Name: RITCHIE TORRES Talks Zionism, LGBT, The Bronx
Uploaded: 2025-08-27T22:00:57.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'RITCHIE TORRES Talks Zionism, LGBT, The Bronx' from The Adam Friedland Show on Comedy Buff. Published 2025-08-27. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'RITCHIE TORRES Talks Zionism, LGBT, The Bronx' from The Adam Friedland Show on Comedy Buff. Published 2025-08-27. Transcript available.

RITCHIE TORRES Talks Zionism, LGBT, The Bronx

I'm sorry dude you're bummed your consultants told you not to do it this I
like this guy a lot too I'm sorry I appreciate your time listen I don't I
don't get to talk to someone in the government that's that's taking part of
these big decisions like this and well only one of 535 which one is but it
would
like me Virginia Fox I don't know do you ever number I don't ever number now
right
welcome to the Adam Friedland show I'm Adam Friedland as always thank you to
our
members and our patrons the people that support our show if you'd like to
support
our show there's a link in the description of this video below to become a
member
which gives you early access to all of our episodes and there's also a link if
you prefer to use patreon in the description as well and as always guys
there are two additional tiers for those of you who'd like to get your name in
the
credits this week my guest was Richie Torres from New York's 15th district in
the House of Representatives I'd heard of representative Torres but I before I
researched for this episode I'd never heard of his backstory and frankly it's
kind of inspirational I mean he grew up in public housing you know single
mother a
minimum wage you know he realized he was gay in elementary school he attempted
to
take his own life in in college and he came back from a mental health crisis
and
became a member of the New York City Council and a member of the United States
House of Representatives he's the first gay black man in Congress I mean
that's it's it's kind of like a movie this is like a I don't know what this is
it's kind of like it becomes it's a it was unexpected I represented Torres is
has
been referred to as Israel's loudest advocate in the House of Representatives
and when prior to
this interview I wanted to have a conversation that didn't resemble like a
point counterpoint you know just you screaming match like we see online all
the time I wanted to try and get something different and to be honest with
you when I expressed I became emotional and and it fell off the rails and I
wasn't
able as an interviewer to get it back on the rails I mean there were like
multiple topics that we didn't cover at the end it was it was frankly was
exhausting for both of us yeah if they felt like it was a gotcha and I'm an
activist and you know this is how this conversation goes nowadays and and so
while I didn't get what I was initially you know looking for I I I kind of
still
feel like it's important I stand by what I said and even if I'm like be my
voice is high don't you like
I mean I I think it's important to say what I said in the interview and so I
don't know what it is I mean as they're important I don't even know if it's an
interview but I hope you you know make of it what you will and you know next
week
we're gonna have like really it's gonna be so funny but this one I think is a
it's
gonna be a different tone and you know enjoy
Ladies and gentlemen, Congressman from New York, the U.S. House of
Representatives, Richie
Torres, everyone. Make some noise. I can't... Hello. What's going on? Hello.
Well, I got
two issues. First of all, your district is Yankee Stadium. That is one of your...
That's
one of your constituents. I represent Yankee Stadium, yeah. And I asked you how
the Yanks
were and you were like, I'm not... So I love the Yankees, but I'm not a huge
baseball fan.
You just turned it off. And I'm not going to pretend to be a baseball fan. What
about
the zoo? I love the Bronx Zoo. Okay. The Botanical Gardens. Do you consider the
animals your constituents?
I consider the Bronx Zoo indistinguishable from the United States Congress,
yeah. Oh. Does
that crush in, like, if you say to another guy in Congress? It crushes nowhere
because I,
you know, if I were actually... If I had any comedic talent, I probably wouldn't
be in Congress.
What do you mean? Yeah. You want to be a stand-up? You mean... But, you know,
when I was a kid,
I was a fan, not of baseball, but professional wrestling. Really? Yeah, I was a
huge... Oh, we're
fan of The Rock. Attitude Era. The Attitude Era. Oh, my God. So I started
watching in 1998.
We had it so good at the time. Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock.
Mankind. I thought that was the golden age. Mankind.
Yeah. So was I. Yeah. Yeah. We were watching The Rock. And I did a huge
Rock impersonation when I was a kid. Like, I was... I used to... I, like, knew
of you
as a congressman, but I didn't know your backstory. And, I mean, goddamn, wow.
I mean,
it's an incredibly inspirational story that you have. And unlike George Santos,
I have a true story.
That's your op. I have no OnlyFans account, but I do have an actual... Did he
have an OnlyFans? Oh, yeah.
In Congress? I'm not sure if he had it, but certainly it was generating income
for him after. He would have been the first. I mean...
Who knows? I mean, I'm not closely following the OnlyFans accounts of every
member of Congress.
It sounds like you can't stand this guy. No, just, you know, just... I want to...
Do you miss him? He was pretty funny.
You know, he was... He was a source of comedic enjoyment, yeah.
His tweet right before jail was amazing. He's like, the curtain closes, like,
the, you know, she walks off stage.
He was a real ham, George. Yeah, he was.
But he was a... He was a complete fraud, right?
A total fraud, yeah.
Yeah. Because he bought, like, Birkin bags with campaign funds.
And also, he fabricated every aspect of his biography. It was not like he told
one lie here or there. It was like the whole story was a complete fabrication.
I feel like in this day and age, that's kind of like... That's part... That's
in play. I feel like you can do it.
No, it's... I've never seen...
I feel like it's such a chaotic time. Like, yeah, like, I went to Harvard Law
School, and I used to be the coolest guy.
In my school, and I'm also Brazilian and Jewish, and... What did he say?
No, he said that his, you know, he had... His parents were Holocaust survivors.
I like that.
Ukrainian because of the war in Ukraine.
He was also Ukrainian.
And he had, you know, he was...
And his name was Santos.
He had friends who died in the mass shooting in Orlando.
He's amazing.
He, like, incorporated every current event into his life story.
Pathological liars are great. But he took it all the way to the freaking... To
the show.
Although I, you know, he inspired me to introduce a bill that has...
I think it's the greatest acronym in the history of...
What is it called?
The Santos Act.
And what was it?
Stop another non-truthful office seeker.
Santos.
Am I sensing that there's, like...
The Santos Act.
That the two of you guys, as, like, young New York, gay, like, Latino congressman,
he's naturally, like, your foil. He's your Darth Vader.
Let's assume, like, after he was expelled from Congress,
I became the most prominent Jewish, gay, Latino congressman from New York.
How's that?
You're Jewish?
No, I'm Jewish.
You're Jewish.
I'm lying.
Oh, come on. I wouldn't wish this upon my greatest enemy.
You don't want any part of this, my friend.
You never heard this comment? He's Jewish, not Jewish?
Yeah, I've heard a lot of people say that, but you don't...
No, but he invented the term.
About you?
He invented the term about himself.
It's just a word with... Yeah, about him.
When he was confronted, you know, why did you lie about being Jewish?
He said, I never said I was Jewish. I said I was Jew-ish.
I would say that I'm...
But you're actually Jewish.
Yeah, unfortunately. Yeah, yeah, it's tough. Yeah.
I can't quit.
No.
I wrote a letter to Bibi, and they reject it.
They don't let you out.
It's like the mafia. You know that.
You know how you join is when you're a baby,
your parents have a party,
and then this, like, old wizard
walks in,
and then he pulls your
diaper off,
and then your whole family
looks at your beautiful baby penis,
and then he cuts the part that,
I guess, gives one pleasure
later on in life and during sex,
and then there's, like,
a deli tray there and stuff.
That's how you join the club.
Yeah, yeah.
But we've been doing it for a while, though.
I don't know.
I don't mind.
You really didn't like my crude humor.
I mean, you've endured for thousands of years,
so something's going right.
Yeah, yeah, I guess so.
It's definitely the wizard
and the baby's penis part.
Yeah, well.
I know.
I'm being crude with a member
of the legislative branch.
These are important decisions
that parents have to make.
You know what's rude is that
we're in an era where, like,
talking to someone
in the legislative branch is,
it's a privilege
because it's so fucking crazy.
The privilege is mine.
You're the one with the massive following and audit.
You were in The New Yorker.
You know how I know that?
Because you told me.
Not because I read the profile.
But you told me.
You were in The New Yorker.
So congratulations on the profile.
You know you would be considered young
in the United States Congress?
Yeah, I mean, I've only been able to be present.
My dating profile says
I'm congressionally young.
Congressionally young.
Yeah, and congressionally attractive
just in case you're disappointed.
That gets some action.
Is it a plus?
It's not clear.
It's not clear.
It has to be.
I mean, I work seven days a week
because that has a crowding out effect.
Yeah, and you're with
the worst people on earth.
Well.
What are you doing to yourself?
It must be tough.
Yeah, one of my colleagues
said to me that
Congress is the best
university in the world.
Really?
And because you just have access
to some of the brightest minds.
You can learn a tremendous amount.
They're the smartest guys?
Some of them, yeah.
Yeah.
We certainly have access.
It's like the Sorbonne
or something in Congress.
How boring is it
to be in the government sometimes?
What's the most boring part of it?
I mean, I love it.
You love it?
Because of the variety.
You like parliamentary procedure
and stuff like that?
I feel like no position
has more variety
than a House member
because one day
you get to be local, state,
national, and international
at the same time.
So one day
I'm receiving a pothole,
a complaint about a pothole
on Fordham Road
or pressuring the mayor
to crack down
on an open-air drug market
in the South Bronx.
And the next day...
And what do you do
in Congress about that?
And then the next day
I'm receiving a briefing
from the CIA
about rising tensions
between the United States
and China.
What do you do
about the pothole
in D.C. though?
I'm just sorry.
I use my platform
to pressure the mayor
to solve problems
or the governor.
Oh, Adams.
Yeah.
Can I guess who you were
in school grown up?
Sure.
You were like a...
Were you student government?
No, not student government.
You were like a debate club?
I was the captain
of the law team.
Law team.
Oh, so you wanted
to be a lawyer?
Yeah, I had dreams
of becoming either
a lawyer or a teacher.
So you did mock trial, right?
I did moot court
and mock trial,
but I was like a master
of moot court.
And what did you like?
You liked like the
Atticus Finch style
like closing arguments?
So that's more...
That was mock trial.
Yeah.
Moot court is modeled
after the Supreme Court
or an appellate court.
Uh-huh.
So you deliver an argument
before a panel of judges
who interrupt you
with questions.
So you like the one
with worse speeches?
The one that's less...
No, because it teaches
you to think on your feet.
Yeah, it's less...
It's less theatrical.
So, but that was
your prep for the game?
Yeah.
You went to the show...
It was the first time
when I discovered
I had a talent
for public speaking.
Or I thought
I had a talent for talking.
Early on,
you grew up in
a single mother home.
You have a twin brother?
Twin brother.
Identical?
He's biologically older.
I'm temperamentally older.
Identical or no?
Fraternal.
We're fake twins.
That's all right.
Five minutes apart.
I was on a date once
with a girl who told me...
The first date,
she said,
I have an identical twin
and I can't do it.
How about...
I can't tell her secrets.
She has her brain