WASHINGTON AND THEN TO STORM THE
CAPITOL.
GUYS, BACK TO YOU.
>> PART OF THE AWE AUDACITY.
>>> ONE PERSON WHO HAD A FRONT
ROW SEAT TO HISTORY IN THE PAST
IS PHOTOJOURNALIST AND FORMER
WHITE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER PETE
SOUZA.
HE COVERED THE PRESIDENCIES OF
RONALD REAGAN AND BARACK OBAMA.
HIS WORK IS NOW ON DISPLAY IN
THE DOCUMENTARY CALLED "THE WAY
I SEE IT," BY FOCUS FEATURES AND
MSNBC FILMS.
PETE JOINS US NOW.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.
>> HONOR TO HAVE YOU ON.
LET’S DIG IN HERE.
YOU’RE NO STRANGER TO TENSE
SITUATIONS.
IN FACT, ONE OF YOUR MOST
NOTABLE PHOTOS WAS TAKEN IN THE
SITUATION ROOM.
2011 DURING THE BIN LADEN RAID.
WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN
YOU SAW THE ATTACK ON CAPITOL
HILL LAST WEEK AND THE EVENTS
LEADING UP TO THE IMPEACHMENT
PLAY OUT?
>> IT WAS HARD TO WATCH.
AS ANY AMERICAN, IT WAS HARD TO
WATCH THAT TAKE PLACE.
IN SOME WAYS, IT WASN’T THAT
SURPRISING.
I HATE TO SAY IT.
OVER THE COURSE OF WEEKS AND
MONTHS, THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
INCITING THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR.
IT WAS REALLY DISTRESSING TO
WATCH.
THIS IS A PLACE, THE CAPITOL,
THAT WHEN I WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER
FOR THE "CHICAGO TRANSCRIBEIBUNE
D.C., I’D GO TO THE CAPITOL
LITERALLY EVERY WEEK.
SO TO SEE A PLACE THAT I VISITED
QUITE OFTEN BE OVERRUN LIKE THAT
WAS HARD TO WATCH.
>> PETE, YOU’VE COVERED A NUMBER
OF INAUGURATIONS.
PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH’S
INAUGURATION
INAUGURATION, PRESIDENT OBAMA’S,
THE PASSING OF THE TORCH TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO LOOK THROUGH
THAT LENS AND CAPTURE HISTORY ON
THAT DAY?
AND HOW DO YOU THINK NEXT WEEK’S
INAUGURATION, HOW IS THAT GOING
TO BE DIFFERENT?
>> WELL, I THINK NEXT WEEK’S
INAUGURATION WILL BE UNLIKE ANY
OTHER, JUST BECAUSE OF THE
CIRCUMSTANCES.
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE
CROWD ON THE MALL.
SO IT’S GOING TO BE QUITE
DIFFERENT.
I ACTUALLY COVERED THREE --
WELL, I’VE COVERED SEVEN
INAUGURATIONS, BUT THREE OF THEM
AS AN INSIDER, WATCHING THE
ACTUAL TRANSFER OF POWER FROM
ONE PRESIDENT TO ANOTHER.
AND THAT PART OF IT IS MISSING,
TOO, SINCE THE CURRENT PRESIDENT
IS NOT EVEN GOING TO SHOW UP TO
THE INAUGURATION.
SO IT IS GOING TO BE JUST A
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE.
>> PETE, IN YOUR DOCUMENTARY,
"THE WAY I SEE IT," YOU EXPLAIN
THAT A LOT OF YOUR FAVORITE
PHOTOS ARE THOSE THAT HUMANIZE
THE PRESIDENT.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO
SEE PICTURES LIKE THOSE?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, TO QUOTE
MICHELLE OBAMA, THE PRESIDENCY
DOESN’T CHANGE WHO YOU ARE, IT
REVEALS WHO YOU ARE.
AND I THINK THE SAME THING IS
TRUE OF THE AUTHENTIC MOMENTS
THAT I CAPTURED DURING THE
REAGAN AND OBAMA PRESIDENCY.
I THINK YOU GET A REAL SENSE OF
THE HUMANITY OF THE MAN, WHAT
KIND OF A PERSON HE IS, THE
EMPATHY AND COMPASSION.
I THINK YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE
PHOTOGRAPHS THAT I’VE CAPTURED.
I THINK FOR HISTORY, IT’S
IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, ALL MY PICTURES END UP
AT THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES, EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
50 YEARS FROM NOW, 500 YEARS
FROM NOW, IF WE’RE STILL A
DEMOCRACY, PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE
TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT NOT ONLY
THE PRESIDENCY WAS LIKE, BUT
WHAT THEY WERE LIKE AS HUMAN
BEINGS.
>> PETE, YOU’VE PHOTOGRAPHED
PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN OVER THE
YEARS, COVERING THE OBAMA WHITE
HOUSE.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS
WITH PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN ABOUT
POSSIBLY RESUMING YOUR ROLE AS
WHITE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER?
>> I WILL NOT BE RESUMING MY
ROLE.
THAT JOB TAKES A LOT OUT OF YOU.
YOU KNOW, I JUST CANNOT PUT THAT
KIND OF A STRAIN ON MY FAMILY
AGAIN.
I WILL SAY THAT I DID HEAR
FROM -- HE WASN’T YET THE
PRESIDENT-ELECT.
I HEARD FROM HIM JUST BEFORE THE
ELECTION.
MY MOM HAD DIED, AND HE CALLED
ME TO OFFER HIS CONDOLENCES.
BUT THE PERSON THAT JOE BIDEN
HAS CHOSEN AS HIS PHOTOGRAPHER
WILL DO A GREAT JOB.
IT HASN’T BEEN ANNOUNCED
PUBLICLY, ALTHOUGH I KNOW WHO
THAT IS.
AND SO I’M CONFIDENT THAT THE
PERSON THAT WILL BE MY
SUCCESSOR, IN SOME WAYS, WILL DO
A GREAT JOB.
>> WELL, I’M SURE HE WOULDN’T
MIND IF YOU WANT TO ANNOUNCE IT
ON "3rd HOUR OF TODAY."
>> I CAN’T DO THAT.
>> WHAT’S THE ONE PIECE OF
ADVICE YOU WOULD HAVE FOR THAT
PERSON?
>> WELL, I DID TALK TO HIM THE
OTHER DAY.
>> IT’S A HIM.
>> PART OF MY ADVICE WAS,
REMEMBER WHAT YOUR MISSION IS.
YOUR MISSION IS YOU’RE
DOCUMENTING FOR HISTORY.
DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT
OF THAT JOB.
>> THE RIGHT KIND OF ATTITUDE.
>> WHAT’D YOU CALL HIM, HIS
FIRST NAME?
I DIDN’T CATCH THAT.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> NICE TRY.
>> SORRY, PETE.
I HAD TO GIVE IT A SHOT.
>> PETE SOUZA, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.
"THE WAY I SEE IT" IS
CO-PRESENTED BY FOCUS FEATURES
AND MSNBC FILMS, DIVISION OF NBC
STUDIOS.
IT’LL BE REAIRING ON MSNBC
TOMORROW AT 10:00 P.M. EASTERN.
ALSO AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE TO
WATCH ON PEACOCK.