>> CAN WE BRING HIM OUT?
HE’S JUST STANDING OVER THERE
AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HIM.
>> WITH NO FURTHER ADO, LET’S
BRING ON THE 43rd PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES, YOUR DAD.
>> HI, DAD.
>> HI, BABY.
I GET ONE TOO.
THIS IS PRETTY COOL.
PRETTY COOL.
>> I TOLD THEM OUR NEW CITIZENS
WHO ARE SITTING HERE, THAT I
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THEY KNEW
THAT THIS WAS MY DAUGHTER JENNA.
BUT I FORGOT TO TELL THEM THAT
WHEN SHE WAS A TEENAGER --
>> DAD.
TEENAGER WHAT?
>> SLIGHT PAIN.
>> I HAD TO STOP HIM.
>> DID YOU EVER IMAGINE, I’VE
GOT TO SAY, I’M SUPER PROUD OF
YOUR GIRL.
I CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT SHE’S DONE
ON THIS SHOW.
AND DID YOU EVER IMAGINE THAT
THIS WOULD BE WHERE SHE WOULD BE
AT THIS MOMENT IN HER LIFE?
>> YOU KNOW, HODA, THERE’S A LOT
OF THINGS I NEVER IMAGINED.
I NEVER IMAGINED SHE WOULD BE A
STAR, AND WE’RE VERY PROUD OF
HER, AND LOVE HER.
I NEVER IMAGINED I’D BE
PRESIDENT.
>> THERE’S THAT.
>> NEITHER DID MOM.
>> NO.
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S SO MUCH FUN TO
HAVE YOU HERE, DAD, BECAUSE THIS
IS SOMETHING THAT I’VE SEEN YOU
WORK ON, I’VE SEEN YOU TALK
ABOUT IT WHEN YOU WERE THE
GOVERNOR OF TEXAS ALTHOUGH WE
PROBABLY DIDN’T TALK ABOUT IT
THAT MUCH.
IT’S SO FUNNY BECAUSE, HODA,
PEOPLE THINK BECAUSE I WAS BORN
TO A POLITICIAN THAT HE DIDN’T
WANT ME TO HAVE MY OWN VIEWS.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND REALLY -- AND PROBABLY
WHY HE SAYS WE WERE A PAIN IS
THAT WE SAT AROUND OUR KITCHEN
TABLE TALKING ABOUT THINGS.
AND I THINK NOW THAT WE’RE BOTH
PARENTS WE SEE HOW BRAVE IT IS
TO RAISE KIDS TO BE CURIOUS AND
INDEPENDENT AND YOU DID THAT FOR
BARBARA AND ME.
>> WELL, THANK YOU.
YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AS BRAVE OR
YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AS TOTAL
VENDER,
SURRENDER.
BUT MOM AND I ARE VERY PROUD OF
YOUR INDEPENDENT VIEWS, YOU TAKE
TIME TO UNDERSTAND ISSUES AND
YOU’RE NOT AFRAID TO SPEAK YOUR
MIND.
>> DOES JENNA CALL UP THESE DAYS
AND INFORM YOU OF HER OPINIONS
ON CERTAIN THINGS?
>> NO, THANKFULLY.
>> SHE DOESN’T DO THAT?
>> SHE’S GOT HER HANDS FULL,
BEING A GREAT MOTHER, AND SHE
TELLS ME YOU ARE AS WELL AND SHE
GOT HER PRIORITIES STRAIGHT.
AND RAISING THOSE LITTLE KIDS IS
A TOP PRIORITY TO HER.
AND THEY’RE BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN.
>> WELL, THEY ARE, AND YOU’RE A
HECK OF A GRANDPA.
WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
THIS BOOK, THOUGH, IS SO MOVING.
I CAN’T HELP BUT THINK WHEN THIS
BOOK WAS COMING OUT IT WAS SO
WELCOME.
EVERYTHING IS RED HOT WHEN IT
COMES TO IMMIGRATION.
ARE RHETORIC REPULSES ME WHEN I
HEAR IT.
I CAN’T TAKE IT.
HOW IS THE TEMPERATURE GOING TO
GET TURNED DOWN?
HOW ARE WE GOING TO REALIZE
THESE ARE THE STORIES WE SHOULD
BE LOOKING AT?
?
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, NOT EVEN IS
NATIVISTS AND A LOT OF
REPUBLICANS DON’T AGREE WITH THE
RHETORIC.
>> YEAH.
>> ON IMMIGRATION.
THERE’S A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE, I
DON’T KNOW HOW MANY, BUT THERE’S
A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LOUD.
BUT THERE’S A LOT OF QUIET
PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO UNDERSTAND
WHAT I KNOW, AND THAT IS WE’RE
ALL GOD’S CHILDREN AND EVERY
LIFE IS PRECIOUS AND PEOPLE NEED
TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT.
AND THAT’S WHY I PUT THE BOOK
OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, ELECTIONS HAVE
CONSEQUENCES.
AND I REALLY THINK A LOT OF THE
LAST ELECTION, I SUSPECT THE
NEXT ELECTION, THERE WILL BE A
LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING I’M TIRED
OF THE BITTERNESS AND THE
UGLINESS.
I EXPECT BETTER FROM OUR ELECTED
OFFICIALS AND THIS IS A WAY FOR
PEOPLE TO CALL PEOPLE TO ACCOUNT
AND SAY FIX THE SYSTEM.
>> THE HEADLINES ARE FILLED WITH
ASIAN-AMERICANS WHO ARE SCARED
TO LEAVE THEIR HOME.
>> IRRITATES ME.
SO SUZUKI, A SPECIAL, SPECIAL
PERSON, SHE SAID FINALLY I’M
SEEING, SHE SAW HER PORTRAIT AND
SAID FINALLY I’M SEEN.
BEAUTIFUL STATEMENT.
>> OH.
>> AND THEN SHE SAID I’M NOT
LETTING MY PARENTS GO OUT
BECAUSE I’M WORRIED ABOUT
ANTI-YAIGSANTI-
ANTI-ASIAN BIGOTRY.
IT SURPRISED ME IN DALLAS,
TEXAS.
AND THEN IT IRRITATED THE HELL
OUT OF ME.
ALL OF US AS AMERICANS HAVE TO
WORK HARD TO RESPECT PEOPLE AND
UNDERSTAND THAT WE’RE ALL
AMERICAN AND EACH OF US HAVE GOT
A CULTURE AND TRADITION THAT WE
HONOR.
>> YOU KNOW, I WAS WATCHING YOU
WITH FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA AND
FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON AND YOU
ALL TALKED ABOUT VACCINES, AND I
THOUGHT THIS WAS A POWERFUL
GROUP, BLOWING THE HORN FOR
VACCINES.
THEN I GOT TO THINKING, I WONDER
IF THAT GROUP WOULD GET TOGETHER
ON IMMIGRATION, ON AN ISSUE LIKE
THAT.
IS THAT ANYTHING YOU’VE EVER
DISCUSSED WITH THEM OR WOULD YOU
BE INTERESTED?
>> NO.
KIND OF, BUT THEY’RE NOT
PAINTERS.
>> MAYBE THEY COULD BE.
WHAT YOU’VE PROVEN IS THAT
ANYBODY CAN DO ANYTHING.
>> I’VE PROVEN YOU CAN TEACH AN
OLD DOG NEW TRICKS.
>> DAD, LISTEN, I KNOW YOU’RE
NOT AT ALL INTERESTED IN
POLLING, EVEN THOUGH BARBARA AND
I WOULD SOMETIMES GO AND SAY
DAD, DID YOU SEE THIS POLL.
THERE WAS A POLL, CBS, NOT OUR
NETWORK.
>> NOT THE FAMILY.
>> THAT CAME OUT WHEN YOU WERE
LEAVING OFFICE AND I DON’T WANT
TO TELL YOU WHAT THE NUMBER IS.
IT WASN’T GOOD.
21%.
>> BUT NOW -- IT WAS 22%.
BUT NOW IT’S 61%, AND HODA AND I
DON’T HAVE A QUESTION.
BUT WILL FARRELL DOES.
>> HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?
>> THAT WAS WILL FARRELL’S
COMMENT.
HISTORY’S BEEN SUPER KIND.
>> YOU KNOW, HERE’S THE THING.
IF YOU’VE BEEN PRESIDENT FOR
EIGHT YEARS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
GET TO THE POINT AND THEY SAY
SURELY WE CAN DO BETTER THAN
THIS FOOL.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN LIFE
GETS IN PERSPECTIVE, AND, YOU
KNOW, WHEN I LEFT OFFICE WE WERE
IN THE MIDDLE OF A SERIOUS
ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
YOU KNOW, IF I WASN’T -- IF I
WASN’T SO SUBJECTIVE ABOUT IT I
WOULDN’T HAVE LIKED ME EITHER.
>> OKAY, WHAT ABOUT -- WE LIKE
YOU.
>> YEAH.
>> MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY IS MAKING
HEADLINES DOWN IN TEXAS, DAD.
>> I READ THAT, MATTHEW, YEAH.
>> RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.
>> HE’S ACTUALLY AHEAD OF
GOVERNOR ABBOTT IN THE POLLS IN
THIS MOMENT.
>> YEAH, YEAH, I DIDN’T BELIEVE
THE 21% EITHER.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK HIS CHANCES
ARE, OR ARE YOU INTERESTED IN
THAT?
>> I HAVE NO IDEA.
I TELL YOU THIS, IT’S A TOUGH
BUSINESS.
>> YEAH, IT IS TOUGH BUSINESS.
>> IT IS A TOUGH BUSINESS AND
THAT’S OKAY.
I MEAN, BUT THE QUESTION IS, ARE
WE ABLE TO SET ASIDE OUR
PARTISAN DIFFERENCES AND SOLVE
PROBLEMS?
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> I MEAN, POLITICS HAS ALWAYS
BEEN TOUGH.
BUT IT’S -- I MEAN ABRAHAM
LINCOLN, HE WAS -- THEY REALLY
TREATED HIM BADLY.
HE’S ONE OF THE GREATEST
PRESIDENTS.
>> ARE YOU HOPEFUL?
I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK, LIKE YOU
SAID THE LOUDEST VOICES SUCK UP
ALL THE OXYGEN AND SOMETIMES
TAKE UP ALL THE ROOM --
>> BUT THEY ONLY GOT ONE VOTE.
YOU KNOW, A LOUD VOICE HAS GOT
ONE VOTE.
THE QUIET VOICES HAVE GOT A VOTE
TOO.
AND THERE’S A LOT MORE QUIET
VOICES THAN THERE ARE LOUD
VOICES SO YEAH, I’M VERY
HOPEFUL.
I THINK DEMOCRACY IS
SELF-HEALING.
AND I CAN’T -- YOU KNOW, I CAN’T
GIVE YOU WHO THE CANDIDATES ARE
GOING TO BE OR THIS, THAT AND
THE OTHER BUT I’M VERY HOPEFUL
OF OUR COUNTRY.
ON ONE OF THE WORST DAYS IN OUR
NATION’S HISTORY, JANUARY 6th,
THE INSTITUTIONS HELD.
THEY HELD.
THEY HELD FIRM.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN SPITE OF HOW
HORRIFIC THAT WAS --
>> YEAH.
>> IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO
KNOW THAT THE LEGISLATURE MET,
THAT THE COURTS ARE MEETING, AND
THAT OUGHT TO GIVE PEOPLE
CONFIDENCE AND HOPE.
>> AND WHAT ABOUT SITTING HERE,
THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME TO BE OUT
ON THIS PLAZA THAT’S USUALLY
FILLED WITH PEOPLE, IT’S LIKE A
CAST MEMBER OF OUR SHOW.
TO SEE THESE AMERICANS GETTING
SWORN IN TODAY MUST GIVE YOU
HOPE.
>> IT’S AWESOME, ISN’T IT?
THESE PEOPLE WENT THROUGH A LOT
OF -- SPENT A LOT OF TIME, SOME
HARDSHIP, A LOT OF DIFFICULTY,
IT’S AN EXPENSIVE, COMPLICATED
PROCESS.
THEY PLAYED BY THE RULES.
AND THEY’RE NOW CITIZENS.
AND THEY HAVE NO -- THEY HAVE NO
DIFFERENT STANDING FROM ME.
WE’RE BOTH EQUAL.
AND WE’RE ALL EQUAL.
AND THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF
AMERICA.
NOBODY’S BETTER THAN ANYBODY
ELSE WHEN IT COMES TO
CITIZENSHIP.
>> I GOT CALLS FROM FRIENDS, AND
THEY WERE TALKING TO THEIR
PARENTS AND THEY WERE
REMEMBERING THEIR DAY.
THEIR SWEARING IN DAY, WATCHING
THIS MOMENT, AND IT BROUGHT BACK
THAT WHOLE RUSH OF EMOTIONS.
LIKE, I REMEMBER MY DAY LIKE IT
WAS YESTERDAY.
>> AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR -- WHAT
ABOUT YOUR PARENTS?
>> I MEAN, I FEEL SO LUCKY THAT
MY PARENTS TOOK THAT CHANCE AND
CAME HERE.
MY DAD WAS SAYING, LIKE, YOU
COULD HAVE A DOCTORATE DEGREE IN
EGYPT INSTEAD OF A DESK WITH NO
PHONE.
BUT HERE, ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE.
SINCE WE WERE KIDS HE’S LIKE,