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WELCOME BACK! THANK YOU, LOUIS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS THE ANCHOR OF
"GOOD MORNING AMERICA" AND "THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE
STEPHANOPOULOS." HIS NEW DOCUMENTARY SERIES IS
"POWER TRIP: THOSE WHO SEEK POWER AND THOSE WHO CHASE THEM."
PLEASE WELCOME TO "THE LATE SHOW," GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS!
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>> Stephen: FINALLY! THERE YOU ARE!
IN THE SEAT. NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> Stephen: WE'VE NEVER
ACTUALLY HAD A CONVERSATION-- YOU'VE NEVER INTERVIEWED ME.
I NEVER INTERVIEWED-- >> NOT THE REAL STEPHEN COLBERT.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE, I WAS TELL YOUR TEAM LAST STAGE.
I COULD TAKE A LIE DETECTOR TEST SWEARING I WAS ON THE SHOW AND I
HAVEN'T BEEN ON IT. >> Stephen: WE HAD YOUR WIFE
ELLIE ON A COUPLE OF TIMES. >> AND SHE HAS THE SAME BASIC
VIBE YOU DO. I THINK THIS IS 1212.
>> IS THIS THE "FIRST WEEK" ONE? >> Stephen: YOU HAD ME ON
"THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS" WHEN I HAD A
SUPER PAC. LOOK AT THOSE TWO YOUNG BUCKS
WITH DARK HAIR. IT'S TOUGH TO-- LIKE, WASHINGTON
IS FULL OF, YOU KNOW, WELL-INTENTIONED, POORLY
INFORMED, HIGH-STATUS IDIOTS, WHICH IS WHAT I WAS.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE INTERVIEWING THE CHARACTER.
VERY FEW PEOPLE GOT TO DO THAT. >> IT WAS VERY HARD.
BECAUSE I COULD NEVER STAY IN CHARACTER INTERVIEWING YOU IN
CHARACTER. I WOULD BREAK UP THE WHOLE TIME.
BUT I REALIZE NOW, I OWE YOU. I OWE YOU A DEBT.
>> Stephen: WHY? >> IT WAS THE PERFECT TRAINING
FOR INTERVIEWING DONALD TRUMP.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE WELCOME. YOU'RE WELCOME.
BECAUSE NOTHING I SAID MEANT ANYTHING!
>> NO, THAT'S THE THING. YOU BOTH THROW OUT THESE CLOUDS
OF WORD SALAD, THAT ACTUALLY IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THEM, OFTEN
IS NONSENSE. >> Stephen: NONSENSE TO YOU,
GEORGE. BUT THESE PEOPLE GET TDON'T YOU?
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT AN INTERVIEW YOU DID WITH MAGGIE
HABERMAN RECENTLY. SHE'S GOT THE BOOK "THE
CONFIDENCE MAN" BOOK. BASICALLY, THE MAKING OF THE
FORMER PRESIDENT. AND YOU'RE IN IT.
THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT IT.
YOU'RE IN IT, AND SHE DETAILS HOW THE THEN-CANDIDATE, FORMER
PRESIDENT, LASHEDLY OUT AT YOU AFTER A 2016 INTERVIEW YOU DID
WITH HIM. WHY DID HE LASH OUT AT YOU?
BECAUSE HE LASHED OUT IN SO MANY WAYS TO SO MANY DIFFERENT
PEOPLE. >> I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS.
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS THE LASHING ABOUT?
>> IT WAS THE DAY AFTER THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION IN 2016.
I GUESS IT WAS A FRIDAY. I FLEW OUT TO COLORADO TO MEET
HIM IN SOME TOWN. AND WE STARTED TO TALK, AND I
ASKED HIM A QUESTION ABOUT-- REMEMBER THIS GOLD STAR MOTHER,
THE MUSLIM WOMAN WHOSE SON WAS KILLED?
>> Stephen: I REMEMBER, SURE, SURE.
>> AND HE ATTACKED HER, AND HE JUST WENT AFTER HER.
AND I WAS LIKE, I GUESS THE INTERVIEW IS OVER.
HE JUST ENDED HIS CAMPAIGN. BUT WE KEPT ON GOING.
AND I STARTED TO ASK HIM ABOUT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN, WHICH HE NEVER GAVE A STRAIGHT ANSWER TO.
HE SAID HE KNEW HIM, HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW HIM.
HE SAID HE MET HIM, HE SAID HE DIDN'T MEET HIM.
I ASKED HIM THREE OUR FOUR TIMES, TELL ME WHAT THE
RELATIONSHIP WAS. HE FINISHED THE INTERVIEW, AND
HE WALKED OUT OF THE DOOR AND CALLED OVER MY PRODUCER, ONE OF
THE EMBEDS TRAVELING WITH HIM. AND I COULD HEAR THE YELLING IN
THE HALLWAY. THEN HE HAD HAD HOPE HICKS COME
BACK INTO THE ROOM AND GET ME AND WALK MAY INTO THE HALL.
AND THEN HE STARTED YELLING AT ME GOING ON AND ON AND ON AND ON
BECAUSE I ASKED HIM ABOUT VLADIMIR PUTIN, WHICH SHOULD
HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST TELL IN THE WORLD BACK IN 2016.
( APPLAUSE ).
TALKS ABOUT-- IF I CALL HER MAGGIE, MISS HABERMAN TALKS
ABOUT IN HER BOOK, IS HOW DIFFICULT IT HAS BEEN OVER THE
YEARS TO REPORT ON THAT FELLA BECAUSE ANYTHING YOU SAY ABOUT
HIM, ESPECIALLY FACT CHECKING HIS LIES, ENDS UP REINFORCING
WHAT THE ORIGINAL ASSERTION HE MADE WAS, AND THE FACT CHECK
KNOW-- WHAT IS IT, A LIE WILL GO AROUND THE WORLD WHILE FACTS ARE
STILL PUTTING ON THEIR SHOES-- SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND YOU REINFORCE THE LIE BY TALKING ABOUT THE FACT CHECK.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW YOU'VE LEARNED TO DEAL WITH THAT.
>> NOTHING HAS BEDEVILED ME MORE OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS.
THIS IS THE BIGGEST POSSIBLE PROBLEM.
AT WHAT POINT DO WE BECOME COMPLICEIT IN THIS SIMPLY BY
COVERING HIM? AND I THINK THAT'S A FAIR
QUESTION. >> Stephen: THE CRAZY THING IS
WHEN HE WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT CHILLED ME WAS NOW THERE'S NO NOT TALKING ABOUT HIM
BECAUSE HE'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN THE WORLD.
>> THERE ARE THINGS WE DID LEARN, LIKE THINGS WE WOULD
NEVER DO NOW. WE USED TO JUST SORT OF
BROADCAST HIS WORDS, AND THEN IF HE LIED, WE'D SAY, "THAT'S A
LIE." NOW, AT LEAST ON MY SHOWS, IF
WHAT HE SAYS IS FACTUALLY UNTRUE HE WON'T SHOW IT.
WE'LL SAY HE'S LIED AGAIN ABOUT. >> Stephen: THAT'S GOOD,
THAT'S GOOD. >> THAT'S A START.
( APPLAUSE ).
THAT'S A GOOD ANSWER. JUST THE FACT CHECK, NOT THE
ASSERTION. >> ALL THE THINGS THAT USED TO
WORK IN POLITICIANS, YOU WOULD SHOW THEY CHANGED THEIR
POSITION. NOBODY CARED ABOUT THAT.
YOU WOULD SHOW HE CALLED JOHN McCAIN, A WAR HERO, A LOSER.
HE NOBODY CARED ABOUT THAT. HE ATTACKED A GOLD STAR MOM AND
PEOPLE DIDN'T CARE-- NOT THAT THEY DIDN'T CARE.
>> Stephen: NOT SUFFICIENT. HE COULD SHOOT A GUY ON FIFTH
AVENUE. >> HE ACCUSED BARACK OBAMA OF
WIRETAPPING HIM. NOBODY EVER MADE AN ACCUSATION
LIKE THAT AGAINST A FORMER PRESIDENT.
HE SURVIVED ALL THAT. I'M NOT SURE THAT STRING WILL
CONTINUE. ACTUALLY, THAT STRING WILL NOT
CONTINUE. BUT IT HAS BEEN AMAZING.
>> Stephen: TOMORROW, AS WE WERE SAYING EARLIER, TOMORROW,
JANUARY 6, POSSIBLY, MAYBE -- >> THE FINAL HEARING.
>> Stephen: THE FINAL HEARING, NOT ENTIRELY SURE.
>> THEY'RE SAYING THERE WILL BE ALL THIS NEW SECRET SERVICE
EVIDENCE THAT WILL COME OUT. I GUESS MY BIG QUESTION IS WHAT
ELSE DO WE NEED TO KNOW? HE LOST THE ELECTION.
HE LIED ABOUT IT. HE STOKED UP A CROWD OF ARMED
MILITANTS. THEY STORMED THE CAPITOL WHILE
HE WATCHED IT ON TV. SHOULDN'T THAT BE CASE CLOSED?
( APPLAUSE ).
NOW, IS CALLING ON THEM TO NOT HAVE THE HEARING TOMORROW, IS
WHAT I'M HEARING. >> I'M GOING TO BE WATCHING.
NO QUESTION. >> Stephen: I'M GOING TO BE
WATCHING, TOO. YOU'LL BE REPORTING ON IT AND I
WILL MAKE JOKES ON IT. >> BY THE WAY.
>> Stephen: YES. >> JUST BEFORE I WALKED IN HERE,
YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO PROCESS IT, "THE WASHINGTON
POST" HAS AN AMAZING STORY. >> Stephen: I HEARD ABOUT
THIS. TELL THE PEOPLE WHAT THIS IS.
>> IT'S KIND OF INCREDIBLE. THEY SAY ACCORDING TO PEOPLE
INSIDE THE INVESTIGATION A TRUMP EMPLOYEE HAS TOLD THEM THAT
AFTER THE SUBPOENA CAME IN FOR THE DOCUMENTS AT MAR-A-LAGO,
TRUMP TOLD HIM TO MOVE THE DOCUMENTS, AND THEY SHOW-- THEY
HAVE ON SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE, ACCORDING TO THE "WASHINGTON
POST," SHOWING THE BOXES BEING MOVED.
>> Stephen: SO BEFORE THE "FBI" WENT IN THERE TO GRAB
THEM, THERE WAS STUFF THAT WAS SHIPPED OUT TO LOCATIONS
UNKNOWN. >> ACCORDING TO "THE WASHINGTON
POST" ARTICLE. >> Stephen: OKAY, WOW.
>> KIND OF AMAZING. >> Stephen: SO IT'S TIME TO
RAID TRUMP BOWER AND BEDMINSTER AND ERIC'S HOUSE AND STUFF LIKE
THAT. SURE, WHY NOT.
WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK. WHEN WE COME BACK, I WILL ASK
GEORGE ABOUT WHAT HE'S LOOKING FORD IN THE JANUARY 6 HEARINGS
TOMORROW. STICK AROUND.
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