>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK!
FIRST OF ALL -- ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
I GOT TO TAKE A MOMENT HERE, HAPPY THURSDAY.
>> Jon: HAPPY THURSDAY.
>> Stephen: HAPPY THURSDAY, EVERYBODY.
GIVE IT UP FOR JON BATISTE AND "STAY HUMAN" RIGHT OVER THERE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Jon: WHOO, WHOO, WHOO,
WHOO, WHOO!
>> Stephen: AND I GOTTA GIVE IT UP FOR THE MAN WHO SANG OUR
COLD OPEN TONIGHT, LOUIS CATO.
THAT WAS AMAZING, LOUIS.
ANYBODY WANT TO SHOUT OUT THERE?
FANTASTIC.
>> Jon: YOU MOVED ME.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU.
I WANT TO TALK TO JOHN DICKERSON IN JUST A MOMENT.
WE JUST FOUND OUT MOMENTS AGO OUR COLLEAGUE AT 12:30, JAMES
CORDEN, JUST TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID.
HE SAYS HE'S FEELING FINE.
HE'S GOING TO BE OUT A FEW DAYS.
HE WASN'T -- HE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE EVERYBODY SOON.
IF OU NEED ME TO MAIL YOU FOOD, LET ME KNOW.
SOMETHING THIN YOU CAN SLIDE UNDER THE DOOR BECAUSE HE'S
GOING TO BE IN ISOLATION FOR A WHILE.
SO NOTHING BUT PIZZA AND QUESADILLA.
>> Jon: FLAT STUFF.
PANCAKES.
>> Stephen: FOLKS, MY FIRST GUEST IS A SENIOR
NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AND CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST FOR
CBS NEWS.
PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW," JOHN DICKERSON.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> IT'S GOOD TO BE SEEN.
>> Stephen: THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
I WAS TALKING IN THE MONOLOGUE, PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN ABOUT
WHAT THAT DAY WAS LIKE FOR US JUST IN TERMS OF A PRODUCTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW IS YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE
MY GUEST ON JANUARY 6th TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCEDURE OF
CERTIFYING THE BALLOTS.
>> YOU JUST BOOKED ME A YEAR EARLY.
>> Stephen: INSTEAD, WE HAD KLOBUCHAR AND WHO IS IT?
>> KINZINGER.
>> Stephen: FROM THEIR OFFICES AT THE CAPITOL WHERE THEY HAD
JUST BEEN BARRICADED IN.
I WAS DESCRIBING WHAT IT WAS LIKE EMOTIONALLY FOR ME.
YOU'VE STUDIED WASHINGTON FOR YEARS, YOU'RE FROM A POLITICAL
REPORTING FAMILY, SECOND GENERATION.
YOU REPORTED ON CAPITOL HILL.
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION LIKE THAT DAY A YEAR AGO WHEN YOU SAW THIS
HAPPENING?
>> SO WE'RE AT HOME LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE BECAUSE IT'S
COVID.
I'M, TURNS OUT, IN THE BATHROOM BECAUSE ANNE, MY WIFE, IS USING
THE OFFICE.
I'M ON THE PHONE AND THEY SAID YOU HAVE TO TURN ON THE TV.
THE FIRST THING THAT HIT ME IS HAVING COVERED THE HILL FOR, I
GUESS, SIX YEARS, THOSE HALLWAYS ARE REALLY QUIET.
YOU CAN HEAR THE SHOES CLICKING ON THE FLOOR.
WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH THEM, BECAUSE THEY'RE OFTEN QUITE,
EVEN WHEN FILLED WITH SCHOOL CHILDREN, YOU WALK THROUGH AND
THINK ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THERE, THE
GREATS, THE CLOWNS, THE MASSAGE CITY, IT WELLS UP IN YOU.
SO WHEN YOU SAW THE PICTURES, THEY WERE THE SOUNDS THAT DIDN'T
BELONG.
THE ROAR, THE BANGING, THE POUNDING ON THE DOORS.
IT WAS LIKE FINGERS ON A BLACKBOARD.
IT WAS SO DISSIDENT.
TO SEE THE FOULING OF A PLACE I WORKED, MY MOM WORKED NOT ONLY
AS A JOURNALIST BUT YEARS ON THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE, THAT'S WHERE SHE WENT TO WORK EVERY DAY.
TO FEEL AND SEE THAT WAS SO DISCONNECTING.
I TWEETED SOMETHING THAT SAID THESE ARE THE STEPS WHERE
PRESIDENT TRUMP TALKED ABOUT AMERICAN CARNAGE AND NOW WE'RE
SEEING IT.
ABOUT TWO MINUTES LATER, ADAM VERDUGO CALLED ME FROM THE
EVENING NEWS AND SAID WE'RE GOING ONLINE AND SUDDENLY I'M ON
THE PHONE TALKING TO NORAH O'DONNELL AND WE'RE OFF.
IN FACT, I DID A PIECE LIKE THAT, WHICH I HAD FORGOTTEN I
DID TILL THE PRODUCER TWEETED IT TODAY, THAT WAS THE KIND OF BLUR
OF THE DAY IT WAS IN NU.
>> Stephen: AS I WAS SAYING, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MARK DAYS LIKE
THIS, BUT IT'S A DIFFICULT DAY TO CAPTURE IN A SINGLE
REMEMBRANCE.
SO MUCH HAPPENED POLITICALLY, HISTORICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, BUT I
THOUGHT THE PRESIDENT TODAY DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF LAYING OUT
NOT ONLY A REMINDER OF WHAT LED TO THAT, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED,
BUT WHAT THE STAKES ARE FOR FORGETTING IT AND FOR NOT
ADDRESSING IT.
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH?
>> WELL, IT REMINDED ME OF -- HE WAS FEELING HIS INNER HARRY
TRUMAN.
THEY USED TO SAY, GIVE 'EM HELL, HARRY.
TRUMAN USED TO SAY, I TELL THEM TRUTH AND THEY THINK IT'S HELL.
SO THE REACTION BIDEN GOT KIND OF REMINDED ME OF THAT.
THIS HAS BEEN A LAYERED EXPERIENCE.
THE MORE WE LEARN, WE LEARN NEW THINGS AND WE ASSESS THOSE, BUT
THEN IT ALSO GIVES US A NEW VIEW OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THE PAST.
THIS IS ONGOING BECAUSE -- THIS IS HISTORIC BECAUSE THE PERSON
AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF AMERICAN POLITICS TOOK DIRECT AIM AT THE
CENTER OF IT, WHICH IS PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER, NOT JUST ON
THE 6th BUT WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
AND THE LEADER OF THE STATES.
HE'S STILL THE LEADER OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
THIS IS STILL AN ONGOING QUESTION.
THAT'S WHAT BIDEN WAS ADDRESSING, IT'S AN ANNIVERSARY
OF AN EVENT BUT THE THREADS AND PARTS OF IT ARE VERY MUCH STILL
WITH US TODAY.
>> Stephen: THAT NIGHT IT LOOKED LIKE A SHOT REPUBLICAN
LEADERS WOULD PART WAYS WITH THE PRESIDENT.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT WHAT KEVIN McCARTHY, MITCH
McCONNELL SAID,.
>> Stephen: LINDSEY GRAHAM.
IT'S AS EXCORIATING AS ANYTHING.
I WAS READING TODAY PREPARED TO SAY WHAT THE REPUBLICANS SAID A
YEAR AGO.
MITCH McCONNELL SAID THE PRESIDENT LED TO A DOMESTIC
TERROR ATTACK BY LYING TO THE MOB, THAT HE INCITED IT, KEVIN
McCARTY SAID.
THAT'S A JOB WHEN THE PRESIDENT INCITES RIOT AT THE CAPITOL.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU FORGET.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
STICK AROUND, BACK WITH MORE JOHN DICKERSON, EVERYBODY.