- hi, towelie? - yeah, hi. - towelie is definitely one of the most addicted towels we've ever seen here. he's probably the second most psychologically damaged towel i've come across since treating kirstie alley's towel, which had seen some... [shudders] some nasty stuff. - i don't know what tomorrow's gonna bring. but i'm learning to love what i am. i'm a towel. - ♪ veins swell ♪ ♪ you know me, ellen ♪ ♪ enough to tell ♪ ♪ five steps, you're over ♪ captioning by captionmax www.captionmax.com ♪ ♪ >> announcer: from the most trusted journalists at comedy central... it's america's only source for news. this is "the daily show" with your host, jordan klepper! [cheers and applause]

♪ ♪ >> jordan: welcome to "the daily show!" i'm jordan klepper. we've got a great show for you tonight. we're going to get into the big question america's grappling with right now: if someone tried to overthrow democracy and kill the vice president, is that a red flag? let's get into it. ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] right now, there's a big story at the crossroads of media, politics, and insurrections. just days after being hired by nbc news, former rnc chairwoman ronna mcdaniel is back on linkedin. >> nbc news is now cutting ties with the former rnc chair, ronna mcdaniel, days after

hiring her as a contributor because of major backlash from some of its biggest anchors. >> i find the decision to put her on the payroll inexplicable. >> they say that it wasn't because mcdaniel is a republican, but because she helped promote donald trump's lies about the 2020 presidential election and assisted in efforts to overturn the results. >> trump posted on truth social: "wow! ronna mcdaniel got fired by fake news nbc. it leaves her in a very strange place. it's called never-never land, and it's not a place you want to be." >> jordan: [laughs] never-never land? where does that come from? does trump think that's an unemployment office for peter pan? maybe trump sees a kinship in tinkerbell. in that if enough people don't clap for him, he dies. i don't know. although, trump can't be too mad about it. the only reason she was available in the first place is

that he fired her from the rnc a few weeks ago. but yes, ronna mcdaniel lasted just five days at nbc, which is less screen time than dead bodies on "law & order" get. this is sad for ronna, but also, i don't really give a shit. there's a lot more important things to worry about. i mean, p. diddy is on the loose. he can be anywhere! you know? but the ronna mcdaniel situation does point to a larger question in america, which is: what should happen with the people who did january 6th? you may remember, back when january 6th happened, there wasn't much of a question about this at all. everyone who was not wearing horns agreed, the people who did this had to be punished for it. even the guy who they were wearing the horns for agreed that there had to be consequences for their violent actions. >> like all americans, i am outraged by the violence, lawlessness, and mayhem.

america is and must always be a nation of law and order. the demonstrators who infiltrated the capitol have defiled the seat of american democracy. to those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country, and to those who broke the law, you will pay. >> jordan: you hear that, people who broke the law? you're going to pay for that! so says the person who told you to break the law! it's a bit like tim cook coming out and being like, "who are these people wearing the vision pro? you look like idiots!" okay, so basically everyone agreed, january 6th... bad. and justice needed to play out. and the good news is, justice did play out. the fake electors were charged. trump's lawyers are being disbarred. hundreds of rioters were arrested and put in jail, and it's still continuing today. just in the past couple weeks,

a man was charged for firing a gun during the riots, and a geophysicist who stormed the capitol was sentenced to five years in prison. so if you ever thought you weren't smarter than a geophysicist... [cheers and applause] good news! good news! and you know what, if you don't mind, i might indulge. to that geophysicist: good luck using the siwalik fluvial sequence to analyze remanent magnetization now, ya locked up bitch! [cheers and applause] been pent up for a long time. as the wheels of justice turned and life moved on, most people moved on to other things, which makes sense. other shit happened. we had the rest of the pandemic, there was inflation, two famous people decided to date each other. how could we focus on anything else? we can be forgiven for moving on.

but trump and the maga movement didn't forget about january 6th. in fact, they've been rewriting. >> i have no problem saying that these january 6th defendants are being treated like political prisoners of war. >> the doj is harassing peaceful patriots across the country. >> they're not destroying the capitol. they obviously revere the capitol. they're there because they believe the election was stolen from them. they believe in the system. >> convicted january 6th rioter is free this morning, and now they own an honorary american flag, a gift from a texas republican congressman. dr. simone gold was released from prison on friday, and congressman louis gohmert was there to present her with the flag. [audience reacts] >> jordan: i'm no history buff, but she was the loser in a failed insurrection. if you were going to present her with a flag, it probably should have been this flag. i think. [cheers and applause]

i think. but no one has reversed his position on the trump mob as hard as donald trump himself. he went from demanding that these criminals go to prison to promising that he's going to get these heroes out of prison. >> trump called those now serving prison sentences hostages and patriots. >> you see the spirit from the hostages, and that's what they are is hostages. >> suggesting he'd pardon them as soon as he gets back into office. >> the first day we get into office, we're going to work with the people to treat those unbelievable patriots, and they were unbelievable patriots and are. >> release the j. 6th hostages, joe. release them, joe. you can do it real easy, joe. >> jordan: "you can do it, joe! they're hostages, joe! come on, joe!" i wouldn't call convicted criminals "hostages." although, if maga wants to treat them as hostages, we can have a hostage exchange. i'm happy to release them if

they can give us the, i don't know, old kanye back. just spit balling here. but that's how far trump has gone. he is turning these january 6th rioters into victims and patriots and innocent choir boys. i mean, literally choir boys! there is a group of january 6th rioters in prison who've started a choir, and they released a version of the "star spangled banner" that donald trump features on. and now, donald trump's rallies begin like this. >> ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the horribly and unfairly treated january 6th hostages. ♪ oh, say ♪ ♪ can you see ♪ >> jordan: that's a dramatic way to kick off an event. at the next super bowl, i want to hear, "ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the horribly and

unfairly treated kelly rowland! she's just as talented as beyonce. it's not her fault she wasn't as strategic with her career!" look, we can't normalize this! do you remember when he wasted three months of our lives being mad at colin kaepernick for kneeling for the national anthem? now he's saluting rioters, insurrectionists, and even worse, a capella singers. and the [bleep] didn't even take off his hat. but that's where we are now. and ronna mcdaniel trying to get a job at nbc is just the latest example of jan 6ers trying to get back into the mainstream. remember the guy with the horns? the shaman? guess what he's up to now. >> he's been known by many names. jacob chansley, jake angeli, and qanon shaman, among others. but now jacob angeli chansley hopes to be known by a new name. congressman. >> as a congressman, i will have a platform to highlight not just these problems, but the real solutions that we have to solve

them. >> jordan: real solutions? what solutions could you possibly have? "social security is in trouble. have you tried beating it with a flagpole?" here's the point. this is not just a fight for how to remember the past. the people who did january 6th are trying to get back in power. if they lose, they'll do january 6th again! hell, if they win, they'll probably still do january 6th again, just for old time's sake! and the rest of us need to decide: are we just going to let them? are we going to draw the line at treason? and tell them that in this country, there is still justice and democracy, and these are the values we not only stand behind ♪ ♪ maybe we can get the original version? please? please? when we come back, we'll find out if rfk jr. can save us. stick around.

[cheers and applause] ♪ “don't let go” ♪ by terrace martin, mr talkbox, pj morton ♪ don't let me go ♪ ♪ no ♪ ♪ don't let me go ♪ ♪ no ♪ ♪ don't let me go ♪ ♪ no, no, no don't let me go ♪ ♪ don't let me go ♪ ♪ no don't you ever let me go ♪ ♪ don't you ever let me go ♪

♪ don't you ever let me go ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] >> jordan: welcome back to "the daily show." big news in the presidential race, so let's get into it with our ongoing coverage of "indecision 2024." ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause]

let's talk about the leading candidate for president of narnia: robert f. kennedy jr. he's been running a strong third in the race for president and yesterday we found out who has the honor of coming in third with him. >> rfk jr. has named his running mate at a campaign rally yesterday. her name? nicole shanahan. she is only 38 years old. an oakland, california, native, a tech entrepreneur who has donated to democratic presidential campaigns and was formerly married to google co-founder sergey brin. >> she is a silicon valley lawyer and philanthropist who is expected to infuse her own personal wealth into the campaign. >> the purpose of wealth is to help those in need. >> she did give $4 million to help pay for rfk jr.'s recent super bowl ad. >> jordan: that's right. the independent outsider taking on the political and corporate power structure decided to run for president with...

his sugar daddy. although, to be fair, he didn't just pick her because she's willing to spend $4 million to get him elected. he also had much dumber reasons. >> i wanted a vice president who shared my passion for a wholesome, healthy foods, chemical free, from regenerative agricultural, from good soils. [cheers and applause] i also wanted someone who was an athlete, who could help me inspire americans to heal, to get them back in shape, and i'm happy to report that my vice president is an avid surfer who attended school on a softball scholarship. [laughter] >> jordan: is he picking a vice president or a gym coach? who cares if she surfs?

there's never been a crisis in american history that required the vp to shred the gnar. you know? [laughs] by the way, a softball scholarship is not the boast you think it is. "hey, this lady got into college! but not for being smart!" [laughs] so rfk jr. has his running mate. but is she who his supporters wanted? yesterday, we sent our own michael kosta to oakland to find out. >> i am here in oakland, california, at an rfk jr. campaign event where he is set to announce his vice presidential running mate. it is exciting. i am unvaxxed, unwaxed, and ready to go. it was just a few hours before the announcement and people were excited about the incredibly candidates. >> aaron rodgers. >> auntie rogers, he's also anti-mandatory vaccines. >> i like how aaron rodgers stood up against the covid

tyranny. >> aaron rodgers is the only guy with experience, the joe grogan experience. >> tony robinson. >> tony robinson! >> i love him. >> could you imagine a cabinet meeting being like him if you can see it you, you can believe it? >> we need that kind of energy. >> i think it's easy for people in the mainstream media to discount rfk jr.'s candidacy but when you look around, there are some pretty serious event. so which property brother do you think he will pick for vice president? these were serious choices for a series porter's. >> i am a conspiracy theorist, or factual list. >> so which one of rfk jr.'s policies -- excuse me, conspiracy theories do you also track with? >> his work looking into vaccines and the issues of vaccines. >> how quickly after you get vaccinated do you get autism? >> oh, that i don't know. >> so first off, conspiracy theory, what is a conspiracy? >> i don't know. >> you don't know what a

conspiracy is? >> i have some ideas. >> did you go to school? >> not really. for me, they just give you this credential. i wore the suit. >> maybe i did need to relearn a little bit about conspiracies. >> earth, flat or severe? >> sphere. >> moon land, real or fake? >> female orgasm, real or fake? >> could be fixed, could be real. >> none of this is helping me. >> it came time to hear the big announcement. there is something in the air along with all the cancer-causing wi-fi. and it is excitement. >> i am proud to introduce to all of you the next vice president of the united states of america... nicole shanahan. >> called it. i called it. >> that's right. an ip lawyer in the digital space who funded rfk jr.'s multimillion dollar super bowl commercials somehow beat out the

host of "dirty jobs," a truly historic moment. >> how exciting is this? we have a complete ticket, and the vp candidate is... >> nicole shanahan. >> and that is? >> depressing. >> when they announced her name in there, people were going crazy. certainly, googling, who is this person? >> we all are. >> what is your initial thoughts? >> don't know much. >> i guess i was a little disappointed when i heard, i didn't really know who she was. i think i vaguely heard the name. >> i know the name nicole and i know the name shanahan, but i didn't know them together. >> so i guess aaron rodgers is out of luck and a lot of other potential beeps. >> i thought you would pick may be an inside politics, like black woman. that is who i thought he would pick. >> let's name our fame and insight politic black woman on the count of three. one, two, three, you start. >> there is a bunch of them. >> may be opera >> opera. >> probably couldn't get her.

>> sure, i know oprah, but i have one more question for be truly engaged supporters. >> do you think nicole shanahan is a step in the same direction as rfk jr.? >> don't know. >> looks like these rfk fans are going to have to do a bit more of their own research. [cheers and applause] >> jordan: thanks, michael. when we come back, byron tau will be joining me on the show. so don't go away. [cheers and applause] here at papa johns, we know our stuff! so try our garlic epic stuffed crust pizza. made with our iconic garlic sauce flavor,

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>> jordan: welcome back to "the daily show." my guest tonight is an investigative reporter at notus whose new book is called "means of control: how the hidden alliance of tech and government is creating a new american surveillance state." please welcome byron tau! [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ thank you for coming! [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪ byron! i got -- this book scared me, okay? i got to be real honest. i understand that technology a lot of times, the tech world, the tech apps, they are tracking me, they have a lot of data, i understand the government, maybe not always aboveboard. but you found a way to put these two together like a ham and cheese sandwich of paranoia. >> [laughs] >> jordan: i feel like a lot of this starts -- what started to surprise me starts here at these digital advertising exchanges, right? start with me there. what do i need to understand about a digital advertising exchange?

>> sure. so that banner ad that you see every time you load an app or a website, that is tracking you in more ways than one. every time you load something like that and you see a little display ad, you are actually passing a ton of information back to these technology companies that are vacuuming it up, they are collecting it, they are trying to build profiles of you, and there are thousands of them that are all getting this data every time you load an app. some of those entities are actually saving that data, they are brokering it, it has become a big business model. so they are selling it to other entities. so whenever you give a weather app permission to know your location, your location is actually being passed back to this mind-numbingly complex system of digital advertising, and there are thousands of parties there that collect it, even if they are not the one that serves you the ad. so a lot of data is saved and resold.

>> jordan: i am okay with nike pouncing on me and telling me these shoes for my gout-riddled feet. perhaps i share too much, they already know. but how is the government getting in on this action? >> sure, so there's a lot of ways government gets data from things like digital advertisers. sometimes they just buy it from the data brokers that sit there and slurp it all up and they sell it. sometimes, government contractors set up things like -- things that look like marketing companies and they get access to these ad networks. and they provide the data to the government. sometimes governments hack into these systems. so there's lots and lots of ways for governments to get data off of these networks and often, they just simply need to open their wallets and buy it. >> jordan: you talk about the privilege of disappearing. you talk about you want to go purchase a car. how do you go about a process of purchasing that and be investigative journalist who cares about secrecy?

>> the poor hyundai dealership that i walked into had no idea what they were getting into. >> jordan: oh, god, another investigative journalist on data broker. >> they didn't even know how to answer the questions i was asking. i eventually made them go get a car from two states over that didn't even have a little chip that can transmit the data. >> jordan: you walk in there, you think it's a car but there are cell chips essentially, the bluetooth that is in the car, and also in the tires. >> one thing people don't realize, but your tires are actually broadcasting a little radio signal constantly, and it is there to tell the car's central computer that your tire pressure is low. perfectly reasonable safety mechanism but clever governments have figured out, a tire is a proxy for a car. that tire is screening a unique identifier all the time. if we put a sensor here, little sensor there, little sensor under a bridge, a little sensor in a tunnel, we can track cars around based on their car tires. car companies don't seem to realize that this is a vector for tracking and have never done anything to make these vehicles or make these systems work better for privacy. >> jordan: they can sell that information to insurance companies?

>> yeah. there's a big controversy now about selling car data to insurance companies. so car companies like gm were doing that, and they recently said they were stopping telling it to data brokers that were selling it to insurance companies. for public safety purposes, it seems like governments are putting up these little sensors that might be able to track either your license plate reader or your car tires or both or all sorts of things that i don't even know about yet. but yes, this is entirely possible. >> jordan: [laughs] you have to take extra steps as an investigative journalist to keep this anonymity. >> yeah, there are things that ordinary people can do. you can be a little more careful with the permissions on your phone. not every game needs access to your 24/7 location, your photo roll, and all this data about you. it will work just fine without it. every time you open the uber app, you don't need to let it have your geolocation. type the address you are at. you can do small things to reclaim privacy and make sure

that parties that don't need your data don't get it. >> jordan: now, as i read this, i thought about this, about secrecy, ways in which you can take small steps. then i saw your acknowledgments. you said, the first words of this book were written on an amtrak train between d.c. and new york. a full chapter outline was completed at a rented farmhouse in maryland in january, 2022. the final few weeks of writing this first draft were spent in new york city at the work heights on franklin avenue. this is remarkably specific. [laughter] for someone who is worried about location. [applause] >> nobody's perfect. >> jordan: nobody's perfect. it's a good read. it scared the bejesus out of me. i appreciate it. "means of control" is available now. byron tau. we are going to take a quick break. we will be right back after this. [cheers and applause] ♪ ♪

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it's doug. we help people customize and save hundreds on car insurance with liberty mutual. we got a bit of a situation. [ metal groans] sure, i can hold. ♪ liberty liberty liberty liberty ♪ in theaters now. the moment a friend becomes a real friend. ohhh... please no. who wants to jam? [playing ukulele off-key] hey pal! friends don't let friends be ukulele guy. oh, he's humming now. i think i'm gonna be sick. somebody make it stop! nah, man. no. ( ♪♪ ) dos equis. raise one with a real one. [cheers and applause] >> jordan: that's our show for tonight. now here it is. your "moment of zen." >> this has been a truly tragic day for america. violence in any form is absolutely unacceptable. it is anti-american and must be

prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. >> do you still think it was a tragic day? do you think that the people who stormed the capital should be held responsible to the full extent of the law? >> i have concerns about the treatment of january 6 hostages. ♪ ♪ - ♪ i'm goin' down to south park ♪ ♪ gonna have myself a time ♪ both ♪ friendly faces everywhere ♪ ♪ humble folks without temptation ♪ - ♪ i'm goin' down to south park ♪ ♪ gonna leave my woes behind ♪ - ♪ ample parking day or night ♪ ♪ people spouting "howdy neighbor" ♪ - ♪ headin' on up to south park ♪ gonna see if i can't unwind ♪ - ♪ [muffled] ♪ - ♪ come on down to south park ♪ and meet some friends of mine ♪