>>> PRESIDENT OBAMA’S OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER HAS HAD
A FASCINATING PUBLIC LIFE.
HIS PHOTOGRAPHS WHICH HE POSTS
ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND INSTAGRAM,
YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN.
THEY GET THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS
OF LIKES.
OF LIKES. THEY BECOME A VISUAL REMINDER OF
THE INSANITY THAT WE LIVE
THROUGH, BECAUSE HE CONSTANTLY
IS POSTING IN RESPONSE TO THE
NEWS.
NEWS. AND HE’S SHOWING WHAT IT WAS
LIKE WHEN WE HAD A PRESIDENT WHO
WAS NOT THIS ONE.
IT WAS A PERSON WHO I THINK IN
IT’S FAIR TO SAY WAS IN SO MANY
WAYS PERSONALITY-WISE, IN EVERY
WAY THE OPPOSITE.
HE WAS SELF-CONTROLLED.
DISCIPLINED, EMPATHETIC, AND HE
TURNED SOME OF THOSE PHOTOS INTO
A BOOK.
A BOOK. IT’S CALLED SHADE, A TALE OF TWO
PRESIDENTS.
PRESIDENTS. IT’S COMING OUT WITH NEW
PICTURES.
PICTURES. JOINING ME NOW, PETE SOUZA.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> HAVE A SEAT.
SO YOU STARTED PHOTOGRAPHING
BARACK OBAMA THE FIRST DAY HE’S
SWORN IN AS A U.S. SENATOR WHEN
YOU’RE SWORN IN?
>> I WAS BASED IN D.C., WORKING
FOR THE TRIBUNE WHEN HE WAS
ELECTED TO THE SENATE IN ’04 AND
JOINED UP WITH HIM THAT FIRST
DAY THAT HE WAS SWORN IN.
>> YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THESE SORT
OF IMAGES LIKE THIS ONE WHERE
HE’S WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND
NO ONE KNOWS IT’S BARACK OBAMA.
IT’S INTERESTING HE HAD THIS
OBVIOUSLY HE HAD A NATURAL
PROFILE BECAUSE OF THE SPEECH AT
THE CONVENTION.
THE CONVENTION. THE EARLY YEARS OF HIM AS A
SENATOR, HE WAS NOT VERY FAR
REMOVED FROM BEING A GUY THAT
TOOK THE CAR TO THE CAR WASH.
>> HE STILL HAD SCHOOL LOANS.
THIS PICTURE WAS ON A TRIP TO
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. SO WE’RE, LIKE, THIS IS A
SIDEWALK IN RED SQUARE.
>> AMAZING.
>> AMAZING. >> HE’S WALKING AROUND RED
SQUARE AND NOT A SINGLE PERSON
RECOGNIZED HIM.
RECOGNIZED HIM. I WAS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THAT.
BECAUSE I KNEW, YOU KNOW, IF HE
EVER DID BECOME PRESIDENT THAT
THIS SCENE WOULD NEVER BE REPEAT
REPEATED.
REPEATED. I DON’T THINK HE COULD GO TO RED
SQUARE NOW.
SQUARE NOW. >> NO.
>> NO. WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION OF HIM
THOSE RLEARLY YEARS BEFORE HE’S
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
HIS GENERAL PERSONALITY AND HOW
HE CARRIED HIMSELF?
>> VERY LAID BACK.
FOR A PHOTOJOURNALIST, WAS AN
AMAZING SUBJECT IN THAT THE
PRESENCE OF MY CAMERA, MY
PRESENCE, TAKING PICTURES, DID
NOT BOTHER HIM IN THE LEAST.
I MEAN, I USE WHAT I CALL A
SMALL FOOTPRINT.
SMALL FOOTPRINT. MEANING I’M NOT USING A LOUD
MOTOR DRIVE, AND I’M TRYING TO
BE QUIET ABOUT HOW I WENT ABOUT
MY BUSINESS.
MY BUSINESS. BUT HE WAS VERY UNUSUAL AND JUST
THE PRESENCE OF MY CAMERA NOT
AFFECTING HIM ONE WAY OR THE
OTHER.
OTHER. >> DO YOU THINK THAT WAS
SOMETHING ABOUT THE KIND OF
PERSON HE WAS?
>> I THINK SO.
>> HOW SO?
>> I THINK BEING BROUGHT UP IN
HAWAII.
HAWAII. YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW? PEOPLE IN HAWAII ARE -- HE WAS
BORN IN HAWAII.
I DON’T KNOW IF YOU KNEW THAT.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> I FORGOT WHERE WE ENDED UP ON
THAT WHOLE THING.
>> HE’S A LAID BACK GUY.
HE STILL IS.
>> YOU THEN STARTED -- YOU WERE
PHOTOGRAPHING HIM FOR THE TRIP,
AND THEN YOU WENT TO WORK AT THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WHITE HOUSE. SECOND WHITE HOUSE YOU’VE WORKED
IN, AND HE’S SWORN IN AMIDST
JUST THE WORLD IS FALLING APART.
AND YOU’RE THERE THROUGH ALL
THESE MOMENTS OF UNBELIEVABLE
HIGH STAKES AND STRESS.
>> ESPECIALLY THOSE FIRST FEW
YEARS, TRYING TO GET US OUT OF
WHAT WAS THE GREATEST RECESSION
SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION, AND
HE’S WORKING EVERY WEEKEND.
I MEAN, I WAS THERE EVERY
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
HE HAD MEETINGS WITH HIS
ECONOMIC TEAM, TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT LEVERS HE CAN PUSH TO
TRY TO RIGHT THE ECONOMY.
SO YEAH, IT WAS A VERY STRESSFUL
TIME.
TIME. >> THIS IS MAYBE ONE OF THE
MOMENTS OF MAXIMUM STRESS.
IT’S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS
PHOTOGRAPHS NOT JUST YOU’VE
TAKEN BUT I THINK IN THE MODERN
ERA, HONESTLY.
ERA, HONESTLY. THIS IS THE NIGHT THAT THE BIN
LADEN RAID HAPPENS.
TELL US ABOUT WHAT THAT WAS LIKE
TO BE IN THAT ROOM.
>> WELL, WE WERE IN THAT ROOM
FOR 40 MINUTES.
THEY WERE MONITORING THE RAID AS
IT HAPPENED IN REALTIME.
PEOPLE JAMMED INTO THIS LITTLE
CONFERENCE ROOM RIGHT ACROSS
FROM THE MAIN SITUATION ROOM.
BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THE
COMMUNICATIONS LINK HAD BEEN SET
UP.
UP. THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT THE
PRESIDENT WANTED TO BE THERE
WHILE THE RAID WAS TAKING PLACE.
SO IT WAS SORT OF A LITTLE
UNEXPECTED.
UNEXPECTED. HE WALKED INTO THE ROOM.
BRIGADIER GENERAL WEBB YOU SEE
AT THE HEAD OF THE TABLE SAW THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
WALKED IN, STOOD UP TO GIVE UP
HIS CHAIR.
HIS CHAIR. PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID TO HIM, YOU
STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.
YOU’VE GOT WORK TO DO.
I’LL JUST PULL UP A CHAIR NEXT
TO YOU.
TO YOU. WHICH IS WHY HE’S SEATED WHERE
HE IS.
HE IS. I’D ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THE
PEOPLE -- YOU’VE GOT THE MOST
IMPORTANT POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF OUR
GOVERNMENT ALL IN THIS ROOM AT
THE SAME TIME, AND THEY’RE
ESSENTIALLY POWERLESS.
ESSENTIALLY POWERLESS. THERE’S NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO
EFFECT THE OUTCOME OF WHAT
THEY’RE MONITORING.
THEY’RE MONITORING. IT’S UP TO THOSE GUYS ON THE
GROUND.
GROUND. THEY MADE THEIR DECISION IN THE
DAYS AND WEEKS BEFORE.
AND NOW IT’S UP TO THOSE GUYS ON
THE GROUND, AND ALL THEY CAN DO
IS WATCH.
IS WATCH. >> WHAT IS IT LIKE?
YOU HAD WORKED IN THE REAGAN
WHITE HOUSE AND OBVIOUSLY YOU’RE
USED TO THIS.
YOU WERE A PHOTO JOURNALIST, BUT
YOU’RE IN THAT ROOM TOO.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE IN THAT
ROOM, AND THEY ARE SOME OF THE
MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE IN THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU TO BE IN
THAT ROOM?
THAT ROOM? DID YOU ACCLIMATION YOURSELF SO
MUCH TO BEING IN THE SITUATIONS
THAT THE STRESS DIDN’T PENETRATE
YOU?
YOU? >> OH, NO.
I WAS STRESSED.
I WAS STRESSED.
IT WAS A STRESSFUL SITUATION.
PART OF IT WAS THAT ROOM --
THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE JAMMED
INTO THAT ROOM THAT I PICKED A
CORNER, AND I COULDN’T REALLY
MOVE AT ALL.
I CAN REMEMBER AT ONE POINT MY
REAR END HIT A PRINTER AND THE
PRINTER STARTED PRINTING.
AND BOB GATES LOOKED AT ME AND
JUST KIND OF SMILED.
>> YOU -- THESE ARE SORT OF SOME
IMAGES THAT ARE THE KIND OF,
LIKE, THE MOST INTENSE ONES THAT
YOU SEE THE PRESIDENT THERE JUST
THE STRESS SORT OF AWARE.
YOU CAN SEE IT BEARING DOWN ON
HIM, BUT THERE’S A LOT OF IMAGES
YOU CAPTURED THAT SHOW AN
EXTREMELY HUMAN SIDE OF THE
PRESIDENT AND ALSO THE HISTORIC
NATURE, OBVIOUSLY, OF THE FIRST
BLACK PRESIDENT.
BLACK PRESIDENT. THERE’S ONE PHOTO THAT AGAIN I
THINK HAS AN ICONIC VIEW TO IT
NOW.
NOW. [ APPLAUSE ]
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THAT MOMENT?
>> THIS IS A YOUNG JACOB
PHILADELPHIA.
PHILADELPHIA. HIS DAD WORKED FOR THE FOREIGN
SERVICE, WAS LEAVING THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. PRESIDENT OBAMA INVITED THE
FAMILY FOR A FAMILY SNAPSHOT.
I THINK JACOB’S MOM SAID JACOB
HAS A PRESIDENT FOR YOU.
IMAGINE BEING FIVE YEARS OLD IN
THE OVAL OFFICE AND YOUR MOM
JUST SAID YOU’RE GOING TO ASK
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES A QUESTION.
IT WAS MORE LIKE MR. PRESIDENT,
MY FRIENDS SAY THAT MY HAIRCUT
IS JUST LIKE YOURS.
AND PRESIDENT OBAMA BENT OVER
AND SAID GO AHEAD AND TOUCH IT.
AND I GOT ONE FRAME, AND IT WAS
OVER.
OVER. >> THAT’S IT.
THAT’S THE ONE.
>> ONE FRAME.
AND I THINK THE PICTURE
RESONATES FOR A COUPLE REASONS.
ONE, YOU GOT A FIVE-YEAR-OLD
AFRICAN AMERICAN KID TOUCHING
THE HEAD OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES THAT LOOKS LIKE
HIM.
HIM. BUT TWO, I THINK IT TELLS YOU
SOMETHING ABOUT BARACK OBAMA.
THAT AT THE BEHEST OF A YOUNG
KID, YOU WOULD GO AHEAD AND BEND
OVER AND LET THAT KID TOUCH YOUR
HEAD.
HEAD. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> I’M QUITE CERTAIN THAT
WOULDN’T HAPPEN TODAY.
>> NO, NO.
>> ACTUALLY, I DON’T THINK WE
WOULD WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
>> LORD KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> PART OF YOUR JOB IS BEING
VERY CLOSE TO THIS INDIVIDUAL
AND THIS COUPLE.
MICHELLE OBAMA HAS A GREAT
MEMOIR SHE WROTE.
SHE TALKS ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS,
HOW HARD IT WAS FOR HER AND HER
FAMILY TO GO FROM PRIVATE
CITIZENS TO HAVING THE ENTIRETY
OF YOUR LIFE BE PUBLIC, AND
YOU -- THERE’S SOME AMAZING
PHOTOS YOU’VE TAKEN OF THE TWO
OF THEM, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF
VERY INTIMATE MOMENTS YOU’RE
THERE TO CAPTURE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR.
THIS WAS INAUGURATION NIGHT
GOING FROM ONE INAUGURAL BALL TO
ANOTHER.
ANOTHER. THEY’RE IN A FRIGHT ELEVATOR.
I KIND OF LIKE THIS PICTURE,
BECAUSE IT SHOWS WHAT YOU’RE
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. THEY’RE SHARING THIS PRIVATE
MOMENT, BUT YOU GOT THE STAFF
AND SECRET SERVICE IN THE
BACKGROUND.
BACKGROUND. >> I LIKE THE SIDE EYE FROM THE
GUY IN THE BACK.
>> BUT THAT IS THE NATURE OF
BEING IN THAT POSITION.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I’M
SURE -- I MEAN, MICHELLE TALKS
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. IT’S NOT EASY TO GET USED TO
ALWAYS BEING IN THE PUBLIC EYE
LIKE THAT.
LIKE THAT. BUT SOMEHOW THEY MANAGED.
>> YOU CLEARLY CAME TO HAVE A
GREAT, DEEP AFFECTION,
FRIENDSHIP, WITH PRESIDENT
OBAMA.
OBAMA. WHAT WAS THAT -- THE DEVELOPMENT
OF THAT RELATIONSHIP LIKE?
YOU’RE THERE ALL THE TIME
PLAYING THIS ROLE, AND THEN YOU
BECOME FRIENDS?
BECOME FRIENDS? >> I THINK PART OF IT IS -- IT’S
LIKE A PROFESSIONAL FRIENDSHIP
MOSTLY.
MOSTLY. AND I SORT OF LIKE TO SAY TO
PEOPLE THAT I WAS THERE FOR ALL
THE DIFFERENT COMPARTMENTS OF
HIS LIFE.
HIS LIFE. FAMILY PICTURES, STRESSFUL
MOMENTS IN THE SITUATION ROOM.
ECONOMICS MEETINGS ON THE
WEEKEND.
WEEKEND. AND SO I KNEW ALL THESE
EMOTIONS, BECAUSE I WAS IN THE
ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED ALL THE
TIME.
TIME. AND I THINK THAT -- BECAUSE OF
THAT, WE HAVE A BOND THAT’S
NEVER GOING TO GO AWAY, BECAUSE
I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS
EXPERIENCING FROM DAY TODAY.
>> IT’S SO INTERESTING.
USE SAY THAT, BECAUSE IT’S SUCH
A STRANGE JOB.
THERE’S SO MUCH COME PARTPARTMEN
COMPARTMENTIZING.
COMPARTMENTIZING. YOU ALSO DID THIS, YOU WERE THE
DEPUTY IN REAGAN’S WHITE HOUSE.
AND YOU GOT TO SEE HIM UP CLOSE
AS WELL.
AS WELL. AND FROM WHAT I’VE HEARD OF
INTERVIEWS OF YOU, YOU THINK
HIGHLY OF HIM, OR THOUGHT HIGHLY
OF THE PRESIDENT.
>> I -- POLICY-WISE, I WASN’T
NECESSARILY ALIGNED WITH HIM,
BUT HE WAS A DECENT HUMAN BEING,
AND TO ME, THAT’S WHAT MATTERED.
I DON’T THINK -- LIKE, I
COULDN’T WORK FOR TRUMP, BECAUSE
I DON’T RESPECT HIM, AND I JUST
DON’T THINK HE’S A DECENT HUMAN
BEING.
BEING. [ APPLAUSE BUT THE REAGAN THAT I
SAW RESPECTED THE OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENCY AND RESPECTED OTHER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. >> I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT,
AND THIS CLIP THAT CAME OUT OF
REAGAN OF CALLING THESE AFRICAN
DIPLOMATS IN THE U.N. MONKEYS.
>> VERY DISTURBING.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND HIM
EXPRESSED SURPRISE AND THEY WERE
UPSET.
UPSET. >> IT WAS DURING THE NIXON
ADMINISTRATION, SO IT WAS MANY
YEARS BEFORE I KNEW HIM.
I DIDN’T SEE THAT AT ALL WHEN I
WAS THERE.
WAS THERE. I DID NOT KNOW REAGAN NEARLY AS
WELL AS I KNEW PRESIDENT OBAMA,
BUT I WAS IN LOTS OF PRIVATE
MEETINGS, AND I NEVER SAW THAT
COME OUT.
COME OUT. SO THAT WAS -- BUT IT WAS STILL
DISTURBING TO HEAR.
>> THIS IS A PICTURE, HIS FINAL
PICTURE IS A PICTURE OF OUR
CURRENT PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP WITH PRESIDENT
BARACK OBAMA.
BARACK OBAMA. 44 AND 45 TOGETHER.
AND IT’S I THINK SNAPPED -- THIS
IS DURING THEIR ONE MEETING IN
THE TRANSITION.
THE TRANSITION. IS THAT RIGHT?
>> THIS IS ACTUALLY ON
INAUGURATION DAY.
INAUGURATION DAY. JANUARY 20TH, 2017.
AND THEY WERE JUST ABOUT TO
LEAVE THE WHITE HOUSE TOGETHER
TO GET IN THE LIMBO AND DRIVE UP
TO THE CAPITAL FOR THE
INAUGURATION, AND PRESIDENT
OBAMA PULLED THE INCOMING
PRESIDENT ASIDE TO BRIEF HIM ON
A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE.
AND THERE’S NOT MUCH CONFIDENCE
IN THE PERSON ON THE LEFT, I
DON’T THINK.
DON’T THINK. >> WELL, LET ME ASK YOU THIS AS
A SORT OF FINAL QUESTION.
WE WATCHED YOU SORT OF DEVELOP
OVER THE COURSE OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, THE BEGINNING
THERE’S SUBTLE JABS.
YOU KNOW, THAT POSTING PHOTOS
AND SOMETHING IN THE NEWS.
>> I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> I MEAN, IT’S GOTTEN LESS DB I
MEAN, IT’S CLEAR WHERE YOU STAND
ON THIS PRESIDENT, AND YOU SEEM
LIKE A FAIRLY KIND OF RETIRING
IN THE BACKGROUND SORT OF PERSON
IN YOUR NATURE.
WHAT IS IT THAT HAS SORT OF
PUSHED YOU, NUDGED YOU TO BE
MORE OPEN AND PUBLIC ABOUT THAT?
>> IT DIDN’T TAKE MUCH.
IT DIDN’T TAKE MUCH.
TO ME, WE HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT
LIES TO US ALL THE TIME AND
BULLIES OTHER PEOPLE.
I THINK DISRESPECTS THE OFFICE
OF THE PRESIDENCY.
AND THAT’S WHAT BOTHERS ME THE
MOST.
MOST. I MEAN, I’VE SAID THIS BEFORE
WHERE IF, YOU KNOW, JEB BUSH OR
JUNE McCAIN OR JOHN KASICH OR
ANOTHER REPUBLICAN HAD BECOME
PRESIDENT, I WOULDN’T BE DOING
THIS.
THIS. EVEN THOUGH I WOULD VEHEMENTLY
DISAGREE WITH SOME OF THEIR
POLICIES, I THINK ALL OF THEM
WOULD HAVE RESPECTED THE OFFICE
AND WOULD RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> PETE SOUZA, EVERYBODY.