WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
MY NEXT GUEST HOSTS "THE LEAD" AND "STATE OF THE UNION" ON CNN.
PLEASE WELCOME JAKE TAPPER!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪ ♪ ♪
JAKE TAPPER!
>> I BROUGHT A GIFT.
I BROUGHT A GIFT.
>> Stephen: NORMALLY I DON'T ASK WHAT PEOPLE ARE CARRYING OUT
WITH THEM.
>> IT'S A DARTMOUTH SWEATSHIRT.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE A SOUVENIR FOR ME.
>> THE REASON IS BECAUSE YOUR CHARACTER FROM "THE COLBERT
REPORT" WAS A DARTMOUTH ALUMNUS.
>> Stephen: I WENT TO NORTHWESTERN.
>> I ACTUALLY DID GO TO DARTMOUTH.
>> Stephen: AS FAR AS WE KNOW.
>> FAKE NEWS.
>> Stephen: FAKE NEWS, JAKE.
YOU LIE.
>> YOU ENDED UP ON THE COVER OF "THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE BEFORE I
DID.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE NEVER SET FOOT IN HANOVER, NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.
>> BUT IN ANY CASE, DARTMOUTH FINALLY INVITED ME TO GIVE THE
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS.
>> Stephen: OH, CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THIS COMING JUNE.
>> Stephen: I'M VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THIS.
IT'S HIGH QUALITY.
>> CHAMPION.
>> Stephen: THAT IS HIGH COTTON RIGHT THERE.
SPEAKING OF YOU AND CNN AND FAKE NEWS, OUR PRESIDENT, THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, COMMANDER IN CHIEF, HAS CALLED
YOUR NETWORK FAKE NEWS, FRAUD, THE WORST, SO BIASED, FAILING,
UNWATCHABLE AIR, DISGRACE TO THE BROADCASTING INDUSTRY,
DISGUSTING PHONY REPORTING, UNPROFESSIONAL, BAD TELEVISION,
AND CNN CAN GO TO HELL.
( LAUGHTER ) NOW--
>> HE CERTAINLY WATCHES US A LOT.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
SURE, SURE.
SO WHY-- WHY-- WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO HIM, JAKE?
IF YOU GUYS JUST DIDN'T FACT CHECK HIM ANYMORE, HE WOULDN'T
BE SAYING THESE THINGS ABOUT YOU.
>> IT'S A GOOD POINT.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU-- WHAT'S IT LIKE IN THE HALLS OVER THERE
KNOWING THAT YOU, THAT THE PRESIDENT ACTIVELY DOESN'T LIKE
YOUR NETWORK.
HOW DO PEOPLE FEEL OVER THERE?
>> I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CARES.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) AND, I MEAN --
>> Stephen: OKAY, ALL RIGHT.
>> I'M NOT COMPARING THE TWO, BECAUSE THEY'RE QUITE DIFFERENT,
BUT I DON'T THINK PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS A PARTICULAR FAN OF
MINE.
I MEAN, THE JOB IS TO NOT BE LIKED.
THAT'S YOUR JOB, TO BE LIKED.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> MY JOB-- MY JOB IS NOT TO BE LIKED.
MY JOB IS TO TELL THE TRUTH AND DELIVER THE FACTS AND HOLD
PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NOT ME.
>> NOT YOU.
I HAVE KNOWN YOU FOR A LONG TIME I WOULD NEVER HOLD YOU
ACCOUNTABLE.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER 13 YEARS.
WE MET ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL IN IOWA.
>> SOME SCHOOL OR SOMETHING.
>> Stephen: IT WAS A SCHOOL OR A BARN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I WAS TRYING TO INTERVIEW HOWARD DEAN.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: HE WOULDN'T-- HE WOULD ONLY ANSWER ONE QUESTION,
AND-- >> YOU ASKED HIM WHAT SOUND DOES
A COW MAKE?
>> Stephen: I SAID, WHAT DOES THE COW SAY?"
AND HE SAID, "WELL, THE COW KNOWS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
THE TAXES ON THE FARMERS..." AND HE DID THIS TWO-MINUTE ANSWER.
>> IT WAS AWFUL, IT WAS AWFUL.
>> Stephen: AND I SAID, "I'M SORRY, THE ANSWER IS MOO."
THAT'S IT.
I WENT THERE FOR TWO DAYS AND THAT'S THE ONLY ANSWER I GOT.
I'M BANGING MY HEAD AGAINST THE WALL.
I'M GOING WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR TWO DAYS, WHAT AM I GOING TO TELL JON
STEWART AND FROM DOWN THE HALLWAY I HEARD, "WELL, YOU GOT
MORE THAN I "D."
>> AND WE WERE BOTH TWO HUNGRY CORRESPONDENTS DESPERATELY
TRYING TO GET ON AIR.
>> Stephen: ANY AIR TIME AT ALL.
I WAS WITH YOU AT THE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER IN 2005,
THE YEAR BEFORE I DID IT, WHEN I FOUND OUT I WAS GOING TO DO THE
"COLBERT REPORT.
>> HE'S MY DATE, AND HE GOT UP HALF AN HOUR, 40 MINUTES LATER
AND SAID, "I JUST SIGNED A DEAL FOR MY OWN SHOW."
>> Stephen: AND I TOLD YOU WHAT THE IDEAL WAS.
>> HE WAS GOING TO DO THE STEPHEN COLBERT CHARACTER.
>> Stephen: AND YOU SAID...
>> "YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN DO THAT FOR HALF AN HOUR?"
>> Stephen: YEAH, I REMEMBER.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> I'M SORRY, THAT'S JUST HOW I'M WIRED.
I APOLOGIZE.
BUT TO BE FAIR, NOW THAT AMERICA HAS GOTTEN TO KNOW YOU.
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.
>> THE REAL YOU AND NOT THE CHARACTER, I JUST MEANT I
PREFERRED THIS ONE.
>> Stephen: OH, THAT'S VERY NICE.
YOU'RE VERY KIND.
>> YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING IN ( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: NOW, YOU INTERVIEWED KELLYANNE CONWAY
JUST LAST NIGHT.
OKAY.
AND SHE BESEECHED YOU, BESEECHED-- SHE USED THE WORD
"BESEECHED."
SHE BESEECHED TO USE A MORE RESPECTFUL TONE AND SHOULD
COVERAGE CHANGE OF DONALD TRUMP ONCE HE'S THE PRESIDENT?
SHOULD IT CHANGE ITS TONE?
>> I THINK THAT OUR COVERAGE FOLLOWS HIS LEAD.
AND I THINK THAT IF HE PIVOTED, AS HE CLAIMED HE WOULD --
>> Stephen: BE PRESIDENTIAL.
>> WAS MORE PRESIDENTIAL.
>> Stephen: MORE PRESIDENTIAL THAN ANYBODY HAS BEEN
PRESIDENTIAL.
>> HE DIDN'T SEND OUT NASTY TWEETS ABOUT NORDSTROM'S OR
JUDGES OR GO TO THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST AND TALK ABOUT
HOW BAD ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER'S RATINGS ARE.
>> Stephen: PRETTY BAD.
>> THEY'RE PRETTY BAD?
( LAUGHTER ) BUT IF HE DIDN'T DO THAT SORT OF
THING, THEN I WOULD BE DELIGHTED, FRANKLY, TO COVER THE
POLICIES MORE.
I MEAN, NOT THAT WE'RE NOT COVERING THEM.
WE ARE COVERING THE CABINET NOMINEES AND THE TRAVEL BAN.
BUT THERE'S THIS WHOLE OTHER THING GOING ON WITH HIS WHITE
HOUSE -- >> Stephen: IT'S A VERY LEAKY
WHITE HOUSE.
>> MANY LEAKS.
>> Stephen: IS IT LEAKIER-- >> PLEASE DON'T GO WHERE I THINK
YOU'RE GOING -- >> Stephen: I'M NOT GOING
ANYWHERE.
I'M NOT GOING NOWHERE NEAR MOSCOW.
I'M STAYING RIGHT HERE IN NEW YORK.
WHAT-- IS IT-- YOU'VE COVERED A LOT OF WHITE HOUSES AND A LOT OF
ADMINISTRATIONS.
IS THIS LEAKIER THAN THEY NORMALLY ARE?
>> I THINK SO.
>> Stephen: WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
>> I THINK-- THERE ARE A FEW REASONS.
I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE INSIDE THE GOVERNMENT WHO ARE-- WHEN
ARE NOT TRUMP POLITICAL APPOINTEES BUT THEY'RE JUST--
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ALARMED OR
CONFUSED AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND THEN I THINK THERE ARE ALL THESE DIFFERENT LITTLE TURFS
WITHIN THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE, AND THEY'RE ALL COMPETING FOR
HIS ATTENTION AND HIS IDEAS.
AND THEY KIND OF TRASH TALK EACH OTHER TO DIFFERENT REPORTER S.
>> Stephen: TO POSITION THEMSELVES AS THE POWER BROKER
IN THE WHITE HOUSE?
>> YEAH, THERE ARE COMPETING INTERESTS.
THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
BUT USUALLY IT TAKES A FEW YEARS, AND USUALLY THEY'RE NOT
THIS BLATANT.
>> Stephen: DOESN'T TAKE TWO WEEKS FOR THE KNIVES TO COME
OUT.
>> OR TWO HOURS.
YEAR, IT WAS PRETTY QUICK.
>> Stephen: WELL WL, YOU'VE GOT A NEW SHOW COMING UP ON CNN.
IT'S A SERIES.
HOW MANY PARTS.
>> ABILITY-PART SERIES, I BELIEVE.
"THE HISTORY OF COMEDY."
>> Stephen: "THE HISTORY OF COMEDY."
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF COMDIERK JAKE TAPPER.
DO INFORM ME?
>> I AM MERELY AN EMISSARY.
I'M MERELY AN AMBASSADOR FROM CNN ABOUT THIS.
I'M IN ONE EPISODE BUT I'M NOT RAWL RALE --
>> Stephen: YOU'RE IN ONE EPISODE.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
>> POLITICAL COMEDY.
>> Stephen: AND YOU DIDN'T THINK ABOUT CALLING ME OR
ANYTHING LIKE, THAT DIDN'T OCCUR TO YOU, "STEPHEN IS A FRIEND OF
MINE."
>> YOU'RE A CHIT I ONLY USE.
>> Stephen: YOU NEVER CHITTED ME.
>> I DID.
WHEN THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER FIRST STARTED YOU WERE ONE OF MY
FIRST INTERVIEWS, AND YOU SHAMED ME FROM EVER DRINKING JACK AND
COKE FROM EVER AGAIN.
WE WERE DHOOG INTERVIEW IN A BAR, AND I HAD A JACK AND COKE
WHICH IS WHAT I HAD BEEN DRINKING FOR 20 YEARS AND HE
MADE FUN OF ME FOR IT, AND I'VE NEVER HAD ONE SINCE.
>> Stephen: ALL RIGHT, I APOLOGIZE.
>> IT'S OKAY.
>> Stephen: I APOLOGIZE.
>> IT'S OKAY.
>> Stephen: JAKE, IT'S LOVELY TO SEE YOU.
>> ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> Stepehn: "THE HISTORY OF COMEDY" PREMIERES TOMORROW
ON CNN.
JAKE TAPPER, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH THE DIRECTOR OF "O.J.: MADE IN
AMERICA," EZRA EDELMAN.
STICK AROUND.