The X Change Rate: Karine Jean Pierre & Blu Hydrangea

In "The X Change Rate," award-winning drag queen, entertainer and TV personality Monét X Change brings her signature wit, heart and style to BUILD Series. Karine Jean Pierre, chief of staff for Democratic Vice Presidential nominee, and Blu Hydrangea of "RuPaul's Drag Race UK" stopped by to talk with the fabulous host.

Video Transcript

[THEME MUSIC]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Hey, y'all. It's your girl, Monét. And welcome back to "The X Change Rate," a talk show where, if I won the lottery, I would honestly donate a quarter of it to charity. Seriously. It'll be the best $0.25 I would ever spend.

[LAUGHS]

I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. The best $0.25 I ever spent was definitely that extra barbecue sauce down at the Wendy's. You know what I mean? I hate that they charge you for extra sauces. That's so fucking rude.

Anyway, we have a really great show for y'all today because we international now, honey. Because hailing from the beautiful island of Martinique, Karine Jean-Pierre is here. And from across the pond, from a place I'll soon be calling home, me and Patti. Blu Hydrangea is also here. Right? Patti's laughing.

But first, let's get into the gig.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

First, we finally got-- we finally got our cups. I'm going to-- no, I got it. I'm a-- I'm an independent woman. I'm going to pop this bottle. We finally got our fancy cups from the studio. God, I'm going to--

PATTI CASH: [INAUDIBLE]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Colleen is sleeping right-- it's going to scare her, right?

PATTI CASH: Probably. Shall we wake her up?

MONÉT X CHANGE: No, I'm not going to do-- I can pop them soft. Also--

PATTI CASH: You better pop it soft.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'm fully unraveling it and raveling it again. There we go. OK. You better pop it soft.

[LAUGHS]

Well, referencing this video, have y'all ever seen that video? It's like this little Black boy with his mom. And he, like, gets out of the car. And he's, like, angry. And he's about to slam the door. She's like, uh, you better close it soft. And he's like--

[LAUGHS]

Black moms are ridiculous.

Yeah, Patti finally got my cup from the studio.

[POP]

You see? It's fine. So I'm back to lubricating during the show. And I'm very excited. I love prosecco. Oh, Patti, can you do me a favor? If you look at the cabinet, there's Crystal Light. Can you pass me one of the pack? Oh, it's about to be so lit in here. It's so good. Oh, it's really-- it's on the second shelf. Pass me the yellow one, the ice tea one. And just tip it at the top for me.

You put-- let me tell y'all. Y'all don't know about this. Y'all don't know about this, honey. This is everything.

PATTI CASH: [INAUDIBLE]

MONÉT X CHANGE: You take the Crystal Light. And you don't have to put a whole bunch. You just-- literally this much. You put that in your drink. And girl, mmm, this drink about to be so good. It's like, a little ice tea prosecco moment. Oh, my god. So good. So cheers to the weekend, clink.

Which I had a fabulous weekend last weekend. On Friday, I had lunch with my aunt. And then on Saturday, one of my best friends from college, Dewan, came down. Shoutout to Dewan. And I just had a good old weekend, you know, just living in New York City. It's, like, the perfect time in New York where it's, like, fall. And so you can wear, like, the big, oversized clothes. You can wear a little scarf if you want to. But it's, like, still nice and cool, but not too cold outside. You know? It's, like, really, really, really great.

And so I had a really good weekend in New York City. Thank you in New York City. I had Jacob's Pickles, I had Maison Pickle, all the pickles, which I hate pickles. Isn't that so ironic? I went to all these pickle restaurants, and I hate pickles. But they have really good other things. And anyway. You used to work at Jacob's Pickle. Then you got fired, yeah.

Also, congratulations and a big shoutout to Cynthia Bailey. She had her wedding this weekend. And there were 250 people gathered at this wedding. Celebrities galore. None of the celebrities that I knew besides the Housewives. But that is-- I'm not always on the up and up on celebrity. You know, I try to be. But the tea is, I really don't be knowing nobody, except for who is in my reality show, slash you, slash "Schitt's Creek." The shows I watch, that's all who I know. So it was really, really, really cute.

Another shady thing that happened in Atlanta this weekend was ATL Pride. ATL Pride was bonkers. We normally don't show videos here. We're going to show a video-- look at this fucking video of all-- I mean, wall-to-wall people. This is insane. Literally a sea of white dudes dancing, coughing, sweating, snorting. Mm-hmm, because you know that's what's going on in these little circuit parties.

I just wouldn't even feel comfortable. There's nothing about that that would make me feel comfortable to want to do that, and not even to mention coronavirus being a thing. Outside of coronavirus, it's nothing that I would ever attend. And I'm not knocking you if you do. But it's just not my thing. It's just too much. It's too much!

And yeah, the last thing I do want to say is "The Bachelor" premiered-- it premiered this week. And I'm just confused as to who is still watching the show. It's like "Grey's Anatomy." I'm sure they're on, like, season, what, like 47 of "Bachelor." Like, who-- do you watch "The Bachelor?" Do you know anyone who watches "The Bachelor?" Mom, aunts-- who is watching the show? No one. Not to mention they don't-- they still have not had a queer or lesbian or an-- no one in the LGBTQIA [INAUDIBLE] "The Bachelor," so there's no reason for me to watch.

And "Out" magazine should pick up that story and run itself that because they're in some deep, deep doo-doo, hot water today. So if you don't know what "Out" magazine is, "Out" magazine, if you can tell by the name, it's a queer publication. And they talk about lots of queer stories, you know, from "Drag Race," to this really problematic Supreme Court justice pick, Amy Coney-- they span the gamut of queer issues. Because I'm sure companies like that are already--

[MUMBLES]

Companies like that normally have more than one owner. So one of the owners, Adam Levin, who was the owner of the parent company, Oreva Capital, who produces for "Out" magazine and "The Advocate," broke his 2018 pledge to stop donating to anti-LGBTQIA businesses. And what?

PATTI CASH: He owns Oreva Capital that owns Pride Media, Inc., which oversees "Advocate" now.

MONÉT X CHANGE: You all hear what Patti said? Adam Levin owns Oreva Capital, which is overseer of what--

PATTI CASH: Pride Media.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Pride Media, which oversees "Out" magazine and "The Advocate." So he's at the top. He's one of them rich motherfuckers at the top, eating. And the rest of us are down here trying to get crumbs. And so he is still donating to anti-LGP-- LGP. LGBTQI--

[LAUGHS]

Oh my god. He is donating to anti-LGBTQIA-plus Republicans. And in 2018, he said that he would stop doing this. And he is clearly lying. Donating to Republicans such as Devin Nunes, ew, Dean Heller, Josh Mandel. And I have to agree. The only one I've ever heard about is Devin Nunes because of his problematic ass. But yeah, and these Republicans have taken public stances against the community, which is terrible for "Out" magazine to be supporting these people.

He responded saying this. "If you're asking if we will ever make any donations to any politician with an anti-LGBT stance, again, the answer is fuck no." That's what he said. But it's [INAUDIBLE]. Recently, he donated $2,200 to each, Steven Daines and Thom Tillis. And then he also donated $5,600 to a joint-- to Daines' fundraising committee.

So they're not setting on their word. And it's so crazy to think that a publication like "Out" magazine would not know about this. And they're quick to report about how-- ranking drag queens and who person did this. But y'all don't wanna talk about your own mess. Mm-hmm. Let's wait to hear a quote from them, what they have to say about their own issues.

I would like them to stand up and say something, right? I think they owe that to us.

PATTI CASH: Literally, that's their--

MONÉT X CHANGE: That's their job.

PATTI CASH: Right. So it's like-- but how are you going to be like, yeah, our company owned-- like, how do you report on that?

MONÉT X CHANGE: We'll see. They probably won't. But it'd be nice for them to. We need somebody like-- you know, if Perez Hilton was still a thing, Perez Hilton would blow the lid off of this. You know what I mean? You remember when Perez Hilton was like the-- and he was one of the first gossip celebrity blogger thingie peoples.

PATTI CASH: So it was like that, Dlisted, [INAUDIBLE].

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, I don't know about-- I never heard about no Dlisted. Oh my god. You remember "Kathy Griffin, My Life on the D-List." What a great show. [GASP] They should put that on Hulu. I would binge watch that. What a great show.

Anyway, Perez Hilton is writing a tell-all memoir. Did you see that transition? Look at that transition. Perez Hilton is writing a tell-all memoir about his life. And honestly, I want to read this book. I think it would be everything. It would be a great summer read, a great plain read. I can't wait for it to come out because it's going to be so juicy. It's filled with a lot of crazy celebrity stories.

But he's also talking about his experiences about the blog, and how it came to be, and how he kind of got [INAUDIBLE] and how he kind of wanted to stop because it was so toxic. It was a pretty toxic-- I mean, he was outing celebrities. He was name-- like, bullying celebrities and their kids. It was pretty bad.

But it's what made him famous. It's called "TMI, My Life in Scandal," by Perez Hilton. Which, did you know that he was Cuban? I thought Perez Hilton was a white man.

PATTI CASH: I didn't think that because it's called Perez Hilton [INAUDIBLE].

MONÉT X CHANGE: What is-- Hilton is-- the Hilton, what about that name?

PATTI CASH: Perez. I always thought it was, like, a play on words.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I didn't get it. I thought he was a white man. But he's from Miami, a Cuban dude. And he became the most hated man in Hollywood.

But also, Perez comes from a troubled past. He was bullied in school because of his weight and being gay. Because unlike a lot of the Gen-Zers and late Millennials, being gay-- and it still is now. I'm not diminishing that. But being gay back then, you know, in the early '90s or whatever, mid-'90s, it was super hard for people to come out and to be open because we didn't have labels like non-binary, and we didn't have lots of trans friends and lots of trans people. So it was just different back then.

So I get it. He was bullied for all these things. And so he would just spend time in his room, like, eating and watching TV in his bedroom. And he got obsessed with pop culture.

And he hit it big in 2005 with Perez Hilton Online, the gossip blog. And yeah, people were like-- we don't know. A lot of these young artists like Katy Perry, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, he kind of helped put them on the map because he would post about them and put them on his blog. And he was instrumental in them. People discount that. But maybe we would not know the Katies and the Gagas and the Adeles if Perez didn't talk about them as much. You know what I mean? Like, that gives them exposure. It gives them access.

And in his prime, he was getting 8 million hits a day. That is a lot of views to your website per day. Do people make money off of hits on websites? I remember it used to be, like, a big thing. It's like Instagram views now, website hits. You know what I mean? Probably.

And yeah, his big turning point was when-- do you remember when they were doing that big-- it was that gay campaign. It was like, no hate or something like that. And a big turning point for him was when he uploaded a video for-- oh, no, it's the It Gets Better campaign. And he uploaded a video to that, saying, it gets better, bullying, yada, yada, yada. And the LGBT community and everyone was like, you talking about it gets better from bullying. Bitch, you're the bully. You're the one bullying all these people on a huge international platform. And that was, for him, like, I need to change my life. This is a mess.

He says this now. "I have a ton of regrets, particularly because I now see that I never needed to be so mean or cruel. One of the many things I regret is that I hurt so many people by giving them"-- ooh. This Crystal Light, though, this is so good. "One of the many things I regret is that I hurt so many people by giving them nasty nicknames, and above all, that I was unkind to children of celebrities. I reached a point in my private life where I started having these thoughts."

By the way, speaking of children of celebrities, did you see this? Kim Kardashian shared on her story. They have, like, a big family group chat. And the last messages is like, Kylie sends a thing talking about Psalm 29-48. God is not a God of this and that. It's like a whole Bible verse. And everyone's like, Amen. Yeah. I didn't feel like posting that on you. But again, we post stuff like that all the time. But something about them just seems so disingenuous and so opportunistic, like they're doing this to make us know, like, bitch, we Christian.

Anyway, but "I was paralyzed by fear that I would lose everything that I had worked very hard to achieve up until that point." So he's remorseful. And now he has a kid. And I think that when you have kids and stuff, you change, and you realize, like, life needs to be different. So good to him.

One of the stories, though, in the book-- because I got a little excerpt-- is when he's talking about the scandalous night with him, Jessica Simpson, and John Mayer. So y'all remember back in early 2000, or 2004, 2005, Jessica Simpson and John Mayer were together, back when she was a brunette. Remember when Jessica was a brunette? Mm-hmm.

This went-- yes, in her, like, heyday. Well, no, I guess the blonde Chicken of the Sea was her heyday. But the brunette was such a change. We're like, oh my god. Jessica Simpson is brunette. Oh my god.

So her and John Mayer were together. And then Perez went to some club after hosting some New Year's Eve thing with Christina Aguilera. He's at this club. It's John Mayer in the middle. With John Mayer, I never thought he was hot. He's one of those unhot hot guys. He looks so dingy and dusty. But I'm like, the dig might smell, but it's probably good. You know what I mean?

So it's John Mayer sitting. Jessica is on this side. Perez is on this side. And you know, it's celebrities. They're probably hopped up on who-- god knows what, on glue, cocaine. Who knows?

And then John Mayer leans over to him. And they're all talking. He's like, you know, sometimes I watch gay porn, Brent Corrigan. And Perez is like, shut up. Really? Me too. And then one thing leads to another. John Mayer leans in and starts to tongue kiss Perez Hilton. Jessica Simpson is over here like, oh my god. What is happening here on this gay day?

But if you're kissing another man in front of your girl, something has happened before that she-- she knows. She knows. She knows. She knows. And he's not gay. He probably, you know, dabbles, whatever.

And then Jessica Simpson starts rubbing his-- well, allegedly. This is what Perez is saying in his book. Jessica Simpson started rubbing John Mayer's crotch, like, ferociously, in a handjob-esque-like way. And then John lets out some type of sigh of relief. And then the moment is over.

So fill in the blanks. I love shit like this. Celebrities are fucking wild. And I can't wait to read the book. Whoa.

Speaking of wild celebrities, Cardi-- Bullet, what's his name? Belcalis? Barty.

PATTI CASH: Belcazar.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Belcalis Balcazar, that's her name?

PATTI CASH: No. Belcalis Alcazar, I think? I'm gonna look it up.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well, Belcalis. Patti's gonna look up the name, the full name. Her and Offset, this thing is so back and forth, I can't keep tabs. But again, love is tumultuous. I get it. Love is crazy. It's-- it's-- it's full of passion. It's full of whatever. But they're finally, allegedly, divorced.

If you want, here's the whole breakdown of their relationship. They got married in 2017. They split it in late 2018. And they got back together January 2019. She filed for divorce this past mid-September.

PATTI CASH: Almanzar.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, Belcalis Al-- (SPANISH ACCENT) Almanzar. Uh-huh.

She filed for divorce in mid-September, and saying that their marriage was "irretrievably broken." This was quoted by Cardi.

A few days after filing, Cardi's like, stop speculating. No, he did not cheat. No, he doesn't have no baby coming. We were just fighting all the time. And like-- she's like, we just needed to not be married anymore.

So then on October 7, she posted that picture on Instagram, which is so hot, with the devil, which everyone is like, oh my god, you with the Illuminati. how come you ain't tell us, ya, ya, ya. With her, the devil, the red cap with the devil horns, she looked so good. Have you seen that picture of her in the pink bikini? Um! Again, she looked so hot.

And then Offset liked that picture. I saw that. I don't follow Offset. But you know, I was-- for some reason, it came up that Offset, he was one of the first ones. I guess the algorithms, whatever. Offset liked it.

And then on Thursday, on October 8, fans were like dragging Offset, saying this, that, and the other. And Cardi was like, no, stop talking about my man. Y'all are not going to disrespect the father of y baby. No, like, don't do that.

And I guess fans are saying like, if you are going through something like that, that gives them, like, the permission to go off on that person, like, let their opinions be known. So Cardi be like, no, he's the father of my kid. Like, y'all can't disrespect him. Which, go off, sis.

Then on October 9, Offset posted on Instagram saying that he misses Mrs. WAP. Misses wet-ass pussy, work. I don't know. WAP is now the official name for Cardi B. Mrs. WAP, that's fucking fierce. Oh my god. I want to name. Mr. WAB, wet ass bussy.

And then, also bought her a billboard that said-- what was the caption on the billboard? Oh, yeah. Happy birthday from Kulture. And Cardi B commented, saying, thank you, sir. I love it. And people-- obviously, it's from Offset. She would know if someone else did it.

And um, yeah, and this past weekend, she had her crazy birthday party in Las Vegas, all weekend long, celebrating. I ain't see no masks, whatever. And there's videos. He bought her a Rolls-Royce, which Cardi B can buy her own-- when I see celebrities give each other really expensive gifts like that, I'm like, she can fully afford to buy her own Rolls-Royce. But I guess if someone else buys you with a $300,000 car, why would you say no?

So yeah. And, like, then she-- there's pictures of them kissing, her, like, jumping him, and twerking on him. And so who knows if they're back together? Honestly, they're grown-ass people doing grown people things. They were married. They have a kid. Like, they can do whatever they want. And it's, honestly, frankly, none of our fucking business. But we gonna talk about it.

[LAUGHS COYLY]

And the last thing I want to talk about is Zoom Halloween. Now, of course, Halloween is not going to look like regular Halloween because we're in a pandemic. So there are many, many, many Zoom costumes that we'll talk about in this week's "Halloween Highlight." Woo! This is the new graphic.

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

I love it. The blood splatter in the "highlight," that's all my idea. But this was designed by our lovely Matt Forte. Thank you, Matt.

Some of the costumes this year that are really fierce are Carole Baskin from "Tiger King." We all-- "Tiger King" was such a big splash. You didn't watch it yet, did you?

PATTI CASH: Yeah, I did.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh. "Tiger King." The fly on Mike Pence's head. I'm so mad that that fly became the thing. I think that shit is so stupid. There are so many more important things that we needed to discuss about that debate, not the fucking fly. But the pictures of Silky as the fly on his head is so funny.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion WAP costumes, which are like, who is wearing these costumes? These bitches are, like, snatched. They look perfect. We ain't gonna look like that, sis, in no WAP costume. So we could try. We ain't gonna look like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. Okurrr!

And one that I don't get is a loaf of bread. People are dressing-- it's like, a loaf-- what-- wha-- wha-- I don't get the bread thing. Do you get the bread thing?

PATTI CASH: Because apparently, everybody was baking banana bread.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Why?

PATTI CASH: I don't know. Because everybody was baking bread in quarantine. That was, like, the thing. Everybody was baking bread.

MONÉT X CHANGE: There's so many other things to break, like cookies.

PATTI CASH: Baking. What? You said break.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Bake. There are so many-- I'm a little drunk. There's, like, cookies and stuff. Why banana bread? I don't get it.

PATTI CASH: It was a thing. There was a yeast shortage. Remember--

MONÉT X CHANGE: A yeast shortage.

PATTI CASH: I think so.

MONÉT X CHANGE: But I got enough yeast on here to feed the world.

[LAUGHS]

I'm baking a loaf right now, girl.

[LAUGHS]

But anyway, those are some of the really cool costumes. Also a tiger, the murder hornets, Watermelon Sugar, Harry Styles, folklore costumes, and Hulu's "Normal People." Anyway, they had a whole list of costumes. But the four I said at the beginning are the really popular ones. If you want to really stun at a Zoom party, do one of those, girl, and turn the party. Woo-hoo-hoo.

Our first guest blossomed into our hearts on the first season of "Drag Race UK." And since then, she has remained in full bloom. You see what I did there? That's smart. Let's welcome the very, very pretty Blu Hydrangea.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Yes. Thank you so much for having me. Some say full bloom. I say rosebud. But I mean, same dif, right?

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] You look so good-- the makeup, the hair, that outfit,

BLU HYDRANGEA: Stop that. Well, I'm the only one on the UK season that can do makeup. So I have to show up and show out whenever I'm invited to these things, you know.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

BLU HYDRANGEA: Yeah.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Blu, I'm not gonna-- I don't want to shade the other girls. I love them all. But facts are facts, UK.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Yes. I mean, Gothy Kendoll, and she's got a big dick, too, so points for her.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, mama. When the nudes leaked, I was the first one in line to receive them. I was like--

BLU HYDRANGEA: You weren't the only one. I love it.

MONÉT X CHANGE: But to be fair, she's also maybe 30 pounds soaking wet. So I mean, you know, contrasts, ratios, whatever, science. Mm-hmm.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Yeah, apparently, she's a top too. So factor, factor. I don't know.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Is she really?

BLU HYDRANGEA: Well, apparently. With that kind of dick. I mean, you'd be dating service to the world using it.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Blu, so you're the unofficial Miss Congeniality of "Drag Race UK." Bob and the fans have deemed you that. How do you feel about that?

BLU HYDRANGEA: Well, I mean, I always knew I was because I'm just like the kindest bitch, you know, like, that one queen that you can tell all your problems to. But I feel like the edit that I got, like, I was the unofficial shit queen of the season as well. So like, the audience were like, bitch, you've got-- you read everyone from head to toe at all times.

But I'm glad to know that they've gotten to know me, that they can see through all the shit, and I am such a beautiful human being.

[LAUGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: 100%. But listen. Listen. I like that. Like, you need people the Blu Hydrangea to make the season fun and the season to have dynamics. Otherwise, you're going to end up with season 12, boring as hell. You know what I'm saying? Oh, we're best friends. We love each other. [KISS] No, we that fire. So I appreciate it. I loved it.

BLU HYDRANGEA: I know. And that's like UK humor, like, reading each other to [INAUDIBLE]. Like, that's the thing to do. And I love it. It's my favorite part of drag.

MONÉT X CHANGE: And in the UK, you're from Belfast. I love Belfast. Belfast was the first city I visited internationally. I was doing-- season 10 was going on. I had just got eliminated. And Voss Events hit me up to host Werq the World because Shangela had to skip cities. We all know. If you've ever been to Shangela's show, that's [INAUDIBLE]. And Belfast was the first international city I went. And I loved it, which is why I said I love Northern Ireland on the show.

BLU HYDRANGEA: I love that. I'm so glad that you do. I remember your Northern Irish accent. And it was awful.

[LAUGHTER]

But I mean, Northern Ireland is great. It's got good dick. It's got good drinking. It's, like, everyone's there for a party. And I miss it whenever I'm on the road. Sometimes I just love getting home, you know?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah, yeah.

BLU HYDRANGEA: And hopefully, you'll be back soon. We miss you.

MONÉT X CHANGE: What I will say-- Belfast was the first city that I ever-- that I got my first STD in. I got my first STD in Belfast because I hooked up with this fan of the show. He hit me up on Grindr.

And of course, I was feeling my fantasy. I was on the current season. I got on Grindr. Had my profile picture. Hit me up. He's like, oh my god, Monét, Monét, Monét. And normally, that would turn me off. But I was, like, feeling the fantasy. You know what I mean?

PATTI CASH: Yeah.

MONÉT X CHANGE: And we hung out. And he kept-- we were at my hotel. And he kept on asking me questions about "Drag Race," about Miz Cracker, about RuPaul.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Oh god.

MONÉT X CHANGE: And it was 2 o'clock in the morning. I was like, are going to do this or not? And we did. And he gave me syphilis. So there we are.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Oh my gosh. Well, I got my first, my second, third, and fourth STD in Belfast. So I can relate.

[LAUGHTER]

That is so funny. I, like, have so had that moment, where, like, you're like, ready for the dick. And they're like, so was Cheryl really that annoying in person? And I'm like, yeah, she was. Now let me suck your dick.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Girl. [LAUGHS]

BLU HYDRANGEA: I love it.

[LAUGHTER]

MONÉT X CHANGE: How has COVID and everything been there, though, with-- how are people getting along with work and everything? How is it?

BLU HYDRANGEA: Well, Northern Ireland's pretty-- it's quite spaced out. So we're pretty safe. At least I feel safe better, than the mainland UK anyway. But gigs have been slow. But I've been trekking along on social media and stuff, which was my platform before. So I just feel back at home, just a bedroom queen again, you know?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. So before "Drag Race UK," you were big on social media in terms of makeup and stuff like that, yeah?

BLU HYDRANGEA: Well, yeah, for UK terms, I wasn't doing too bad. Like, the US girls, they have millions, whereas I was like happy with my 20,000. I was a humble queen. And now I get to go back to doing that. And I love it. I actually missed it.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. Well, I mean, your makeup is incredible. You post these amazing looks. The way that you are able to achieve color and change and morph your face, it really, really, really is amazing and dope.

Do you have any plans for any makeup collabs? I know you did the one with BPerfect. Are you going to maybe do your own makeup line?

BLU HYDRANGEA: I would love to. That is the long-term goal. And I have some things coming up that will give me at least five more years of, like, "Drag Race" fame. And then hopefully after that, I can settle down and make a proper name for myself, aside from "Drag Race," which you've done, and, like, you know, all the most successful queens. So I'm happy to follow in those footsteps, you know?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. And you're-- it's a palette with BPerfect that you have?

BLU HYDRANGEA: It's not been officially released. But it's definitely drag friendly.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, sorry.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Oh, no, no, no. Don't worry. It's some drag-friendly products. Because I mean, they're going to go into shops, which is crazy to me that I could put drag products in shops and chemists. So that's was my plan. That's all I wanted to do was make drag mainstream, for makeup-wise, anyway. And that's my little start anyway.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I love that. Girl, that's how it started. People don't realize, Rome was not built in the day. MAC cosmetics, Anastarzia didn't just start with an empire. You start like that. And that's how she gets bigger and fiercer. It's going to start in the UK. Then it's going to be in the States. And it's going to just spread and spread. You know what I mean?

BLU HYDRANGEA: And all these girls on Instagram and stuff, like, the real girls, they do drag makeup anyway. So this product's going to be lit. And everyone's going to want it. So it's all good.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I love. And now, switching gears a little bit, on the show, one of your big parts of the show was you talking about your beautiful relationship with your partner and marriage equality in Northern Ireland. Are you going to get married, Miss Blu?

BLU HYDRANGEA: Yes. Oh, girl well, he has put several rings on my finger before, but none are expensive yet. But when the time comes, of course I'm going to say yes. And I would love it. And you're definitely invited to the wedding.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh my god, please. I will do my Irish jug.

BLU HYDRANGEA: [LAUGHS] Oh my gosh. You have to, your Michael Flatly realness.

[LAUGHTER]

But yeah, I would love it. No drag allowed at the wedding. But I definitely want shit like bouncy castles and, like, magicians, and all that good stuff. So it's going to be a camp wedding. It's going to be good fun.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I love, love, love.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Glory holes, all that.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] Honestly, that-- you know, the CDC, the New York health department, they literally went online and said, glory holes are the preferred way to have sex in a pandemic. Like, literally, our government is like, please use glory holes to be safe.

BLU HYDRANGEA: A glory hole it's basically a mask, right?

[LAUGHTER]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Basically. Now, also, Blu, the "Frock Destroyers," I will beg to say, along with, like, DWV and stuff, one of the most successful drag group thingies from "RuPaul's Drag Race." I mean, y'all were everywhere. Y'all were, like, number three on the iTunes chart. Do y'all plan to do more music, the three of you guys, together?

BLU HYDRANGEA: I mean, yeah, we're like-- stuff that's in the works at the moment. Those girls are like-- they mean so much to me. And we actually get along. It's not for the cameras or to keep this "Frock Destroyers" thing going. Like, I actually love them and pour so much effort and time into them that we couldn't not do stuff again. Because to be honest, if it wasn't for "Frock Destroyers," I probably wouldn't be as well remembered as I am. But "Frock Destroyers" are fucking iconic. And like, [INAUDIBLE] for the money, honey.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, it's so good.

BLU HYDRANGEA: So yeah, definitely things are to come, and soon, sooner than you think, anyway.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well, you know, for our New Year's Eve at Heaven nightclub, G-A-Y Heaven, Shangela, Vanjie, and I did "Break Up Bye-Bye."

BLU HYDRANGEA: I love that.

MONÉT X CHANGE: And Vangie literally knew none of the words. She remembered none of the choreo we did. Shange and I were sitting there like, what the fuck is this bitch doing? But again, this song is so good. And I mean, y'all really made some "Drag Race" herstory, girl.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Oh, thank you so much. I mean, Vangie could be, like, the bad girl of the group that doesn't pick anything up and is like five points behind everyone else. But it's all good.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I heard rumors that y'all were possibly going to be at Eurovision. Is there any truth to that?

BLU HYDRANGEA: Well, BBC run Eurovision in the UK anyway. So we're in there a little bit. I'm just, like, sending an email every goddamn day because imagine the iconicness of us being on Eurovision. Like, that would be amazing.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh, girl.

BLU HYDRANGEA: The dream.

MONÉT X CHANGE: That would be every-- wait. Do they do groups? I thought it just solo acts. I didn't even know that you could do groups on there.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Yeah, there's like-- Steps is a big UK band that's been on it and Blue and all these other ones. So yeah, UK have some amazing groups of people that sing. So they've always been like pushed on it. But the UK always does shit. But I'm here to make a change. We'll do this year and win.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I was looking. You have a bunch of tours coming up. You have the Halloween tour. And you also have the whole Hydrangea tour. Talk to us about those tours. What can we expect? And when do they start?

BLU HYDRANGEA: Well, the Crystal Methyd one is in London. And it's my ooky-spooky debut. Since "Drag Race," now I have money. Now I can do a good Halloween show. And I'm super excited for it because I paint for the back row. But on a Halloween gig, I'm gonna paint for, like, two streets across. You kind of see this mug, but you can still see it in your dreams.

And then we are going on the whole Hydrangea tour with Cheryl. And I love that bitch so much. She is a hot mess like me. And we just had so much fun on the stage together. And she is, like, one of those people that you know when you have one person in your friend group that you read to fill, like, every time you see them? She is that. And I just love that because I just get to have fun with her. Hee, hee, hee.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I love that. And again, I think that's why the fans gravitated and liked the UK season so much because it was refreshing. Again, I'm from the US "Drag Race." I get it. Like, I know. But y'all were just-- there was a level of just freeness. And y'all weren't worried about being portrayed this, that, and the other. Y'all were just super duper honestly yourselves, good, bad, or ugly. And that's what something I think the US seasons lack because we're so afraid of being perceived a certain way.

But y'all were like, bitch, this is what I am. This bitch is ugly. I don't like her. A red wig and a silver dress, I don't think. Like, y'all were just super honest.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Yeah, we were messy as fuck. But like, that's what I loved. We all pulled together, and we had-- we knew that we were going to be the first season, so we had something to prove. So it was the competition first, obviously. And then secondly, it was just to make a legacy for UK drag. And I feel like we did that. And that's something I'm super proud to be a part of, definitely.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. Well, now Blu, so as I was telling you-- so before the camera started rolling, I was telling Blu. We were talking about my little UK excursion. I'm going to be living in the UK for three months. And do you have any tips or pointers for me, being an American in London? What should I-- well, obviously, I've been there a bunch of times. But living, I feel like, is different.

No shade. The UK food is not my favorite.

BLU HYDRANGEA: [LAUGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'm very nervous. Y'all don't believe in ice. Y'all have doors everywhere. I have a lot of obstacles. But what recommendations do you have for me?

BLU HYDRANGEA: You have to try a fry-up. It's some greasy ass food. It tastes so good. It's made in a fryer that's been not been cleaned in days, and it tastes so good. You have--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Fry-up?

BLU HYDRANGEA: Ask for a fry up. Just like--

MONÉT X CHANGE: OK.

BLU HYDRANGEA: And ask for everything. Don't say you don't want anything. Just ask for it all because it's all good.

MONÉT X CHANGE: OK.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Maybe that's some food you'll like.

Don't expect Londoners to, like, be nice or have manners. And I realized that--

MONÉT X CHANGE: Really?

BLU HYDRANGEA: [LAUGHS] Whenever I go down to London--

MONÉT X CHANGE: I mean, I'm from New York. New Yorkers are pretty rude.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Maybe, then, you'll feel right at home. But in Northern Ireland, everyone is overly friendly. They're like, let me open this door. Let me walk you in. Let me-- whereas you never get that in London. Oh my god. Am I gonna get hate from Londoners?

MONÉT X CHANGE: What about the dick in London? Is the dick good?

BLU HYDRANGEA: It is good. And like I said off camera, vinegar is going to be your prized possession when you're getting the good dick. Because we were on "God Shave the Queens," which is a backstage VIP access of our tour that we did last year. And there was one night where we all went out, and she got plastered, and made out with 25 boys in the space of an hour and a half.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Ooh, girl, that sounds like a recipe for mono.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Well, she might have mono to this day. But, like, apparently she had a good night, which is just as important, right?

[LAUGHTER]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Blu, this was great. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me. Once again, you look incredible. Who was this wig by? I need one like that when I get to London.

BLU HYDRANGEA: This is Florensia's wig. And she's actually from London and has saved my ass a good few times whenever I've been on the road. She's good. She's the tea.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'm hitting her up because you look incredible.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Thank you so much.

MONÉT X CHANGE: She really doesn't have the best makeup and makeup hair in the UK. No shade to the girls. I love all the girls.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Yes!

MONÉT X CHANGE: I mean, it's just impeccable work.

BLU HYDRANGEA: You look good too in this Baga Chipz tribute. So it's all good.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] Oh my god. I fully am doing Baga Chipz. The kitting cat wig and yellow.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Baga Chipz wishes she could blend that partially. I love it.

[LAUGHTER]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Blu, thank you so much for chatting and talking with me. I can't wait. When I get to London, I don't know what restrictions are. But I am going to try to make a trip to my homeland of Northern Ireland. And we'll [INAUDIBLE], get some fry-up.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Yes! We'll, me and my boyfriend said that we were going to come see the show anyway. So we'll definitely have a [INAUDIBLE] while you're over.

Thank you so much for having me. And thank you so much for the content you've been putting over lockdown on YouTube and on this show. Because it really keeps us going. And I live for drag content. So to be with [INAUDIBLE]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Thank you, boo. Ditto. Ditto, ditto, ditto to you too.

BLU HYDRANGEA: Of course. Thank you so much.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [KISS] I'll see you soon, my love.

BLU HYDRANGEA: See you soon.

MONÉT X CHANGE: On the subject of politics, a good old X Change Rate fave is back to give us a little political breakdown to keep us abreast of the ever so trifling American political system.

MARTI GOULD CUMMINGS: I cannot believe what is going on in this country right here, right now, on this say.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[VOCALIZING]

Hey, everyone, it's Marti Gould Cummings with an all-new segment a "Political Fish." It's been a while since I saw you last. But I am so happy to be back on "The X Change Rate," talking to you about all things voting. Because guess what? We have an election in just a couple of weeks, on November 3. So make sure that you have a plan to vote.

There is so much happening in our country right now that should activate you, inspire you, and get you to the polls to vote! There is no excuse! There is no excuse! Do you hear me, America? Go and vote!

This administration is actively working to roll back the rights of the most vulnerable and marginalized among us. We are not just voting for a president. We're voting for our court system.

What does that mean, you may wonder. Well, let me tell you. The Supreme Court, which Mitch McConnell, who people liken to a turtle, which I think is an insult to turtles, because I love turtles-- McConnell is a ra-cis-tuh. They are now working to pack the court with conservatives, which are going to roll back the rights of LGBTQIA-plus people, our immigrant community, women and reproductive rights. It's going to take away health care, remove Obamacare, a system that has given millions of people health care. This is a huge deal.

This administration, this administration and the people that are backing it are actively speaking out against the Black Lives Matter movement. That is bigoted and wrong. We live in a country where police are able to get away with murdering people in their sleep, in their own home, where police are able to get away with shooting someone in the back seven times in front of their children. This is wrong. And we have an administration that is saying that's OK, that there are good people on both sides. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No.

The administration is telling people to liberate Michigan and stand by. And they took that to mean, oh, let's get a plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan, who I stan. And I'm very happy that they thwarted those people. That is insane that in 2020 America, there is a credible plot to kidnap a sitting governor.

They are fascists, bigots. They are [BLEEP]. Let's bleep that out. I am so angry that they are still in office. And it is time for us to activate ourselves and vote. And we're going to talk about how to do that now.

And the way to do that is to have a plan. Find out when early voting in your state happens. Find out how to get an absentee ballot. Make sure you're registered to vote. And on November 3, if you haven't already voted early, get to the polls.

Donald Trump is over here saying, oh, COVID's not a big deal. Oh, COVID's not not a big deal. Well, guess what? I'm a gig worker, and I've been out of work for seven months. Guess what? There are people who don't have access to unemployment right now. Guess what? There are small businesses that are shutting down and need help.

And excuse me. The only super-spreader I see around here is the Rose Garden when all those old-ass white men are shaking each other's hands and hugging, and poor Kellyanne Conway's daughter has to be the whistleblower to let everybody know that they're-- [COUGHS] coughing on each other, getting people sick.

Wear a mask. Just--

[CLICKS TONGUE]

--wear a mask. This Rose Garden event is a mess.

Amy Coney Barret, the woman who could be the deciding factor in whether or not we have health care, brought her kids to a super-spreader event with no mask. Who brings their seven kids to an event in a pandemic with no mask on? No, ma'am. No, ma'am. No, ma'am, Miss Coney. No, ma'am, Ms Barrett, Ms. Coney Barrett. Put on a mask.

It's like Oprah giving away cars. You got COVID. You got COVID. You got COVID. I should call child protective services. That doesn't seem very motherly to me.

Lives are on the line. Literal lives are on the line. And they have 200,000-plus people who have died on their watch.

No more are we going to be a country that only fights for the wealthy 1% patriarchy. We are going to be a country that stands up and fights for the Indigenous community, for the Black community, for the immigrant community, for women, and for queer LGBTQIA-plus people, and the most marginalized and vulnerable among us.

Donald Trump, your days are numbered.

[ROAR]

This queen is coming for you with an army of queens, ready to go to the polls.

There are so many different ways that you can vote in this country. You can vote by mail, absentee voting. You can vote early, if you live in New York like I do. Early voting starts October 24. But make sure that you have a day of voting plan. This is crucial.

And Trump is over here, yakking away about how voting by mail and absentee voting is fraudulent and not the way to do it. But did you know that the military votes by mail? Oh, that's right. Donald Trump doesn't care about the military because he is on record as saying that people who have died are losers. The only loser I see here is you, sir. Uh, do you know who else votes by mail? Donald Trump.

The only thing fraudulent that I see is that busted ass orange makeup that he wears all the time and his busted ass hair that he spent $70,000 in taxes on, which, when he was in the hospital doing his little, look how busy I am working, I'm working, just signing this blank piece of paper in [DONKEY CRIES] Walter Reed Medical Center, thinking that he was all this, that, and the other, he wasn't working. And he was pale as [CHICKENS CLUCK].

Meanwhile, most people in this country are out of work and do not know how they're going to pay their rent or put food on the table. I wish I had $70,000 for hair, because if I did, I would glued the side of my wig down, which I did not, for this segment because I did not have any glue because we are in a pandemic. And the store is not open. And I cannot get it. So I am popping off on my wig. And this is one of the reasons we need to vote. So make sure you're doing it.

And ways that we're going to do that is by telling you how to get to the polls. Have a day of voting plan.

If you need information on your polling location, absentee ballots, just general voting facts, go to IWILLVOTE.com.

Here's a fun fact about absentee ballots. All you need to do is sign your absentee ballot, and you can drop it at any polling location once early voting starts. And this is a little bit of information that people may not know. Your early voting polling location may be different than your Election Day polling location. So make sure you find this information out before early voting or for the November 3 Election Day.

If you're unable to get to the polls for whatever reason, then you better make sure that you have an absentee ballot. This is so important. This is vote by mail. Vote by mail. Get up into that. Make sure that if you can't go to the polls in person, you can do this.

The most important thing you can do is have a plan of action for voting. So visit the website. Check it out. And make a plan.

We need to go out in huge numbers to get this [GOAT BLEATS] out of office. Our democracy depends on it. We are voting your fascist ass out on November 3. So this is what we're fighting for. All right, that's a wrap.

MONÉT X CHANGE: You know, quite often on this show, I chat with people who are way smarter than me. But rarely are they ever as gorgeous. And our next guest swiftly checks both of those boxes. Please welcome the fabulous Karine Jean-Pierre.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, thank you so much, Monét. And you always look fabulous. And I am such a huge fan. Thank you, thank youm thank you for having me.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Thank you for being here.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Absolutely.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'm so grateful.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yay.

MONÉT X CHANGE: How are you doing? How is-- this is such a, I'm sure, for you, a really exciting time. How are you handling all of it? How are you doing?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: You know, just hanging in there. Less than three weeks to go. Or if you [INAUDIBLE] thing. I'm getting ahead of myself. About three weeks to go [INAUDIBLE] I'm getting too far ahead of myself. And you know, I'm excited. I feel great. I'm thrilled about being part of the team that's going to help the Biden-Harris ticket go into the administration and win on November 3.

And honestly, Monét, there is nowhere else I would rather be as far as jobwise and where I am in my career than right now, working on this campaign. So I'm excited. I feel excited because there's so much on the line. The most consequential election of our lifetime. And so we have to do this. We have to.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, being an immigrant like so many of us, like myself, like so many of us watching this show, from a family [INAUDIBLE], what inspired you to go into politics? And what about-- because I saw an interview with you. And you showed that picture of you and your family sitting at the White House.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: [INAUDIBLE]

MONÉT X CHANGE: But what inspired you to want to go into politics?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: It's so wild. So you know-- what I'm about to say, you know exactly. I'm sure you feel me on this. But I had no thought or desire to go into politics when I was growing up. My immigrant parents-- and both my parents are from Haiti. I actually was born in Martinique. And so I'm an immigrant myself.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Well, you know, my family's from St. Lucia. We're neighboring islands.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: [INAUDIBLE] nieghbor. And so when they came here, like so many other immigrant families, you come here for the American dream. You want to survive. You want to make it. You want to give everything that you can to your kids, including education. So my parents were like, we want you to be either a doctor, lawyer, or engineer.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes. [LAUGHS]

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: You know what I'm talking about, Monét. And I was like, OK, I guess I'm going to be a doctor. Anyway, it didn't work out.

And I never thought about politics because my parents really weren't into it. They came from a dictatorship. So they were very, very nervous. And it wasn't until grad school. I went to Columbia University. David Dinkins, who was the first African-American mayor of New York City, became a mentor of mine. He was teaching at SIPA, the School of International Public Affairs.

And so I got into politics, to get straight to it, to your question is because I wanted to make an impact, to make the world a better place. And policy was, I believe, the most effective way to do that. That's the master's that I went into in public policy.

And I wasn't, like I said, originally into politics. But when I got into Columbia, I was really lucky with mentors. And honestly, from there, I went through campaigning, and worked for movements on all levels. I went from New York City Council to presidential campaigns to the White House and--

MONÉT X CHANGE: The Obama administration, amen.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: The Obama administration.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: And because of those experiences, I learned that politics really energized me because it offered me the opportunity to improve the lives of people that looked like me and came from similar backgrounds as well.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. And you being a Black, queer woman in politics, that honestly gives so much strength to those who fall under those identities. How are you navigating being in politics under this administration and living through it?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I gotta be totally honest. It's been tough. It's been hard. I mean, we have a president right now, Donald Trump, who doesn't care about Black, Brown people, immigrants, queer people. And says it. Doesn't hide it. You see it in the policies. He divides us, doesn't bring us together at all. No desire to do that. And again, this is why this election is so important. Everything is on the ballot.

And the other thing. So I'm queer. I'm a Black woman. I am an immigrant. I'm also a mom.

MONÉT X CHANGE: A mom, yeah.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: I have a six-year-old. We have a six-year-old. She's a beautiful little girl. And one of the reasons I got into this is because I think about my daughter. What are the reasons besides the fact that I've known Joe Biden for a long time, as we just mentioned the Obama-Biden administration-- I've gotten to know him over the years, over a decade now. And I believe in him. And I think he's going to be a great leader.

But my kid plays into this too, who, like the rest of us, is living in such a chaotic world. So I'm fighting to make sure that my daughter and the millions of others Black and Brown kids who look like her have a shot at a better future. And that's why I'm so driven to being part of this campaign, the Biden-Harris campaign because we gotta [INAUDIBLE].

MONÉT X CHANGE: We need your voice. We need your voice. And then, now, we're doing the Supreme Court hearings. And they're really heavily focused on the Affordable Care Act and trying to eradicate, and they're trying to take away and destroy it. What are your thoughts on us trying to replace-- who, honestly, she was such an angel, RBG, such a great justice, and so amazingly moral, with Amy Coney Barrett. What are your thoughts on-- because she's going to get in, it's looking like. What do we do going forward?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: You know, it's really unfortunate because this should not be happening. This confirmation should not be happening. It's against all protocol that the Senate has followed. And we should-- we're so close, less than 30 days. We're so close to this election that the people should decide. The people should have a say who is going to be their president. And from there, we move on.

And so the scary part about this, right-- and we know this. We know why Donald Trump picked her. And we're looking at ACA. ACA, Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has given health care to tens of millions of people. The Trump administration-- and they are lying about this, but this is true. The Trump administration right now is in the courts trying to take away health care from 20 million people. And here's the thing, Monét. They're doing it in the middle of a global pandemic [INAUDIBLE].

MONÉT X CHANGE: Honestly, it's ike we're watching an episode of "Scandal." We're living through an episode of "Scandal."

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Exactly. And you're like, please save us, Olivia.

MONÉT X CHANGE: You know?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Really. Come on. Save us. But no, but all seriousness, I mean, they're doing this while people are dying. More than 210,000 Americans have died of COVID. And you want to take away people's health care?

And here's the thing. The Biden-Harris administration will expand health care. They'll make it more affordable. They will make sure that you have options. And that's what they're going to do.

And this president doesn't care. He doesn't care about us. He doesn't care about anyone who looks like us. And so we have to be really mindful about this because you cannot-- I mean, it's cruel. It's pure cruelty when you take away people's health care while folks are suffering. And then the economy is in crisis on top of that because of his mismanagement of COVID-19.

MONÉT X CHANGE: So now, I'm not going to be biased. [INAUDIBLE]. The last debate, Kamala Harris, literally, she was so great, so poised. I'm speaking. Everything, I loved it. What are some major takeaways that Americans can have from the vice-presidential debate?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: So first of all, let me start here because we're talking about people who look like us, women who look like us. And the one thing that I want to say, it was historic. Seeing her on stage just as a Black woman, a woman of Indian heritage, the vice-presidential debate, she's on this ticket. And Joe Biden picked her, right? We got to give him props. He picked [INAUDIBLE] he did. Right?

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: And she made history that night. It was historical.

And it was almost a trifecta because when she was chosen, it was historical. Then she accepted the nomination at the convention. And then she did this debate. And she cut through the noise, Monét, because all you heard from Mike Pence was lies, deflection, and just his nastiness. And it's the same thing that we've been hearing from this administration for the last four years, the same thing that his boss did the week before with Joe Biden during their debate.

And so she cut through the noise, and she spoke directly to the American people. And she laid out what a Biden-Harris administration would look look like. Talked about the plan, talked about health care, talked about the economy and how to get out of this hole that Donald Trump put us in. She laid it out. She talked about ACA and what he's doing right now in the courts.

And so it was-- we could not be prouder of her. And we knew Mike Pence was going to be-- he's a good debater. He is. He's a very good debater. But she was prepared, and she won that debate. She won that debae.

MONÉT X CHANGE: 100%. And to quote "Mortal Kombat," flawless victory. You know what I mean? It was great. It was great.

[LAUGHTER]

Now, in the name of all that is good and karmiful, Kamalaful, you'll be the next chief of staff to the vice-president of the United States. Can you-- for people like me who don't know a lot about anything, what exactly is a chief of staff? And what will you be doing for the nation?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, that's a good question. So right now, I'm the chief of staff for the campaign. [LAUGHS]

MONÉT X CHANGE: I know. I'm just-- I'm just sending off good, positive karma, good vibes. I'm just being helpful.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: I get it. I appreciate you putting it into existence. I love you for it. I appreciate it. And we'll see. We gotta win. And we'll see what happens. And whatever I do next, it will be fighting for people, for vulnerable communities, people who look like me, people who look like us, and making sure that we have a voice and a platform. So I will always be doing that. That's what's in my core. That's what's in my heart.

So chief of staff is basically managing staff, strategizing, thinking, thinking ahead, managing her day-to-day, and trying to figure out how do we best utilize her time because there's not a lot of it, helping her, making sure she has the right team around her to to prepare for the debate, for example, and stuff like that. It's very forward thinking, but also, day-to-day. So you're trying to manage and balance both of those things.

And it's been an honor. It's been an honor to serve as her chief of staff. It's been an honor to be a senior advisor to Joe Biden on this campaign. And I am just excited to take this to the finish line.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes, yes, yes. Now, what can I say? One of my favorite moments from 2019 was you stepping in front of that maniac who charged the stage. So for those of y'all who don't know, they're at this the Big Ideas forum. And Karine and Senator Harris were at this forum. Is crazy-- some cisgendered white dude just charged the stage and grabs the mic.

But what the crazy thing is, Karine just has no idea if he has a gun, a knife, whatever. You stepped in front of Senator Harris. And you're like, what are you doing, dude? And honestly, it was so bold. And it just, honestly, speaks to who you are, your character. You immediately stepped in front of her to stop any mal intent. It was amazing.

What was going through your mind? I don't know what I would do at the moment?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: I appreciate it. You know what's so wild? So it was a Move On. So I used to work for-- or took a leave of absence from an organization called Move On. And it was their Big Ideas forum. And I was moderating, along with a good friend of mine, Stephanie.

And it's so wild, Monét, because that day, while we were having a conversation onstage-- it was all women of color. It was myself, Stephanie, a Latina, and the DJ was a Black woman. And of course, we have Kamala Harris. And we are actually-- if you go back, the question that she's answering is actually about women of color.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] Oh my god.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: And so here comes this guy coming on stage. And it really-- I think it really exemplified so many things for women at that moment. You know, this happens to us in variations clearly, not in that dramatic way, all the time, all the time, where our space is invaded, where we have to kind of stick up for ourselves and others. And that was that pivotal moment.

And at the time, I was just thinking-- I just knew-- I knew he was coming for her. And it was just my sister instinct, that mom instinct. Right?

MONÉT X CHANGE: It was so good.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: And I can't even explain it. I've had some of my older, older, older mothers, right, older friends, who were just kind of like, don't ever do that again.

MONÉT X CHANGE: (LAUGHING) I know.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: So I have to tell you a story. So when that happened, I didn't tell my mom. My borther and my sister called me. They're like, oh, my god, you can't tell mummy. That's what we call her, mummy, because she's [INAUDIBLE]

MONÉT X CHANGE: Oh my god, that's what I call my mom too, mummy-- M-U-M-M-Y, like she's--

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, exactly.

MONÉT X CHANGE: --from ancient Egypt.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Exactly. And so they're like, she's going to be stressed out. She's going to be really worried because that's what moms do. They worry, worry. So we didn't tell her. And this thing exploded, right? This clip, it made national and local news. And so maybe on day 3 or day 4 afterwards, my mom calls me. And she's just kind of like--

MONÉT X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: --so I was at the bank.

[LAUGHTER]

And she was like, someone's talking. Because my mom doesn't watch TV. She doesn't have cable. So she hadn't seen it. And so she said, someone mentioned you stepping in front of somebody. And then my brother, later-- maybe an hour later, my brother shows her the video. And she was like, you go, girl! That's [INAUDIBLE] That's exactly right. That's what you do! And I was shocked. I was like, OK.

[LAUGHTER]

But it was [INAUDIBLE].

MONÉT X CHANGE: I love that. I love, love, love. What are you doing election night, Karine?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, wow.

MONÉT X CHANGE: What are you doing? What are you doing?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, man. That's such a good question. With COVID-19, everything has changed. Right now, I should be in the studio with you in New York.

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yeah. [FAKE CRIES]

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Maybe with an audience. I don't know. I was [INAUDIBLE].

And right now, with COVID, it's like, I'm right here in my home office, talking with you. And we just gotta be-- honestly, we have to be really safe. One of the things that we have been doing as a campaign is we've been traveling a lot, but we've been doing it in a smart way and showing leadership, making sure we're wearing masks, washing our hands, having social distancing.

And you know, Joe Biden has been traveling regularly. Kamala has been traveling regularly. And but we do it very, very safely because we not only have to protect ourselves, but we have to protect everyone that we're around. And so that's the first thinking, right? We gotta be safe and how to do this.

I will-- you know, it might be what I did in 2016. In 2016, I was all over, going back and forth to between various TV programs to provide commentary. So it'll probably be something like that, looking at the numbers, trying to figure out--

MONÉT X CHANGE: I know, every minute, like, ooh, ooh, ooh. I can't imagine.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, how [INAUDIBLE]. How's it going in North Carolina? How's it going in Michigan? [INAUDIBLE]

MONÉT X CHANGE: In the absolute worst case scenario, Karine, worst case scenario, god forbid, there is not a victory for the Biden-Harris campaign--

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Please.

MONÉT X CHANGE: --what is your next move?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, man. Look, I'm going to-- I'm going to do what you did, Monét. I'm gonna speak it into existence. I'm gonna speak it into existence. I am excited to watch Joe Biden and Kamala Harris win on November 3. And I think it's pretty much--

You know, I think when this is all over, I'm looking forward to taking a little bit of time, a break, right?

MONÉT X CHANGE: I'm sure. I'm sure.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Spending time with my family, which brings me tons of joy. I mentioned my daughter and my partner. And so I'm really looking forward to that, some much needed rest.

And I think in whatever my next role is, like I was saying earlier, I promise it will continue. I will continue the work that I've endeavored through my entire career, which is working to make America all it can be for those who have been left behind. That is my core. That is in my gut, in my heart. And that is what I want to do. And so whatever that looks like, I will serve for the people.

MONÉT X CHANGE: And I think that is a great place to leave this interview. Thank you so, so, so much, Karine, for sitting with me and chatting, giving us great insight. And I can't wait to meet you in real life one day. And thank you so much. This was great.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you. I appreciate you. Thank you. Be safe out there.

MONÉT X CHANGE: I will. You too. You too. You too. Stay safe. And I look forward-- I will tweet you on November 4 at 7:00 AM, be like, woo! We did it, girl! We did it!

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: And we can do a little dance

MONÉT X CHANGE: Yes, just like that. Thank you so much, Karine. Be safe. And thank you so much for all the hard work you're doing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. From a lowly, New York City citizen, thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you. [KISS] Thank you.

MONÉT X CHANGE: [KISS] Bye, my dear.

Guys, that is all for this week's show. What a great show. Blu Hydrangea, Karine Jean-Pierre, this was such, such, such, such, such, such a great show.

Once again, if you are not listening to our podcast, mama, you're missing out. You can listen to it at the gym. You can listen to it on a flight. You can listen-- like, there are so many options. The options are endless. Follow the link down below in the description box to subscribe to our podcast and like it. Give us a rating so you can boost this on the podcast thing so we can be more fierce.

Once again, I love you guys so much. And thank you for always watching "The X Change Rate." And keep your currency in check, bitch. We back with the liquor.

MARTI GOULD CUMMINGS: This is why we need to get to the polls and vote. We're going to cut. We're going to cut, and we're going to take it again. Take 2.

The military does it. And you know who else does it, but says that it's fraudulent, but it's fraudulent? He does it because he's a conniving little piece of [CHICKEN BAWKS] who lies to the American public. We're going to cut. And we're going to do it, take 3. You could be a better director?

No, your orange foundation is fraudulent, OK? Uh-- [LAUGHS] Let's take 4. With your ridiculous hair that cost $70,000 in write-offs for taxes-- edit. Donald Trump votes by mail. Donald Trump votes absentee. Donald Trump, (SINGING) you're a lying [BLEEP]. Oh. So get your absentee ballots.

We're gonna pause. New edit. So find out information at-- I don't like any of this. I'm here for Kamala. I stan Kamala. Kamala is my girl. I will never swat a fly again.

[LAUGHTER]