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Yo! What's going on, everybody?
Welcome to
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The Daily Social Distancing
Show. I'm Trevor Noah.
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And I'm happy to report
that I've just completed
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my first New Year's resolution,
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which was that I would learn
a brand-new instrument.
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Uh, I actually wrote
a little song for you guys.
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It's called "2020 into 2021."
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? ?
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Anyway, on tonight's show,
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we pay tribute to Melania's many
accomplishments as first lady,
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the NBA is taking
on coronavirus,
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and everyone has already
forgotten about
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what's-his-name-- you know,
the guy with the hair.
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Plus, Jelani Cobb
is on the show to talk about
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what's next for the country.
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So let's do this, people.
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Welcome to The Daily
Social Distancing Show.
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? ?
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-? ? -ANNOUNCER: From Trevor's
couch in New York City
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to your couch
somewhere in the world, this is
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The Daily Social Distancing Show
with Trevor Noah.
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Let's kick things off
with the story
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that just won't end:
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the coronavirus pandemic.
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'Cause I know America
has begun a new era,
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but corona doesn't care about
who's president.
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In fact, it's been
exactly one year
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since we first learned
that COVID-19 had reached
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the United States, and things
have only gotten worse.
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Yesterday the country
set a new record
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for coronavirus deaths.
And the CDC
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now predicts that
half a million deaths
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will happen by mid-February.
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Which is gonna make for
a weird Valentine's Day.
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Valentine's Day is already
pretty weird.
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I'm supposed to buy
an adult woman a teddy bear?
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That is creepy as hell.
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The point is it's more
important than ever
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to step up on COVID safety,
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which is exactly
what the NBA is doing.
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NEWSMAN: Well, after witnessing
some opposing players
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disregarding new league rules
against unnecessary contact
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on game nights, the NBA is now
moving team security to midcourt
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following games to stop
the hugging and handshakes
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that may cause an unwanted
spread of COVID-19.
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High fives, hugs and handshakes,
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along with extended
post-game conversations,
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are no longer allowed.
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Man, this is so harsh, guys.
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COVID won't even let you
shake hands with opponents now?
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That's a hard habit to break,
because we've all been
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doing that since we were
five years old.
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You know, you play a game,
then you'd line up
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and you high five the other
team saying, "Good game."
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Next they're gonna say that,
what, COVID won't let you
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eat orange slices at halftime?
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Or drive past the ice cream
store because your dad says
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only winners deserve ice cream?
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But look, I get it.
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You got to do what
you got to do to stop COVID.
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And who knows, this could even
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create some excitement
after the game.
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And here it is. Harden,
going up for a high five,
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and this is...
Oh, no, he's rejected!
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He's rejected by
a security guard named Stanley.
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At the same time, though,
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will this really
make a difference?
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I mean, I'm all for COVID
safety, but these guys have been
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sweating and breathing on each
other for two hours already,
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and then they can't shake hands?
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That's like handing out condoms
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as people are
leaving your orgy.
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Remember to be safe.
Remember to be safe...
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That was fun, guys.
Remember to be safe.
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Remember to be safe.
That was dope. (giggles)
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I mean, I'm not gonna lie--
this just shows how
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COVID has turned the whole world
upside down, you know?
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Players are now
getting into trouble
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for being nice to each other.
Like...
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Yeah, you better hold me back!
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I'm about to hug
this (bleep), man.
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Yeah, I res...
I respect you, asshole.
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I-I will hug you right now.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
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Anyway, between the pandemic
and all the insanity
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around the presidential
election, there have been
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all sorts of stories
that we just
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haven't had time
to talk about.
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But they've kind of gotten
stuck in my brain,
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and I thought, well,
maybe I could unstick them
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by sharing them with you.
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For instance, here's some
big news you might have missed
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out of Russia, aka Mean Canada.
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Vladimir Putin's fiercest critic
Alexei Navalny,
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who was nearly poisoned
to death,
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returning to Russia
and immediately detained.
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NEWSMAN: A dangerous gamble
for one of Vladimir Putin's
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most vocal critics.
He was arrested minutes after
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arriving in Moscow,
kissing his wife goodbye.
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Alexei Navalny has now been
detained for at least 30 days,
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prompting outrage
around the world.
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Navalny nearly died last year
after being poisoned
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with the extremely toxic
chemical weapon Novichok.
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-(moaning) -He fell ill on an
airplane, blaming the Kremlin
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for the attack--
something they deny.
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Okay, I don't know
what's crazier here--
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that this dude
went back to the same country
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that tried to kill him
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or that they arrested him
when he got there.
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Apparently in Russia
it's a felony
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to not die
when they poison you?
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(Russian accent): Why did you do
that? You make Putin look like
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he don't know poison, huh?
Why you do that to Putin?
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(regular accent): Look, either
Navalny's the bravest dude alive
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or he's just really grown
to love the taste of poison.
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I mean, I don't know,
maybe poison is delicious.
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It's just that no one ever
survives to tell us.
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You know, maybe it's the most
delicious thing in the world.
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We don't know.
Actually, I want...
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I want to try poison now.
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But either way, this guy
has bigger balls than me.
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I'm not gonna lie.
Because I would not
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be going back to Russia
right now.
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Forget the poisoning--
it's the middle of winter.
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All Putin has to do is delay
your Uber ride for five minutes
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-and you're done.
-(snaps fingers)
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Meanwhile, in tech news,
here's a story I really
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can't stop thinking about
involving bitcoin,
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the money that lives...
in space.
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Over the last few months, the
value of the virtual currency
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has skyrocketed to insane
heights,
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which is great
for people who own it.
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But it'll never catch up
to the market value
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of my Pokémon cards.
That's right, people,
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I've been saving up
these bad boy...
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Mom!
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Mom, what did you do
to my Pokémon?! Mo...
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Anyway, one of the big draws
of bitcoin is how secure it is.
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Unfortunately for one investor,
it's turning out to be
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a little too secure.
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A virtual nightmare
for a man with
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a quarter billion dollars
in bitcoin. Yes, billion.
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He's forgotten his password.
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Stefan Thomas says
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he's been locked out
of his account since 2012.
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Back then it wasn't
as much of a fortune,
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because each of his
7,000 coins was worth
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00:06:06,834 --> 00:06:08,569
about ten bucks in cash.
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Now, going...
uh, the going rate--
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-you know how much it is?
It's $37 grand. -MAN: What?
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WOMAN:
Uh, the man has the password
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stored on
an old hard drive,
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but he lost
the password to that, too,
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and has only two more tries
before he gets locked out.
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Wow.
What a feel-good story.
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In that I feel good
that it's not me.
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This guy can't access
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a quarter billion dollars
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because he can't
remember his password.
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Yo, let me tell you something.
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For a quarter of a billion
dollars, I'm hiring people
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to beat the shit out of me
until I do remember.
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Don't go easy on me!
Come on guys, I know something.
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7-2-5, lowercase E, G...
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dash, dash.
(cries) I remember.
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And, finally, from Colombia,
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an exciting setup for
a brand-new season of Narcos.
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A notorious drug lord's
exotic pets
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are now posing
an environmental disaster.
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Pablo Escobar's four hippos
escaped after he was killed
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and are now taking over
the marshlands in Colombia.
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Experts say they are
breeding so fast there
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there could be more than 1,500
in the next couple of years,
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posing a danger
to the people and wildlife.
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They are now saying
the so-called cocaine hippos
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-should be shot.
-WOMAN (chuckles): Oh, my gosh.
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Yeah, you go shoot
the cocaine hippos
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who were raised
by Pablo Escobar.
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I'm just gonna
stay out of the water.
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And I know some people
are gonna be like,
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"Do you have to
shoot those hippos?
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Why not just round them up
and put them in a zoo?"
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No.
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We're not gonna be taking
Pablo Escobar's hippos
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and putting them in a zoo.
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'Cause you know three weeks
later they're gonna escape
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through a tunnel that they built
out from under their cage.
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There's gonna be a note left
behind from the hippos, saying
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(thick African accent):
No zookeeper alive can hold me!
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(regular accent): Yeah, you see,
some people would think
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that the Colombian hippos
are gonna sound Colombian,
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but hippos are from Africa,
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so I like to keep the jokes
authentic.
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I got to say though, man--
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over-reproduction
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is the most badass reason
to be exterminated.
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When was the last time
you had so much sex
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that the government
had to step in?
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The good news is there is an
easier solution to this problem.
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Just release some meth gators
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to deal
with the cocaine hippos.
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Then,
to deal with the meth gators,
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you release the Molly cobras.
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Then, to take out
the Molly cobras,
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you release
the straight-edge tigers.
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They don't do cocaine,
because the real thrill
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is being in control.
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Here's a question
I have though--
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I've always wondered this--
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what's the deal
with drug dealers and animals?
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Huh? It's like the higher
you go up the ladder,
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the crazier your pet has to be.
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The dealer on the corner
has a fish tank,
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the drug lord has hippos.
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I bet that family
that invented Oxy
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00:08:52,633 --> 00:08:55,068
has a T. rex
just chained up in the backyard.
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(screeching)
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"You guys are killers.
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You should have gotten more
than just a fine." (screeches)
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But let's move on now
to the big story of the day,
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the inauguration
of Joseph Robin Hood Biden.
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00:09:07,948 --> 00:09:09,416
Yesterday,
after being sworn in
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00:09:09,449 --> 00:09:11,818
on the book that knows
when we're all gonna die,
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00:09:11,852 --> 00:09:15,155
Biden became the 46th president
of the United States.
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But he can't run
the whole country himself.
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00:09:18,058 --> 00:09:19,726
So, immediately after being
sworn in,
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00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:21,795
he turned around and
administered the oath of office
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00:09:21,828 --> 00:09:23,564
to his new White House staff.
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And hopefully all 4,000 people
on the Zoom
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were paying attention.
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NEWSMAN: For new members
of the Biden administration,
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00:09:30,204 --> 00:09:32,139
a virtual swearing in.
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And we have to restore
the soul of this country,
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00:09:34,241 --> 00:09:37,110
and I'm counting on all of you
to be part of that.
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00:09:37,144 --> 00:09:40,047
And a stern warning
from the new commander in chief.
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If you're ever working with me
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00:09:41,348 --> 00:09:44,318
and I hear you treat another
colleague with disrespect,
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00:09:44,351 --> 00:09:46,320
talk down to someone,
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00:09:46,353 --> 00:09:49,656
I promise you,
I will fire you on the spot.
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00:09:49,690 --> 00:09:52,059
On the spot.
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No if, ands, or buts.
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Okay. Wow.
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That took a turn.
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00:09:57,297 --> 00:10:00,067
"Welcome to a new era
of kindness and respect.
244
00:10:00,100 --> 00:10:01,668
"And if you're not on board
with that,
245
00:10:01,702 --> 00:10:03,437
I'll rip your nipples off."
246
00:10:03,470 --> 00:10:05,105
But insisting on respect
is just one of the ways
247
00:10:05,138 --> 00:10:06,673
that President Biden is trying
to make a clean break
248
00:10:06,707 --> 00:10:07,941
from his predecessor.
249
00:10:07,975 --> 00:10:10,611
In fact,
he even redecorated his office
250
00:10:10,644 --> 00:10:13,814
to be as un-Trumpy as possible.
251
00:10:13,847 --> 00:10:15,849
We're getting new details
right now
252
00:10:15,883 --> 00:10:19,186
about the, uh, inside of
President Biden's Oval Office.
253
00:10:19,219 --> 00:10:21,388
A bust of Cesar Chavez,
for example,
254
00:10:21,421 --> 00:10:23,123
sitting behind
the Resolute desk,
255
00:10:23,156 --> 00:10:25,659
along with statues
of Martin Luther King Jr.
256
00:10:25,692 --> 00:10:27,661
and Robert F. Kennedy.
257
00:10:27,694 --> 00:10:29,730
NEWSMAN: It is Joe Biden's stamp
on the Oval Office.
258
00:10:29,763 --> 00:10:31,899
But some of it is familiar.
You see those gold drapes?
259
00:10:31,932 --> 00:10:33,500
You see the blue carpet
on the floor?
260
00:10:33,534 --> 00:10:35,035
Those were in the Oval Office
261
00:10:35,068 --> 00:10:36,570
during the Bill Clinton
presidency.
262
00:10:36,603 --> 00:10:38,238
The decor is certainly different
than it was
263
00:10:38,272 --> 00:10:39,907
under President Trump.
264
00:10:39,940 --> 00:10:42,709
Okay, first question,
265
00:10:42,743 --> 00:10:44,444
is it really an improvement
266
00:10:44,478 --> 00:10:48,182
to switch out Trump's carpet
for Bill Clinton's?
267
00:10:48,215 --> 00:10:50,584
I mean, on Trump's carpet,
yes, you can catch COVID.
268
00:10:50,617 --> 00:10:51,785
But on Clinton's,
269
00:10:51,818 --> 00:10:53,387
you could get pregnant.
270
00:10:53,420 --> 00:10:54,922
And, look, I respect history,
271
00:10:54,955 --> 00:10:58,091
but, at some point,
it starts getting suspicious.
272
00:10:58,125 --> 00:11:00,761
"This desk was used
by President Roosevelt."
273
00:11:00,794 --> 00:11:02,062
"Wow!"
274
00:11:02,095 --> 00:11:04,565
"And these chairs were sat on
by President Kennedy."
275
00:11:04,598 --> 00:11:05,699
"Wow!"
276
00:11:05,732 --> 00:11:08,602
"And these drapes were hung
by President Monroe."
277
00:11:08,635 --> 00:11:10,370
"Dude, are-are you broke?
278
00:11:10,404 --> 00:11:12,039
Is-is that what's going on
here?"
279
00:11:12,072 --> 00:11:14,541
But I do think it's cool that
no matter what other changes
280
00:11:14,575 --> 00:11:15,676
a president makes,
281
00:11:15,709 --> 00:11:18,946
the bust of Martin Luther King
Jr. stays behind.
282
00:11:18,979 --> 00:11:21,415
Because no one wants to be
the guy
283
00:11:21,448 --> 00:11:23,517
who removes the bust of MLK.
284
00:11:23,550 --> 00:11:26,186
Once it enters the room,
it's there for good.
285
00:11:26,220 --> 00:11:28,088
If a tornado hit
the Oval Office,
286
00:11:28,121 --> 00:11:30,190
it would still go around MLK.
287
00:11:30,224 --> 00:11:31,558
(blowing)
288
00:11:31,592 --> 00:11:32,926
(quietly):
"Ha, ha, I'm not racist.
289
00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,629
I'm not racist."
(blowing)
290
00:11:35,662 --> 00:11:37,798
Now, of course,
redecorating the Oval Office
291
00:11:37,831 --> 00:11:39,867
is just a symbolic change.
292
00:11:39,900 --> 00:11:41,702
But even after one day,
293
00:11:41,735 --> 00:11:43,904
people are really noticing
how different
294
00:11:43,937 --> 00:11:47,674
Biden's presidency will be
from Donald J. Trump's.
295
00:11:47,708 --> 00:11:51,111
You just got President Biden's
schedule for tomorrow,
296
00:11:51,144 --> 00:11:54,114
his first full day in office
as-as president.
297
00:11:54,147 --> 00:11:57,284
Uh, I imagine
it's a little bit busier
298
00:11:57,317 --> 00:11:58,552
than what we've been reading
299
00:11:58,585 --> 00:12:01,488
is the former president's
schedule.
300
00:12:01,522 --> 00:12:03,290
This is a return to normalcy.
301
00:12:03,323 --> 00:12:05,158
Also a return
to functioning government.
302
00:12:05,192 --> 00:12:07,294
The White House Press Office
is now actually sending out
303
00:12:07,327 --> 00:12:08,762
press releases
that are informative.
304
00:12:08,795 --> 00:12:10,497
So instead of having
the Trump administration say
305
00:12:10,531 --> 00:12:12,232
Trump is making "many calls,"
306
00:12:12,266 --> 00:12:14,234
the Biden team's
actually revealing the calls.
307
00:12:14,268 --> 00:12:16,236
That's a good sign.
That's progress.
308
00:12:16,270 --> 00:12:18,338
NEWSWOMAN:
President Biden is now unveiling
309
00:12:18,372 --> 00:12:20,874
a national strategy
to tackle COVID.
310
00:12:20,908 --> 00:12:23,343
First of all, I-I just have
to say that it's great
311
00:12:23,377 --> 00:12:27,181
that we have somebody that comes
out and actually has a plan.
312
00:12:27,214 --> 00:12:29,616
Today felt like a new day.
313
00:12:29,650 --> 00:12:32,486
I mean, the press briefing
was boring as hell.
314
00:12:32,519 --> 00:12:34,821
And that was refreshing.
315
00:12:34,855 --> 00:12:37,558
We didn't have to count how
many lies Jen Psaki was telling.
316
00:12:37,591 --> 00:12:39,459
We didn't have to get up there
and hear her talking
317
00:12:39,493 --> 00:12:42,029
about the largest crowd size
or yelling at the media.
318
00:12:42,062 --> 00:12:44,064
Yo, guys, Joe Biden is so lucky.
319
00:12:44,097 --> 00:12:47,868
All he has to do
is have a vaccine plan
320
00:12:47,901 --> 00:12:49,870
and not lie for ten minutes
321
00:12:49,903 --> 00:12:52,539
and he's basically, what,
the next George Washington?
322
00:12:52,573 --> 00:12:54,942
And we all know this is
only thanks to Donald Trump
323
00:12:54,975 --> 00:12:57,511
for setting the bar so low.
324
00:12:57,544 --> 00:13:00,013
It's like getting hired
as a babysitter
325
00:13:00,047 --> 00:13:02,349
and your predecessor was
a Roomba covered in knives.
326
00:13:02,382 --> 00:13:04,017
You're gonna be better.
327
00:13:04,051 --> 00:13:06,687
And there's a useful life lesson
here for all of us.
328
00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:10,023
Always follow
the worst possible person.
329
00:13:10,057 --> 00:13:12,025
Like,
if you want to date someone,
330
00:13:12,059 --> 00:13:15,429
wait until after they've
broken up with Armie Hammer.
331
00:13:15,462 --> 00:13:18,765
"Baby, I promise
I will never eat your flesh."
332
00:13:18,799 --> 00:13:20,767
"What a gentleman."
333
00:13:20,801 --> 00:13:24,738
In fact, people are so excited
to be moving on from Trump
334
00:13:24,771 --> 00:13:28,075
that some at Biden's
inauguration celebration
335
00:13:28,108 --> 00:13:32,479
were already pretending
that Trump never existed at all.
336
00:13:32,513 --> 00:13:35,082
NEWSWOMAN: Appearances
by three former presidents,
337
00:13:35,115 --> 00:13:37,885
George W. Bush, Bill Clinton,
and Barack Obama
338
00:13:37,918 --> 00:13:39,453
but not President Trump.
339
00:13:39,486 --> 00:13:41,555
Well, I think, uh,
the fact that the three of us
340
00:13:41,588 --> 00:13:44,825
are standing here talking about
a peaceful transfer of power
341
00:13:44,858 --> 00:13:45,893
speaks to the, uh,
342
00:13:45,926 --> 00:13:48,395
in-institutional integrity
of our country.
343
00:13:48,428 --> 00:13:51,999
We've got to... not just listen
to folks we agree with
344
00:13:52,032 --> 00:13:53,600
but listen to folks we don't.
345
00:13:53,634 --> 00:13:55,068
You think
about the three presidents,
346
00:13:55,102 --> 00:13:57,604
the three former presidents
that we saw gathered together
347
00:13:57,638 --> 00:13:59,306
to-to speak about this moment
in history,
348
00:13:59,339 --> 00:14:02,643
to speak about, uh,
the new president.
349
00:14:02,676 --> 00:14:05,245
The former president
who just left office
350
00:14:05,279 --> 00:14:07,981
could have been among
those three.
351
00:14:08,015 --> 00:14:09,416
-It could have been four.
-Mm-hmm.
352
00:14:09,449 --> 00:14:12,352
And forevermore now,
one considers,
353
00:14:12,386 --> 00:14:15,322
when there are gatherings
of all the presidents,
354
00:14:15,355 --> 00:14:18,392
will the most recent president,
355
00:14:18,425 --> 00:14:21,795
-uh, who just left,
will he be in there? -No.
356
00:14:21,828 --> 00:14:25,365
All right, is it just me or was
Anderson Cooper working overtime
357
00:14:25,399 --> 00:14:27,835
to avoid saying
the word "Trump"?
358
00:14:27,868 --> 00:14:30,370
Dude, you can't summon him
by saying his name.
359
00:14:30,404 --> 00:14:32,306
All right? The guy's an
ex-president, not Beetlejuice.
360
00:14:32,339 --> 00:14:33,540
Just say it. "Trump."
361
00:14:33,574 --> 00:14:36,076
But I will say this--
I'm not surprised
362
00:14:36,109 --> 00:14:37,611
and nobody should be surprised
363
00:14:37,644 --> 00:14:39,513
that Trump doesn't want
to be a part
364
00:14:39,546 --> 00:14:41,515
of the Former Presidents Club.
365
00:14:41,548 --> 00:14:44,017
It's kind of like
when Don Felder left the Eagles
366
00:14:44,051 --> 00:14:47,554
because he was jealous of Glenn
Frey and Don Henley's success.
367
00:14:47,588 --> 00:14:49,223
Okay, I'm gonna be honest,
guys.
368
00:14:49,256 --> 00:14:51,458
I don't actually know what
anything in that joke means.
369
00:14:51,491 --> 00:14:53,193
I'm just trying to win over
some of these white people
370
00:14:53,227 --> 00:14:54,461
who don't have a leader anymore.
371
00:14:54,494 --> 00:14:56,096
So, uh, yeah.
372
00:14:56,129 --> 00:14:57,431
Honestly speaking,
373
00:14:57,464 --> 00:15:00,868
I think Trump not being included
in the club is for the best.
374
00:15:00,901 --> 00:15:03,403
Because what are these guys
gonna talk about?
375
00:15:03,437 --> 00:15:04,738
(a la Obama): "Uh,
you know everybody can agree.
376
00:15:04,771 --> 00:15:07,241
"Uh, being president is one of
the hardest jobs in the world.
377
00:15:07,274 --> 00:15:09,476
Am I right?" (a la Trump):
"Tell me about it, dude.
378
00:15:09,510 --> 00:15:12,880
"Sometimes I would have to work
12 hours
379
00:15:12,913 --> 00:15:15,916
a month.
It was excruciating."
380
00:15:15,949 --> 00:15:17,885
And while I understand
381
00:15:17,918 --> 00:15:20,420
that people want to pretend
Trump didn't exist,
382
00:15:20,454 --> 00:15:22,022
the truth is he did.
383
00:15:22,055 --> 00:15:23,357
Not only did he exist
384
00:15:23,390 --> 00:15:26,760
but his presidency was historic.
385
00:15:26,793 --> 00:15:29,363
Like, you may not realize it
because we're living in it,
386
00:15:29,396 --> 00:15:33,634
but, guys, he sent a mob
to ransack the Capitol.
387
00:15:33,667 --> 00:15:36,069
People are gonna be talking
about this forever.
388
00:15:36,103 --> 00:15:38,472
We're living in a history book
right now.
389
00:15:38,505 --> 00:15:40,207
In, like, a hundred years,
390
00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,377
they're gonna be doing musicals
about this Trump era.
391
00:15:43,410 --> 00:15:45,312
? We're gonna march
on the Capitol ?
392
00:15:45,345 --> 00:15:48,749
? Not me, I'm going home, but
you guys gonna go in all alone ?
393
00:15:48,782 --> 00:15:50,517
? And I'm-a be in my bunker. ?
394
00:15:50,551 --> 00:15:52,319
I will say though,
it really was moving
395
00:15:52,352 --> 00:15:54,454
to see those former presidents
together. You know?
396
00:15:54,488 --> 00:15:56,523
Two Democrats, one Republican
397
00:15:56,557 --> 00:15:58,792
paying tribute to the new kid.
398
00:15:58,825 --> 00:16:00,561
Although there was one moment
in there
399
00:16:00,594 --> 00:16:02,696
that I-I really wasn't
expecting.
400
00:16:02,729 --> 00:16:06,200
I think inaugurations
signal a tradition
401
00:16:06,233 --> 00:16:11,138
of a peaceful transfer of power
that is over two centuries old.
402
00:16:11,171 --> 00:16:14,308
So this is an unusual thing--
we are both
403
00:16:14,341 --> 00:16:17,177
trying to come back
to normalcy, deal...
404
00:16:17,211 --> 00:16:19,513
Sorry to interrupt you guys,
but y'all seen any car keys
405
00:16:19,546 --> 00:16:21,048
lying around here?
406
00:16:21,081 --> 00:16:22,983
It's got a troll key chain.
407
00:16:25,152 --> 00:16:27,588
Well, I think, uh,
the fact that the three of us
408
00:16:27,621 --> 00:16:29,923
are standing here talking
about a peaceful transfer of...
409
00:16:29,957 --> 00:16:32,259
I don't know if you're too
familiar with the Troll movie,
410
00:16:32,292 --> 00:16:34,795
but the key chain is
of King Peppy.
411
00:16:34,828 --> 00:16:37,564
Orange-red mustache.
Butt naked. No dick.
412
00:16:37,598 --> 00:16:39,499
If everybody could just check
their general area,
413
00:16:39,533 --> 00:16:40,767
I'd appreciate it.
414
00:16:40,801 --> 00:16:42,336
I'll be right out of your hair.
415
00:16:42,369 --> 00:16:44,438
We've got to not just listen
416
00:16:44,471 --> 00:16:46,507
-to folks we agree with,
-King Peppy, where you at?
417
00:16:46,540 --> 00:16:48,542
-but listen to folks we don't.
-America's a generous country
418
00:16:48,575 --> 00:16:50,177
-Peppy!
-With people with great hearts.
419
00:16:50,210 --> 00:16:53,380
-All three of... -Hey, can one
of y'all give me a ride home?
420
00:16:53,413 --> 00:16:55,616
Uh, check your pockets, Roy.
421
00:16:55,649 --> 00:16:58,385
All right, when we come back,
we say goodbye
422
00:16:58,418 --> 00:17:02,122
to one of President Trump's
most vicious critics,
423
00:17:02,155 --> 00:17:03,423
his wife.
424
00:17:03,457 --> 00:17:05,826
And Jelani Cobb
is still joining us on the show,
425
00:17:05,859 --> 00:17:05,926
so stick around.
426
00:17:07,664 --> 00:17:09,766
Welcome back to The Daily
Social Distancing Show.
427
00:17:09,799 --> 00:17:11,968
Despite what the liberal media
tells you,
428
00:17:12,002 --> 00:17:13,770
a lot of people were upset
429
00:17:13,803 --> 00:17:16,072
that the Trump presidency
ended yesterday.
430
00:17:16,106 --> 00:17:18,608
There was Trump himself,
431
00:17:18,641 --> 00:17:19,609
um...
432
00:17:19,642 --> 00:17:22,278
the Trump kids...
433
00:17:22,312 --> 00:17:23,913
coronavirus...
434
00:17:23,947 --> 00:17:25,348
probably others...
435
00:17:25,382 --> 00:17:27,450
The one person
who surprisingly seemed happy
436
00:17:27,484 --> 00:17:30,820
about the end of President Trump
was his wife, Melania.
437
00:17:30,854 --> 00:17:32,889
And why shouldn't she be?
438
00:17:32,922 --> 00:17:36,026
She got a lot done
in her time as First Lady.
439
00:17:36,059 --> 00:17:39,262
And so tonight,
we say farewell to Melania
440
00:17:39,295 --> 00:17:42,432
as we look back
at all her achievements.
441
00:17:42,465 --> 00:17:44,000
? ?
442
00:17:44,034 --> 00:17:46,636
FEMALE NARRATOR: The First Lady
of the United States.
443
00:17:46,670 --> 00:17:48,938
She's the partner
of the president,
444
00:17:48,972 --> 00:17:50,774
hostess of the White House,
445
00:17:50,807 --> 00:17:53,309
and backup Snuffleupagus.
446
00:17:53,343 --> 00:17:56,446
Bu while #AllLivesMatter,
447
00:17:56,479 --> 00:17:59,282
there's one First Lady who
matters more than any other...
448
00:17:59,315 --> 00:18:01,618
MAN: Melania,
to your left, to your left!
449
00:18:01,651 --> 00:18:03,887
...Melania Trump.
450
00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:05,655
Wife.
451
00:18:05,689 --> 00:18:07,624
Birther.
452
00:18:07,657 --> 00:18:09,359
Fashion icon.
453
00:18:09,392 --> 00:18:11,094
Animal lover.
454
00:18:11,127 --> 00:18:13,430
Colonial explorer.
455
00:18:13,463 --> 00:18:16,199
On January 20, 2017,
456
00:18:16,232 --> 00:18:19,736
this third wife became
America's First Lady.
457
00:18:19,769 --> 00:18:22,105
It was a moment she celebrated
with great joy
458
00:18:22,138 --> 00:18:24,174
and instant regret.
459
00:18:24,207 --> 00:18:27,410
And while public life can put a
strain on a relationship,
460
00:18:27,444 --> 00:18:31,481
it only made Melania
and Donald stronger.
461
00:18:31,514 --> 00:18:32,882
? ?
462
00:18:32,916 --> 00:18:35,752
Since day one,
they've been inseparable--
463
00:18:35,785 --> 00:18:38,221
if you don't count the six
months she stayed in New York
464
00:18:38,254 --> 00:18:41,191
while she reportedly
renegotiated her prenup.
465
00:18:41,224 --> 00:18:44,260
But after that, it was
a love story for the ages.
466
00:18:44,294 --> 00:18:46,796
Those ages being a hot 50 and...
467
00:18:46,830 --> 00:18:49,265
I don't know, 97?
468
00:18:49,299 --> 00:18:51,267
During their time
in the White House,
469
00:18:51,301 --> 00:18:53,236
Melania and Donald
were often seen
470
00:18:53,269 --> 00:18:56,673
taking long, romantic walks,
holding hands,
471
00:18:56,706 --> 00:18:58,375
trying to hold hands,
472
00:18:58,408 --> 00:19:00,877
and refusing to hold hands.
473
00:19:00,910 --> 00:19:03,346
Yes, you could always see
the look of fiery passion
474
00:19:03,380 --> 00:19:05,648
whenever Melania was
at her husband's side.
475
00:19:05,682 --> 00:19:07,450
And it's easy to see why.
476
00:19:07,484 --> 00:19:09,919
The First Lady's husband lived
to spoil her.
477
00:19:09,953 --> 00:19:11,855
DONALD TRUMP:
It's Melania's birthday,
478
00:19:11,888 --> 00:19:13,690
so Happy Birthday to Melania.
479
00:19:13,723 --> 00:19:15,925
Do you want to tell us
what you got her?
480
00:19:15,959 --> 00:19:17,927
DONALD TRUMP: W-Well,
I better not get into that,
481
00:19:17,961 --> 00:19:19,596
'cause I may get in trouble.
482
00:19:19,629 --> 00:19:21,331
Maybe I didn't get her so much.
483
00:19:21,364 --> 00:19:25,068
There's nothing more romantic
than a man of mystery.
484
00:19:25,101 --> 00:19:28,571
But a First Lady's job is more
than just being a devoted wife.
485
00:19:28,605 --> 00:19:31,474
She's also in charge
of turning the White House
486
00:19:31,508 --> 00:19:33,343
into a White Home.
487
00:19:33,376 --> 00:19:36,279
And Melania let nothing
stand in her way.
488
00:19:36,312 --> 00:19:38,682
NEWSWOMAN: Melania Trump is
defending a tweet she sent out
489
00:19:38,715 --> 00:19:41,418
about construction on
the White House tennis pavilion,
490
00:19:41,451 --> 00:19:42,852
which some have criticized
491
00:19:42,886 --> 00:19:45,021
as tone-deaf
amid the coronavirus outbreak.
492
00:19:45,055 --> 00:19:48,224
Yes, even in the midst
of a global pandemic,
493
00:19:48,258 --> 00:19:50,760
and with less than six
and a half weeks left in office,
494
00:19:50,794 --> 00:19:53,196
Melania had the courage
to do something
495
00:19:53,229 --> 00:19:56,299
literally no one
was asking her to do--
496
00:19:56,333 --> 00:19:58,935
personally renovate
the White House tennis court
497
00:19:58,968 --> 00:20:01,571
in four-inch heels
with a golden shovel.
498
00:20:01,604 --> 00:20:04,074
And while this renovation
was so masterful
499
00:20:04,107 --> 00:20:07,043
it made the Property Brothers
look like the Trump brothers,
500
00:20:07,077 --> 00:20:11,114
amazingly it came just months
after her previous masterpiece,
501
00:20:11,147 --> 00:20:13,249
the new White House Rose Garden.
502
00:20:13,283 --> 00:20:15,251
NEWSMAN:
The intensely private First Lady
503
00:20:15,285 --> 00:20:17,554
is facing the glare
of the spotlight yet again.
504
00:20:17,587 --> 00:20:19,923
Criticized
for her recent renovation
505
00:20:19,956 --> 00:20:22,525
of Jackie Kennedy's
famous Rose Garden...
506
00:20:22,559 --> 00:20:24,828
...the Rose Garden that she put
some pretty dramatic changes to.
507
00:20:24,861 --> 00:20:26,162
Good for Melania!
508
00:20:26,196 --> 00:20:28,598
Who needs roses
when a virus is destroying
509
00:20:28,631 --> 00:20:30,633
everyone's sense of smell,
anyway?
510
00:20:30,667 --> 00:20:33,303
Besides, if there's one thing
a supermodel knows,
511
00:20:33,336 --> 00:20:37,307
it's the importance of removing
unpleasant shrubbery.
512
00:20:37,340 --> 00:20:39,676
And at no point
was Melania's flair for design
513
00:20:39,709 --> 00:20:42,479
more apparent
than during the holiday season,
514
00:20:42,512 --> 00:20:45,715
when every Christmas
she chose a fun holiday theme--
515
00:20:45,749 --> 00:20:47,717
like Ho Ho Ho movie
516
00:20:47,751 --> 00:20:50,186
and The Grinch
Who Murdered Christmas--
517
00:20:50,220 --> 00:20:53,890
all while never losing
the spirit of the season.
518
00:20:56,159 --> 00:20:58,194
Yes, thanks to Melania,
519
00:20:58,228 --> 00:21:01,131
America's saying, "Who gives a
(bleep) about Christmas" again.
520
00:21:02,932 --> 00:21:05,869
But perhaps Melania's
greatest legacy as First Lady
521
00:21:05,902 --> 00:21:09,072
was her celebration
of all God's children...
522
00:21:09,105 --> 00:21:11,074
whose parents could prove
they were citizens.
523
00:21:11,107 --> 00:21:13,209
NEWSWOMAN: This is
a picture of Melania Trump
524
00:21:13,243 --> 00:21:15,712
boarding Air Force One
to head down to McAllen, Texas,
525
00:21:15,745 --> 00:21:18,114
to visit some of the children
being held in detention centers.
526
00:21:18,148 --> 00:21:20,150
She's wearing a green jacket.
527
00:21:20,183 --> 00:21:22,152
On the back,
it's written in white:
528
00:21:22,185 --> 00:21:24,454
"I really don't care. Do U?"
529
00:21:24,487 --> 00:21:27,624
Wow. Only Melania could pull off
a sleeveless dress
530
00:21:27,657 --> 00:21:29,025
in a heartless jacket.
531
00:21:29,059 --> 00:21:30,360
But other than that,
532
00:21:30,393 --> 00:21:32,896
Melania overflows
with love for children.
533
00:21:32,929 --> 00:21:35,065
You see,
she's not just the stepmom
534
00:21:35,098 --> 00:21:36,800
of these
four little Boss Babies.
535
00:21:36,833 --> 00:21:38,935
She's been the nation's stepmom,
536
00:21:38,968 --> 00:21:43,139
there for America every other
weekend and on holidays.
537
00:21:43,173 --> 00:21:45,375
So when she saw
the bullying epidemic
538
00:21:45,408 --> 00:21:47,010
that was tormenting the country,
539
00:21:47,043 --> 00:21:49,112
she stepped forward with a...
540
00:21:49,145 --> 00:21:51,414
grammatically courageous
initiative.
541
00:21:51,448 --> 00:21:56,052
Today I'm very excited
to announce Be Best,
542
00:21:56,086 --> 00:22:00,023
an awareness campaign
dedicated to the most valuable
543
00:22:00,056 --> 00:22:02,325
and fragile among us,
544
00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:04,127
our children.
545
00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:07,364
Melania told children
across America to Be Best,
546
00:22:07,397 --> 00:22:09,566
and Be Best, they Be'd.
547
00:22:09,599 --> 00:22:12,268
Just look how much
this bully learned.
548
00:22:12,302 --> 00:22:14,471
Bernie Sanders, crazy Bernie.
549
00:22:14,504 --> 00:22:16,239
Greatest loser on earth.
550
00:22:16,272 --> 00:22:18,975
Crazy Bernie, one of
the greatest losers of all time,
551
00:22:19,009 --> 00:22:20,643
-this guy.
-(laughter)
552
00:22:20,677 --> 00:22:22,679
No, but I meant that
in a nice way.
553
00:22:22,712 --> 00:22:25,281
So thank you, Melania.
554
00:22:25,315 --> 00:22:27,183
You made America smile.
555
00:22:27,217 --> 00:22:29,285
And we hope we made you smile.
556
00:22:29,319 --> 00:22:30,286
No?
557
00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:31,321
There it is.
558
00:22:31,354 --> 00:22:33,023
Wait. False alarm.
559
00:22:33,056 --> 00:22:34,491
There we go.
560
00:22:34,524 --> 00:22:36,793
Okay. Whatever.
561
00:22:36,826 --> 00:22:38,828
? ?
562
00:22:40,296 --> 00:22:42,298
All right, don't go away,
because when we come back,
563
00:22:42,332 --> 00:22:44,501
New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb
tells me
564
00:22:44,534 --> 00:22:48,238
when we can expect Donald Trump
to return.
565
00:22:48,271 --> 00:22:48,338
Don't go away.
566
00:22:51,451 --> 00:22:52,919
Welcome back to The Daily
Social Distancing Show.
567
00:22:52,952 --> 00:22:55,522
My guest tonight is Jelani Cobb,
an award-winning journalist
568
00:22:55,555 --> 00:22:57,957
and staff writer
at The New Yorker.
569
00:22:57,991 --> 00:22:59,993
We talked
about the last four years,
570
00:23:00,026 --> 00:23:03,797
and what it's taught us, and
where Trumpism goes from here.
571
00:23:03,830 --> 00:23:07,167
Jelani Cobb, welcome to The
Daily Social Distancing Show.
572
00:23:07,200 --> 00:23:08,968
(laughs)
Thank you. It's good to see you.
573
00:23:09,002 --> 00:23:11,738
Um, it is an interesting time
to have you on the show
574
00:23:11,771 --> 00:23:14,874
because you are easily one
of my favorite... just thinkers.
575
00:23:14,908 --> 00:23:16,509
You know, there are people
who-who write,
576
00:23:16,543 --> 00:23:18,411
and then, there people
who think before they write,
577
00:23:18,444 --> 00:23:19,846
and I consider you one
of those people.
578
00:23:19,879 --> 00:23:21,181
I really appreciate it.
579
00:23:21,214 --> 00:23:23,183
Because whether it's talking
about policing
580
00:23:23,216 --> 00:23:25,218
or police reform, whether
it's talking about politics,
581
00:23:25,251 --> 00:23:27,620
whether it's talking about
issues of race in America,
582
00:23:27,654 --> 00:23:29,989
I always find that you-you...
you tackle these ideas
583
00:23:30,023 --> 00:23:31,558
from a really interesting place.
584
00:23:31,591 --> 00:23:35,361
And so, as America begins
this new journey
585
00:23:35,395 --> 00:23:38,565
under a new president,
in a new year,
586
00:23:38,598 --> 00:23:40,500
my first question
to you would be,
587
00:23:40,533 --> 00:23:43,403
what do you think
about America's future
588
00:23:43,436 --> 00:23:45,138
as it stands right now?
589
00:23:45,171 --> 00:23:48,208
I think that one of the things
that came out of 2020,
590
00:23:48,241 --> 00:23:51,311
if you can point
to, you know, the small number
591
00:23:51,344 --> 00:23:54,247
of really good things
that did come out of that year,
592
00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,951
was the fact that we had
to think about our history.
593
00:23:57,984 --> 00:24:00,820
Because it was reoccurring
right in front of us.
594
00:24:00,854 --> 00:24:02,222
You know, so much of it.
595
00:24:02,255 --> 00:24:06,292
You know, people trying
to overrun the Capitol--
596
00:24:06,326 --> 00:24:09,329
that called back to,
certainly for Black people
597
00:24:09,362 --> 00:24:10,964
and people familiar
with the history of race
598
00:24:10,997 --> 00:24:14,033
in this country, you know, What
happened after Reconstruction
599
00:24:14,067 --> 00:24:16,769
and, you know,
Wilmington in 1898,
600
00:24:16,803 --> 00:24:18,505
where white supremacist mobs,
601
00:24:18,538 --> 00:24:21,107
uh, deposed a government,
602
00:24:21,141 --> 00:24:23,743
you know,
because it was interracial.
603
00:24:23,776 --> 00:24:27,780
And all those historical things
were kind of piled up
604
00:24:27,814 --> 00:24:31,217
like kindling,
and then they just, you know,
605
00:24:31,251 --> 00:24:34,154
burst into flames, and we had
to deal with it in 2020.
606
00:24:34,187 --> 00:24:37,624
-Right. -And so, I think that,
you know, looking forward,
607
00:24:37,657 --> 00:24:40,927
I'm hopeful,
but I'm cautiously hopeful,
608
00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,930
you know, that we can
actually start thinking
609
00:24:43,963 --> 00:24:45,799
about some of the problems
that we have
610
00:24:45,832 --> 00:24:48,101
and some of the mistakes
that we made previously,
611
00:24:48,134 --> 00:24:51,237
-and plotting a way
to navigate forward. -Yeah.
612
00:24:51,271 --> 00:24:53,306
Do you... do you think
that there really is a way
613
00:24:53,339 --> 00:24:56,976
to escape some of the mistakes
that have been made in the past?
614
00:24:57,010 --> 00:24:59,712
And I only ask that because
I struggle with America's system
615
00:24:59,746 --> 00:25:01,247
being a two-party system.
616
00:25:01,281 --> 00:25:03,550
I feel like it's inevitable
that you get another Trump.
617
00:25:03,583 --> 00:25:06,186
And the only reason I feel like
it's inevitable is because,
618
00:25:06,219 --> 00:25:08,455
if you have one or two choices,
I feel like, statistically,
619
00:25:08,488 --> 00:25:10,657
it's more likely that people...
it's gonna end up 50-50,
620
00:25:10,690 --> 00:25:13,293
which means
one side may win again.
621
00:25:13,326 --> 00:25:16,930
I don't think everyone who votes
Republican likes Trump,
622
00:25:16,963 --> 00:25:19,265
but they may like a lot of the
policies that are in the party,
623
00:25:19,299 --> 00:25:21,201
but then, that enables
another Trump to come up.
624
00:25:21,234 --> 00:25:23,236
So do you think
America can actually learn
625
00:25:23,269 --> 00:25:26,439
if it maintains a two-party
system going forward?
626
00:25:26,473 --> 00:25:28,675
Yeah, I mean, well, here's the
interesting thing about this
627
00:25:28,708 --> 00:25:31,411
when we have this conversation,
which is that, uh,
628
00:25:31,444 --> 00:25:34,581
the founders of this country
never wanted parties at all.
629
00:25:34,614 --> 00:25:35,782
You know, they thought
630
00:25:35,815 --> 00:25:37,317
that parties
were gonna be destructive,
631
00:25:37,350 --> 00:25:40,253
and that would be the quickest
way that the republic would end.
632
00:25:40,286 --> 00:25:42,122
Uh, and, you know,
the two-party system
633
00:25:42,155 --> 00:25:44,390
that we have
has collapsed before.
634
00:25:44,424 --> 00:25:47,227
It's collapsed twice
in American history.
635
00:25:47,260 --> 00:25:50,230
And, you know, some of those
dynamics were present then.
636
00:25:50,263 --> 00:25:54,200
And so, one of the things
I think we have to bear in mind
637
00:25:54,234 --> 00:25:56,402
in order to... The best hope
638
00:25:56,436 --> 00:26:00,340
for avoiding that kind
of situation is the reminder
639
00:26:00,373 --> 00:26:02,642
of how fragile democracy is.
640
00:26:02,675 --> 00:26:07,213
And also, the fact that
you kind of win big or go home.
641
00:26:07,247 --> 00:26:08,615
Uh-huh.
642
00:26:08,648 --> 00:26:13,186
Republicans took a really
big bet on Donald Trump in 2016.
643
00:26:13,219 --> 00:26:15,522
And the lesson
they could take is
644
00:26:15,555 --> 00:26:18,625
that a demagogic figure
like him could succeed,
645
00:26:18,658 --> 00:26:22,295
uh, could be elected, you know,
within particular constraints,
646
00:26:22,328 --> 00:26:25,231
when against a specific kind
of opponent.
647
00:26:25,265 --> 00:26:27,433
Or they could take the fact
that they lost the Senate,
648
00:26:27,467 --> 00:26:30,303
they lost the House,
they lost the White House,
649
00:26:30,336 --> 00:26:32,438
they lost international regard
650
00:26:32,472 --> 00:26:35,141
of virtually all
of America's allies.
651
00:26:35,175 --> 00:26:39,479
We've seen 400,000,
and counting, people die
652
00:26:39,512 --> 00:26:41,681
because of the mismanagement
of a pandemic.
653
00:26:41,714 --> 00:26:45,685
And all those things that,
you know, could be warnings.
654
00:26:45,718 --> 00:26:47,487
And you're right, though.
655
00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,156
We have a disturbingly high
possibility
656
00:26:50,190 --> 00:26:52,292
that we could find ourselves
in this position again.
657
00:26:52,325 --> 00:26:55,028
I remember just before
Donald Trump's ascendancy.
658
00:26:55,061 --> 00:26:57,964
The Republican Party was having
a conversation
659
00:26:57,997 --> 00:27:00,800
in and around
"we have to expand our tent."
660
00:27:00,834 --> 00:27:02,936
Do you think the
Republican Party will gravitate
661
00:27:02,969 --> 00:27:06,873
towards a world of, once again,
trying to actually appeal
662
00:27:06,906 --> 00:27:08,908
to more diverse voters,
or do you think
663
00:27:08,942 --> 00:27:10,844
that they have now seen
that there is enough,
664
00:27:10,877 --> 00:27:14,581
you know, excitement
and anguish and grievances
665
00:27:14,614 --> 00:27:17,484
to maintain a vote and carry on
the way they've been going
666
00:27:17,517 --> 00:27:18,785
for the last four years?
667
00:27:18,818 --> 00:27:20,987
That's the big question.
668
00:27:21,020 --> 00:27:22,655
And the best I can tell is
669
00:27:22,689 --> 00:27:25,358
that they have been confronted
by this before.
670
00:27:25,391 --> 00:27:29,262
In 1966, you know,
it was just two years
671
00:27:29,295 --> 00:27:30,897
after the '64 election,
672
00:27:30,930 --> 00:27:34,234
where Barry Goldwater
was just destroyed.
673
00:27:34,267 --> 00:27:38,338
He lost by 430 something
electoral college votes.
674
00:27:38,371 --> 00:27:40,273
Uh, it just...
You know, it wasn't...
675
00:27:40,306 --> 00:27:41,608
If it was a boxing match,
676
00:27:41,641 --> 00:27:43,943
they would have stopped it
in the third round.
677
00:27:43,977 --> 00:27:46,513
Uh, so... uh, one of the...
678
00:27:46,546 --> 00:27:49,182
They did a report then
that came out in 1966
679
00:27:49,215 --> 00:27:50,850
that said, "We have to expand.
680
00:27:50,884 --> 00:27:53,019
"We have to bring different
kinds of people into the party,
681
00:27:53,052 --> 00:27:55,722
"and we can't go down the road
of just appealing
682
00:27:55,755 --> 00:27:57,490
to, basically,
angry white people,"
683
00:27:57,524 --> 00:28:00,160
who, at that point, were angry
about the Civil Rights Movement.
684
00:28:00,193 --> 00:28:03,163
But the other part is
that they are really getting
685
00:28:03,196 --> 00:28:06,399
an increasing share
of a decreasing population.
686
00:28:06,432 --> 00:28:09,736
About 80%
of their voters are white.
687
00:28:09,769 --> 00:28:14,941
And white people, every single
election since 1996,
688
00:28:14,974 --> 00:28:17,544
have been a smaller share
of the electorate.
689
00:28:17,577 --> 00:28:20,313
And so, the math is not
on their side.
690
00:28:20,346 --> 00:28:22,448
And so, one of the things
that, you know,
691
00:28:22,482 --> 00:28:26,719
political scientists think is
that they make themselves into,
692
00:28:26,753 --> 00:28:28,221
you know-- no pun intended--
a minority party.
693
00:28:28,254 --> 00:28:30,089
Right.
694
00:28:30,123 --> 00:28:31,458
You've always had your finger
on the pulse
695
00:28:31,491 --> 00:28:32,859
of law enforcement,
for instance.
696
00:28:32,892 --> 00:28:34,894
Not just criticizing police,
but rather saying,
697
00:28:34,928 --> 00:28:36,296
"Hey, here's a system
that's broken.
698
00:28:36,329 --> 00:28:37,597
"Here's how it needs
to be fixed,
699
00:28:37,630 --> 00:28:39,232
and here's why it needs
to be fixed."
700
00:28:39,265 --> 00:28:40,934
Is there a path to a world
701
00:28:40,967 --> 00:28:42,902
where law enforcement
becomes equitable?
702
00:28:42,936 --> 00:28:46,473
A world where law enforcement
no longer maintains its ties
703
00:28:46,506 --> 00:28:49,309
to what it was meant to be
from the past?
704
00:28:49,342 --> 00:28:52,312
Sure. I mean, I think
that that's possible,
705
00:28:52,345 --> 00:28:54,747
that the things that we've seen,
706
00:28:54,781 --> 00:28:56,449
you know,
two things in particular--
707
00:28:56,483 --> 00:28:59,185
George Floyd
and that excruciating
708
00:28:59,219 --> 00:29:03,656
eight-minute, 46-second video
that we saw last Memorial Day,
709
00:29:03,690 --> 00:29:07,627
-Mm-hmm. -and the storming
of the Capitol grounds,
710
00:29:07,660 --> 00:29:10,697
and how many off-duty police
officers were involved in that.
711
00:29:10,730 --> 00:29:15,068
And for people
who are just kind of thinking
712
00:29:15,101 --> 00:29:17,203
in a knee-jerk fashion,
or, you know,
713
00:29:17,237 --> 00:29:19,506
kind of accepting the slogans
that, you know,
714
00:29:19,539 --> 00:29:21,474
that the police are the
thin blue line that divides us
715
00:29:21,508 --> 00:29:24,644
from anarchy and so on,
that's shocking.
716
00:29:24,677 --> 00:29:27,280
Now for anyone who's actually
looked at the data
717
00:29:27,313 --> 00:29:29,883
around policing in the United
States, it really is not.
718
00:29:29,916 --> 00:29:31,518
The first people
whoever talked to me
719
00:29:31,551 --> 00:29:33,520
about defunding the police--
720
00:29:33,553 --> 00:29:35,121
and they didn't use
that language,
721
00:29:35,155 --> 00:29:37,891
but they expressed that idea--
the first people whoever talked
722
00:29:37,924 --> 00:29:40,426
to me about that
were cops themselves,
723
00:29:40,460 --> 00:29:43,396
-saying that they do
too many things. -Right.
724
00:29:43,429 --> 00:29:45,398
That they are involved
in all kinds of actions,
725
00:29:45,431 --> 00:29:47,767
that they are
fundamentally not trained
726
00:29:47,801 --> 00:29:51,337
to handle mental health
crises, which is...
727
00:29:51,371 --> 00:29:52,639
It makes perfect sense,
728
00:29:52,672 --> 00:29:54,240
if someone's having
a mental health crisis,
729
00:29:54,274 --> 00:29:56,509
-you call the police. Why?
-Right.
730
00:29:56,543 --> 00:29:59,045
We wouldn't call the cops
if somebody had a heart attack.
731
00:29:59,078 --> 00:30:00,580
You know,
a heart attack is not illegal.
732
00:30:00,613 --> 00:30:02,949
-Right.
-Uh, so, you know, they show up,
733
00:30:02,982 --> 00:30:06,786
and situations go downhill,
uh, predictably.
734
00:30:06,820 --> 00:30:08,521
And when you're really talking
735
00:30:08,555 --> 00:30:11,724
about creating different kinds
of structures
736
00:30:11,758 --> 00:30:13,893
and infrastructures in cities
737
00:30:13,927 --> 00:30:16,262
so that 911 is not
the only thing
738
00:30:16,296 --> 00:30:18,231
that you call
for every single problem
739
00:30:18,264 --> 00:30:22,001
-of every shape, size
or orientation. -Mm-hmm.
740
00:30:22,035 --> 00:30:28,541
And so, uh, if we have a more
kind of broadly-based system
741
00:30:28,575 --> 00:30:31,544
of how we manage
our communities,
742
00:30:31,578 --> 00:30:35,882
that goes a long way to reducing
the footprint of policing.
743
00:30:35,915 --> 00:30:38,418
Uh, and, you know, in 1968,
744
00:30:38,451 --> 00:30:40,186
when the Kerner Commission
Report came out,
745
00:30:40,220 --> 00:30:45,158
they said-- and this is 1968--
they said that we should think
746
00:30:45,191 --> 00:30:48,962
about creating different kinds
of ways of providing services
747
00:30:48,995 --> 00:30:51,064
to communities,
besides just police,
748
00:30:51,097 --> 00:30:53,500
-especially... communities
of color. -Right, right.
749
00:30:53,533 --> 00:30:56,903
It's not new. We know...
we know some of this stuff.
750
00:30:56,936 --> 00:30:58,805
As somebody who writes
about the present
751
00:30:58,838 --> 00:31:00,907
and looks at it
through the lens of history,
752
00:31:00,940 --> 00:31:02,675
what do you make
of the future now?
753
00:31:02,709 --> 00:31:06,079
Are you hopeful at where
America has gotten to now
754
00:31:06,112 --> 00:31:08,882
on this day,
or are you trepidatious
755
00:31:08,915 --> 00:31:11,618
in considering where
America still needs to get to?
756
00:31:11,651 --> 00:31:14,888
I'm hopeful, but...
as I describe it,
757
00:31:14,921 --> 00:31:18,558
I have the optimism of a boxer
going into the late rounds.
758
00:31:18,591 --> 00:31:20,326
(both laugh)
759
00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,896
And what I mean by that is...
760
00:31:22,929 --> 00:31:24,964
you know, if you haven't
been knocked out yet,
761
00:31:24,998 --> 00:31:27,734
if you're still upright,
the thing that kept you
762
00:31:27,767 --> 00:31:30,336
throwing punches
and-and staying in the fight
763
00:31:30,370 --> 00:31:32,505
for this long,
is the thing that will bring you
764
00:31:32,539 --> 00:31:34,073
all the way to the finish line.
765
00:31:34,107 --> 00:31:36,843
Uh, and so, you know,
as James Baldwin said,
766
00:31:36,876 --> 00:31:38,912
I have to be an optimist
because I'm alive.
767
00:31:38,945 --> 00:31:41,414
That said, I don't think
we should underestimate
768
00:31:41,447 --> 00:31:43,516
the scale of the problems
that we're confronting.
769
00:31:43,550 --> 00:31:45,618
The dynamics that produced Trump
770
00:31:45,652 --> 00:31:48,688
are still very active
in this society.
771
00:31:48,721 --> 00:31:53,126
The anxiety around immigration,
the anxiety around race,
772
00:31:53,159 --> 00:31:55,195
uh, the ways
in which those compound,
773
00:31:55,228 --> 00:31:58,465
uh, you know,
the economy that truthfully
774
00:31:58,498 --> 00:32:01,935
-does not serve many people,
uh... -Right.
775
00:32:01,968 --> 00:32:05,071
...uh, you know, struggling
just to get by from day to day.
776
00:32:05,104 --> 00:32:07,373
Uh, and the way that
that has been weaponized
777
00:32:07,407 --> 00:32:10,477
and-and used, uh, you know,
to-to fuel xenophobia
778
00:32:10,510 --> 00:32:13,713
and racism and so on,
those are very real dynamics
779
00:32:13,746 --> 00:32:17,050
and very problems and they
will not be easily defeated.
780
00:32:17,083 --> 00:32:19,786
Uh, but I don't think
that they are permanent.
781
00:32:19,819 --> 00:32:22,422
And I don't think we have to
always presume that we can't
782
00:32:22,455 --> 00:32:24,324
surmount those obstacles.
783
00:32:24,357 --> 00:32:26,726
Well, it's gonna be
an exciting 12th round.
784
00:32:26,759 --> 00:32:29,429
Uh, hopefully we get to chat
to you again, uh, afterwards.
785
00:32:29,462 --> 00:32:31,865
and we haven't been
knocked out-- Jelani Cobb,
786
00:32:31,898 --> 00:32:33,500
thank you so much
for joining me on the show.
787
00:32:33,533 --> 00:32:34,934
Thank you.
788
00:32:34,968 --> 00:32:36,336
All right, we're gonna take
a quick break.
789
00:32:36,369 --> 00:32:36,436
But we'll be right back
after this.
790
00:32:39,171 --> 00:32:41,039
Well, that's our show
for tonight, but before we go,
791
00:32:41,073 --> 00:32:43,308
as you know,
the coronavirus pandemic
792
00:32:43,342 --> 00:32:45,377
is as bad as it has ever been.
793
00:32:45,410 --> 00:32:48,680
But luckily our first responders
are still out on the frontlines
794
00:32:48,714 --> 00:32:50,349
saving lives.
795
00:32:50,382 --> 00:32:52,351
Now if you want to help them
out, then please consider
796
00:32:52,384 --> 00:32:54,119
a donation
to First Responders First,
797
00:32:54,152 --> 00:32:57,122
which offers first class medical
and psychological treatment
798
00:32:57,155 --> 00:32:58,824
for first responders.
799
00:32:58,857 --> 00:33:00,792
If you want to find out more,
then all you got to do
800
00:33:00,826 --> 00:33:02,127
is go to the link below.
801
00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:04,463
Until next time,
stay safe out there,
802
00:33:04,496 --> 00:33:06,265
wear a mask and remember,
803
00:33:06,298 --> 00:33:08,667
if you're redecorating your
house and you need some stuff,
804
00:33:08,700 --> 00:33:10,202
just ask the White House.
805
00:33:10,235 --> 00:33:12,337
They've got tons
of old shit laying around.
806
00:33:12,371 --> 00:33:15,207
Now here it is,
Your Moment of Zen.
807
00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,310
The chair lays before the senate
two certificates of election
808
00:33:18,343 --> 00:33:22,080
for the state of Georgia and
a certificate of appointment
809
00:33:22,114 --> 00:33:26,318
to fill the vacancy
created by the resignation
810
00:33:26,351 --> 00:33:29,821
of former Senator Kamala
D. Harris of California.
811
00:33:29,855 --> 00:33:32,524
(laughter)
812
00:33:32,558 --> 00:33:34,760
(cheering and applause)
813
00:33:40,032 --> 00:33:40,098
Yeah, that was very weird.
Okay. (laughs)