WE'RE BACK WITH THE AUTHORS OF
"PERIL," ROBERT COSTA AND BOB WOODWARD. NOW, WATERGATE STARTED AS A
BURGLARY. AND THEN BECAME A TEST OF
PRESIDENTIAL POWER. HOW DO YOU THINK PRESIDENTIAL
POWER HAS CHANGED OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, AND WHAT VIEW OF
PRESIDENTIAL POWER IS OUR NEW PRESIDENT, JOE BIDEN, FACED WITH
WHEN HE COMES IN? >> WELL, THERE'S AN INCREDIBLE
CONCENTRATION OF POWER IN THE PRESIDENCY. IT'S BREATHTAKING. I'VE WRITTEN BOOKS ABOUT 10
PRESIDENTS. I DIDN'T DO ONE ON HARDING,
BECAUSE I WASN'T ALIVE. <i> ( LAUGHTER )</i>
BUT THAT'S THE ONLY REASON. AND POWER INCREASES WITH EACH
PRESIDENT. AND TRUMP, AS PRESIDENT, I MEAN,
LOOK AT WHAT HE DID. HE DEFINED NOT JUST THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY OR WASHINGTON OR POLITICS. HE DEFINED AMERICA IN A WAY. AND IF HE'S GOT-- I DON'T KNOW--
30% TO 40% OF THE VOTERS IN THE COUNTRY SUPPORT HIM, YOU KNOW,
HE-- IT'S A REAL-- SO, WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT PEOPLE-- WE
APPROACHED THIS NOT FROM A PARTISAN ANGLE, BUT WHAT
HAPPENED? WHY WAS TRUMP DOING THESE
THINGS? WHY WAS HE HAVING LAWYERS IN
THERE TELL HIM THINGS THAT JUST DISAPPEAR WHEN YOU INVESTIGATE? PEOPLE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT
THAT. >> Stephen: LET'S THINK ABOUT
THIS IN A NONPARTISAN WAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S
DISTRESSING TO ME IS WHEN I READ THE BOOK, I THOUGHT I'M NOT SURE
EVEN SOMETHING THIS WELL RESEARCHED AND WELL EXPLAINED
AND THIS EXPLOSIVE, AS THE STORY YOU TELL IN THIS BOOK, AND THIS
IS YOU RECORDING THE INTERVIEWS. EVERYTHING IN QUOTES HERE, YOU
HAVE DEAD TO RIGHTS, RIGHT? >> YES. WE DON'T DISCLOSE WHO THE
SOURCES ARE. WE DO THEM ON WHAT'S CALLED
"DEEP BACKGROUND." WE'RE GOING TO USE EVERYTHING. >> Stephen: BUT YOU HAVE--
LIKE, BARR HAD TO HAVE COOPERATED WITH YOU, BECAUSE ONE
POINT IT SAYS, "THOUGHT BARR." HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT BARR
THOUGHT UNLESS BARR TOLD YOU? >> THERE ARE MANY WAYS. HE COULD HAVE A DIARY. >> Stephen: YOU COULD BE A
WITCH. >> I COULD BE A WITCH. <i> ( LAUGHTER ).</i> >> WE DON'T DISCUSS SOURCING. >> Stephen: YOU DON'T DISCUSS
SOURCING. HOW MANY OF THE PEOPLE TALKING
TO YOU FOR THIS BOOK ARE TRYING TO REHABILITATE THEIR OWN IMAGE
BY SAYING, "I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS BAD. I PUSHED BACK." >> SOME, YES, NO QUESTION ABOUT
THAT. AND THE ONE COURAGEOUS PERSON
WHO DID SOMETHING WAS GENERAL MILLEY. HE SAID "I AM GOING TO... <i> ( APPLAUSE )</i>
I MEAN, THERE IS A SCENE IN THE BOOK, WHICH TOOK OUR BREATHS
AWAY, I THINK. WHEN NANCY PELOSI CALLED--
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, SECOND IN LINE FOR THE PRESIDENCY-- CALLS
GENERAL MILLEY, AND WE HAVE A TRANSCRIPT OF IT-- AND SAYS,
"GENERAL MILLEY, YOU KNOW TRUMP IS CRAZY. HE IS--" YOU KNOW, "HE IS A
DANGEROUSLY CRAZY. HOW ARE WE GOING TO CONTROL
NUCLEAR WEAPONS?" AND MILLEY SAYS, "OH, DON'T
WORRY, WE HAVE PROCEDURES," AND SO FORTH. AND SHE IS POUNDING ON HIM REAL
HARD. AND IT'S A CLASSIC WASHINGTON
MOMENT PHONE CALL. AND TO HAVE A TRANSCRIPT. SO YOU SEE NOT THE B.S., BUT
WHAT THEY'RE REALLY SAYING TO EACH OTHER. AND THEN AFTER THE CALL, MILLEY
THINKS, YOU KNOW, SHE'S RIGHT. WE BETTER WORRY ABOUT TRUMP. AND SO HE CALLS IN THE COLONELS
AND ONE-STAR GENERALS AND ADMIRALS INTO HIS OFFICE FROM
THE WAR ROOM IN THE PENTAGON -- >> Stephen: PEOPLE IN THE
NUCLEAR CHAIN OF COMMAND. >> YES. AND NOT JUST NUCLEAR, BUT ANY
MILITARY ACTION. AND HE SAYS, "ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE
THESE PROCEDURES. DON'T TAKE A CALL FROM THE
PRESIDENT WITHOUT ME BEING INVOLVED. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?"
AND HE GOES AROUND THE THE ROOM. "GOT IT?"
"YES, SIR." "GOT IT? GOT IT? GOT IT?"
"YES, SIR." HE'S NOT SEIZING POWER. HE'S PUTTING IN PRECAUTIONS TO
MAKE SURE IF TERRORISM'S GOING TO BLOW UP THE WORLD, OR DO
SOMETHING THAT'S AGAINST AMERICAN INTEREST OR IN FACT
AGAINST TRUMP'S INTEREST, HE'S GOING TO AT LEAST BE THERE AT
THEITABLY SAYING, "NO!" >> Stephen: ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT IS STRIKING TO ME ABOUT THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AS MUCH AS THE
FORMER PRESIDENT WANTED TO BE A STRONGMAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK
THOSE FOUR YEARS AND THE TWO BOOKS THAT YOU WROTE, AND THE
BOOK THAT YOU AND ROBERT WROTE TOGETHER-- ROBERT, I'LL START
WITH YOU-- WHAT DO YOU THINK THESE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND
CERTAINLY THE CRISIS AT THE END OF THE ADMINISTRATION ACTUALLY
CAN TO AMERICAN POWER IN THE WORLD? >> IT CERTAINLY TESTED AMERICAN
POWER. AND WHETHER AMERICA IS GOING TO
BE SEEN AS WANT BEACON FOR LIBERAL DEMOCRACY AROUND THE
WORLD. AND IT IS STILL AN UNFOLDING
STORY, WHAT IS THE IDEA OF AMERICA? WHAT DOES IT REPRESENT TO OUR
ALLIES, TO OUR ADSEAS. THERE MIGHT BE A FOURTH BOOK. >> YOU KNOW, WE'RE THINKING OF
THIS. >> Stephen: DO YOU EVER WANT
TO WRITE A HAPPY BOOK, BOB? DO YOU EVER WANT TO WRITE A
CHILDREN'S BOOK ABOUT A SNAIL THAT MEETS A RABBIT OR
SOMETHING? >> NO, KEEP YOUR HEAD ON THE
TABLE BECAUSE OF WHAT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU. >> Stephen: OKAY. >> WE ARE PLANNING TO DO ANOTHER
BOOK. WE HAD "FEAR." WE HAD "RAGE." WE HAVE "PERIL." AND THE FOURTH'S GOING TO BE
TITLED "COLBERT." <i> ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )</i>
>> Stephen: BESTSELLER. PULITZER PRIZE. >> WE WON'T REVEAL ANY SOURCING. NO USE OF THE FIRST NAME. >> Stephen: THE BOOK, "PERIL" IS
AVAILABLE NOW. BOB WOODWARD AND ROBERT COSTA,
EVERYBODY! WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A
PERFORMANCE BY LEON BRIDGES. ♪ ♪ ♪<i>
( APPLAUSE )</i>
