The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Jon Stewart on Wrongful Deportation and How Trump Fails to Deliver | Ramy Youssef
Tue, 15 Apr 2025
Jon Stewart measures Trump's weight on the authoritarian scale. Between the president's refusal to correct the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to his incompetence on a variety of issues, Donald's dictatorship isn't looking very healthy. Award-winning actor and comedian, Ramy Youssef joins to talk about the new animated series he co-created called “#1 Happy Family USA” and how the series, which follows a Muslim family trying to navigate post-9/11 America, resonates in Trump’s second term. They also discuss his favorite parts about making an animated show, the family members who inspire some of the characters, and how the word “Islamaphobia” kind of lets Islamaphobes off the hook.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chapter 1: Who is Kilmar Abrego Garcia and what is the issue of wrongful deportation?
As you know, we've been following the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, undocumented migrant from El Salvador, married an American woman, has a kid, living the American dream. Until the Trump administration sent him to an El Salvadorian mega prison by, and I'm quoting the Justice Department here, if I may, is an administrative error.
What?
Saints be praised. Bukele can just give Garcia a ride. You don't even have to give Garcia the middle seat. I'm sure Garcia would just grab the wing and Tom Cruise it over here if he had to. But sadly, Bukele arrived at the White House with just the Miami club promoter clothes on his back and a pocket full of excuses.
Chapter 2: How does the Trump administration handle the deportation controversy?
Can President Bukele weigh in on this? Do you plan to return him?
How can I disembowel a terrorist into the United States? I don't have the power to return him to the United States.
You know, can I honestly tell you, like, this isn't even, the thing that's, like, they're f***ing enjoying this. Like, the two of them. Our president, their president, I guess we'll just have to let him rot in a prison even though he didn't deserve to be there. I don't, you guys don't care about this guy. I'm talking about these two, but somebody else cares about this person.
And you just randomly, with no evidence that you'll show anybody, called him a terrorist. And one of the weirder parts about this is the thing, the only thing that seems to upset Trump about the entire situation is having to answer a perfectly reasonable question from Caitlin Collins about it.
You said that if the Supreme Court said someone needed to be returned, that you would abide by that. You said that on Air Force One just a few days ago. And they said that it must be facilitated.
Why don't you just say, isn't it wonderful that we're keeping criminals out of our country? Why can't you just say that? Why do you go over and over? And that's why nobody watches you anymore.
Nag, nag, nag. You sound just like the Supreme Court. Nag, nag. But fear not, America. For every time a lamestream media journalist gets shunned, an ass-kissy one gets its wings.
Do you have a question, please? Mr. President, thank you so much.
You scored another major investment win this morning when NVIDIA pledged to build its AI supercomputer for the first time ever right here in the United States.
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Chapter 3: What are the signs of Trump's authoritarian style and leadership?
Any run-of-the-mill authoritarian can get the praises from those that fear him, the OGs. The real autocrats extract something much, much weirder and humiliating. The forced, uncomfortable laughter. He had a hat on, and then he puts another hat on, the same hat, but still. That's on the North Korean website, funny or you die. And as America's dear leader, Donald Trump also has a tight five.
We're pulling all that out and putting the money toward the infrastructure, not the social movement from the last administration.
Good steel, right, as opposed to green paper mache. LAUGHTER OK, thanks. Great job. LAUGHTER LAUGHTER
That made no sense, right? Right, yeah. Nothing, right? Did that make any sense to you? Did it make any sense to me? Hey, you better laugh though, right? Oh, oh, put a hat on, put a hat on. It's just so f***ing weird. But the key to the authoritarian regime is the suspension of the normal processes by which you understand the world.
The manner by which data and your experiences paint a cohesive, grounded picture of reality. The calling card of an authoritarian regime is that you must suspend that reality, that rationality. And then you test people by pushing the limits of that absurdity.
The White House released the results of President Trump's physical exam. His doctors say President Trump exhibits excellent physical health. The report says he's 6'3", 224 pounds. No.
I'm going to say no to either of those numbers. I don't want to be that guy, but he has a front butt. I mean, we all get there. It's fine. You can have it. But what's with... He is forged by Hephaestus. No! And by the way, that medical exam did not only confirm that Trump is physically perfect, his brain is also totally jacked.
I took a cognitive test and I don't know what to tell you other than I got every answer right. Can you tell us about the cognitive test? Is that a man, human, person, camera, TV? It's a... I think it's a pretty well-known test. Whatever it is, I got everyone. I got it all right.
I think we all know what cognitive tests we're talking about. But I would like to know, do you know what cognitive tests? It's just bullshitting. I took a cognitive test about my memory. What was it?
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Chapter 4: How does Jon Stewart evaluate Trump's physical and cognitive health?
You want to destroy NPR and PBS, the Voice of America, sell the naming rights of the Washington Monument to hymns.com, use the R word, the P word, the C word, make up your own slurs, have the United States Naval Academy remove Maya Angelou from its bookshelves, but for some reason keep Mein Kampf, which is a real f***ing thing that they did, we'll be fine.
We weren't that crazy about this system of government in the first place. But you keep f***ing this up, and some of these lawyers in universities and corporate leaders are going to start to think about suggesting respectfully to each other in a very tightly controlled text chat that someone should reach out to someone who knows someone in your administration to express mild dissatisfaction.
Because injustice anywhere is not something we mostly think about. And remember, you don't have that much time to get it right. Because it's not like your vice authoritarian butterfingers is inspiring any confidence.
Look at the size of that trophy next to J.D. Vance.
I know. Those are some big young gentlemen and a big trophy as well. Big dudes, yeah.
Oh, and it looks like the trophy fell. That's unfortunate.
Oopsie. Administrative error. When we come back, Rami Youssef will be joining us. Don't go away. What about Michelle, my guest tonight? The best award-winning actor, comedian, co-created the new animated series, number one, Happy Family USA. Terrible month, yeah, Rumi?
But I use less toilet paper. I only use the Shatafa now. Your butt is clean, but your energy usage isn't. Look where you are on the cousin leaderboard. Your cousins are beating you in every category. Be more like Kareem. Please welcome Rami Youssef!
Look at you. What's happening?
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Chapter 5: What comparisons are made between Trump and historical or mythic figures?
Yeah, of course.
I'm very important. You've got that kind of connection. Oh, I get. I don't even have to log in. I just, I touch my computer. It comes right up. I didn't know what it, animated series. I'm watching it. I'm trying to think here we what's happening and then all of a sudden it's September 10th, yeah, 2001 and I'm like And it did, and you made it hilarious.
The show's hilarious. Thank you. No, I, you know, it was something that we felt was only possible to do in animation. It's actually, it's really wild, too, because we've been making the show for so many years. And I don't think there's ever been a week in America's history where immigrants feel the need to say, hey, we are number one happy family USA. Right.
And that is what this family feels compelled to do in 2001. And we kind of have this show coming out in this moment where it's all colliding in this wild way.
Oh, is there something going on in the government? Yeah, a little. How many years? You said you've been making this for many years. Before 9-11, were you making it? What did you know, Rami?
We started making it during, we pitched it during Trump 1. And then it's coming out now in the sequel.
Isn't it wild that we're in eras now, like Trump won. I remember Trump won. Yeah. It was so quaint and simple back then. You know, this is going to sound crazy.
He seemed happier back then, yeah? He did? He did. He was, like, smiling more. Like, he seems really stressed now. Like, all the clips you were showing, I was like, you know, you're like, oh, man, he looks kind of sad. Like, I don't think he likes what he's doing either. That may be the most charitable thing I've ever heard. I always try to see it from the other point of view, even if it's his.
And I'm like, he looks stressed. Like, he doesn't look good.
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Chapter 6: What symbolic gestures and tributes reflect Trump's authoritarian image?
I mean, the guy. I meant it. I meant it respectfully.
No, I don't think you did. And he's going through, I believe he's going through something physical. And he happens to be the president of the United States. And I think we got to just kind of look at it from every angle.
Can I ask you a question? Do you think Instagram is f***ing with his self-image, and that's why, like, because he looks at all these Instagram shots of all these other leaders, and he's like, they look ripped.
Dude, I think, I mean, that Putin shot, it's got to hurt. I think there's a reason he got off X and created his own social media platform. Right. Where he could, you know, control how people are seeing him. Just say, are you on, truth? Oh, yeah, I got at Rami from the beginning just to make sure that... And you actually, any Arab name you can just get on Truth. It's really easy.
Like, as of... Like, it's available. Like, you can... Cheap. They get them cheap. You could get at Muhammad right now. 100%. Every spelling is available on Truth, yeah. It's pretty... I am really hoping... It's a very limited audience base that's on there, yeah.
I am hoping that our audience at home right now is rushing out... You can sign up today. ...to register those domain names. Do you do any of that? Do you use social media? Do you... Very sparingly, yeah.
I mean, it's really hard. I mean, you know, like, being creative, and we've talked about this with, like, stand-up and stuff. It's like, I love being in rooms with people, and so being online can feel, yeah, really crazy, and so... No, I go on and look at, like, sports stuff, like LeBron stuff, but that's pretty much it, yeah.
That's where I'm at. That's kind of where I'm at. I used to... What was so interesting to me is, like, we've all had this experience at stand-ups. You'll, like, you'll do a room, and, like, there'll always be, like, a table or, like, a couple of tables who, like, aren't digging it. Yeah, for sure. And you're like, okay.
And sometimes you'll register it, and, like, maybe it'll get on your nerves a little bit or whatever, but then you go home. Yeah. Social media is like those people that thought you sucked, you have to ride in the cab with them home. Yeah. And, like, the whole time, they're just like, you suck. Yeah. And you're a Jew.
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Chapter 7: Why does Jon Stewart believe Trump fails in ruthless competence?
You don't like flying or Muslims?
No, no, but you can get over it. Just, like, try some halal meat. And then, like, you'll get over it. Like, you know, it's like Islamophobia. It's like a shellfish allergy. It's like, oh, yeah, no, like, no, he doesn't want any. He has Islamophobia. Like, it sounds so benign. Anti-Semitism is like, whoa, like, dude, like, what? What are you on about?
You know, so I think even from just on a real word language level, we're at an incredible disadvantage. I never thought of it that way. Yeah. And that's because you're Islamophobic. And that's like wild. That's wild because it's just wild because we know each other.
I know. We're both from Jersey. I'm going to have to go through our text chains and find out how subtle my Islamophobia has been here. It's there. Yeah. But they'll hit me. I generally, no matter what I'll put on the web, and I try not to do it much, third comment is always, you changed your name, Jew. And you're always like, really? I'm fooling people? Is that? Look at this face.
Like, you'd see this maybe on a Yentl poster. Who am I kidding for all these things? Now, are you still, the clubs are still your favorite?
Yeah, I mean, going out, I mean, it's the best. It's so fun, and then it becomes, you know, we made this animated show that's, like, filled with, you know, those, like, thoughts you have in a notebook when you're going to do stand-up, and you're like, maybe this will work, maybe it won't.
And then we get to make this incredible show with so many characters that get to say all this stuff that, you know, You don't need, like, the rate is so fast, and that's what's been so fun.
Just joke, joke, joke. And your, can I tell you my favorite? This is going to sound like a crazy thing. Yeah. The show's great, and it's just layered with so many jokes, and yet, and the subject matter can get dark, but it's really clever. It's not cloying. Like, it's really good. Yeah.
but there's a pool scene where you go, I don't wanna say you, it's roomy, but it's like a kid your age in 2001 dealing with his friends in a town in New Jersey after 9-11. And there's a pool party. And my favorite part of it is, it's like a Peanuts thing as they're doing a pan across the pool and there's one blonde dude in the pool with floaties on and he's just doing this.
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Chapter 8: Who is Ramy Youssef and what is his new animated series about?
It's really, it was so much fun. Yeah, it is like one of my favorite parts of the show, getting to do that.
And what else is next? What's coming? What's next?
We got the show coming out this week. I got to do this crazy cool movie, Mountainhead, that's coming out next month, written by Jesse Armstrong. We did Succession. It was so fun. Yeah, it's very, very fun. It's a very... Multi-hyphenate. It's really exciting. And, yeah, our friend Steve Carell's in it, and he's, like, honestly such a joy.
He really is.
He told me he likes so many stories about you that, yeah, I'm very...
Did any of them mention Mountainhead? That was terrible. I don't know. No, that was really good, man. Oh, thank you very much. I appreciate that. Yeah, it was really good. Yeah, I went immediately to that.
No, I loved it.
How much fun was it working with Carell? Like, he is, and the deadpan is what'll get you.
No, and it's like, he's just, yeah, he's so inspiring. And he's like, the way he kind of picks up a character, and he's like such a true film actor, too. Right. So you get to bounce off him, and it's just unbelievable.
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