Jon Stewart on Dems' Accusations of Fascism, China's New A.I. | Royal Ramey

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This is The Daily Show with.

Your Holy song Stop.

Him about it.

Ladies and gentleman, Welcome to The Daily Show.

My name is John Seward. We got a show for you tonight.

Our guest tonight it, formerly incarcerated firefighter Royal Raimie, is gonna be here to discuss his journey from prison firefighter to organizer. But first I just want to very clearly state to you guys something I found last week were exhausting. The return to sixteen hundred Trumpulvania Avenue was as disorienting and chaotic as I imagine. But then we had a weekend. Serenity now and we can finally catch our breath begin to move forward with intentionality. I mustang chaos on Wall Street.

We are in the middle of a market selloff.

Tex stocks sent the markets into a tailspin today at Tex stalks.

Have just taken a battery.

Will there never be peace?

No? What has happened to Livda? What I was promised a new era of American prosperity and greatness will happen a powerful new Chinese AI tool called deep Seek is threatening the US dominance of this emerging technology.

Deep Seak is on par with what open Ai and Google have made, even though those companies are singing billions of dollars, tons of years and lots of development into this space. Deep Seek did it for cheaper in a matter of months.

Who would have expected the Chinese to do it cheaper?

I can't believe it.

It's as though when you don't have labor laws or rights. And by the way deep seek deep seek, we're getting our asses kicked by deep Seek. Who names an AI company after the thing it actually does? Where are your random letters? Where's your GPT?

Your grock?

Deep seek sounds like what you might use it for. China's even beating us at naming shit.

By the way, I do know this is bad to who's financially.

But is anyone else somewhat excited that AI had its job replaced by Ai?

That's something.

But listen, man, this is a minor setback.

We will bounce back.

Russia had Sputnik and it spurred us on to land on the moon.

I'm sure it's not going to be that bad.

Has Chinese AI put America an AI out of a job. I mean, who knows. I'll find out, Siri, how bad is it?

John?

Check out my only sands?

No, send me a link. But enough about the apparently tenuous underpinning of everything. We've banked our entire future economy on. What's the news freaking out about?

Closer to home?

Friday night master.

Flate Friday night Purge a chilling perch, the purge.

O Trump possession?

In the purge, I for what?

All right?

For one will take full advantage by doing some unpermitted lawn work.

Your God is powerless.

Although, just in case I'm misinterpreting, what is this purge about?

Exactly?

Breaking news?

The mass firing of government agency watchdogs?

Trump fired at least seventeen inspectors general. No, he got rid of seventeen inspectors general.

That only leaves no one knows how many that I have no idea.

Oh, I'm sorry, did I break the illusion?

You know? Here's a nice thing at home?

You don't know if that's the axe?

Oh my desk? Which one is fake? I'll never tell. The point is.

We have seventeen less inspectors general. Who knows how many generals? Will now go uninspected. Democrats inspire my anger in the least charismatic way possible.

Donald Trump's decision to fire twelve of the federal government's independent watchdogs is a glaring sign that it's a golden age. And Donald Trump's decision to fire twelve of the federal government's independent watchdogs is a glaring sign that it's a golden age for abuse in government and even corruption.

He started again, right? You said it twice like no recognition, just started again? Is that what happened? Normally humans in that scenario would go, oh god.

I'm sorry? What? Uh?

Where was I?

Let me take that from the top and maybe this time I'll look up.

Can you are you?

Can you legally just restart without acknowledgement?

Is Schumer ai?

Is he deep seek?

But regardless of how slowly NPC Chuck Schumer laid it out, what Trump did violated the law. He can't just fire these people.

Title five, Section four or three of the us CO Federal law in a spectro general may be removed by the president.

What so, what's the purge? What's the mouth? Why do I have an act?

There is a specific law that requires notice thirty days and a statement of reasons, substantive and detailed rationale.

What I'm sorry, what?

Oh apparently you can fire them, but you have to give them thirty days notice.

Oh so that's what we're up said about. No, you can do it, but not in that font.

That's Hittler's font. But this is the cycle we find ourselves in first law of trumpodynamics. Every action is met with a very not equal overreaction, thus throwing off our ability to know when shit is actually.

Getting real Like last week's pardons.

These pardons are sick, they are offensive, they are Unamerican.

This is one of the most egregious, despicable acts in American history. This is textbook authoritarian takeof over one oh one.

I knew I should have taken that class.

I'm not majored in submissive liberal crying one oh one.

Do what you with Trumpieski?

Was it shitty? Yes?

Should you have let some of those terrible people? No?

Is it an abusive pardon power?

I don't know, but that is his constitutional power. Again, for some reason, we have given presidents the power of a king, and then we say, oh, by the way, that power, you're not gonna get all like king lean shit on us. Right to put that in constitutional terms. If I could don't hate the player, hate the founding fathers.

That's not.

Why do we even have it? Because I don't know if you've mac Donald Trump, he pushes shit.

President Trump deploying executive action to end birthright citizenship, this unconstitutional on American.

Attack, shredding our constitution.

Was to be a strong man, authoritarian.

Birthright citizenship was very specifically tailored to send a message to people in America was a place, an idea.

It wasn't for one race, it wasn't for one gender.

Citizenship in America was based on where you were, not who you were, and to just stroke of a pen. Finally, I agree that is authoritarian.

We do begin tonight with the federal judge blocking President Trump's executive order that would end birthright citizenship, and we're back.

See how easy that was. It was a dictatorship. And then the judgment.

It's like when you have an electric fence. You never check it. You're not really sure if it works because because you have a good boy. Yeah I have a very good boy. But then one day zap. By the way, I fundamentally disagree with the use of electric fences.

I it is true.

I prefer to discipline my dogs with a series of passive, aggressive comments about their weight. Really tearing through the bowl tonight. Huh, take a breath, Tubs.

It's called kibble, not gobble.

By the way, my dog's name is Tubs. Anyway, birthright citizenship is back.

No, obviously will appeal it.

Damn you constitutionally enshrined judicial review of executive action and it's relief through the appellate process. Look, we are facing a deluge of these executive actions, and certainly we must be prepared for those most vulnerable to the consequences of these actions. But this is all fascist argument has become almost a reflex for the left.

Donald Trump promised to be a dictator on day one, and he's carried that forward through the entire week.

Five days into this administration.

The abuse has already rampant well.

The rest of the week, shredding the constitution as.

He went on a fascism scale of one to ten, with ten being peak fascism. How would you rate Trump's first week.

The scale of Mussolini to the Holocaust? You know, I would say it's not fascism.

Do I not.

Understand what fascism is?

And also, if I may, and this may be petty, why are we asking someone who, at the end of January.

Still has his fun Christmas tree off? Why are we asking you anything?

You know who used to leave the Christmas tree up all the time?

Hitler?

So somebody in the audience literally jumped my Hitler. Joe, you know who used to do that?

By the way, Paul Pott, Now, look, I have a lot of fear that as this term goes on, things are going to get a little fascisty, and we must be vigilant.

But part of vigilance is discernment.

Republicans control the House, the Senate, the Executive, and the judiciary, and just about every move that has been made till this point we have granted them electorally.

It's our confault.

And the constant drug yets just don't fall, and the constant drumbeat of encroaching fascism will erode the credibility we will need if hopefully if and not when it hits. But the truth is that for now, his most objectionable actions have taken place almost entirely within our designed democratic system, like the confirmation process. Despite claims of meritocracy, Trump has put forth some of the least LinkedIn people you could imagine.

I'm gonna get another repill hold on, I feel good, you know, I'm gonna.

Say, add a little bit of extra starting in there.

Anyway, what do we care?

What sad duncan dad?

On two year's eve?

Who's that guy? I want him leading defense? And how did this individual.

Who has never so much as successfully managed a waffle house pop up gonna run the three million people Department of Defense? But he wasn't foisted upon us by a dictator. There was no authoritarian end run, no royal edicts. This shit happened to us as designed advise. But Moe consent passed through the Armed Services Committee, put through a Senate vote. Three Republicans, of course, made a show of him.

It is the most outrage and good contracts.

Blah blah, because they knew they could lose three. It was a fucking performance and Jade Vance broke the tie. Democratically, Trump's using the almost absolute power we have constitutionally granted him and the Republicans because this is Trump's theory and governance, He's already laid it out to not President Bush in two thousand and five, back when he was still accessing Hollywood.

Hey, when you were started, they let you do it.

You can do anything.

Grab him by the pussy.

That's his governing philosophy for all of it, Appointing people, firing people, writing executive orders, taking Greenland, making Wikipedia like edits.

To the literal globe.

But unfortunately, as of now, he's pretty much just democratically grabbed or pussy. Yeah, yeah, we said, yeah, he has the consent of the people. For God's sakes. His deportation orders are so popular they have collabse.

TV personality doctor Phil tagged along on a Chicago raid.

You've never been deported before, Phil, Doctor Phil?

Yeah? How do you know me?

No?

I seen I've seen a doctor Phil, you know on TV?

Yeah?

Yeah, how do you know me? You've been in one thing? How do you know I'm doctor Phil? Because you're on the Doctor Phil Show. You're doctor Phil?

How do you know me?

Oh? Why aren't you and good Fellas?

No, you're from Doctor Pell.

I know that little head anywhere, no bald mustache, southern drawl.

What do you know what I'm doing that?

How do you know that picture.

I guess doctor phil finally cashed someone outside.

How about that? Let me go, good, let me go, let me finish. We're almost done.

Look, the Trump administration was clearly ready for this.

It was almost as.

Though they had some project for what they might do in twenty twenty five. And they're so emboldened they're not even stopping on American shores.

The President said he thought more than a million Palestinians in Gaza could be moved to nearby Arab countries.

What the what the he's so emboldened he wants to start deporting people from other people's countries.

You want doctor Philip be down in Gaza?

You know me?

How do you know me?

So abiet me? I don't have a television, I don't know you. I don't know how Bibi. Look.

I really hope the Democrats figure out a way to contain this guy. The question is probably not how dare he?

Though?

The question should be what are you learning from this? How would you use this power? What's your contract with America? Democrats exist outside of him. Tell people what you would do with the power that Trump is wielding, and then convince us to give that power to you. As soon as possible.

That's the goal.

It's enough with the ha the hitler.

Here's the thing.

Stop doing it.

That's terrible.

What would you know?

And if not, you know, if you don't have any of the answers, maybe Ai has a solution for you.

Hate Siri.

What can democrats do to stop Trump? I'm a boopie Don's Salem. I'm doing what a country jo from w would you do.

I'm a sory of doing g It's too late.

When we come back, Royal Ramio be here, We'll be right back.

Hi, what am I going? So my death tonight?

I'm gonna like this A formerly.

Incarcerated firefighter who is now the CEO and co founder of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, also the subject of the forthcoming documentary Firebreak. Since World War Two, there's been a growing reliance for imprisoned people to do some of the frontwork of firefighting.

We were both formally incarcerated in fires.

Yeah, we got out. We were dedicated to how fire fighters.

I'm full in love with it, but i'd have a blueprint. I was just lost.

He's welcome to the program, Royal Raimie.

Sorry, done better. Thing goes let's go.

You know, very a lot of times we get economists on the show, judges, very rarely do they go, come on, it's so nice to see you and so nice to meet you. When I heard the story, not even just your story, but just the general story of incarcerated firefighters that were I was very surprised, and I'll run the thoughts that were going through my.

Head and I'll have you speak to them.

One was, oh my god, the bravery that these folks who don't have their own liberty are showing on our behalf is astonishing.

Right running to the.

Number two, I bet they're paying them shit? And is this indentured servative? And is this being coerced? And then number three was if I wanted to escape from prison, I would light a fire. How do they keep them from not running away in the middle of the fire, And then everybody being like, where's slim Pete? And then they're like, so it run this story. Man, you were in this program, What is this? Why did you get into it? What made you get into the firefighting program from prison?

So honestly, around the time that I went to prison, it was overcrowded in California. So I ended up getting transferred to Arizona and the Mississippi and I was in prison about twenty plus months, closer to two years in Mississippi. Like, so I went to Arizona FIRSTI So it's like that time of being out of state. You know, it was an opportunity for me to go back to California to see my family because I didn't see him.

For the amount of time. Oh wow.

And you know, obviously I heard the rumors around like it's better food. You know, you have a dormitory, you know setting when you out there, it's not like you behind us in the.

Sale and you're not, are you?

You can be able to get the most money that you can earn in prison, which is a dollar hour on fires, right, which is a.

Dollar an hour on fires is the most money.

Like yeah, so you make about around twenty six dollars a day when you're out there fighting the fire. So that's the most money you can make in prison.

Okay, So here's where it's gonna get here. Here's where it gets ugly for liberals, right because the liberal reaction is.

Howard exploit the incarcerated.

But but in.

Prison it's so bad that this is great?

Is that it.

Yeah, it's the best.

It's one of the best programs that Califran Department of Correction and Real Abilitation has actually, especially when it comes down to when you, you know, you most people when they come home, they come home with two hundred dollars a gay money, right, right, and then have an opportunity to go to fire camp, you know, get a gain of a family, win a career in the fire sector.

Right. That's like monumental.

A lot of folks don't be can't even fathom of like never having a job like that, like having a career, you know, just just having that felony you know in your record, right to being able to possibly have a six figure career, benefits retirement, and be able to be take care of your family, you know, for for a long time.

So, I mean, in some ways it's a new model of rehabilitation, you know. I was reading that the recetivism rate generally it's pretty high, fifty percent, sometimes sixty percent. The recidivism rate on those who have been inducted into this program is less than ten percent.

Is that correct?

I know that from my program, right, But that's amazing, Yeah, it is, it is, It is.

It changed my life, honestly, John, it gave me an opportunity to know what a team kind of feel like.

Probably never have.

Had a communication with when a positive light when you out there in the streets, because you got to think about it, it's folks that's been in gangs right right had you know, some some trauma and a life and it's there's a lot of segregation within you know, California prisons. There's a lot of politics in it. So you know, race, you know, is a big thing. And when you when you.

In fire camps, you have prisons, it's very segregated to a white gang, this Kanic gang, a black gang absolutely, and firefighting none of that.

Now you have to you have to put that all to the side and your crew so you have a mixture of folks it's amazing.

Did you you know, did you not believe that you could do it? Is the idea that people in that environment have been so lacked the UH network and confidence and confidence that that goes along with things, that this is a revelation for themselves that I'm, oh, I'm worthy, I'm I'm actually worthy.

That's the deal.

Yeah, absolutely, I think so when you out there on those big, you know, fire campaigns, you know, you see signs that says thank you firefighters. And then when you actually you know, doing the work the same thing that you will see a hot shot crew do or tight tu crew that to do, like you're doing pretty much

Do, like we so your your organization tries to take that training because you're not if you go through the prison program, are you certified to fight fires?

At that point in.

California now you still got some more certifications that you would need in order for you to be able to be a professional firefighter, even though.

They've already put you in fires. You're already doing the job, right, but they're saying to you, yes, you can fight the fires, but you're not qualified to fight the fires.

Yeah, it's some you know, it's some things to that, definitely, right, but but.

You know it's the definitely think to that.

And that's diplomatic here right a little bit.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so you know, just just being transparent and real. It's definitely like it's a gatekeeping thing, I think, and a lot of folks don't understand the actual process, right, Like you have to have the certifications to be able to apply to these positions. You have to understand, you know, what to put on the resume, how to apply to the job, like making sure that you read everything right. And then but they train you, yes, you get the train, don't just get prisoners, like come on.

Let's go.

Yeah, they gave you minimum training. They do.

But there's anybody in there, like for Arson, they're on.

There and they're like, hey, Phil, what would you do in this situation?

Right now?

You're not allowed to think of you.

No, you can't have arson and you can't.

Like I said, it could be the dumbest question.

In the in the sex crime. That's one of the two major things.

I think they're trying to revisit some things around certain violent crimes, but they're trying to you know, evaluate and and my big my best one of my best friend of mentor.

ROLB.

Diaz, he would kill me in friend money.

You want to see this, right, They did tell me that I was rugged, but now it's definitely they have some requirements for.

The prisoners. How do they view that bargain?

That bargain of Look, they are the state exploits prison labor. I mean, I think that's just straight down the line.

Common fact's common fact.

And and the penalties on felony makes it almost impossible for people to reintegrate into like our prison system as you know, as you are experienced, is uh And obviously like I'm not a sociologist thing, but I think the word.

Is I love you, Yeah, I love you? Yeah? What it is to right?

So how did they.

How do they console each other in that? How do you guys talk to each other about what this opportunity means? And what the system is is doing to you.

Guys, while that's all happening, you're ready.

For the real deal.

Holyville, Be honest with you, I didn't know what I was getting myself into.

Really, they say fire camp.

I'm a kid from the inner city, like fire camp, fire, okay around the camp like you told you know what I'm.

Saying, Like, I don't know.

He was like you wo had gotten into a program, right, like you were gonna make thismores right right?

I didn't know, like honestly, Like it wasn't like, Oh, you're gonna be on the front line. You're gonna be fighting fire. You're gonna carry this pack, you're gonna be having this tool, and then right you're gonna be working twenty four hour shifts. You're gonna be doing you know, Like I'm like, what, like that's fire fighting?

Fire like?

And when I first got to camp and it was like here give you know, gave my equipment and we start hiking, I'm like it was like, yeah, here's these boots and I'm like I'm used to wearing Nikes, right.

Boots, Like okay, did I get the boots?

Said, Okay, give me a pack.

And a tool and we hiking, I'm like, man, I got you know around here, like whoa, Like this is?

This is intense. But I ended up talking to one of my captains.

And he was like, Raimy, you one of the the youngest dudes on the crew, and you're the slowest one, you know, dude. And I'm like, you know, just being from the from the inner city, you know, in so many words, he was like, you're calling me a you know, a sissy.

And I got to tell you when that story when you were going there, I really thought you're gonna be like He pulled me aside and he said, I like, you, son, you You've really got something I can't. He pulled you aside and he's just like, what the man.

Get off here?

Right? Right?

How long did it take you to acclimate to this? And and and and how long.

Was the training?

It was?

So to answer the second question first, So the training was about a couple of weeks, just like physical training that you get and then you go into like a classroom setting where you get the S one ninety.

I know a couple of people are going to kill me.

For this, but it's the entry level position or entry certification for wildland fire behavior and then from there you kind of like get a pack and you got to make sure you hike within a certain amount of time. And then once you complete that, then you're I was able to go to a fire camp. That was when I was you know there into twenty two.

So you guys are wild land firefighters, certified firefighters. This is and very different from like what La County urban fire, residential fire. So your role in this is more in those areas where the maybe the chaparal is or where the wilderness stuff is. Is that generally where the incarcerated guys.

Yes, yes, So it's a couple of things.

So you got so the main objective is to the pretty much train and deploy folks that's incarcerated to fire fire wildland fires. And then when you're not fighting fires, you out there doing fire prevention work or projects within the community. So that's one of the pluses TOOS is like you're not actually in the sale, you actually in the community doing different you know work or whatever. It could be a project, you know, could be laying you know,

Do wheeda baby and these are necessary jobs that they do have trouble finding candidates for and and people for. You know, it's been so interesting and I wonder how you sort of process this in your head. But this idea of like DEEI like, oh, the Los Angeles fire only happened because it's she's a lesbian, Like like, you're on the other side of that where you're like, we

So you just so I'm a doer, right.

So when I first was in fire Camp, obviously it was a transition for me mentally, emotionally, you know, spiritually, and you know, I grew to love it and I fell in love with it, and it was it was that one thing in my head. It was like, man, like I wonder, I want to do this. I want to do my career. I want to make this happen, right, And me and my co founder Brenda Smith, he, you know, we was talking one day and it was like, look, man, you know you want to be able to do it.

I want to do it.

Let's figure this out, you know, and be like the modern day Harriet Tupman's of the buyer service.

Right undergrad.

Because you knew that generally those jobs are you know, connections play a large part in them, and it's relatively homogeneous in those areas, right, and it was.

Gonna be tough to break through. Yeah.

Yeah, it's just the cultural thing too, and understanding that you know you're going to have to do.

You got to put in the work.

You got to make sure that you understand the culture, understand how to be a professional, because you got a lot of folks that consider people that's been incarcerated that's zero's right, and then when you look at them as a hero, it's like a you know, a public nuisance in a public servant like that kind of like doesn't mix our public you know, prison and public service don't mix.

I was cutting with the saw and stuff.

He was like, man, you do you did a pretty good job with that, Like where did you.

Learn that from?

Like usually and usually folks like myself learned that in camp right, and I was like, you know, I kind of shied away from it.

Yeah. I worked for the Ford Service first.

So it was like, you know, I kind of had that got a spiel, but I wanted to make sure that they looked at me as a human being first and not just based off of what you know, my previous experiences were when I when I was in prison.

It's it's.

Incredibly impressive, and maybe what's the most impressive thing about it is that you took that knowledge and you took that experience, and you have created this organization to make sure that you keep the ladder down people the fire ladder to help other people up. And I love that prison to public service road because so often in this country it's public service to prison.

That's a political thing, goes the other way. It's so good the meets, the more information about the forest fire.

The pltment, check out the late below cheap Hi laying hot, presnive little home.

I'm not gonna talk for tonight, but.

If before we go, we're going to check in with your host for the rest of the week, Michael Costa.

Michael, what do you got cats? Of the War, Michael Costa.

John, we'll be going through all the secret files on JFK, MLK and RFK. You know, Trump declassified them last week, and we're already learning some really shocking stuff. For example, John, did you know that RFK is RFK Junior's dad.

I did know that.

Okay, I thought that was news.

But check this out because did you know that JFK and RFK were brothers. Both of their last names were Kennedy. But John, the K in MLK is not for Kennedy. This is crazy stuff. Also, they all fake their dads and they're living in Oregon.

But other than that, well, at least we have some closure. Check out Michael Costa this week here it is your moment is that.

You know, there are a lot of things that Donald Trump has done in his first week in office that Americans do support.

This ain't one of them. This ain't one of them.

I don't know what the heck he's doing because not only did that judge spank him like he was a young child back in the nineteen sixties, but the American public ain't with him either.

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