Michael Cohen Testifies Against Trump & VA Schools Reinstate Confederate Names | The Daily Show

The Daily Show

16 May 202410:39

Summary

TLDRThe transcript covers the 18th day of Donald Trump's hush money trial, focusing on Michael Cohen's testimony linking Trump to falsified business records. It also mocks Trump's defense attorneys' attempts to discredit Cohen and highlights Bob Menendez's corruption trial, where he blames his wife for hidden gold bars. The script critiques the Shenandoah County School Board's decision to revert to Confederate names for schools and satirizes the supporters of this move. It ends with a humorous take on the cultural impact of naming a school after Stonewall Jackson.

Takeaways

📚 Day 18 of the trial focused on Michael Cohen, former Trump fixer, who is crucial to the case due to his testimony linking Trump to falsification of business records.
💸 The 'porn star hush money' aspect is highlighted as a side story but the actual crime is the falsification of business records.
🤔 Trump's defense attorneys are attempting to discredit Cohen by emphasizing his past negative remarks about Trump and painting him as someone seeking revenge.
🎙️ Cohen's podcast from 2020 is used by the defense to show his anger and potential bias against Trump.
🗣️ The defense brings up Cohen's various derogatory terms for Trump, such as 'boorish, cartoon misogynist' and 'Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain', to question his credibility.
👥 Other politicians, like Senator Bob Menendez, are also on trial, with Menendez's defense trying to shift blame onto his wife for alleged corruption.
💰 An FBI search of Menendez's home revealed a significant amount of cash and gold bars, which the defense claims were the wife's doing, not his.
🏫 Two schools in Virginia are reverting to their old names, those of Confederate officers, marking a controversial move back to a contentious past.
🗿 The Shenandoah County School Board's decision is criticized as an attempt to restore a legacy that many find offensive and inappropriate.
🤷‍♂️ Supporters of the name change argue against the removal of Confederate names, comparing it to historical erasure and claiming it's about heritage.
🎓 The humor in the script suggests that the controversy over school names could be a distraction from more significant issues, like systemic racism.

Q & A

What is the significance of Michael Cohen's testimony in the trial mentioned in the script?
-Michael Cohen's testimony is significant because he directly ties Donald Trump to the falsification of business records, which is the actual crime being tried. His role as Trump's former fixer makes him a crucial witness for the government's case.
How does the script describe the defense attorneys' strategy regarding Michael Cohen?
-The defense attorneys are trying to discredit Michael Cohen by emphasizing his past negative comments about Trump and painting him as a man seeking revenge after their relationship fell apart.
What is the humor used in the script to describe the defense's portrayal of Cohen?
-The script uses humor by comparing the defense's attempt to make Cohen seem less credible to a Boeing in-flight safety video and by making light of Cohen's angry podcast, suggesting it's difficult to maintain anger while reading podcast ads.
What is the Borat defense mentioned in the script, and who is using it?
-The 'Borat defense' is a humorous term used in the script to describe the strategy of Senator Bob Menendez's lawyers, who are trying to shift the blame for his alleged corruption onto his wife.
What was found during the FBI search of Senator Menendez's home, and how does the defense explain it?
-The FBI search found more than $480,000 in cash and gold bars. The defense suggests that Menendez's wife, Nadine, was responsible for the gold bars, claiming they were in her closet and that he did not know about them.
How does the script comment on the defense's argument that Menendez's wife had the gold bars because of her Lebanese heritage?
-The script humorously questions the stereotype that Lebanese people love gold, pointing out that liking gold is not unique to any one culture.
What is the cultural issue discussed in the script regarding Confederate statues and monuments?
-The script discusses the issue of towns in America deciding to revert to using Confederate names for schools, which had been changed in 2020 to move away from the legacy of the Confederacy.
What is the Shenandoah County School Board's decision regarding school names, and what is the community's reaction?
-The Shenandoah County School Board decided to revert to names from before 2020 that honor Confederate officers. The community's reaction is mixed, with some supporting the move to restore heritage and history, while others see it as a racist act.
How does the script satirize the people supporting the Confederate name change?
-The script uses humor to describe the supporters as looking like they just lost a civil war and suggesting that they are living in the past, feeling victorious only in the first half of a civil rights movie.
What is the script's suggestion on how to deal with the issue of racism in America?
-The script humorously suggests that America should direct its baseline of racism toward trivial matters, like school names, to prevent more significant issues like hate marches.
What is the script's final take on the Confederate name change for Stonewall Jackson High School?
-The script humorously concludes that it's okay to go back to the old name because 'Stonewall Jackson' sounds like a name that could belong to someone who got snakes off a plane, implying that the historical significance is lost on many.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Trump's Hush Money Trial and Cohen's Testimony

The script discusses Day 18 of Donald Trump's trial involving hush money paid to a porn star. Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, is central to the case as his testimony implicates Trump in the falsification of business records. The trial has seen Trump's defense attorneys attempting to discredit Cohen by highlighting his history of negative comments about Trump and his angry podcast from October 2020. They've also pointed out Cohen's various insults directed at Trump over the years, suggesting Cohen is motivated by revenge. Despite this, the script humorously notes that many people who have worked with Trump end up disliking him, hinting at a broader pattern.

05:03

🏛 Confederate Statues and School Name Reversal

This paragraph addresses the cultural war over Confederate statues and names in America. In 2020, many towns removed such monuments, but now some are reinstating them. Specifically, two schools in Virginia are being renamed after Confederate officers, with the Shenandoah County School Board leading this reversal. The script satirizes those supporting the name changes, suggesting they are clinging to a bygone era and misinterpreting heritage. It humorously proposes alternative names for schools that honor universally liked white figures, like Paul Rudd or Dolly Parton, to make a point about the absurdity of honoring divisive historical figures. The script also touches on the irony of middle-aged men trying to reclaim their glory days through school names and the broader cultural shifts that have occurred since the Civil War.

10:03

🎭 Satirical Take on Confederate General School Names

The script continues its commentary on the renaming of schools to honor Confederate generals, using humor to critique the decision. It suggests that the people advocating for these changes appear to be stuck in the past, likening them to having 'lost a civil war.' The narrative includes a live report from a school named after Stonewall Jackson, where the reporter, Josh Johnson, humorously argues that the advocates for the name change are out of touch with current culture. He sarcastically suggests that having a school named after a Confederate general could be seen as a minor form of racism, and that it might be better to direct such sentiments toward trivial matters to avoid more significant societal conflicts. The segment ends with a joke about the irony of the name Stonewall Jackson, implying that without historical context, the name could be misinterpreted in a positive light.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Donald Trump

Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States and a central figure in the video script due to the ongoing trial mentioned. The script discusses the 'hush money' trial involving a porn star, which is a reference to the legal issues surrounding Trump's alleged payments to silence individuals during his presidential campaign. The video uses humor and commentary to discuss the trial's implications and the role of Michael Cohen in the case.

💡Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen is a former personal attorney for Donald Trump, who played a significant role as Trump's 'fixer'. In the video, Cohen is described as the linchpin of the government's case against Trump for the falsification of business records. The defense attorneys are trying to discredit Cohen's testimony, which is crucial to the case, by highlighting his past negative comments about Trump and suggesting he is motivated by revenge.

💡Hush Money

Hush money refers to payments made to silence someone, often to keep them from revealing damaging information. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the alleged payments made to a porn star to prevent her from disclosing her alleged affair with Trump. The term is used humorously and critically to discuss the nature of the trial and the public's fascination with the scandal.

💡Falsification of Business Records

Falsification of business records is the actual crime being discussed in the trial. It involves the act of altering or making false entries in business documents with the intent to deceive. The video script highlights this as the legal issue at hand, with Cohen's testimony being key to tying Trump to this alleged crime.

💡Boeing In-flight Safety Video

This term is used metaphorically in the script to describe the perceived lack of credibility of Cohen's testimony. It suggests that Trump's defense attorneys are trying to make Cohen seem as unbelievable as a safety video on an airplane, which is often perceived as less than compelling or engaging by passengers.

💡Podcast

A podcast is an audio program that can be downloaded from the internet and is often hosted by one or more people discussing a particular topic. In the script, Cohen's podcast is mentioned as an example of his public criticism of Trump, with the defense using it to portray Cohen as someone with a personal vendetta against Trump.

💡Bob Menendez

Bob Menendez is a U.S. Senator from New Jersey who is also on trial for corruption charges, as mentioned in the video. The script humorously refers to him as a 'grown-up Cabbage Patch Kid' and discusses his defense strategy, which includes shifting blame onto his wife for alleged corruption.

💡Confederate Statues

Confederate statues are monuments erected to honor military leaders and soldiers of the Confederate States of America, which fought to preserve slavery during the American Civil War. The video script discusses the controversy surrounding the removal and renaming of these statues and schools named after Confederate figures, reflecting ongoing debates about historical legacy and racial justice.

💡Cultural War

Cultural war refers to ongoing societal conflicts over values, beliefs, and norms. In the script, it is used to frame the discussion about the renaming of schools and the broader debate about how history is remembered and taught, particularly in relation to controversial figures from the past.

💡Racism

Racism is the belief in the inherent superiority of one race over another, which often results in discrimination and prejudice. The video script uses humor to critique the decision to revert to Confederate names for schools, suggesting that it reflects a form of racism and a resistance to progress on racial equality.

💡Stonewall Jackson High School

Stonewall Jackson High School is mentioned in the script as one of the schools having its name changed back to honor a Confederate general. The name change is part of the broader cultural and political debate about how to remember and honor historical figures, with the video using humor to comment on the absurdity of the situation.

Highlights

Day 18 of Donald Trump's porn star hush money trial featured Michael Cohen, former Trump fixer, as a key witness tying Trump to falsification of business records.

The porn star hush money aspect is a minor element compared to the falsification of business records which is the actual crime.

Trump's defense attorneys are attempting to discredit Cohen by emphasizing his past negative statements about Trump.

Cohen's podcast from October 2020 was played, showing his anger towards Trump.

Cohen admitted to calling Trump derogatory names such as 'boorish, cartoon misogynist' and 'Cheeto-dusted cartoon villain'.

Trump's lawyers are using Cohen's past insults to suggest he is seeking revenge.

Senator Bob Menendez is also on trial for corruption and is using a defense strategy of blaming his wife.

Menendez's defense claims his wife Nadine was responsible for gold bars found in their home.

The defense for Menendez suggests Lebanese cultural affinity for gold as a reason for the gold bars.

Two schools in Virginia are reverting to their old names, those of Confederate officers.

The Shenandoah County School Board is the first to revert names from before the racial reckoning of 2020.

Supporters of the name change argue against erasing history and restoring heritage.

Critics of the name change liken it to Adolf Hitler's erasure of history and argue it's about racism.

The host humorously suggests alternative white names for the schools, like Paul Rudd High or Dolly Parton Elementary.

The host and Josh Johnson discuss the irony of middle-aged men trying to revert to the glory days of the Confederacy.

Johnson humorously suggests that having a school named after a Confederate general could be seen as 'pretty Black'.

The host and Johnson joke about directing racism toward trivial matters to prevent more significant issues.