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also next weeks, we might tellsome jokes about donald trump. but we'll see. we're learning so much aboutdonald trump and here's the best thing, we're learning thingsfrom crump donald trump. he's teaching us. for instance, he's teaching usthat there are a lot of things presidents do that we allassumed are laws but are actually just norms we got usedto from previous presidents, like the one where you win bygetting the most votes.

not a law. i'm going to explain thedifference between a norm and a law in our new segment, "norm orlaw?" ( cheers and applause )okay, here's the deal. here's how it works. it's notoo complicated. if i describe something that'sa norm, like holding the door for someone at starbucks, you'llhear this: >> "norm!">> stephen: if instead i

describe something that is alaw, like not holding someone hostage in starbucks, you'llhear this: ( "law&order" theme )>> stephen: first up, unlike every other candidate for thepast 40 years, donald trump refused to release his taxreturns, and we need to see a president's tax returns to knowif he's a crook. fun fact, the first president torelease his taxes said this: >> i am not a crook. >> stephen: fun fact: crook.

( laughter )but is a candidate releasing his tax returnaise norm or a law? >> norm! >> stephen: yes, it's just anorm. and here's the crazy part:while the president doesn't have to release his tax returns,cabinet and subcabinet-level positions are required to submittheir tax returns to the senate. so, lower level positions areheld to a higher standard than the president.

that's like walking into arestaurant bathroom, and the sign says, "all employees mustwash hands, except the chef." ( laughter )disturbing. disturbing. ( applause )next up on "norm or law?," trump is the richest man ever to bepresident, which is quite an achievement considering severalof the first ones had "unpaid farming interns." that's true.

i didn't make that up. so will trump use the presidencyto help his business? previous presidents sold offtheir investments or put them in something called a blind trust,which i believe is also the slogan on trump's new hat. so, trump's going to do the samebecause that's the law, right? >> stephen: nope, it's just anorm. turns out, "the strict federalrules about financial conflicts of interest do not apply to thepresident, whose incentive to

avoid self-enrichment is simplyassumed." yes, it's assumed. and when you assume about trump,it makes an ass out of you and me( applause ) and, and, i think we know who'sgrabbing that ass. ( laughter )but trump's companies are all over the world. is there any law stoppingforeign governments from throwing business his way to getspecial treatment, or is it just

a norm? ( "law&order "theme. >> stephen: oh, thank god. and this one's in theconstitution. them's the big laws. it's called the emolumentsclause, which is a fancy word for "bribe." the founders knew that evenhonest people might betray their values for cash.

it's human nature. just like it's human nature toenjoy the great taste of activia yogurt. mmm-mmm-mmm. activia. be right back. ( laughter )( applause ) so what about daily intelligencebriefings? it's crucial for the commanderin chief to be constantly

updated on threats around theworld, but so far, trump has been opting out of them. that's right, he's just "optingout." donald trump is treating ournational security like i treat emails from pottery barn. "stop nuclear proliferation? unsubscribe!"( laughter ) ( cheers and applause )that yogurt is really good. ( laughter )so is refusing to be informed

violating a norm or law? >> stephen: yep. but don't worry. according to trump advisorkellyanne conway, instead of briefings from the c.i.a., trumpgets his information from "a number of sources" including"his personal and on-the-phone meetings with over what's now 41world leaders." first of all, kellyanne, no onesays "over frun." you can say "over 40" or "almost50," but when you say "over 41,"

we all know you're trying tomake 42 sound bigger. ( laughter )and there's a reason presidents don't get news about othercountries from those countries' leaders. foreign leaders lie. like fidel castro, who, untillast week, would not admit that he was dead. well, that's it for this editionof "norm or law," but i have a feeling we'll learn a lot moreabout what's technically legal

over the next few years-- forinstance, whether we keep the norm that america has laws.