Project 2025 Leaks Reveal Trump Connection | Mark Duplass

You're listening to Comedy centralow.

From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily Joke with your home Jazzy Lyndon.

Welcome the show.

I'm Deddie Lightning.

He's done so much to talk about Tonight, Donald Trump says he doesn't know all the people he knows. There's a new season of Project twenty twenty five. And did you know that politicians don't have to be a thousand years old? Let's kick things off with another installment of Indecision twenty twenty four. There's one thing we all know about Donald Trump, but said he's not a policy guy. He's more of a boobs guy, or she'll have a salad guy or a babe. I swear I have a

It's really having a brat summer.

It's essentially a blueprint for transforming the government from a neutral bureaucracy to a conservative death star. And I'm gonna be honest, it's very upsetting, but the most upsetted was Donald Trump.

Well onn' truth Social Trump wrote, I know nothing about Project twenty twenty five.

I have no idea who's behind it.

They come up with this, I don't know what the hell it is.

It's Project twenty five. I don't know anything about it. I don't want to know anything about it.

Okay, Now I'm suspicious because the last time Trump said I don't know anything about that, he was talking about Stormy Daniels. So did Trump Project twenty twenty five. Trump has consistently said he doesn't know anything about Project twenty twenty five, but that might be hard to believe after this.

This week, we got new evidence of the connections between Trump and Project twenty twenty five.

Reporters for Documented and Pro Publica.

Obtained fourteen hours worth of private training videos from the group, and many of the people in the videos.

Have worked for Donald Trump and remain close to him.

Hello. My name is Jeff Small. I was a presidential appointee and the Trump administration.

I am a former political appointee in the Donald J.

Trump administration.

I served in the Trump administration.

Was on the Trump campaign team early on.

He stayed until the final hour.

Yes.

During the Trump administration, I served as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security.

Are you sure that.

You were at the Department of Homeland Security and not the guy they brought in to throw holy water on Juliani? Did you say you're a Trump staffer, but you look like the last thing a Russian zarsies before he's thrown into the back of a carriage. So this guy worked in the Trump administration. Can you imagine how often Mike Pence tried to confess to him father? Today, I saw a pair and had impure thoughts. The point is, twenty nine out of thirty six speakers and these videos worked

I don't think so.

Look, I want to get to the videos themselves. These are internal training videos for people who want to join a new Trump government in the hopes of someday being kicked off dancing with the stars, but they won't just hire anyone.

If you've been convicted of a crime, you will not be serving in the federal government. Crimes such as fraud, investment and tax evation show a lack of moral character.

Yeah, we'd hate to have fraudsters and tax evators work for the Trump administration go on.

To obtain employment in government. It is not favorable. If you have accumulated debt and file for bankruptcy.

You might want to run this up the chain to the boss because.

It's starting to feel personal.

No tax evasion, no bankruptcies, no weird hairstyles, no one who had a cameo and home alone too, and definitely definitely nobody who constantly brings up Hannibal Lecter like it's a real person. But hiring standards aside, these videos also delve into Project twenty twenty five's agendain policies, and for a party that's recently been fighting back against allegations that they're weird, this won't help.

Hi, I'm Katie Sullivan and just a normal American woman.

Are you sure, because now that you said it, I'm wondering.

Hi, I'm just.

A normal American woman. Wearing normal woman's skin as we normal women do.

Okay, you were being normal.

And just a normal American woman. But to the left, that makes me a cis gendered ethno imperialist birthing person with pronouns.

She her, Oh my god, is every sentence going to be like this?

I'm sitting in a chair, or, as the left would call it, a quad leg abled, upcycled, non binary wood based booty. Ally, okay, got it, she doesn't have pronouns. But that's all culture war stuff. What about something less personal and more policy like climate change? And remember, don't make it weird.

Climate change allegedly is everywhere. This is an issue to pay attention to, as it has infiltrated every part of the federal government. Now, when I think of climate change, I immediately think of population controlled, don't you?

No, No, I don't no.

I don't think of population control. When I think of climate change, you weirdo. I think of forest fires and smoky barn his tight little bear bond like a normal American millon. So what makes these videos clear is that Project twenty twenty five plans to remake the entire federal government into an organ of the conservative movement, But because they know how unpopular that is, they're also teaching the recruits how to keep it a secret.

What you probably want to do is if you need to resolve something, you're probably better off going down to the canteen, getting a cup of coffee, talking it through and making the decision, as opposed to sending him an email and creating a thread. That accountable dot us or one of those other groups is going to come back and seek and you're gonna have to explain why why you're withholding it, and you're going to fight in court.

Yeah, yeah, gotcha, No paper trail. You're recording this right found audio. We're rolling good look a good by the way. This video might actually bring Project twenty twenty five to a screeching halt, because I don't care how badly you want to ban abortion, if you have to physically meet someone for coffee to do.

That, Ugh that no, No, let him have the rights. Let them have it.

Now.

Again, there are twenty three of these videos, and we're not going to show them all to you, but there is one more that we found exclusively, and it was made for one particular government employee.

Hi, President Trump, I'm Benson Winchester, the fourth director of Project twenty twenty five. I'm introducing myself because obviously we've never met. You might be asking yourself what's my role in Project twenty twenty five, And I'm here to tell you that, as president, your role is not to worry about it. On the day you take your oath of office, Project twenty twenty five will get right to work, so

It is a feature that can't be stuffed. A future of blood and sword, a nation stripped of its decadence while it's people run screaming to their doom, their children onto seven generations, cursing our names and the dark Messiah Trump that brought about this glorious ecstasy.

Thanks Alexi, My politicians.

Should be.

Late night show.

We love the eighteen to thirty five demographic. You guys rock turn off your ad blockers. You're missing a lot of great stuff. But did you know that there are some people who are older than that, and a lot of those people run the country. It's called jarontocracy and Gray school, and Schmidt found out more.

America's democracy may not be the strongest, but at least it's the oldest.

There seems to be some sort of jarontocracy.

We have the oldest leaders among rich countries, and.

We love all of them.

Joe Biden, Donald Trump, this guy throw their drawbacks to having our leadership with one foot in heaven.

I spoke to.

Mark Fisher, neuropolitics researcher at UC Irvine.

We know the brain function tends to deteriorate with aging. One of the first to go of all the cognitive functions is called executive function. It's decision making. And what can be more important for a political leader than decision making?

What am I going to have for freaking lunch?

I'm President of the United States. What the heck am I going to have for lunch?

That's a hard decision, and I hope that I have a burger for lunch. I guess I've had this freaky misconception that old people are wiser and smarter than me, And it feels like what you're telling me is that that's not true and I should never trust them.

Oh, I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't say that.

No.

I think that the experience that when gains are the course of life time extraordinarily important but there are some measurable cognitive functions that do begin to decline over the age of sixties.

So even though you have more experiences, you are still getting dumber.

I'm a neurologist.

Dumb is not a word.

That we use.

Okay, all right, I'll say it that and don't worry. So having a bunch of old brains in charge might be a bit of a problem, but this wise old neurologist actually has a solution.

Or neuropolitic Center, we came out with a recommendation that cognitive testing should be done on all politicians, not just older politicians, all politicians woman, men can look with.

Unsurprisingly, Trump says he aced his cognitive test already.

If you get it.

In order you get extra points.

An individual is given a number of things to remember, and then, after a period of time three to five minutes, they're asked to repeat that.

I mean, those aren't hard things to remember, right, person, Mom.

It's only one part of the exam. Yeah, by itself, it doesn't determine a whole lot. I mean you have to look at the entire exam, and you have to look at them's personality.

I mean, I have a really good personality.

Absolutely, thank you, But that's not really that's really not assessed, and no, dignifiction doesn't.

Need to be.

Without seeing his test results, we can only guess how well or not well Trump's brain is.

Doing a lot, including obam.

I'll tell you what, but it did make me curious. Could my brain be president? My name Grace, my date of birth June thirtieth, nineteen ninety five.

This first part of the exam. This isn't scored, so this is just identification determinal.

Okay, God, I would like to be scored on those two actually possible because I think I got them right. Do you have more difficulties doing everyday activities due to thinking problems? No, I have almost nothing to do on a daily basis. At the bottom of the very last page, right, I have finished on the blank line provided.

So this is a test of delayed recall. Got it? This one is so easy?

Can I call my mom to just double check last question?

In the course of just a few pages, we've covered many cognitive domains.

Sir, did I pass?

Let's hear it? Brother, Come on, come on, you got it?

Look now, If only someone could go to Washington and get our elected leaders to take this test. Okay, fine, I'll do it.

Hello, Hey, how you doing? Good to see it you too.

My name is Grace A.

Maxwell.

I'm looking for a congress person.

Well I am a congressman.

So who does like your your botox or your work? You look incredible?

Okay you I appreciate it. I'm actually twenty seven.

Yes, most junior congress Person Maxwell Frost is the only person who would talk to me for this story. So how would you feel about having a cognitive test required for politicians?

I don't think we should have that.

Okay, why not you worried you'd failed it?

What is a cognitive test?

For example?

I could show you one? Yeah, what are these?

A rhino and a harp?

Congratulations, sir, you get to keep your position. They told me that if you screw this up, that this office would be mine.

I'll be honest.

I have to thank for like just two seconds about what animal that was?

Yeah? Of course, In this baby politician's view, the issue with politics is an old brains. It's the lack of young ones.

I do think it's an issue that, yeah, young people aren't as representative. I don't think we should like boot out all the old people and just have young people running.

So you're not agist.

I'm not an ageist.

When do you feel like you would retire?

I don't know what I would retire, but I do think we need term moments.

Do you think if you stay in Congress for thirty four years you'll be able to bring Congress to term limits.

Because of how this place works. Maybe? But my hops will have it way before that, so it's not hopeless.

We just need our young politicians to stick around until they'll be able to change the system, however long it takes.

You know what, I.

Think I'll vote for you. You can't.

Why not?

Because I live in Orlando. I represent Orlando, Florida. If you move to Orlando, I could.

Go on a paid business trip to Disney World.

Leave my vote there. Yeah yeah, that's illegal. Ship joining on the use.

They don't go away. Welcome back to the Taylor Show.

My guest tonight, an act who.

Is currently nominated prent Emmy for his work on the Apple TV plus series The Morning Show.

Please welcome Mark Plus.

Yeah baby got.

They love? Yeah?

Oh much? Did you pay for that?

Not a dime? Not a dime?

Baby?

Congratulations Emmy nominated this is your second nomination, uh for the Morning Show, and this time you're alongside other your co stars, Billy Crudup and John Ham.

Tell us why you feel you're you deserve the award more than.

Them, Well, there's a there's a couple of things the versus a smaller thing. But it's just my talent.

Sure, yes, obviously.

That's generally it. Yeah, then it's like a Hollywood thing.

We like to talk about it a lot do go on, but there's a there's a peni size issue as.

Well, so hands down, you know, like so to speak.

They do these you know, these aren't their real names.

You know, it's like John Ham, Oh maybe that insinuates like Billy crewed up up, you know, And I'm just like, I'll just go do plass like I don't need to brag you.

You know, I love it. This is you you. It is well deserved, very well. Congratulations. I imagine being on the Morning Show, you have to do a lot of research by watching all the other morning shows. Do you have a favorite, and keep in mind Gail King does watch the Daily Show, So careful what you say.

I like Gail King's show.

That's it, that's it.

I like Gail Kings. I like Gail King's show.

Yes, we love you, Gail.

It's the best of all the shows.

You know what, I'm not like a big research actor like I'm kind of. I would say Chip is like a twenty to thirty percent more stressed out version.

Of me and how I am.

But what I did discover when I was talking to people about this show is how freaking stressful the live news thing is. Because I produce independent films, and I'm like, I know what it's like to work on time constraints and budget constraints. But the live thing, I really kind of got a sense of that. I was like, Oh, that's real, like shit your pants material. Oh yeah, that's that's where it goes down for sure.

Yeah, I'm sure right now you're sitting in a hole.

Oh there's a there's a whole shit your pants situation.

Happening under hear I thought I smelled it.

Yeah, I mean, I can't avoid it. I got a whole whole stock of diapers down here.

Listen, I'm right there with all.

The old bourbon I got all the all the tools. It's so funny because in season one, your character Chip goes in and it feels like he's kind of the audience in a way like we see ourselves in Chip. He has great journalistic integrity, he's level headed, he's the everyman. And throughout season three we get to watch your character unravel completely and Chip gets messy.

He does.

He gets a little.

Messy, sloppy, a little sloppy.

Well, here's a great thing about Chip in my opinion, why he's so fun to play, Because you're right, he was essentially the moral center of the show. He was the bastion of journalistic integrity. But he's got this wonderful achilles heel, which is that he is completely codependent upon and obsessed with Alex Leevey, which is also easy to play because I'm completely obsessed with Jennifer Aniston, you know, so with it?

Who is it?

Who is so?

Like?

Yeah, really hard getting into character on that one. Yeah, But that's the great thing about Chip is he's got it all right until it comes to his relationship with Alex, and that really is kind of his uh, his his his downfall.

You you're getting ready to start up in season four.

Yeah, we're a few weeks into shooting. I know some stuff about plotting.

What can you tell us.

I feel like.

If I said something, I can even like really try to say it, and I feel like Apple is like inside of that camera that.

And I think we might both get zapped.

That's probably true. So do you have zappers?

Apple? Zappers?

Yeah, once you sign those terms and conditions to go straight to zapping.

Do you guys have the new eyes app?

It's amazing. I think that you need a new charger.

I know, but you can kill people from across the street. It is really.

Really don't worry, Apple, we'll edit this part out. Oh my god, you're not only such a talented actor, but you're an insanely talented writer and producer and director. You and your brother Jay essentially defined an entire subgenre of indie film, and that's really.

Important to you.

Still, So why is championing those projects indie film and TV so important?

Even with that, with that sweet Apple.

Cash, Well, hear here it comes, I'm gonna be like Chip on the Morning Show. I might get up on my high horse now because like that stuff is going away, okay, like our business model is failing. The streamers are reducing and when that happens, all they're gonna do is make the big stuff like the Game of Thrones that they know can work, and the really exciting things like I May Destroy You at Baby Reindeer.

They're just cutting that stuff away.

So what I'm doing right now is like taking the money I make from the Morning Show and I'm just gonna go and invest and make my own TV series independently. I made a show recently called Penelope that's really close to my heart because it's about a sixteen year old girl who leaves behind sort of the trappings of her modern.

Life to go live in the woods.

And I did it because I have teenage daughters who deal with mental health issues, and I deal with mental health issues, and like, our technology and the way we're living is kind of destroying us right now. I don't know if you guys have read The Anxious Generation. It's an incredible book.

You should read it.

We had him on.

It's incredible, and so I really wanted to make something that could contribute to that story.

And the only way I can do it now is like get rich on the Morning Show and blowing on my stuff.

So that's it.

It's so awesome that you do that.

Now.

You mentioned that you've talked very openly about struggling with anxiety and depression?

How did that feel to share that? Did that? Were you surprised by the reaction that you got?

One hundred percent surprise?

And here's the thing, it didn't feel weird to share because I live in Los Angeles amongst a group of artists where this is just dinner table conversations. We're all anxious and depress and we're always talking about it all the time. We're trading therapists, Yeah, medic My therapist is right under the set.

Yeah, and so it's like, what medication are you on?

I'm switching over to Selexa. Now you know it's this, these are our conversations. But what I didn't realize is that you know as you well know, because I don't know if you guys know, DESI was with me on The League like ten.

Years ago as a guest star.

A little amazing, but it's a great it's a great show, and a lot of the men who watch that show are not the men who are comfortable with talking about their mental health because their football dudes and whatnot.

And so when I started going on my social.

Media, I got this outpouring, particularly from men just being like I can't believe you're saying this out loud, and it makes me feel really good to know that someone that I view as somewhat successful is still on their feet.

Despite this, and it offers hope in that way.

So I never really planned on being some sort of mouthpiece for it. I was just sort of whining on social media and then it kind of had this effect.

So I'm like, oh, well, this is this is something so.

Not only brave, but it's a generous thing for you to do to help support others. So it's really meaningful that you did that. I have one final question. Yes the Morning Show, is there any thought about spinning it off into doing a behind the scenes late night show.

I'm just curious.

So there's this one little thing, yeah, that we've been pitching. Okay, it's about a woman who Fine, I'll do it.

I'll do it.

Yes, yes, yes, okay, I access, I access.

The only thing is the title. It's called Diarrhea. Diarrhea, diarrhea, say no more.

Good contracts already signed. I'm in marked.

Glass everywhere.

All episodes in the Morning Show.

It's gonna give it an Apple look.

And you will be available to train.

Amma day keeps the journalists away so they hope. While Harris spends her time hanging with hip hop podcasters or when the campaign doesn't zoom in with celebs, it's all about grooving with the Giggler. It's a national, NonStop dance party, y'all.

Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching The Daily Show wherever you get your podcasts. Watch The Daily Show weeknights at eleven ten Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount

Plus Paramount Podcasts