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Welcome back to The Daily Show. My guest tonight is a former GOP lawmaker who is the Advisory Council Co-Chair of Power the Polls, a national non-partisan effort to recruit the next generation of poll workers to ensure safe and fair elections for all voters. Please welcome Representative Adam Kinzinger. Now, congressman, thanks for being on the show. Great to be here.

Thank you.

Now, you stuck your neck out politically and personally to put politics over personal benefit, over party. Some would say country over party to speak out against Trump despite being a congressman for the Republicans. Why the fuck did you do that?

I ask myself that every day. No, look, I really had no other option. I wear on my wrist the name of a guy, Andreas O'Keefe, who I knew who was killed in Iraq, and I'm an Iraq veteran. I just remember thinking when I ran for Congress the first time, if we're going to ask young people to be willing to die for a country, to be willing to fight and die, the ultimate sacrifice. If I go into politics, I have to be willing to give my career for the same cause. It's such a minor sacrifice in comparison to what we ask people to do every day.

Sure. But what was your problem with Trump?

Well, I don't know. The fascism, the overthrowing the government, those kinds of things.

I mean, you would think that's a pretty big issue, but I guess not big enough. I mean, you have insight because you were in Congress from 2011 till 2023, I think. You have It's like, behind the scenes access. You talk to these people all the time. I think it's very popular to say America has never been more divisive than it is now. You have perspective on it. You were there for a long time and you were working there. Is that true? Was it divisive when you first went in? Yeah.

I mean, look, behind the scenes, it's like any job. So people will fight on the air within Congress. And then when the cameras come off, you shake each other's hands, maybe go out for a drink. That's happened less lately. I mean, there's a real division that started to creep in where people just hate each other now because of political differences. I mean, they can't stand to be around each other. But I think if America actually saw the behind the scenes of what was happening, they'd be like, Man, I can't believe they're manipulating us to fight each other as deeply as we are out here when they, back there, are just playing the game. And it's really a sad state of affairs.

Okay, so your experienced opinion is that it is getting more divisive in Congress?

I think the country, certainly. And in Congress, yes. I think they're just starting to You got Marjorie Taylor-Green there, for goodness' sakes. Who would get along with her in real life?

Well, I mean, would the party people get along with her? Would they?

They love her now because she raises money for them, because she goes out there and gets attention. But when she was there when I When she was there initially, she was a pariah until she started getting on TV and tweeting and everything. And then she became pretty popular in the party somehow.

But like, genuine, professionally popular, or would they actually be... Are they now friends?

I think there's probably some that like to that would be a friend with her because access to power. But yeah, mostly it's just professional.

And in your, again, expert opinion, how much of this is... I like to believe that it's just internet bullshit that gets taken into real life. And In real life, we don't behave like this. But for some reason, these people have managed to take the comment section and bring it. How much of that is real animosity? How much of it is just internet mentality?

Yeah, look, I think a significant amount of it is... This is the untold secret. Politicians watch Twitter. When you see things happening on Twitter, this way... I mean, Donald Trump was the master at this. You'd see some conspiracy pop up and he'd give a nod to it. What's happened is leaders have gone from supposed to be leading and talking about trying to direct opinion, right? Trying to lead us to a better place to now following insanity. And it's basically like a dog now chasing its tail out in the middle of traffic. And I think that's what you're seeing.

On that note, what is the solution? In your opinion, how can Americans come together and bridge this political-The solution is in all of us.

And I'm not trying to sound like esoteric and big word. Really, we control government. It's truly government for, of, and by the people. We've got to quit voting for these clowns that decide they want to go there and be more famous than they want to do good things for this country. We need to make sure our presidents actually care about something more than their own ego and more than their own narcissism. They care about the country. And I mean that. I really am so passionate.

You're asking for too much.

I truly believe that America can take our political system back. We have to believe we can. And we have to say, enough of you abusing us for money, for follows, for likes. We demand mature, grown-up government.

You're here to talk about power the Pole. Can Can you tell us a bit about that?

Look, one of the most important things in an election is just the ability to actually do that election. You think about poll workers, especially on election day. They're out there grinding down every day. They're starting at whatever, 6:00, 7:00 in the morning, going night to make sure that you can vote, to make sure the lines are moving and they're done quickly. That is the bullwork of making sure that an election is free, fair, and accurate. Power the Polls is about recruiting a million poll workers to work and defend... Of the next generation of poll workers In some states, you can be as young as 16 or 17 to go work in the polls. It's a great way to serve your community, to connect to the community. Powerthepolls. Org, go there, and it's a great time to sign up to do this.

Yeah, it's a civic duty. It is. But it's a very... And you get paid. Oh, you get paid? You can, yeah. Okay, I was going to forget my length. Next question. I was going to say it feels a bit like a thankless task at the moment to try to power American democracy. It's like, Why go through that right now?

It does feel like a thankless task, and that's the sad thing, is especially the next generation, which is what Power the Polls is focused on, they've been so beaten down on democracy. Democracy to them is just like, well, it's just what people say to go after each other. We have to inspire that generation because look, I really believe this next generation is going to be the ones to take the keys out of the hands of the people that have been holding the keys to power too long. And there's no better way to get started than to be a young person and see how democracy works in the nuts and bolts.

Right. And if you're You're getting frustrated by the system and you don't know where to start, this sounds like a way to look, I just want to get involved. I don't want to get bogged down in some weird culture war. I just want to help my country.

Look, and you're going to be working with people that have different political No views than you, all committed to democracy. If we can all agree on that basic thing, I think, seriously, there's no limits to the future of this country. We just have to convince ourselves of this.

As someone coming from a conservative background, why is it that whenever we talk about voting access, election access, why does that always feel like a left issue more than a right?

It's crazy. It's because for whatever reason, they feel threatened in the GOP that the more people vote, the more in danger they are. I think we know why, because what they're talking about today, what you see them out there discussing is not what the vast majority of Americans wants. The thing they can hope is to turn their base out. Look, I think it should be a non-partisan or bipartisan or whatever issue to say, If you have a right to vote in this country, we should make it as accessible and easy for you to vote. Then, by the way, if you can't win, then go out and get better ideas to get people to to vote for you. That's the way you can really watch it.

What I love about having you on the show is we get to talk to people outside our own echo chamber, I think, a little bit. What is your conservative argument for voting for a Democratic president?

Oh, it's really easy. I believe in democracy. I mean, democracy was... I was there on January sixth. I had to live through that. Standing for the Constitution, standing for democracy, there is nothing more conservative than that, and Donald Trump is the exact opposite of that. For me, Kamala Harris is going to defend that democracy. I think every Republican that takes their views, viewpoint seriously, old-school Republican, not whatever this new thing is, should be voting the same way.

Well, thank you. Congressman, I really wish you weren't a former congressman. I wish you were a current congressman. I wish you could run again. Thank you so much for coming to speak to us. Thank you for trying to do something for a country power, The Post.

Hey, everybody. Jon Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, The Weekly Show. It's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, T-G-I-D. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election, economics, earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that, fourth, but in importance, it's probably second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, wherever you get your podcast.

My guest tonight is the singer, songwriter, and producer of the Grammy nominator band Black Pumas, whose latest album is called Chronicles of a Diamond. Please welcome Eric Burton. Oh, my God. Thank you. Thanks so much for being on the show.Thank you.You're making me cooler just by joining me at the desk. Thanks so much. I feel just so cool Cool. I feel like your band right now is in such a great place culturally. You're in that. Cromie if you feel differently, but you're in that sweet spot of you're big enough to sell out Radio City and people love your music, but you're still that underground vibe where you don't have to play to a mainstream sensibility or do anything you don't want to do. Do you feel that way?

Which is a great place to be because we feel in charge of our self-expression, which is amazing as artists and human beings. Selling out Radio City here in New York is still really cool for us, so we don't take it for granted. It's been amazing. Just being in here in this smaller TV audience situation is super I know.

The authenticity is coming through in the second album, I feel. I can still feel it. That was one of my questions for you was, do you feel that transition from making your first album where you're just pure self-expression and doing what you want to do to the second album where there's expectations for it now. Did you feel that pressure? Did they change your creative approach to it?

Most Definitely. With the last album, I was really lucky because of my other half, Adrian Casada. He came to the table with such a knowledge and such a sensitivity towards the culture, towards the style of music that I just-You can say Black people. Yeah, Black people. But it was really easy for me to adopt the character that was being presented by way of the canvas that is soul music. As we accomplished and he liked some of my songs, and those songs helped catapult Black Puma's colors. It's been really amazing. But for the second album, there was way much more pressure. But I was raised in an artist's household, and I was always taught to genuinely be okay with expressing myself. And thankfully, the people have allowed it. It feels nice to be here.

You haven't changed Yet. Not yet. Not never. I guess I know you're still with an indie music label.

Yeah, that's right. Eto records.

But do you feel like with this second album, with the more anticipation and the undouled success of the first one, do you feel like you have more resources now? How is it actually affecting how you make music for the second album?

When we did so well the first time around, I immediately learned that our team, which is a great team, they were relying on us for direction. And so that came as a really big surprise. While it doesn't sound like a big deal, it came as a surprise because I don't know that we were for sure as to what direction we wanted to go in. So we just continued to be genuine, continued to be honest, and it's led us into some places that have been really new and very cool. We're still observing people's reaction to it. So that's been really nice.

You came up playing smaller gigs coming up, and now your radio city, and everything is really happening for you. Do you feel like you Do you still go back to play smaller gigs just to get the energy of that?

Most definitely. I'm lucky because I was busking before. Everybody hated me.

No, that's not true. What city were you busking?

I was busking in Santa Monica in Los Angeles. I went from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas, where there's a live show for anybody and everybody every single day. To be interjected in such a culture where the artist is just embracing raced in this uncanny way, that really opened my eyes to being able to play and not having to pay to play, too, but being able to play and really just integrate in the culture. We played Sea Boys, which is a smaller venue, Shot Sun Club.

You feed off that energy. Obviously, it's smaller. Everyone's there. You're playing original music and you're killing it. Yes.

But there's that sense that you really have to work hard because we have friends who come in there and just in the back doing that thing.

But-it's like you're playing, you're trying to prove yourself versus your city where everyone's there to-Must definitely.

I want to say briefly that we were just very lucky just from the very get-go. As soon as I met Adrian Casada, we had such a chemistry. Obviously, I'm a creative and an artist first, and it helped to be with a partner who was just knowledgeable enough to help me find a container for that musically, and to then see the stage in such a real way. I used to be in theater. I grew up acting, and so it's not that much different. To be in that situation in Austin, Texas, it was the perfect place to cultivate the live performative element. Right.

I heard you recently went into a silent meditation retreat.

Yeah, most definitely. I discovered Vipasana through a girlfriend of mine and changed my world. I have done the retreat twice. It's free. They fed me for free.

They put me up for free. But what's the condition? You just have to shut the for seven days? Exactly. Sorry, I should say it's a silent retreat. Did I mention-It's a silent retreat.

It's a silent retreat. You get there, it's maybe 100 students, five instructors, and you learn the technique, which is really easy to learn. It's to shut up. Yes, just to be quiet. You'd be surprised.

The technique for that is a quiet skill, I guess, these days. What happens if you don't shut up? Do they kick you out? How do they kick you out?

You can get kicked out. Yeah, for sure. You can get kicked out. But I think that the technique is to get you on a vehicle to the source of how and/or where our of conscious mind is reacting to our thoughts and things that might have happened in the past. To get to the bottom of it, it's really technique to do so.

Yeah, that sounds horrible. I'll never do that. But Marcos, all the diamonds available now. Eric Burn and the Black Pumas, everybody.

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Paramount Podcasts. Hey, everybody. Jon Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, The Weekly Show. It's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, T-G-I-T. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election, economics, earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance, it's probably second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them on Thursday? I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the Weekly Show with Jon Stewart, wherever you get your podcast.