paid for this damn
fat drug I take.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
I said, it's not working.
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Yo, Rickles, that is ice cold.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
The friend is like opening up, like, oh, I took
this bad drug.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
He's like he's not working. He's like, I'm drunk. This
poor guy, he's just catching strays. In the middle of
a presidential press.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
College, Trump's talking about drug pricing reform and he's like, hey,
when this guy goes to the hospital, the nurse gives
him fifty.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Ccs a Crisco.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
He's fat.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Hey, my friend, he's very successful.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Went to London and when they saw him they changed
the name of Big Ben to just Ben because this
guy's fat. He's a fat He's shit this guy.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
Anyway, back to life saving drug pricing.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Again, President drum What does any of this have to
do with pricing?
Speaker 6 (15:11):
He said, I just paid eighty eight dollars and in
New York I paid thirteen hundred dollars.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
What the hell is going on?
Speaker 6 (15:22):
He said, So I checked and it's the same box,
made in the same plant, by the same company.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
It's the identical pill.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
This is a great businessman, but he's not familiar with
this crazy situation that we have.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
But he was stunned. He was as stunned as he
is fat.
Speaker 4 (15:41):
I mean, by the way, I don't know if anybody realized,
but the fat shot somehow turned into a.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
Fat pill in the middle of the story.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
It's how you know the story is true.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
But you know whether the story sure not.
Speaker 4 (16:00):
Donald Trump's point is, if you find yourself in the
socialized healthcare systems of London and you want to run
out and get some mozempic and some vision chips, don't
bother because his fat fip of.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
A friend.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Ate them all like a pot of work is on
a tuna bender. But the point is, right now, his
poor friend is at home going don't look at me.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
It feels like a decade.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
Ago that they threatened to suspend Avias Corpus. It was Friday,
that long ago, yesteryear, when the knicks were still.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
Up two oh and since then, we've had the largest
bribe ever given to an American president, the seeming surrender
of a trade war we started, and the socializing of
our pharmaceutical industry.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
What eve it is this country? What operatings?
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Four months ago we were a standard issue democratic, constitutional republic.
Now we're some kind of a narco klepto socialist, communist Silk.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Road reality show.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
The only foundational unchanging edict that we can even hang
our hats on anymore is that whatever we are now
as a country, that country is closed to any refugees.
Stephen Miller said, America is now for Americans only, So
hopefully there will be no more surprise announcements that overturn
that apple cart.
Speaker 10 (17:38):
After pausing virtually all refugee admissions for those fleeing war
and famine, the Trump administration is now planning to welcome
one group, white South Africans.
Speaker 16 (17:48):
What the fuck?
Speaker 1 (17:51):
White South Africans. That's the only group we're opening?
Speaker 4 (17:55):
What you already have one? Why you you know what,
mister president, You don't need thirty thirty seven South Africans.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Now you'll make do with just one or two?
Speaker 5 (18:12):
Wait?
Speaker 1 (18:13):
This wouldn't have anything to do with the white thing,
would it.
Speaker 6 (18:16):
The Orlanda is being confiscated in South Africa.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
I don't care about their race, their color.
Speaker 6 (18:21):
I don't care about their height, their weight.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Oh you care about their weight? When we come back.
Speaker 17 (18:32):
General Stanley mcrystal'll be joining us.
Speaker 16 (18:34):
Don't go away?
Speaker 5 (18:49):
What about Dallas, My God? Tonight.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
He is a retired four star general served thirty four
years in the United States Army. His latest book is
called On Care Character Choices that define a life. Please
welcome to the.
Speaker 17 (19:02):
Program, General Stanley McCrystal, sir, how you can.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
See you again.
Speaker 7 (19:23):
It's great to see you.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Thank you for joining us. The book is called on Character.
Tell me about this idea character? What is that?
Speaker 4 (19:33):
And how do we get that in public life?
Speaker 7 (19:37):
Well, I'm just going to break out of this and
start with what I want.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
From you for me?
Speaker 15 (19:42):
I want a movie, all right, to start a national
conversation on character? Yes, I think we could begin it
tonight with this group.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
It's a fine group. I think, what's the framing of
the conversation?
Speaker 7 (19:56):
We turn the lightship, we bring some beer in.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
What kind of character are we looking for?
Speaker 4 (20:14):
Well, how would you what is the framing of the
national conversation on character?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
In your mind?
Speaker 15 (20:19):
I think first is character is our choice. That's the
great thing about it. We have agency over who we
as individuals are. And Heracleidis said an individual's character is
their fate.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Character. That's true.
Speaker 15 (20:35):
I also think it's true of a nation. And so
we get to choose what our character is. Now somebody
else we get to choose, and it's the didn't we
just try that?
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Yeah, we chose something some American people went.
Speaker 15 (20:53):
Generally sixty five percent of America voted yes. And the
reality is we can do better than that, and I
think we can.
Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 15 (21:01):
But if character is the essence of who we are,
Thomas Paine said that reputation is what men think of us.
Character is what angels know of us. Then I think
if we look inside and we say what can we
each of us, as individuals be, we have the opportunity
(21:25):
to be something different. I mean, none of us is perfect.
Every one of us makes a mistake every day. I'm
seventy years old. I make mistakes and it still frustrates me.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
You're seventy What am I doing wrong? What the hell?
Speaker 5 (21:41):
What is that?
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Well? You just choosing good character?
Speaker 16 (21:43):
He just.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Mean?
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Why I look like I sleep in a meat dehydrator.
Speaker 15 (21:50):
The great thing about character is it is a combination
of two things. It is our convictions. It's what we
believe right, and there's no right or wrong to that,
except we have to have thought about them. We have
to know what they are. The beauty of the writing
this book is it forced me to put on paper
and to really think about what I believe. Then the
other half of it is our discipline.
Speaker 7 (22:12):
Do we live to them?
Speaker 15 (22:13):
You know, you can have a lot of convictions you
tell people about, but if you don't live them, there's zero,
right And so I think our character is the essential
identity of us as people and us as a nation,
and we've let it a road.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Do you view this? So here's what I see with.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
The audience a little bit now, and I come out
usually in the beginning, and I have a little conversation
with them, generally beerless.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
Fortunately that's a mistake, and it really is.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
It's okay though, because the log get highest, right.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
I'm noticing a thirst.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Yeah, Like I've never an anxiety about this idea of control.
I think people feel they've lost that agency by living
in a country. And look, people when elections, people lose elections.
Sometimes you live with a president that doesn't necessarily reflect you.
This feels different. So how does this conversation around character.
(23:14):
I've always thought action is the antidote to anxiety. What action, then,
within this can bring some relief. There's a thirst out
there for conviction, leadership, discipline that they're not getting.
Speaker 15 (23:29):
Yeah, I think it's got three steps. I think the
first is we need to think about character more. That's
largely individual, but you can share.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
It with people. Then we need to talk about it.
Speaker 15 (23:39):
We need to talk about it in small groups, not
just on TV, but we need to talk about it
in our schools and our families.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
We need to have those What are the parameters when
you say we need to think about character? What are
the parameters that come to your mind when you think
about that? Is it boy scout pledge, stuff like be courteous,
kind and forgiving all that sort of thing, or is
it something different?
Speaker 15 (23:59):
There are certains that I think almost all of us
should agree on, But as you talked about faith earlier,
there are parts of faith that we vary on. But
I think that if we talk about what are the
things that sort of bound America together?
Speaker 7 (24:17):
What are the things that we all believe?
Speaker 15 (24:19):
How we treat people, be fair to people, have empathy,
give an opportunity to people.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
So how do you square that?
Speaker 4 (24:27):
It brings up such an interesting conversation because the worlds
that we might inhabit would have a very different view.
I might look at the January six ers and go,
that was a lack of character. You know, one man's terrorists,
another man's freedom fighter. How do you square that? And
what do you do with people that you think stepped
over a red line but in their mind was almost
(24:51):
a heroic action.
Speaker 7 (24:53):
I think that's right. First you need to listen to them.
Speaker 15 (24:56):
One of the things I learned in the counter terrorist
fight was we had our forces, which you know, I
was obviously very close to the most elite people, and
then we had our enemies, and there was a perception
that they were two poles different.
Speaker 7 (25:11):
They actually had bent up.
Speaker 15 (25:14):
The personal attributes of the best people that I worked
with and the best people that we fought. They were courageous,
they believed in their cause, they were willing to sacrifice.
There was a different life journey that got them to
where they were. And if we're willing to listen to
another person's life journey and admit often that had we
(25:36):
had that same life journey, we would reach those same conclusions.
Speaker 7 (25:40):
Then you reach it a different point.
Speaker 15 (25:41):
Then they're not suddenly the enemy, they just have a
different perspective.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Is the idea.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
If I had just had Fox News on, I would
have been doing that on Nancy Pelosi's desk, like that
just doesn't There must be some incontrovertible truth though, is
there not? We can't be is the idea that we
(26:08):
are al Qaeda? Al Qaeda is us? That that's hard
to square.
Speaker 7 (26:13):
Well, it is.
Speaker 15 (26:14):
But if we try to say they're incontrovertible truths to
many of them, what are they?
Speaker 1 (26:21):
You know?
Speaker 4 (26:21):
We start to say the courteous kind and forgiving.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Yeah, I mean that's pretty good.
Speaker 15 (26:28):
And those are the things that are common denominator sort
of things. And that's where we have to connect because
the reality is we're not going to have the same
view from different parts of the world, different parts of
the country, different zip codes, different economic backgrounds, because your
life journey is just enough different.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
Tell me in practice, so you have to negotiate.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
You're in the war now.
Speaker 4 (26:50):
I refer to either the countersearchs in I Rock or
in Afghanistan. You are dealing with, on one level, ideological warriors,
maybe in Afghananistan on another level mercenary to some extent.
You go in there with a bunch of money and go,
what are they paying you, I'll pay you this. How
did you find common ground with them? Did you have to?
(27:13):
Where does the wisdom of this come from for you?
Speaker 7 (27:16):
Yeah? I think from experience.
Speaker 15 (27:18):
One of the things you learned is you have to
try to find common ground, and you have to start
by having enough empathy. And remember it, empathy is not
Sympathy doesn't mean you're rubbing somebody's belly and you agree
with them.
Speaker 7 (27:29):
It means that you can.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Would that have ended the Afghanistan war probably pretty quickly
bring in.
Speaker 15 (27:36):
The You have to be able to put yourself on
the other side of the table.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
You know.
Speaker 15 (27:42):
I would talk to Poshtune elders and they had big
turbans and beards and craggy faces and different lives in mind,
spoke a different language and had a different religion. But
reality they were actually pretty good people, and if you
had their loyalty and their respect, they were as good
as we are. In fact, they are very similar to
(28:03):
we to us. So if you stop with if you
stop assuming that anyone who doesn't share those attributes is
different and therefore less than you, you have a different
approach to it, and you have to be of course
harder yourself as well.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Because is that. You know, the book starts you famously.
Speaker 4 (28:23):
You did an interview for Rolling Stone during the Obama
administration and where you were critical of maybe some of
the tax that we had taken in the war, the
way it was being prosecuted, not enough to supply things
like that, and you resigned because of that. That's how
you open this book, right, is that where you're reflecting
(28:45):
on yourself very much.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So.
Speaker 15 (28:48):
Of course I cancel my Rolling Stone subscription right after that,
but the.
Speaker 4 (28:54):
Reality everyone else did to don't.
Speaker 7 (28:57):
Even worry about it.
Speaker 15 (28:58):
It's funny now because you know, we've got a little
time and space. But no, we had an article that
came out that I didn't think was accurate, but I
accepted responsibility for it. And the reality was, in that moment,
I had been I'd been born in an Army hospital,
I'd lived in an Army family. I'd gone to West
Point at age seventeen. I was now fifty five, almost
(29:20):
fifty six, and suddenly, in an instant, I offer when
I offered my resignation to President.
Speaker 7 (29:26):
Obama, I'm not a soldier anymore. I'm not a commander.
I'm not a soldier.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
What am I?
Speaker 7 (29:34):
You could say, I'm a failure. I go home.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Is that how you felt?
Speaker 15 (29:38):
It felt exactly that way. I felt as though a
bolt of lightning had I'd always thought I could be
fired for incompetence.
Speaker 7 (29:46):
Who are killed in combat.
Speaker 15 (29:48):
I never thought i'd be accused of something like that.
And so I offer my resignation to President Obama, who
was very gracious and but he accepted it. I had
flown home all night from Afghanistan for this meeting. I
drive across the city to where my wife was living
(30:09):
in a set of military quarters, and I tell Annie
it's over, because she and I had been married for
thirty four years, and I said, our career's over.
Speaker 7 (30:18):
I'm out.
Speaker 1 (30:19):
Holy.
Speaker 15 (30:20):
She looked at me and she said, good. We've always
been happy and we always will always be happy. And
in that moment, what she communicated to me, without being straight,
she said, can I face forward? And I always describe
Annie as driving or a living life like she drives
with no use for the rearview mirror.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
And away, shoot, I don't not say any about she's here.
She can hear you right now. I see her right
over there.
Speaker 7 (30:57):
It's gonna be a long night.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Who's driving known?
Speaker 15 (31:01):
But we've been married forty eight years, and if you
think about it, you commit to something. And I had
committed to the military, I had committed to my marriage,
and I'm committed to my country now. And so when
I ask you to help lead a national conversation on character,
you have the stature, you have the reach.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
It's basic cable, sir, it's not you really should have
gone on, Colbert. I think that if you want stature
and reach.
Speaker 15 (31:32):
No, I mean, as we say, if people are thirsty
for something, for what they see, let's encourage them. Not
that we're going to provide it from the outside, but
we're going to have them provided to themselves. This needs
to start with young people.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
So you look at me, Okay, this is but it
brings up such an interesting thought because so I'm reflecting
on when this happened to you. It was basically it
was an article where you said some things that might
be intemperate for a man in uniform or in command.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
That's really it. There was no secrets divulge.
Speaker 4 (32:09):
Now you're watching the Secretary of Defense snapchatting his wife.
Speaker 1 (32:14):
Hey, we're bombing to day. You know, doesn't resign? Is
that character?
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Because it's not you resign because your sense of duty
and character felt that you would let yourself down and
let the country down. But is there character in the
reason he's still there? Is loyalty And isn't that a
character trait that's also valuable? How do you process what's
(32:44):
happening now?
Speaker 15 (32:45):
Yeah, I certainly think you got a value loyalty. I
can't put myself in his position. I can put myself
in the position of an American. I can put myself
in the position of someone who has both launched and
been on those missions. And if someone had been you
using an unsecure mode to communicate about them, I'd have
been upset about it.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
In fact, I could see that.
Speaker 15 (33:09):
Yeah, I think for the people I worked with that
had gotten your ass kicked. But the reality is the
thing that upset me most about that was not the mistake.
People make mistakes and we'll make them forever. It was
after the fact, when people went on public news and
they said the information wasn't classified.
Speaker 7 (33:29):
Of course it was. And I don't like the idea
that they.
Speaker 15 (33:34):
Would look and say something that I know is not
true and I think they know is not true.
Speaker 4 (33:41):
And how much of an impediment to a national conversation
about character. Is the reality distortion field about you know,
incontrovertible things.
Speaker 1 (33:56):
That are true or not true?
Speaker 4 (34:00):
And how do you have a conversation about character in
that environment.
Speaker 15 (34:03):
Yeah, it makes it particularly hard because if we start
to have a conversation on character, now, a certain group
is always going to feel defensive because they think that.
Speaker 7 (34:11):
You are leveraging the word character against them.
Speaker 15 (34:15):
In fact, they can go both ways. People on both
ends of the spectrum can feel that. But we've still
got to have it. And that's why this has got
to be a conversation that begins in the center. I
think at pretty low levels, that starts with saying we're
not going to vote for you, we're not going to
buy your products, we're not going to like you on
social media, we're not going to do all of those
(34:36):
things you want us to do.
Speaker 7 (34:37):
Unless we see.
Speaker 15 (34:39):
Some level of character, not perfect character, we're never going
to see that. But what we're going to see is
a set of norms that say we respect the requirement
that there is character. If you make a mistake admitted.
What can our kids learn from watching us if they
are absolutely point every time they see or if they
(35:02):
just assume that's the way it is, that'll be worse.
Speaker 4 (35:06):
And I do think there is a certain now mindset
that what is rewarded now is result and not processing character.
It's you know, we're in a different situation. But I
would even say expand your aperture on this. It's not
just about character. I do think there is a certain
lacking of national conversations on everything, a truth and reconciliation
(35:29):
for the American people with each other.
Speaker 7 (35:32):
I think it's absolutely right.
Speaker 15 (35:34):
I think it could start with character, but it really
has got to emanate out from there. We have to
have a different definition of what we think it means
to be an American citizen, right because right now, many
American citizens think that if you pay your taxes and
you vote, and only about sixty five percent of us vote,
that you've done your job. In fact, the responsibilities are
(35:55):
much broader than that it is to every other American
because the nation is only a cover in it between citizens.
Speaker 7 (36:01):
God did not create the United States.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
What are you saying?
Speaker 4 (36:07):
What you're blowing it?
Speaker 7 (36:12):
It's an agreement, yeah, and we.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
All set to the go, right.
Speaker 7 (36:15):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Yeah, Well, it sounds to me like you have a
series of books to write on character and other things,
so I flip it back to you.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
You keep the conversation going about that general.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
It's so good to say all careful deveiled them out
general than in the personal.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
Kirk break to right out after this such.
Speaker 16 (36:39):
An important.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
Ally.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
Let's not talking tonight.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Before we go, though, We're gonna check in with your
hopes for the rest of the week, mister Jordan Clopper, Jorday, Yes,
what are you?
Speaker 1 (37:07):
What are you covering this week?
Speaker 18 (37:08):
Well, John, Mother's Day is coming up next Sunday, so
we'll be looking at all the best ways to show
the mother in your life how much you'll love her.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
So Mother's Day was yesterday?
Speaker 16 (37:24):
Was it?
Speaker 5 (37:25):
Damn it?
Speaker 1 (37:26):
That's okay, that's okay.
Speaker 18 (37:28):
I can make it up to her on her birthday.
Speaker 1 (37:30):
When's your birthday, Jordan may second, Oh boy, it's it's
May twelfth, Geordie.
Speaker 18 (37:36):
Okay, that's all right. I'll make it up to her
next week on Cinco de Mayo.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
She loves Cargerina, Jordan Clupper, everybody, Jordan Clopper, you just
gotta do that your locker. By the way, I'll go, hey,
before we go, quick announcement here to the Daily Show.
Starting a little non partisan initiative in partnership with Headcount.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Which is not what it sounds like. The initiative is
called Indecision Take a seat.
Speaker 4 (38:04):
Seventy percent of elections last year uncontested completely or open.
That can change because democracy works better when you got
some choices there.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
So sign up.
Speaker 4 (38:14):
You'll get information on how to run for school board, braces,
city council, leagues of extraordinary gentlemen, all the things you
want to be. So, if you're tired of complaining about
who's running things and would like other people to complain
about how you're running things, scan the QR code there
or go.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
To the link and learn more. Now here it is
your moment.
Speaker 6 (38:36):
Is that to accelerate these price restrictions and reductions, my
administration will also cut out the middlemen. We're going to
totally cut out the famous middlemen. Nobody knows who they are.
Middleman they I've been hearing the term for twenty five years.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Middlemen.
Speaker 5 (38:51):
I don't know who they are, but they're rich.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
That I can tell you.
Speaker 19 (38:56):
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Speaker 7 (39:15):
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