LET'S, BECAUSE, LET'S MEET
OUR GUEST TONIGHT, IS HE THE 44th PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES. HIS BEST SELLING BOOK "A
PROMISED LAND QUTIONZ SOWT RIGHT NOW. WHAT AN ABSOLUTE HONOR AND A
PLEASURE TO WELCOME TO THE SHOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE ONE,
THE ONLY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS HERE ON THE "LATE, LATE
SHOW"! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! (APPLAUSE)
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT. WAIT, WAIT-- HANG ON. MR. PRESIDENT, JUST GIVE ME 30
SECONDS. WE'VE DONE 400 SHOWS IN HERE. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT LEVEL OF
ENTHUSIASM WHEN I HAVE WALKED OUT ON THE SHOW, THIS IS AN
OUTRAGE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US
FROM D.C.. NOW THE FORMER FIRST LADY HAS
APPEARED ON THE "LATE, LATE SHOW" A COUPLE OF TIMES. I REMEMBER VIVIDLY WHEN WE SHOT
THE CARPOOL KARAOKE. WERE YOU IN THE OVAL OFFICE AT
THE WHITE HOUSE. AND I SAID TO THE FIRST LADY
THAT YOU WERE WELCOME TO JOIN US IF YOU WISHED. AND I REMEMBER HER LOOKING ME
DEAD IN THE EYE AND SAYING ABSOLUTELY NOT. THIS IS MY THING. DID YOU-- DID YOU HAVE TO CLEAR
YOUR APPEARANCE ON OUR SHOW WITH HER TONIGHT? >> YES, I DID. I HAVE TO CLEAR ALL APPEARANCES
WITH HER. AND SHE SAID LOOK, I KNOW JAMES
LOVES MOO HE MORE, SO I AM FINE WITH YOU BEING ON THE SHOW. YOU WILL NEVER REPLACE ME IN HIS
AFFECTION. AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. >> James: OF COURSE YOU
UNDERSTAND THAT. >> YEAH, I MEAN YOU GUYS HAVE
PLAYED DODGEBALL TOGETHER. I CANNOT DO THOSE THINGS. >> James: WE'VE GOT A HISTORY. TELL ME, MR. PRESIDENT, HOW IS
LIFE AS A FORMER PRESIDENT? IS IT WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS
GOING TO BE? ARE YOU ABLE TO ENJOY YOURSELF
MORE NOW? >> YOU KNOW, IT IS PRETTY DARN
GOOD. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ARE PRESIDENT
EVERY MORNING WHEN YOU OPEN UP A NEWSPAPER OR YOU ARE, IN MY
CASE, READING AN iPAD, EVERY SINGLE STORY IS YOUR PROBLEM. RIGHT? YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GO THROUGH A
STORY WHERE SOMEBODY IS NOT THINKING WELL, WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO ABOUT IT. AND SO OBVIOUSLY THERE IS
SOME-- THERE IS LESS STRESS, LESS BURDEN. I GET A LOT MORE TIME WITH
MICHELLE. AND YOU KNOW, WE JUST WENT
THROUGH AN EXTRAORDINARY AND VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR
EVERYBODY, DURING THIS PANDEMIC. THE BLESSING WHICH I KNOW OTHERS
HAVE TALKED ABOUT IS IS THAT MY COLLEGE-AGED GIRLS WERE HOME. AND SO I GOT A LOT OF TIME WITH
THEM. AND YOU KNOW, HI TIME TO READ. I SLEEP MORE. YOU KNOW, MICHELLE THINKS I'M A
LITTLE CUTER NOW. >> James: NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT
YOUR BOOK "A PROMISED LAND" WHICH IS A REALLY INTIMATE LOOK
AT YOUR LIFE THROUGH YOUR FIRST TERM IN OFFICE. YOU SPEAK A LOT IN THE BOOK. YOU SAY THAT YOU WROTE THE BOOK
TO INSPIRE YOUNG PEOPLE TO CONSIDER A LIFE IN PUBLIC
SERVICE. WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING
ON, WITH EVERYTHING FEELING SO DIVIDED, AS IT IS RIGHT NOW,
FROM MY POINT OF VIEW IT FEELS HARDER THAN EVER, TO CONVINCE
ANYBODY, TO PUT AN END TO THE POLITICAL FREY, WOULD
YOU-- FRAY, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT AND HOW DO YOU CONVINCE
YOUNG PEOPLE THAT A LIFE OF PUBLIC SERVICE IS THE RIGHT
THING TO DO. >> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD NEWS
IS, WITH A FOUNDATION TALKING TO YOUNG PEOPLE NOT JUST IN THE
UNITED STATES, BUT ALL AROUND THE WORLD. AND EVERYWHERE WE GO, YOUNG
PEOPLE ARE INCREDIBLY IDEALISTIC. I MEAN THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE. THEY CARE DEEPLY ABOUT CRIMINAL
JUSTICE REFORM AND FINALLY MOVING THE COUNTRY PASSED OUR
TRAGIC RACIAL HISTORY. THEY CARE A LOT ABOUT INCOME
INEQUALITY AND HOMELESSNESS. AND SO YOU SEE AS MUCH IDEALISM
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AS YOU EVER HAVE. THEY LOST FAITH IN A LOT OF
INSTITUTIONS, RIGHT, POLITICAL PARTIES, BIG GOVERNMENT, BIG
BUSINESS. AND SO PART OF MY MESSAGE TO
THEM IS LOOKING , THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS OF
SERVING. SOME PEOPLE, I WANT THEM TO GET
INTO POLITICS BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE GOOD PEOPLE RUNNING
FOR OFFICE, THEN YOU END UP GETTING PEOPLE WHO AREN'T SO
GOOD. BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THERE ARE
OTHER WAYS OF SERVING. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN START A
NONPROFIT. YOU CAN BE ACTIVE IN YOUR
COMMUNITY. YOU CAN, IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO
INTO BUSINESS, THEN YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW DO I TREAT MY
EMPLOYEES WELL AND HOW DO I GIVE BACK TO MY COMMUNITY. YOU ARE GOING INTO JOURNALISM,
LET ME BE PURPOSEFUL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT I AM TELLING
THE TRUTH ABOUT ISSUES THAT ARE PORNTD, AND HELPING PEOPLE TO BE
INFORMED. SO WHAT I AM SEEING IS, I THINK,
A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WANTING TO SERVE. THEY'RE GOING TO FIND THEIR OWN
WAYS OF SERVING AND I ALSO THINK THEY WILL WANT TO REMAKE A LOT
OF INSTITUTIONS THAT FRANKLY WE FEEL HAVEN'T SERVED US AS WELL
AND THEY HAVE BEEN DISILLUSIONED OR DISAPPOINTED BUT THEY ARE
EAGER TO GET OUT THERE AND SEE IF THEY CAN DO BETTER. >> James: YOU HAVE BEEN VERY
OPEN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT YOUR DAUGHTERS FACED GROWING UP
IN THE WHITE HOUSE. YOU KNOW, UNIMAGINABLE
CHALLENGES TO ME, A LACK OF PRIVACY, SPOTLIGHT ON THEIR
EVERY MOVE. WHAT WOULD YOU THINK OR WHAT
ADVICE WOULD I GIVE IF SASHA OR MALIA EVER CAME TO YOU AND SAID
I WANT TO GO INTO PUBLIC SERVICE. >> FIRST OF ALL,-- FIRST OF ALL,
THEM AS TEENAGERS AND HAVING SECRET SERVICE GUYS FOLLOW THEM
WHEN THEY WERE GOING OUT ON DATES, I THINK PROBABLY HAS SHUT
DOWN THEIR INTEREST IN PUBLIC SERVICE. THEY STILL HAVE PTSD FROM OUR
GUYS WALKING WITH MICROPHONES AND GLASSES AS THEY ARE TRYING
TO GO TO A MUSIC CONCERT. YOU KNOW, AND MICHELLE HAS BEEN
HONEST WITH YOU. SHE HAS BEEN ON THE SHOW. SHE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT
YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN TOLERANCE FOR NONSENSE AND
SILLINESS AND MEANNESS, FRANKLY, TO GO INTO PUBLIC SERVICE. AND YOU KNOW, AS A FATHER, I
WANT TO PROTECT MY GIRLS FROM THAT STUFF. I THINK THEY ARE PROBABLY GOING
TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO SERVE. RATHER THAN RUN FOR OFFICE
THEMSELVES. BUT YOU NEVER KNOW. AND IF THEY DECIDED TO DO IT,
OBVIOUSLY I WOULD BE EXTRAORDINARILY PROUD OF THEM. THEY HAVE TURNED INTO JUST
EXCEPTIONAL YOUNG WOMEN. I COULD NOT BE PROUDER OF THEM. NOT JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
THEY'RE SMART AND ACCOMPLISHED, BUT THEY'RE JUST KIND PEOPLE,
YOU KNOW. THEY DON'T HAVE AN ATTITUDE. THAT WAS THE THING MICHELLE AND
I WORRIED ABOUT MOST. I WRITE ABOUT THERE IN THE BOOK. WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
RUNNING. ARE WE GOING TO END UP WITH
WEIRD KIDS, RIGHT. BECAUSE THEY'RE-- CUZ-- NO, I
MEAN THEY'RE LIKE BUTLERS IN THE WHITE HOUSE. AND YOU KNOW, WHO HAS BUTLERS,
RIGHT? SO YOU KNOW, AND MICHELLE AND MY
MOTHER-IN-LAW WERE VERY GOOD ABOUT SAYING LISTEN, YOU KNOW,
YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN BED. YOU HAVE TO WAKE YOURSELVES UP. IF WE EVER SAW A HINT OF THEM
THINKING THAT SHOW THEY WERE-- MY MOTHER-IN-LAW ALWAYS
HAD THE BEST LINE ABOUT IT. I THINK ONE TIME THEY DID
SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ACTING OUT. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW LOOKED AT THEM
AND SAID YOU GUYS REALIZE, YOU GUYS HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING,
RIGHT? LIKE YOUR PARENTS HAVE DONE SOME
THINGS. YOU GUYS HAVE DONE NOTHING. (LAUGHTER)
IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD-- PRETTY GOOD CORRECTIVE. >> James: ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. DO YOU MISS HAVING A BUTLER
THOUGH? I FEEL LIKE THAT IS THE BIGGEST
THING, I DO, I FEEL LIKE THERE MUST BE A MOMENT, THERE HAS TO
BE A MOMENT AFTER, WHEN YOU STOP BEING THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES WHERE YOU ARE LIKE, CAN I-- I GOT TO GET IT
MYSELF. (LAUGHTER)
>> I HAVE TO CONFESS, MICHELLE AND I, WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS
AMAZING YOUNG MAN OVER WHO IS STILL DOING MOST OF OUR COOKING. SO WE-- WE, IT HAS
BEEN-- MICHELLE JOKES ABOUT HOW IF PEOPLE ASK, DO YOU COOK. I SAY OH YEAH, I MAKE THIS GREAT
CHILI. AND SHE POINTS OUT I LITERALLY
HAVE NOT MADE THIS CHILI IN 20 YEARS, RIGHT? (LAUGHTER)
>> IT IS REALLY GOOD, I PROMISE YOU. (LAUGHTER)
BUT IT'S BEEN AWHILE. >> James: NO, I BELIEVE IT I
BELIEVE IT WELL, WE'VE GOT A SPOT FOR A COOKING SPACE COMING
UP IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. ANY TIME, ANY TIME.
