Left-wing comedian Samantha Bee traveled to Hong Kong to meet with pro-democracy protesters committed to holding “China accountable for their actions,” airing her interviews on Wednesday’s edition of Full Frontal. It came as quite a shock to the vehemently anti-Trump Bee that the protesters actually liked the President and Republican Senator Marco Rubio.
A bewildered Bee confronted one of the protesters: “This is a photograph of you with Marco Rubio and you look happy. Please explain.” The protester explained that the Florida Senator introduced the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and invited him to join a congressional hearing on the matter. After learning this, Bee remarked “Marco Rubio did something that I like. Every day holds the possibility of a new miracle.”
The TBS host seemed excited that “both the House and Senate agreed to pass legislation protecting democracy” before whining: “unfortunately, it wasn’t our democracy.” When one of the protesters finished explaining the details of the legislation to Bee, she inquired “so the outcome of sanctions is in…the tiny, tiny hands of our current President?”
The protester responded to her question by proclaiming that the responsibility to impose sanctions on individuals accused of committing human rights violations in Hong Kong lies “in the office of the President, so it could be any President.” An encouraged Bee was elated that he was “implying that there could be a different one sometime real soon.” Another protester informed Bee that Democratic candidates Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg also support the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.
Eventually, Bee spoke to a group of pro-democracy protesters dressed holding Trump signs, telling them “I see that you are really going for a look. I am cool with it, I swear, but I will say that most people, if they saw you like this, would run screaming into the forest and not come back for like three to ten days.” One of the protesters shot back: “Actually, President Donald Trump is the number one people in the world that could stand against China.”
According to Bee, “This place is bananas. Here, Trump is like Nelson Mandela and Luke Skywalker rolled into one righteous freedom fighter but will he deliver?” As one of the protesters attempted to put a MAGA hat on Bee, she visibly cringed and ducked.
Showing her anti-Trump bias, Bee told one of the protesters “it feels to me like America is moving closer to losing our democracy any day.” When one of the protesters dressed in MAGA gear told Bee, “I think every American should treasure your freedom and vote,” she responded: “You’re the first man in a MAGA hat that I’ve ever agreed with.”
Towards the end of the segment, Bee put on glasses designed to resemble Pepe the Frog after stopping at a jewelry store and declared “I hate myself.” While Bee claimed that “Hong Kong has changed me,” don’t expect her to cut back on her Trump-bashing in the new year.
A transcript of the relevant portion of Wednesday’s edition of Full Frontal is below. Click “expand” to read more.
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
12/18/19
10:49 PM
SAMANTHA BEE: Welcome back to the show. Before the break, you saw that I went to Hong Kong to learn more about the pro-democracy protests that have been happening there since June but can America do anything to help Hong Kong? Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEE: I’m so impressed with Hong Kong. They’re now the poster child for pro-democracy demonstrations and the umbrella-wielding protestors have shown no sign of letting up. Speaking of umbrellas. Can you fix this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow. (Speaking in native language.)
BEE: The fact is, umbrellas alone aren’t enough to stand up to China; which is why activists like Alvin Yang and Joshua Wong have been lobbying Congress to pass legislation that would help Hong Kongers hold China accountable for their actions. Okay, this is a photograph of you with Marco Rubio and you look happy. Please explain.
JOSHUA WONG: He’s the one invite me to join the Congress hearing and also the one introduced the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.
BEE: Marco Rubio did something that I like. Every day holds the possibility of a new miracle.
(LAUGHTER)
BEE: That’s right, both the House and the Senate agreed to pass legislation protecting democracy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our democracy. Can you explain the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy bill to me?
ALVIN YANG: It’s a piece of legislation that the U.S. could recommend a list of individuals who might have violated human rights in Hong Kong and those people have to face sanction by the U.S. government.
BEE: So, it’s a law that holds China accountable by allowing the U.S. to sanction individuals who have committed human rights violations in Hong Kong. Still not following? Here’s Joshua putting it in terms that the average American can understand.
WONG: If we need to defeat the Darth Vader, we need to train more Jedi.
BEE: Nice.
WONG: And U.S. Presidents authorize the power to decide which Darth Vader will be punished and sanctioned and face a penalty.
BEE: I just feel like people are really going to understand this now. Okay, so the outcome of sanctions is in the…the tiny, tiny hands of our current President?
YANG: Well, in the office of the President, so it could be any President.
BEE: Oh, it could be any President. Oh yeah, oh, I see what you did there.
...
BEE: I am cool with it, I swear, but I will say that most people, if they saw you like this, would run screaming into the forest and not come back for like three to ten days.
PROTESTER # 1: First of all, Samantha Bee, I have to disagree with you. I think such look of ours are not scary at all.
BEE: Agree to disagree. Do you like Donald Trump or are you just using him for good?
PROTESTER # 2: Actually, President Donald Trump is the number one people in the world that could stand against China. Therefore, we try to raise the name of President Trump to help us. That’s why we try to use all kinds of tactics, including this one.
BEE: You guys need more MAGA gear if you want to make an impact. Good thing I stole a box of MAGA gear off the back of a truck fresh from Beijing. I have got a whole bunch. Keeping my boobs warm. Here’s one for you.
PROTESTER # 1: Yeah. Good, thank you very much, Samantha Bee.
BEE: This place is bananas. Here Trump is like Nelson Mandela and Luke Skywalker rolled into one righteous freedom fighter but will he deliver? No, no, no, no, no. Ooh.
(LAUGHTER)
YANG: We hope that the United States and international community could still uphold the law and could take actions when necessary.
BEE: You need us to do stuff? I thought it was just like hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm and then…we are definitely probably 100 percent going to let these protesters down, but for a brief and beautiful moment, we are on the right side of history. It feels to me like America is moving closer to losing our democracy any day. Do you have any tips for us?
WONG: Lots of young generation, they might have lots of hesitations.
...
