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>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO A SPECIAL LIVE
"LATE SHOW"."
LET'S SAY HELLO TO OUR FRIEND, MR. JON BATISTE.
HEY, JON, HOW ARE YOU?
>> Jon: I'M VERY, VERY GOOD TODAY.
>> Stephen: SO AM I.
SO AM I.
DID YOU GET-- DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO WATCH THE CEREMONIES
TODAY?
>> Jon: YES, I DID.
I JUST FELT IT EVEN BEFORE I TURNED IT ON, THE COUNTENANCE OF
THE NATION HAS BEEN LIFTED.
AND I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER AND UNITING.
AND WE'RE GOING FORWARD.
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
IT WAS A REAFFIRMATION OF THE BEAUT AND THE MAJESTY OF
DEMOCRACY, AND THE PEOPLE'S WILL.
ESPECIALLY IN THAT SPACE THAT HAD BEEN SO HEARTBREAKINGLY
VIOLATED TWO WEEKS AGO.
IT WAS JUST A LOVELY, CLEANSING MOMENT.
>> Jon: YES, YES.
IT FELT LIKE THE WAY THAT THINGS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR FOUR
YEARS, AND WE FORGOT.
AND THEN WE WERE REMINDED TODAY.
WE TURNED ON THE TV, AND WE SEE IT IN ACTION.
OKAY, NOW WE'RE BACK IN ORDER.
>> Stephen: EVERYONE WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE YOUNG POET LAUREATE,
AMANDA GORMAN.
I UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW HER.
YOU DID A PROJECT WITH HER.
WHAT WAS THAT?
>> Jon: WE DID A DUET AND TRIBUTE TO THE BUILDERS OF THE
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, WHO A LOT OF THEM ARE UNKNOWN, AND EVEN
DIED IN BUILDING THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
AND SHE WAS AMAZING WHEN WE DID THIS.
IT WAS SO GREAT TO WORK WITH HER, AND TO SEE HER TODAY, I WAS
SO PROUD.
>> Stephen: SHE KILLED IT.
YES, ABSOLUTELY.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE HER ON AND DO SOMETHING WITH YOU.
THAT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL IF THE TWO OF YOU COULD DO SOMETHING
TOGETHER.
>> Jon: OH, I'D LOVE THAT.
I'LL TELL HER.
SHE'S JUST AMAZING AND I LOVED THAT EVERYBODY GOT TO BE SEEING
HISTORY BEING MADE IN SO MANY WAYS TODAY.
>> Stephen: JON, DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE OCCASIONAL MUSH FOR THE
MOMENT?
>> Jon: OH, YEAH, I LIKE THE WAY GARTH DID HIS THING.
( "AMAZING GRACE ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU, JON.
JON BATISTE, EVERYBODY.
WELL, FOLKS, PRESIDENT BIDEN IS NOW OFFICIALLY IN CHARGE, AND
THIS AFTERNOON, HE HIT THE GROUND PEN FIRST, SIGNING AN
UNPRECEDENTED 17 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS TO DISMANTLE HIS
PREDECESSOR'S LEGACY.
LOOK THAT PHOTO!
AT LAST, THE RESOLUTE DESK IS BEING USED FOR SOMETHING OTHER
THAN A TV TRAY TO HAWK PINTO BEANS.
PRESIDENT BIDEN SIGNED ORDERS TO HALT CONSTRUCTION ON THE BORDER
WALL, END THE MUSLIM TRAVEL BAN, AND REVOKE APPROVAL OF THE
KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE.■ç HE'S REVERSING EVERYTHING FROM
THE LAST FOUR YEARS, EVEN TAKING EVEN GETTING RID OF THE WARNING
LABEL ON BLEACH THAT SAYS YUM-YUM.
HE IS ALSO SENDING AWE POWERFUL MESSAGE TO THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY.
BABY, WE GOING THROUGH SOME STUFF.
PLEASE TAKE US BACK.
THE UNITED STATES UPON REJOIN THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD AND■ç T
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION.
THE THREE THINGS HIS PREDECESSOR HATED MOST: THE WORLD, HEALTH,
AND ORGANIZATION.
HE'S NOT STOPPING AT DAY ONE.
WITH THIS SPIRIT WEEK AT THE WHITE HOUSE, WE'VE GOT THEMES,
BABY.
THURSDAY'S THE PANDEMIC.
FRIDAY'S THE ECONOMY.
AND NEXT WEEK, HE'S DOING CLIMATE ON WEDNESDAY, HEALTH
CARE ON THURSDAY, AND SATURDAY NIGHT, THE PROM THEME IS GOING
TO BE "COMPETENCE UNDER THE SEA."
( LAUGHTER )
MAJOR IMPACT IS THE ONE BIDEN CALLS "THE 100 DAYS MASKING
CHALLENGE," IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING AMERICANS TO
WEAR MASKS FOR 100 DAYS, WHICH I SUPPORT, BUT IT'S A LITTLE ODD
TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT ASKS US TO DO SOMETHING.
LINCOLN DIDN'T SIGN THE EMANCIPATION SUGGESTION.
WHILE HE WAS AT THE RESOLUTE DESK, BIDEN FOUND A SURPRISE
FROM HIS PREDECESSOR.
>> THE PRESIDENT WROTE A VERY GENEROUS LETTER.
BECAUSE IT WAS PRIVATE, I WILL NOT TALK ABOUT IT UNTIL I TALK
TO HIM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS GENEROUS.
>> Stephen: WE HERE AT THE "LATE SHOW" HAVE ACQUIRED A COPY
OF THE LETTER.
"DEAR JOE, I'LL GIVE YOU $10 MILLION FOR A PARDON.
ALSO, CAN I BORROW $10 MILLION?" BIDEN CHANGED SOME OF THE DECOR,
SWAPPING THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENT'S PORTRAIT OF ANDREW
JACKSON TO ONE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
THAT'S NICE, REPLACING A NOTORIOUSLY RACIST PRESIDENT
WITH A CELEBRATING FOUNDING FATHER.
PLUS TRADING A JACKSON FOR A BENJAMIN, YOU CLEAR ABOUT 80
BUCKS.
PRESIDENT BIDEN WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE A BUSY FIRST DAY.
AS VICE PRESIDENT, KAMALA HARRIS IS PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, AND
TODAY SHE PRESIDED OVER THE CHAMBER, SWEARING IN NEW
SENATORS WHEN THIS HAPPENS.
>> THE CHAIR LAYS BEFORE THE SENATE TWO CERTIFICATES, FOR THE
STATE OF GEORGIA, AND THE CERTIFICATE OF APPOINTMENT TO
FILL THE VACANCY CREATED BY THE RESIGNATION OF FORMER SENATOR
KAMALA D. HARRIS OF CALIFORNIA.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
YEAH, THAT WAS VERY WEIRD.
>> Stephen: IT FEELS LIKE REALITY JUST SUNK IN WHEN SHE
WAS READING THAT.
"OH, THERE'S A VACANCY?
I WONDER WHO LEFT?
KAMALA HARRIS OF CALIFORNIA?
I'M THAT PERSON.
WELL, SOMEBODY SHOULD REALLY TELL THE VICE PRESIDENT.
WHAT!
LAUGH" BIDEN'S FIRST DAY CULMIN ANTI-ED IN A STAR-STUDDED
TELEVISION EVENT, CELEBRATING AMERICA, FEATURING JON BON VOFY,
DEMI LOVATO AND FOOOFIGHTERS.
>> THERE IS ONLY ONE THUNG I CAN SAY ABOUT THE WAR IN VIETNAM.
>> Stephen: SORRY, SORRY.
THAT'S THE MEMORIAL.
WRONG HANKS.
JIM?
THERE'S HANKS IN HIS MOST CHALLENGING ROLE YET AS A HIT
MAN ABOUT TO STRANGLE THE STATUE OF LINCOLN.
THE NIGHT HAD EVERYTHING-- SPEECHES FROM THE NEW PRESIDENT,
THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT, THE OLD PRESIDENTS.
AND TO CLOSE OUT THE EVENING IN A STUNNING DISPLAY OF PATRIOTISM
AND LITERALISM, THEY SHOT FIREWORKS AS KATY PERRY SANG
"FIRE WORK."
I'M GLAD THEY DIDN'T GO WITH THE ORIGINAL PLAN-- HAVING HER SING
"ROAR" AS THEY RELEASED A PACK OF LIONS.
DURING THE FIREWORKS DISPLAY, SO LARGE I BELIEVE IT VIOLATED THE
PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD, I FELT HOPEFUL THINGS WILL GET BETTER.
YES, THERE IS STILL A PANDEMIC AND RACISM.
AND I BET DOLLARS TO DONUTS ARE THERE ARE ACTUALLY SEDITIONISTS
IN CONGRESS, BUT TONIGHT, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
STOOD ON THE BALCONY OF THE WHITE HOUSE AND WORE A MASK.
BABY STEPS.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH THE COHOSTS OF "POD SAVE AMERICA."