Trump vs. Canada, Paramount Settlement Saga, and Melania's Return

Pivot

In this episode of Pivot, Kara Swisher welcomes comedian Roy Wood Jr., host of CNN's satirical news quiz 'Have I Got News For You,' to discu

Key takeaways

• Comedy provides a unique platform to address political absurdity without needing deep dives into causes or solutions.

Main topics

• Trump's controversial behavior and public image
• Paramount settlement saga involving media rights and legal disputes

Notable quotes

You don't have to know shit. In fact, it's funnier if you don't.

Conclusion

Roy Wood Jr. underscores how satire can cut through political noise wi

Transcript preview

Speaker 8 (0:00) You're listening to DeepGram Flux TTS. Different voices, same model, all ready to speak. Flux TTS is a streaming text-to-speech model built for voice agents. Flux reads the room. It holds context across the conversation, turn after turn. Speaker 3 (0:14) With consistent tone, interruption handling, and plenty of personality. So Speaker 8 (0:19) your agents keep it flowing and customers can just keep talking. Try DeepGram Flux TTS free now until September 12th. Visit deepgram.com slash keep talking. Terms apply. Speaker 7 (0:45) The new Honda Speaker 3 (0:50) City isn't just made to drive, it's made to feel. The new Honda City. All new vibe. Speaker 8 (0:59) Megan Rapinoe here. This week on Why Are You Like This, I am talking with W. Kamau Bell, and he is no stranger to creating his own lane. We dig into the whys behind some of his biggest decisions, like holding space for Ted Danson to talk about his blackface scandal, Kamau's approach to dealing with trolls, and what he would have changed when interviewing the KKK. We also wonder if Megan Kelly is flirting with us. Check out the latest episode of Why Are You Like This wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Speaker 6 (1:33) Stop getting excited about bad Trump health news. I had this evil ass teacher in the fifth grade. She's still alive. Speaker 2 (1:45) Hi, everyone. This is Pivot from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network. I'm Kara Swisher, and I'm kicking off yet another week of God Speaker 8 (1:54) Free August. Speaker 2 (1:59) I literally, I would play that all year if I could. Scott is still away, missing me terribly. Of course, he hasn't been in touch at all. He, of course, fancies himself a comedian, but for today's episode, I brought in the real deal, Roy Wood Jr., Emmy-winning comedian, actor, and producer, and host of CNN's satirical news quiz, which I've been on and will be on very soon, actually. Have I got news for you. Welcome, Roy. Thank Speaker 1 (2:21) you for having me. You know, and I know that Scott is listening to us in Medi-Jail in the weight room right now. And I just want to say to him, you only do two days, the day in, day out, you know. Tell the truth. That's why he's gone this Speaker 6 (2:35) year for a month. He has to go pay penance. Speaker 4 (2:38) Well, he allegedly is on vacation. But I don't know. I think he's posting a lot more recently. So he obviously Speaker 2 (2:45) has to weigh in on the news. He's dying because Natalie Hark is happening right now, which is a problem. Speaker 6 (2:51) How Speaker 2 (2:51) do you think Speaker 6 (2:51) I feel? CNN's had me dark for three months. I know. That's true. You've got Trump tapping dead people's caskets. Yeah. Speaker 6 (3:01) It's been a lot. It's been a lot. Speaker 2 (3:03) Explain the show. I love your show. I've been on it several times. I'll be on it really soon, in a couple of weeks, I think. Speaker 1 (3:09) For the people who haven't watched it, for 30 years, this show has run in Britain, where the way they disseminate the news is they ask panelists questions. It's a fake quiz show about current events, and you don't have to know shit. In fact, it's funnier if you don't. And by the end of the hour, you, me, Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black, we have figured out everything this week. The way I try to differentiate where Have I Got News sits in the Oliver Daily Show verse of political satire is that we are here to simply tell you what happened. we don't have the time to get into why and who and what is the solution and the deep dive. We just don't have time because we like to be the show where you need to know what's happening politically with Trump. But then you also need to know that a dude got himself kicked out of a WNBA game. And there was a green dildo. Like, we want to cover the Speaker 6 (4:15) gamut. Speaker 5 (4:15) Explain the green dildo. Speaker 6 (4:17) I don't think as a man I can explain. I don't know. Why green? I don't know. Well, no, you know what? As a man, probably it is my responsibility. Yeah, it is. It ain't the women throwing them. Speaker 5 (4:29) Like, Speaker 2 (4:30) everyone's like men and trans people in the WNBA. There's no trans people in the WNBA. There's just straight men throwing dildos. Speaker 4 (4:37) So that's the problem. And then running. Speaker 6 (4:39) Stand on it. Speaker 4 (4:40) Yeah, stand on it. Speaker 6 (4:42) You don't throw a dildo. Just say, hey, it was me. Speaker 5 (4:45) Yeah, yeah. I'd Speaker 6 (4:46) like to have a conversation about politics now. Speaker 5 (4:49) Yeah. Would you ever throw a dildo? I Speaker 6 (4:50) don't know if I'd ever touch a dildo. They all look used. You know, it's just, it's a hygiene thing. It's like if you saw a naked straw. I just assume it's been in somebody's mouth. Speaker 5 (5:05) Okay. But question, why would a man do that? I mean, it's just like the ladies are having a good time. Lots of people are having a good time. If you've been to a WNBA game, they're fun. Yeah, Speaker 1 (5:14) I've gone to a couple of Liberty games with my son, and it's always a great time. It's packed. They're chanting. They're yelling. I mean, I was going back when they were still at Madison Square before they even made the move out. Speaker 1 (5:28) It's a great time. It's great basketball. It's great competition. I don't understand why people are trying to use that sport at its rise. They're going to get the new CBA. Caitlin Clark just put up 37 Speaker 6 (5:42) earlier this week. Angel Reese is doubling, doubling her ass off. You got the young woman up in Minnesota, the spectacle, which one of the dopest. nicknames right now, Speaker 1 (5:52) Madam Miles, much respect to the spectacle up there with the links. I just think that it's just dudes trying to get attention and just bringing attention. What can get people riled up? Can I ask a question though? Why is it that liberals, and I'll include myself in this bucket, why have we not learned that not reacting is probably a more effective way. Now, dildo is a totally separate thing. Dildo throwing. But in the sense of a lot of people that are trying to make a name for themselves by bathing themselves in liberal outrage, we supply the outrage in which they bathe themselves, which makes themselves a right-wing martyr. And then they're able to build whole media empires off of that. Yeah, I think Speaker 5 (6:42) that's nearing an end, I have to say. Because I think what's interesting is, I was just thinking about this, Speaker 2 (6:47) it's the right that whinges all the time now and is very, like, it's the anti-woke, if that makes sense. And I think the dildos and the throwing, this is a successful... group of women, and there's some controversy, like in all sports, right? Men's basketball has had all kinds of controversy. They just can't stand it. And so they have to say, look at me. Speaker 1 (7:08) This issue feels like one that you could kind of... you could kind of starve the people who are starved for it. Yeah, Speaker 4 (7:17) just Speaker 5 (7:17) kick them out of the arena if they throw up. Yeah. Just kick them out and that's the end of it. I'm not talking about... Go back to your show. So you're just... So this is what, your third season, fourth season? Speaker 6 (7:27) This is, this will be number five. Five. When we come back in September, this will be the Speaker 1 (7:32) fifth cycle of the show. Yeah, so I'm excited. Speaker 4 (7:35) It's doing really well. They wouldn't bring it back if it wasn't. But how do you, what do you attribute that to? Speaker 1 (7:40) I think that we, number one, I think CNN is the right network for the show because we get to exist on a Saturday night and they pair us with Bill Maher or there's usually like a special interest story or something else going on on that day. I think that we are light, we are fun, we are fast through the topics. So you don't necessarily feel like you're consuming. an entire meal. I Speaker 5 (8:07) do think comedy has been a lot Speaker 4 (8:10) more pointed, whether it's Oliver or The Daily Show or you guys, than news programs to get to the point of the idiocy surrounding people. Yeah, Speaker 1 (8:19) because I think comedians are given a little bit more leeway than the average news anchor. You know, God forbid you call a spade a spade and you just work for a Sinclair outlet or something. You know, you're working in Market 12 or Market 20. they're not going to give you that leeway. And I think also it's understood that it's comedy because you know what's really funny is that I have said stuff on Friday night on Abby Phillip that gets me stared at. Oh. And then I'll do the same joke on Saturday at Have I Got News. And it gets an applause break. So I think it's also the comedic expectation. You know, when Abby, they do the show down at the cooking. Yeah, Speaker 4 (9:02) the cooking thing. Food Speaker 1 (9:03) Network. I want to be respectful to the place. And when we're there, the audience. And also, you're with four people who are dead ass serious. And they've written notes Speaker 6 (9:14) down all day. And these are real journalists. And I'm sitting here looking goofy in a Cubs hat. I'm trying to crack a joke and they're not with it. Speaker 4 (9:24) No, some of them are not journalists and they just say things off the top of their fucking head. You know this. They have nice Speaker 6 (9:30) suits though. Speaker 4 (9:31) Nice suits and stuff. All right, one last question about your show. Who do you like better, Amber or Michael? Speaker 6 (9:35) Don't turn this into a race war because you know I'm going to pick the black woman. You're going to set me up and then they're going to clip this little section in there. Roy Wood. Hates black women and never spoke. Speaker 1 (9:50) No, Michael, I've always known from the standup circuit. Amber, I've known, you know, I've had a longer, deeper relationship with Amber than I have Michael. So there's definitely like a synergy. What's funny on the show is that a guest will say something. We had Tim Burchett on, right wing Tennessee, Tennessee man. And Burchett says something over to this side Speaker 6 (10:14) of me. And on. In my peripheral on the other side, I see Amber just move. It's the slightest skosh of a move. And I go, oh, no, she's going to get him. Speaker 5 (10:28) Oh, no. And she did? Speaker 6 (10:30) Just stay out of the way, Roy. Just stay out of the way. And I just literally leaned back so her words could fly across the desk. Speaker 1 (10:37) Oh, Speaker 5 (10:38) my God. You're tempered. Good for you. My Speaker 1 (10:39) hope this year. is to have you and Bomani Jones on Speaker 5 (10:44) the same Speaker 1 (10:44) episode. Oh, great. That's dream episode number one. Dream episode number two is you with any sitting Republican elected official. Speaker 5 (10:53) Please, please. Why? Why? Am I good with that? And Mom Speaker 1 (10:56) Donnie, because you're just supposed to say that because New York. Maybe I should tweet. That's how it shows up. Speaker 5 (11:01) Yeah. He won't do an interview with me. He doesn't interview with everybody. He won't do an interview with me. I don't Speaker 1 (11:06) know. Speaker 6 (11:06) Really? You got to tweet about it. You got to go, well, I'm done. I bet you all show up to this pothole. Speaker 4 (11:10) I called him months and months and months before he won, like six, seven, before he was a thing. And I just thought he was so interesting. And I'm just telling you crickets. I don't know what it is. Speaker 1 (11:21) Do you think that you, of all the people that have ignored your request for interviews, do you think they are? Is there any common theme? Do you think they're intimidated by you? Do you think like, what is it? I Speaker 5 (11:34) don't Speaker 1 (11:34) know. Some Speaker 5 (11:34) people like, yes, I think Speaker 4 (11:37) some like Tim Scott, like turned me down a hundred million times and I get it. I get it. I also have not a huge amount of regard for how he behaves. But. And Speaker 2 (11:47) I say it, I guess I've said it. But I would have been fair. I had Tom Tillis on. I thought he was great and we disagreed completely, but Speaker 4 (11:54) he had the guts to come on and he was actually made some very good points. And it was a very good, I thought it was a great discussion, even though we didn't agree. I think the commonality is they think I'm going to get them when in fact I end up having much more substantive discussions with people. And I'm not a gotcha person. I just, what I do is I say things out loud. And I suppose with Mamdani, I won't. slather him with idolatry, I guess. I find a lot of interviews do that. And then even the right-wing ones, when he goes on those shows sometimes, they sort of are, like Trump, they find him charming, right? He's super charming and super, has got a lot of star power. Speaker 5 (12:35) So maybe he thinks I'm, maybe it's Scott Galloway. He doesn't like Scott Galloway. I don't know. I don't know. Speaker 6 (12:41) I'll blame Scott Speaker 5 (12:42) for Speaker 2 (12:42) everything. Anyway, let's go. We've got a lot to get you. It's a great show. Your show is great. I'm excited to come on and put me on with whoever you like. And Speaker 1 (12:50) pardon the bicycles in the background if there's any. I'm in Amsterdam, so I don't Speaker 2 (12:54) know. Speaker 1 (12:54) Oh, nice. Oh, nice. I love Amsterdam. Speaker 4 (12:57) There's a lot of bicycles there. They're very aggressive with the bicycles, actually, when Speaker 1 (13:00) you ride. I got to the airport, and at the airport, they have literally as you're headed to customs. There's just a black dude and a black woman on a bike. Like, as you come down the escalators, like, welcome to Amsterdam, and it's black people riding tandem. Are you riding Speaker 5 (13:16) bicycles? Speaker 1 (13:18) Not yet. No one has on a helmet. So I'm like, I'm American. I'm just like, you'll die. But then I looked at the fatality rates here. It's like super low. It's all respected. Well, they Speaker 4 (13:27) ride very aggressively. I had a great time doing, but Speaker 2 (13:30) they're super aggressive. But let's get to the things. Speaking of other countries, Donald Trump is lashing out at Canada, saying they're among the worst nations in the world to deal with and will no longer be treated like. will be treated like a state no longer. They are not a state. This outburst comes after U.S.-Canada trade talks collapsed late last week when Canada walked away. And Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says the U.S. introduced Speaker 4 (13:52) last-minute demands that were unfair and uneconomic. And he would know. He's a banker. He's run treasuries, everything else. With no deal, Trump's 50 % tariffs went into Speaker 2 (14:02) effect on a range of Canadian goods, including dairy products, alcohol, and hockey equipment. Trump is also now threatening to increase tariffs on all cars, car parts, and steel from Canada to 50 % starting January 1st. Mark Carney says Canada will retaliate dollar for dollar with tariffs of its own and spoke candidly about where the relationship between the two countries stand. Let's listen. Speaker 8 (14:24) Why does it feel like today Mark Carney is going to war? Trade war. The tone. Because we're attacked. Like, you're at war when you get attacked. We got attacked. Speaker 4 (14:38) Is Canada really a country we want to be going to war with right now or trade war? No, Speaker 1 (14:43) they aren't. And I think the U.S. has really established themselves as, you know, we're the country without a country. Like, do we have any allies left that aren't begrudging and like have no choice but to be with us because it's an economic disadvantage? to not rock with us. I like Crown Royal. I hate that it's more expensive. I know there's bigger issues at stake here when we're talking about- No, but Speaker 5 (15:10) it's part of the thing. It's part of the thing. Speaker 1 (15:12) Yeah. Kind of sucks. But I think that, I think we live in a time now where just Trump is just a, like our government is just going to bully other nations for no reason, even if they don't, even if it doesn't make any sense. And so it does not help us. It also, Speaker 1 (15:31) decimate small businesses that do a lot of business across the border. So both ways, you know what I'm saying? So I just, I don't, I don't know. But I think if you're Canada at this point, there's no sense in bending the knee. You may as well just ride this out for the next two years, if you're really going to be serious about it. Speaker 4 (15:48) Right. Well, maybe just a few months. You may not have the power to do much of anything. Speaker 1 (15:52) In Speaker 4 (15:53) November after. Speaker 1 (15:54) Yeah, come November. I also love that he's rescinded the thing that they didn't even want in the first place, which was statehood. You are no longer invited Speaker 6 (16:05) to my park. All right. Speaker