The Marissa Mitchell Show: September 08, 2026

Many things have changed because of that day, yet this battered piece of steel here today on the ellipse is a reminder that America is blessed with a strength no fire can consume, no evil can conquer, and no terror can destroy. For three months after September 11th, the flames raged in the rubble of ground zero for night and day and night on the site. I want to just thank my people. I took a lot of my, I was building a big building in New York and I took the whole crew down there right after this happened and they were, they had no hesitation. Everybody went down with me. We went down as a big group of people. Wasn't too much we could do. I'll be honest. It was, it was raw. Nobody's seen anything like it ever. We had other buildings. The United States steel building was creaking, really creaking, and we thought it was going to fall down. The truth is it creaked a lot. It creaked. There's still creaks, but, uh, it never came down. And I'll never forget two firemen. We thought it was coming down on top of us and two firemen, big, strong guys. And I'm not the smallest guy in the world. They grabbed me under the arm and said, got to get out of here. And they literally lifted me up. This is not easy to do. I'm big. They lifted me up and they started running with me. I said, fellas, I can run myself. But they were amazing. But they thought it was coming down. It didn't come down. U.S. steel. The 16,000 pound beam lifted from the wreckage of the South Tower will forever testify to the courage and resilience and spirit of a city and a nation that saw our homeland struck. Our towers knocked down and stood back up stronger, more determined and more united than ever before. And I'll tell you, I have to give New York a whole lot of praise because they started that. You call it demolition. The demolition had taken place, but you call it demolition. They had the best demolition contractors anywhere in the world. I know all of them from being in the business. And I've never seen such an unbelievable mass of steel and unfortunately bodies and everything you can imagine. The job they did on cleaning up the site, they wanted to do it fast. They wanted to get it done. And I don't think there's any other place in the world that could have done the job that was done by the people, the construction workers, demolition experts, the police, the military. Nobody could have done the job that was done on getting it started. And the first thing to get it started, they had to clean it up. And this was a it looked like it was a mile high. The rubble looked like it was a mile high. That's a piece of it. When we see this deal, we're reminded that no matter what threat or challenge comes our way, America will fight, America will endure, and America will prevail. And nothing can keep our country down and our country is stronger today than it's ever been before. We have the highest stock market that we've ever had. We have the most people working that we've ever had. We've never had employment like it is right now. We have the most people working today that we ever had. And when you looked at something like took place on September 11th, you say, I wonder if we could ever get back to a level of greatness. Well, we've done it for the past few months. Tunnels to towers has taken this deal across the nation to remind Americans of what we overcame that day and what our heroes did. And on September 11th, 23 members of the New York Police Department, 37 members of the Port Authority Police, three court officers and 343 members of the New York Fire Department made the ultimate sacrifice. And they knew what they were getting into. They saw it. They knew what was going to happen. They were running up those stairs and they knew what was going to happen. There wasn't one of them that thought otherwise. The bravery is really incredible. But their photos are all around us today of these incredible people. Men and women, but just incredible, brave people. You never know about bravery until you really test it. You don't know. We're deeply honored to be joined this morning by more than 150 first responders from New York, along with dozens more from Washington, D.C., Arlington and Pennsylvania, who carry on the mission of their fallen comrades. I've been to all three. I speak to all three on every we pick one or sometimes two. And we speak on that very special day. And we're also joined by more than 200 proud members of the United States military who were there and some were not there and some are here just because they want to honor the people that were. Would you all stand up, please? Everybody please stand up. That's great. Anybody that was there. Great. Thank you very much. But these are the men and women who lifted our country from the rubble. Every day they go to work knowing that they might not come home. Think of it for 25 years since 9-11 and they've kept us safe and free. And we thank you and we salute you. Our law enforcement is so incredible. Our law enforcement holds our country together in light of some threats. We have some very real threats right now. We have people that want to go a different way. They want to go a communistic way. Well, that's not going to work. Number one, we're not going to let it happen, but that's not going to work. One New York firefighter at ground zero was Jeffrey Palazzo, a member of the elite rescue squad five from Staten Island, a place I love, Staten Island, and a U.S. Coast Guard reservist. Before September 11th, he had already saved many lives. That day, he had 10 other members of the rescue squad. That's what he did. He rescued people. And he was a legend before September 11th. But him and the other members of rescue squad five died at the World Trade Center while fighting to rescue fellow New Yorkers. And today, I'm proud to announce that this weekend in New York, the Coast Guard will commission a brand new, beautiful — I bought it myself. I've negotiated the price. It was very expensive. I didn't want to negotiate too hard in honor of him. But a brand new Coast Guard will — they're going to commission a beautiful, brand new fast — it's called fast-response cutter, the most incredible kind of ship you'll ever see. It can go through anything. They go out into waves that are five times bigger than it. And they come back. I don't know how they do it, but they come back. But this is the U.S. Coast Guard cutter, Jeffrey Palazzo. So we honor him with this very important tribute. To me, very important. Where is the family? The family? The Palazzo family is here? Thank you. Thank you very much. Incredible. Today, we also remember another hero of 9-11. After the plane hit the South Tower, a group of people on the 78th floor were trapped with broken bones, charred skin and eyes and lungs filled with black smoke. Death was all about them. It was certain. They were sure they were going to die. Then suddenly, a rescuer appeared. They call him the man in the red bandana. Have you heard that term? The man in the red bandana has become more famous than me. I don't like it. Very unhappy, but he's become much more famous than me. Now, as the man in the red bandana, he had found the only stairwell that barely survived. Those stairwells were all knocked down. You couldn't get by impassable. He found an opening in one of the stairwells. The impact was so great, there was no other way down. But this one little opening, this one little hole, and traveled down from the 104th floor to look for those trapped and dying. When he heard cries for help on the 78th floor, he began extinguishing the fires, blocking the exit, directing survivors who could walk, of which there weren't that many. He helped some out physically. They literally pulled them out toward the only working stairwell and carried those who couldn't walk. And he just did things that people said were not even imaginable because they knew they were dead. They said, we're goners. One guy was screaming, we're goners, we're goners. He didn't know that those he helped and nor who would have known, but he willingly made all of these trips up and down, up and down, up and down, over and over again, saving life after life. That rescuer was a 24-year-old equities trader and volunteer firefighter from Rockland County named Wells Crowther. And Wells's father, also a firefighter, great firefighter, had given him that bandana as a very special tribute. When he was a boy, he probably knew something about his son. When asked why he always kept it, Wells replied, with this red bandana, I'm going to change the world. I'm going to change the world with this bandana. Little did he know, on September 11th, Wells saved many, many people before losing his own life in the South Tower lobby when the building came down. He was in the lobby and that building came down, thousands of tons of steel. Today, in honor of his incredible bravery and all of the other countless unknown acts of heroism that day, it is my privilege to award the very special, the highest honor that we give, highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. We want to award that to Wells and Wells's family. Wells is up there looking down at his mom and his sister, his family. So I would ask his mother, Allison, and sister Paige, Paige and Allison came up. We will present them with not only the medal, but we'll also present them with a very important designation. Very, very important. Please. Thank you. Thank you so very much, Mr. President, for this enormous honor that you've bestowed upon my son, Wells, in remembrance of his selfless actions on September 11th. This means the world to me, my daughters Paige and Honor, and our entire family. This will be treasured for generations to come. Over the years, we have been blessed by the love and support of family and friends, many of whom are with us this morning. I would also like to thank Rachel Ducey, whose concept it was to prepare a proposal to bring to the President for this honor, and for Congressman Mike Lawler, who did so much to keep the energy going and bring it to the attention of the President. Really, thank you. Walking into this site and seeing all the faces of the firefighters lost is really just so powerful and moving, and the work that the Siller Institute does through Tunnel to Towers is so important to keep knowledge going of what happened on September 11th. We salute you, Frank, and your organization for this great work. That Wells' light still shines brilliantly today, even after 25 years, is testament to his legacy of courage, compassion, and love for humanity that continues to inspire and uplift others. Wells, however, would not have been able to do what he did as effectively on 9-11 if it had not been for the training and experience he gained as a member of Empire Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 of Upper Nyack. Empire is a volunteer company, and the members are fully trained firefighters. They have other jobs and responsibilities, businesses to run, and their own families. But when the alarm goes off at any time, day or night, they respond to the call to save life and property. This is a calling, and Wells, following in the footsteps of his father Jefferson, joined Empire at the age of 16. He was no longer an equities trader on 9-11. He was a firefighter. Members of Empire Hook and Ladder Company have joined us today, and I would like to recognize and thank them. If you would please stand where you are, there they are, wonderful. Thank you, gentlemen, such a support. My family has grown over the years, not only my own family, but the family of friends Wells grew up with, and Boston College friends, and the fire department. We're all like one big family, and it's such a beautiful thing. Wells continued his spiritual growth in service at Boston College, whose motto is men and women for others. In the months that followed 9-11, we established the Wells Remy Crowther Charitable Trust and continue with our work today, both charitable and educational. Over 10 years working with a team of distinguished educators led by Vernoi Paolini, the Red Bandana Project was created. Social and emotional learning lessons on leadership, caring for others, team, the power of one, bridging divides, forgiveness, and carpe diem were the subjects for elementary through high school students. This year, the Red Bandana Project has been updated and digitized by Dr. Kevin Holbrook, who is here today as well. Thank you, Dr. Holbrook. These lessons are available for downloading free of charge on our website, wellscrowthertrust.org. As I travel around the United States speaking at schools, I see firsthand how young people are impacted and inspired by Wells, his example and legacy, to be better, kinder, and more caring of others. 25 years after September 11th, his life continues to remind us of something very simple. In moments when others need us, each of us has the power to choose courage, compassion, and service. That's the real meaning of the Red Bandana, to be courageous, to find the good, to be the good. Again, thank you, Mr. President. We are profoundly grateful for your very special honor of Wells. So a while ago, years, I promised mom and sister that Wells was going to get the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And we didn't forget. So we didn't forget. We never forget. So it's good and really deserves it. Again, this has been an honor to be involved with Frank and the whole group that does such an incredible job of helping so many people. And it's very special. On the Ellipse, very few things are allowed to be touched. I don't know if you know, this is very important soil. They don't allow things like this to happen except for very special events. And this is a, to me, this is a very special event, Frank, and the job you've done is great. The job your people have done is amazing. And even the proficiency, they were saying how well everything was run, and it has been. And you even worked out great weather. I think Wells gave us the weather, right? Wells is looking down. He gave us the weather. So I just want to end by saying, God bless you. Our country is bigger, better, stronger than ever before. We have a great country. We're going to keep it that way. And we appreciate it. It's my honor to be with you, and we'll see you again soon. Congratulations. Thank you very much, everybody. the next few days, both here in D.C. in New York City, Shanksville, PA, and across the country as well as we remember 25 years ago today. And President Trump will be at the Pentagon on Friday morning. That's where he will be speaking from. He won't be going to New York. He'll be staying right here in Washington. That all will be happening on Friday morning. That's right. And just a reminder, of course, Fox 5, we will be with you all day long as we remember 25 years since the terrorist attacks. We'll also take you live to the memorials in New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville. You can also watch our special Remembering 9-11 25 years later on September 11th at 5 p.m., both on air and on Fox Local. So scan that QR code. Make sure you have that app downloaded. Yeah, we'll focus a lot, especially on what happened here in the D.C. region on 9-11. In that special, I will be featuring a woman and her family as well, who is just three years old there, and a visitor education center that is looking to break ground there at the Pentagon, brand new just a few days after 9-11 this year. So I do hope you'll join us for that at 5 p.m. this Friday. All right. All that to come on Friday morning. Right now, though, it is a Tuesday and we appreciate you staying with us for this special coverage from down by the White House. We are going to turn things over to the regular program right now, which, of course, is the Marissa Mitchell Show, which is already in progress. At the same time, hot pocket, you know, we're out in the pocket. I'm still laughing. Thank you, Al. You're hanging around to take your questions and comments. This is hilarious. This is the hottest I think we've ever had. A September motivation post is going viral. So we'll get to that in just a bit in our burst of joy. I'll tell you why. Also, we have this comedian coming up, star of Netflix's Funny AF, Reg Thomas is stopping by with a sneak peek of his show in D.C. tonight. Plus, scan the QR code because the iconic Earthquake is still here and he's taking those after the break. You literally have two minutes to get them in. I'm back now with D.C. native and comedic icon Earthquake, taking your questions like this one from Stella out of D.C. She says, I've always wanted to be in comedy. How can I break in social media or open mic? To be honest with you both, I think social media is just a platform for you to be able to get to your customers or your audience. But open mic is where you define and work on your craft. You have to hit the stage. You got to do it. All right. Next up, Jonathan from Fort Washington. Man, so proud. Earthquake seeing him in person. Funny guy. Thank you, Jonathan. Make sure you come see me tomorrow because you need to see me again. That's right. A whole new show and it'll be at the MGM. All right. Thank you, Jonathan. Next up. I wonder if they had to roll him out of there because I feel like somebody's going to have to roll me out of here. Nadine, also in Fort Washington, to one of the greatest to ever do it. Earthquake from one Baloo night to another. We absolutely love you. I'm trying to get to see you. I've been seeing you every year. That's a real one. Well, tell them, Ms. Brown, just hit me up on The Real Earthquake on my social media and I have two tickets for you. I have two tickets for you, Ms. Brown. All you have to do is follow me at The Real Earthquake and slide in my DM and we'll make sure that you'll be my personal guest for the show. Just an extra treat for watching this show. That's right. A flattery gets me any time. Now, I'm all out of men tickets. I don't get men numbers. Now, everybody's going to be writing things. Nah, I don't. Nah, I'm Ms. Brown. Just Ms. Brown. Just Ms. Nadine Brown. That's it. Ms. Nadine. Sound like a candy lady. It does. Would you go down to Ms. Nadine and get me a Rock Creek soda? No, we got Demi coming in from D.C. She says, hey, Uncle P, aka Earthquake, you are the best. Wishing you nothing but more success. That's from Demigirl1. Hey, Demi. Thank you very much. P is for my name. Pui. That's people from D.C. know. They know you. Pui. When they say Pui, I say, yeah, that's Southeast. All right. She probably doesn't need tickets then. No, no, no. She don't need tickets. All right. Finally, Angela. She says, hello. Thank you for your comment. As I know about turning trauma into positive moves. God got jokes. My name is Angela. But backwards, it describes me a leg in a. So that's her little punch line. That was corny. She may need to open my night. Yeah, yeah. You need to hit the stage a little bit. That one ain't moving for you, Angela. We got to work on that. Angela, thanks for writing. Where can people go, I guess, online to get tickets? Yes, you get an MGM box offer, Ticketmaster also. And follow me at TheRealEarthquake, because I'll be giving away tickets there, too. Just so you know. Me and my beautiful sister. And make sure you be at the show Saturday night. It's a black show, because it's going to start about 815. CB Time. You know it. All right. Thank you, as always. And congrats. Thank you. Thank you for having me. All the things. Absolutely. All right. Well, inspiring the next generation of innovators, the STEM queen, she is here with her mission. She also has some experiments. We'll do that after this quick break. Local. All hail the queen of science, that is. You know that I'm all about uplifting women in all professions, including STEM. So I just had to loop you in on the woman who's made that her mission. The STEM queen, Jacqueline Means, is still in college. But get this. She's already making ways for women in science nationally, I might add. So I want to bring in Jacqueline here. Hi, everyone. I know you've got some experiments, as well. Yes, yes. We've got some fun stuff to do. Yes. I think it's your personality, as well. I mean, you've got the brains. You've got the beauty. You've got the personality. I mean, I like to think of myself as incredibly intelligent, incredibly kind, and most importantly, super humble. And also blended in alphabet. Yes, yes. But let's get right to it. You started this organization. You were really young at 12 years old. You've always known that you had this affinity for STEM. So take me back to those days. Absolutely. So I grew up in a part of Wilmington, Delaware, called Southbridge, which is a really underserved part of the state that faces a very low rate of graduation, high rates of crime, and just a lot of negative issues. But I was blessed to have two parents in my house who encouraged me to stay away from bad things, focus on getting my education. And at 12 years old, my mom said, you know what, you have such an affinity for STEM and teaching others and a true heart for service. You need to use that and give back. So I had this idea to create STEM parties. And listen to this. I said, Mom, let's invite every girl from the street to come to our house in your kitchen and do science just like this. Do science just like this. And she said, Jacqueline, I don't know where your mind has gone. You've lost it. Let's reframe that. And so that became the Girls Empowerment STEM Initiative. I created it at 12 years old. And all these years later, I'm still doing it. Impacted over 10,000 young girls at this point and counting. So it's been such a blessing, such a journey going directly into schools and directly into community centers. Teaching experiments just like this that get young girls and especially girls of color excited about STEM. I mean, a lot of it is exposure. You just don't know what you don't know. And I think sadly for a lot of women and girls, I'll start with girls because it starts early, we're kind of ushered into certain fields of study. And a lot of that is because of social norms and standards. Do you have to introduce them? You didn't know you were doing that at 12. Not even. I just said, I want to share my little nerdy interest. And then that became something so much bigger than what I initially thought. The impact I was having just kept growing. Wow. Do one quick experiment. Then I want to talk about you globetrotting with a huge scholarly thing you have as well. So this is one we can do together. This is one of my, actually my favorite, my top favorite. So you're going to take this little clear liquid. Did you know purple was my favorite color? I guessed. It's everywhere. Right, right, right. Could you tell pink is mine? Yes. So we've got our clear liquid and I want you to give me one guess as to what you think it could be. I want to say, I was going to say vinegar at first, but I can't smell the vinegar. So I'm going to go with alcohol. Alcohol. What kind of girl do you think I am? Oh my gosh, water then. It's not alcohol or water actually. This is a bowl full of calcium ions. Now it's kind of boring all on its own. Right. So let's add something to it. Grab your clear bottle. Okay. And this might look like water or maybe even vinegar. It is neither. This is a seaweed polymer. Now again, kind of boring on its own. It's a seaweed polymer? Yes. Don't say it right. Okay, polymer. So you're going to take it and make a big circle like this. All right. I'm going around the perimeter here. Now it doesn't look like much has happened. Still no change. A little boring. But if you look closer, you'll see something amazing. Oh my word. What is this process called? So this is a rapid chemical reaction called cross-linking. Wow. Isn't that incredible? So you can play with this. You can play with this. Now I've heard of GAC, but this is actually cooler and even cooler than slime, which kids debate me on. But I tell them this is something that you can eat. Now it doesn't taste good, so I'm not going to eat it. You don't have to eat it. Not today at least. Not tomorrow. Not another day. But this is, I like to call this my edible slime. So this is perfect for kids. It's safe to touch. It's safe enough to eat. And perfect for parties too. Absolutely. And affordable. Yes. You can buy all of this. So this is one. And what do I do with the purple? Where does that come in? So this is how the chemical actually comes. Isn't that amazing? Yeah. I love it. So if you grab your other bowl. All right. I just added a bit of food dye to our seaweed polymers. And then you can really visualize the cross-linking in action. You can see it happen the second it touches. See it. Mm-hmm. Okay. Isn't that so cool? And it almost happens instantaneously. Instantaneously. You don't have to do it for five minutes. Yup. A few seconds and bam. There it is. Voila. Oh my. This is so cool. Because you know, I've always been into words and writing. Yes. I like science. I enjoyed math. Mm-hmm. But it wasn't my cup of tea. It wasn't my ministry. Yeah. If you will. But you make it so interesting. Thank you. And accessible. Yes. Because that is my entire goal. Make it interesting, engaging, and easily accessible. Especially for children. Because I feel that, you know, when I was a kid and I had to sit in my science classes, I would get bored being lectured at. Even in college, I'm paying to be lectured at. And I still don't like it. I feel that all children are kinesthetic learners. Meaning they have to get their hands dirty and in there to really kind of get the full understanding of what's going on. So I make all my demonstrations as engaging as this one. And you're traveling the world. Yes. On that mission too. Yes. So do tell me. I want to see Serbia. Yes. Spain. Japan. I literally just got back from Japan one week ago. I still have yen in my wallet. Yes. And I will take all of it. If you want to pass it on off. Listen. I need to go exchange it. So this was part of a very competitive program that you managed to get into. Yes. Tell us more. Absolutely. So I managed to be one of 100 Obama Chesky Voyager Scholars. And you heard it right. Obama. I about fell to the floor when I found out I got that scholarship. So the Obama Foundation partnered with the founder of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, to provide 100 young college juniors throughout the entire United States and the territories with $50,000 to finish their undergraduate career. And then just under 15,000 to go on a self-designed summer voyage around the world to study their passion area. So my passion, of course, getting young girls engaged and young women sustained in the fields of STEM. So I went to Serbia to do research on that. I went to Barcelona and then I went to Tokyo. Well, if you have to go somewhere else, take me with you. I'm not going to do any research, but you know you need help here. And I can always do the second hand. Yeah. I want to congratulate you on that and something else. You're newly crowned Miss Wilmington here. You're going to be competing for Miss Delaware. Yes. This is the Miss America system. Yes. Miss America opportunity. I am so excited to be Miss Wilmington. I've been a part of the Miss America organization since I was around 15 years old. I actually was Miss Delaware's Outstanding Teen 2019. So now I'm coming back as the Miss this time, going for the big title of Miss Delaware. And in a few months, I'll be competing for that. And hopefully on the Miss America stage after that. I think I have an idea of what your platform will be. And, you know, it might have to do with inkling. Just an inkling. Yeah. Jacqueline, was this supposed to be you? You know, I got so excited I forgot to put it on. But this is my lab coat. Oh, Stem Queen. Yes, Stem Queen. As you can see, it's well worn, well loved, meaning I get a lot of use out of it. Isn't that adorable? I love it. Congratulations on all the things I enjoyed you. Can I keep this refrigerated? Feel free. Yeah. Have it as a snack later. Come back once you win. Yeah. All right. From Kevin Hart's stage to our couch here. Funny as finalists, Reg Thomas is here with a sneak peek of his show hitting tonight in D.C. I can't wait to get over there to you, Reg. Also, meals made easy. More like Labor Day made easy. We'll put it that way. We're whipping up a creative spin on coleslaw. Jay is hard at work. That's why it only takes a few minutes. I'm serious about my time. We'll be right back. Well, a comedian who caught Kevin Hart's attention hits D.C. Improv Comedy Club tonight. Millions saw Reg Thomas bring the laughs as a finalist on Netflix's Funny AF. Me and my girl, we were together for four years and it was sweet, but it got toxic. She caught me cheating once a month and accused me of not knowing what loyalty was, and then she got to a new relationship and she got dumped for cheating with me. Silly rabbit. This is when it got toxic when she got caught cheating. I was there for her. I was like, yo, I know what you're going through right now. It always comes back around, doesn't it, Reg? It has to. He is here now with the sneak peek of his set, also to tell us what he's been up to, to the competition. And, you know, I was just talking with our producer, Victoria V. Huge fan of yours. Shout out, Victoria. Rooting for you on the show. Tell me about the difference that it made in your life. Man, that show has changed my career in a trajectory I didn't even imagine. I've been doing comedy 15 years and all I ever want, I always said to myself, I said, if the world gets to see me, I'll be fine. And, you know, they do not put black guys like me. They put black guys on TV, but they don't be putting black guys like me on TV. What do you mean black guys like you? Like a brother like me end up on TV is by accident. It's like it's like I was doing an interview at a new at a like at a crime scene or something. Like I just got that. This is the best way. This is the best way to describe how a brother like me ends up on TV. Yeah. A couple of years ago, there was a black man in Ohio and he found out that his next door neighbor was hiding girls in the attic and that he he saved the girl. And then the press conference, he goes, I knew something was crazy when a white girl ran to a black man's arms. Dad, give away that. That's how I end up on TV. Wow. But you know what? I'm so glad you were there on the show gaining national notoriety because I read somewhere that you realized one day, hey, I'm not going to be tall, so I might as well be funny. Yeah. And it worked out. Yeah. Because let me understood. I've gotten a comedy to make black girls laugh. I just I just always wanted to make black women laugh. And so, yeah, once I realized I wasn't going to be tall, I was like, we got to get this personality going. Are you taller than Kevin Hart? Yes. OK, well, good. You're winning. Yeah. What was some advice that he gave you? I'm always curious, especially being on television. You all see what happens on the scene. But do you get any moments with Kevin on air that he was able to kind of pour one of the one of the greater moments I had with Kev because I was kicked off the show and I was brought back onto the show. And he told me that he really respected how much I had reinvented myself since the last time he had seen me. And I thought that was a top tier compliment coming from Kevin Hart. And he has this ability to be the most important person in the room and still make you feel just as equal to him. And like he's a he's a great guy. And like for a guy who's about five, four, the energy, the vibes, six, five, that's actually a boss. He a boss. And I respect that. But I'm just truly thankful for the opportunity and that he saw that in me. Gosh, you also pour so much of your life. You're looking at a picture now of you. Yeah, that was a good one. I got to thank him. I got to really thank him and let him know how much he changed my life from his opportunity. Absolutely. But it started to you gaining, I guess, the material, if you will, when you were young, raised by Haitian immigrants. How did that heritage play into some of the jokes we laugh at now? That heritage played in some of my jokes because it really played into how hard I went about my comedy. I like I had first off as a child immigrants, I had to be comfortable with breaking my parents hearts and letting them know I was going to be a clown, a professional clown. And I just but like I just knew that I was like, you guys, if you trust me on this, it'll be better. Like, I know you guys want me to be whatever, but like, this plan I got for myself is the win. And so, my parents and so with that, my parents are hardworking immigrants. I just had to make sure I took comedy as serious as I could. Those first couple years of comedy, I walked around, I went to every comedy club with a briefcase and a just like hitch. I had jeans and a blazer and a briefcase because I needed to make it feel like it was a nine to five to me because that's how serious I took it. Oh, and I think ultimately to your parents just want you to be all right. You know, I think that's why a lot of my immigrant parents don't want me to do what they want me to do. OK, well, then, you know, I'm better than I had to stand on business with. I was like, guys, yeah, we're not doing it. And you also went through some rough times, too, that I think made you a better a better man. Absolutely. If you will. A stabbing. Yeah, I got when I was 17. When I was 17, I got stabbed in a fight defending a friend who I'm no longer friends with. And the whole ordeal was just, you know, I got stabbed in my stomach. I had a lot of complications. I had to get like a colonoscopy. I had to get all sorts of surgeries. Geez. At one time, the doctor had to put his finger in my in my wooha. OK. And he was like, you know, do you feel that? And I remember thinking to myself, like, how would I not feel that? I remember thinking to myself, does this guy think I'm loose? Like, what do you mean? Do I feel like a standard questionnaire? But why would I not feel that? Like, this is my first time, bro. It's a problem if you don't. Yeah. I was like, I'm going to my mom. I'm like, he's calling me loose. What are you talking about? Yeah. And so, yeah, but moments like that humble me because, you know, I'm from New York. You can be you can have a lot of ego and just be brash and like, you know, comedy humbled me a lot. Like it took me 15 years to get here. And I had to realize that, like, you know, outside of being funny is a good attitude, a good energy, a good mindset. A lot of things outside of your talent go along with how far you go in this career. And I had to learn that. You know, I used to hear talent would get you in the door, but likability or character will take you far. Yeah, that's just that's the only part. Absolutely. You know, people have to like you and want to see you succeed. And that has a lot to do with how you treat them. Exactly. Yeah. And so, like, I've always been the type of person who tries to treat everyone as equals. And yeah, I try to do that. But like, absolutely. Your attitude, your attitude takes you very far. Hmm. So speaking of attitude and interactions, tell me about some of the best fan interactions you've had since you've blown up now and everybody knows who you are. What are some interactions either in person or in your DMs that you've gotten? Made you go wow. All right. One one interaction. I was insane at a comedy show. I was roasting a guy and come to find out his date was my niece who I'd never met. Oh, I have a brother who I lost contact with years ago and he has a daughter and I did. I never got to meet my niece. And so like the guy sees I'm about to roast him. And in order to keep himself being embarrassed, he goes, I'm here with your niece. Don't come for me. Yeah, right, right. I'm here with blood. Right. And so that was that was an awesome interaction. And then it's just been a lot of people just meeting me and just like really happy to meet me. Like, like, I remember I was in Washington, D.C. and like here right now. And early this morning, it was like, oh, my God, it's you. And I was just like, it's me. It's still very new to me. But the interactions are awesome. The shows that my fans are always pouring love to me. I had a white guy from Huntsville, Alabama, poor love. And he was brother. I see your vibe and I see your energy and I feel like you're going to achieve everything you want in life. And I just I remember trying to say thank you. And I shorted out. I was like, you know, music, I would say comedy, sports. Those are three things that unify people of all backgrounds. You know, you're definitely outside comedians, chefs, chefs and musicians. You got it. All distant cousins who are a good hang. Like people love us because we serve you. I mean, your medicine, all of it. It feeds us. So what can people expect tonight? I think we've already felt some of the vibes tonight. So it's a big it's been a big challenge. So many people see me on the show. A lot of them are familiar with some of my better jokes. So tonight is all is an hour, a brand new material, nothing that you've seen on the show. It's like a lot of it is dealing with my experience on the show. A lot of it is dealing with like just jokes, life, what life is like now. Like I get it. I have an opportunity to be a better dad. You know, like it's been a great thing. So like all the jokes are just brand new material. It's real fun and I'm excited. All right. Life is life and for you in the best way. The best way. Keep it going. Thank you. Thanks for coming. All right. You are in our bag. We are certainly in our bag. In fact, you mentioned a chef and how they bring people together. I'm going to head to the kitchen now because Labor Day is right around the corner. We know so many people are getting ready for cookout. They're trying to get that dish. Maybe it's a last minute push if you're having something tomorrow. So I have some help in studio for you today. Neal's made easy to take the hassle out. We got Jermaine Smith, a.k.a. Jay, the soul chef. You know the man, Earthquake. Didn't we say food was coming? Did we say food was coming? I dance when the food is out. What dance? What do you call this dance, Earthquake? Horn. I got them hungry and hangry. You know you brought this out of us. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I love it. Tell us what you brought. It looks like everything but the kitchen sink. Yeah. So we know Labor Day to us, we call that the last cookout. Yeah. The last supper. That's the last time you get to really have a good cookout without going worried about going to work. So we got the traditionals. We got barbecue chicken, barbecue beef ribs, barbecue pork ribs, baked beans, potato salad. We're going to make some coleslaw. We got grilled hot dogs. What's what's a cookout without the hot dogs, cornbread, sweet potato pie. We made a special peach tea. We did peach tea because this is like the end of peach season. Right. So a lot of people don't know this like peaches go through through a transition and from different areas of the United States. And now we're in the last region which the peaches are coming from Virginia, which is local to us. So we're going to have some. And you said sweet potato pie, not pumpkin pie. No, no, never pumpkin pie. We're breaking up. So, yeah, it's just the last cookout. So, yeah, going to make some some coleslaw, which is very simple. You chop down some cabbage. We got some carrots in here, a little bit of red cabbage. I made this for sake of TV. So in here is just mayo, some apple cider vinegar. We put a little relish in there. All purpose seasoning, salt, pepper, the menu. I mean, the recipe should be on air. Salt, pepper. And then you mix that up. And the secret to making coleslaw is you make this first. You just popped up the recipe. Yeah. And then you add this to your to your to your vegetables and you do that so that the coleslaw stays creamy. I ironically, if you don't do it that way, you just put all those ingredients in here. You'll have a watery coleslaw. So this is what I want. That's right. The coleslaw wasn't right. And so when you make it like this, it'll keep it nice and creamy. And, you know, you see, I added just just a little bit and I wasn't sure if I needed all of it or not. And it's up to you. You can go a little you can go a little more creamy. But it also keeps it crispy, too, with the ingredients that you put in. It keeps it keeps it crispy. And, you know, like I said, and watch this just that fast, we're ready to eat this. So if you want to eat, we can eat right now. You know, we grab a little plate here, you know. See, potato pie was calling me. That's why I came. I hate people who pick the food and bite you and they still cook it when you get there. That's actually a pro tip for a cookout. Make sure the food is ready before your guests arrive. We know how we do. Grab your fork and stuff over there. The tea is ready. You could have been drinking some tea or something. I want some tea. I want some food. You know, your tea is ready. Give me no liquid. I'm talking about you could drink some tea. You already know. Ladies first. Thank you. I appreciate it. If you could only give one tip to the person who has not even started getting everything together for a Labor Day cookout so far, what would you say, Jay? No, I would just say I would just I would just say call up Henry Soul Cafe or call up the Rolling Ribbon, get your food ordered, get somebody else and just have it. Just have it in that way. You can have fun at your cookout and have fun and not worry about it. But, you know, you know, but outside of that, you know, it's all about having having fun and enjoying yourself. So, you know, start up the grill, do your own burgers, do your own hot dogs, you know, whatever you may want to do on any given day and just have fun with it because it's a family time, you know, and now's the time we like know what the kids are going to be back in school on Monday, Tuesday after Labor Day. You know, it's the last weekend you supposed to wear white. You know, all of these things are food is so good. I forgot to say grace. I looked over to him. God, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. And he does mean, no, listen, this is so great. I actually want you all to hang around for the next block. Absolutely. Everything will be right back with more of these two, as well as your burst of joy. Don't go anywhere. Thank you. Our burst of joy, more comments coming in from Earthquake. He's so popular. Brandy asked out of Gaithersburg, who were your comedy inspirations growing up in the DMV and how did Richard Pryor influence you? Richard Pryor was other than the historic thing he did for the genre. But my influence was more with Chris Thomas, local Tony Woods. Also, Steve Harvey. Yeah, I mean, he helped me out and Cedric the Entertainer, DL Hughley. It was more of my personal inspiration. You can definitely see the brotherhood, too, amongst you all. Yes. Which is so good to see. I think we have one more that we'll do really quickly. Hey, Earthquake, this is from Dion Thomas. Are you a Commander fan? Do a fat baby need a nutritionist? Probably, yes. There he is. Bam, you got your answer. Yes, Commanders all the way. Make sure I'll be at game three when we play Seattle and hope that we get our offensive line together or I might play center. Yeah, it's been looking kind of sideways. We'll see what happens. Jermaine, thank you for coming. A.K.A. J the Soul Chef. Getting us all the way together. Hold up, his name was Jay. Where'd you get this Jay thing? J is my chef name, Jermaine's my manager now. I had to get off some of this sauce here. The food was so good. Thank you to all of our guests for joining us today. This was an incredible show. And hopefully you all got some good ideas for Labor Day weekend, whether we're seeing Earthquake, who is on tour or maybe even using some of the recipes that J the Soul Chef showed us. Well, come.