♪ ♪
>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.
WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW."
LET'S CHECK IN WITH OUR FRIEND MR. JON BATISTE.
HELLO, JON.
>> Jon: HELLO, STEPHEN.
WHOO!
COME ON SEASON 6, LET'S GO!
LET'S GO!
>> Stephen: THAT ARE, FIRST SHOW OF SEASON SIX.
>> Jon: LET'S GO!
>> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE FOR THIS LONG,
STRANGE TRIP.
>> Jon: OH, MY GOODNESS, "A LATE SHOW" HAS BEEN QUITE A
SHOW.
THIS IS THE TIME WE'RE IN.
WHOO!
>> Stephen: GIVE MY LOVE TO YOUR FAMILIAR RI.
>> Jon: YES.
>> Stephen: AND ALL YOUR LOVED ONES.
>> Jon: OF COURSE.
AND, YOU KNOW, LIKEWISE.
LET'S STAY LOVED UP, LET'S STAY STRONG, COME ON, AND PUSH TILL
NOVEMBER, COMMON, EVERYBODY.
>> Stephen: THAT'S RIGHT, BE BRAVE, EVERYBODY.
GO VOTE.
A LITTLE VOTING MUSIC?
♪ GOT TO GO VOTE ♪ ♪ GOT TO GO VOTE ♪
♪ YOU GOT TO GO VOTE ♪ ♪
♪ >> Stephen: I HEAR A HIT,
BABY!
JON BATISTE, EVERYBODY.
>> Jon: LAY IT ON!
HAVE A GOOD ONE!
>> STEPHEN: JOINING ME TONIGHT IS A TWO-TIME PULITZER PRIZE
WINNER WHOSE NAME IS SYNONYMOUS WITH INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM.
HIS LATEST BOOK ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS CALLED "RAGE."
PLEASE WELCOME BOB WOODWARD!
BOB, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: PLEASE, LET ME GET A WORD IN EDGEWISE HERE, BOB.
DON'T DROWN ME WITH WORDS!
NO, THIS IS YOUR SECOND BOOK ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
YOU WERE HERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO FOR THE BOOK "FEAR."
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: THIS ONE'S "FEAR," THE NEXT ONE IS "RAGE."
WHAT'S THE NEXT ONE CALLED, CHAOS?
>> HE WOULD HAVE TO BE REELECT FORD ME TO DO ANOTHER BOOK, AND
WE DON'T KNOW.
HE COULD WIN.
>> Stephen: HE COULD, BOB, THAT IS EXACTLY TRUE.
HE PROVED THAT THE LAST TIME.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
THE INTERVIEW IS OFF TO A HAPPY START.
OKAY.
THE LAST TIME I ASKED YOU WHY PEOPLE TALK TO YOU, BOB.
I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU AGAIN, WHY DO YOU THINK TRUMP SPOKE TO YOU
THIS TIME BECAUSE HE DIDN'T TALK TO YOU LAST TIME.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, AND HE REGRETTED IT, HE SAID.
AND I THINK SOME PEOPLE TOLD HE DENOUNCED THE FIRST BOOK "FEAR"
AND SAID, OH, I'M A DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE, AND IT'S NOT TRUE.
AND I THINK SOME PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR HIM SAID, MR. PRESIDENT, IT
TURNS OUT IT'S ALL TRUE, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD NOT
PUT WORDS IN HIS MOUTH, I WOULD LET HIM -- I WOULD GIVE HIM A
FAIR SHAKE.
AND THEN "RAGE," I THINK 15% TO 20% ARE QUOTES FROM HIM FROM MY
NINE HOURS OF INTERVIEWS WITH HIM.
>> Stephen: EVEN THOUGH HIS STAFF MAY HAVE SAID TO HIM THAT
BOB WOODWARD WILL GIVE YOU A GOOD SHAKE, ONE OF THE ASPECTS
OF FALLOUT OF THIS BOOK, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A GLOWING PORTRAIT OF
THE PRESIDENT HERE, SPOILER ALERT TO EVERYBODY.
>> NO, IT IS NOT.
>> Stephen: EVEN THOUGH HE HAS NOT READ IT YET.
I HAVE TWO COPIES.
I HAVE THE PRETTY ONE HERE AND THEN I HAVE THE ONE THAT I
ACTUALLY READ AND THE COVER BURST INTO FLAMES AT ONE POINT
AND I HAD TO THROW IT AWAY.
IT CAN BE PRETTY SCATHING AT TIMES, EVEN FROM YOU DIRECTLY.
AND SOME OF HIS STAFF ARE BASICALLY THROWING EACH OTHER
UNDER THE BUS AND SAYING, I DON'T KNOW WHO LET HIM SPEAK TO
BOB WOODWARD, I WOULDN'T HAVE LET HIM SPEAK TO BOB WOODWARD.
DID ANYONE TRY TO STOP YOU FROM SPEAKING TO THE PRESIDENT?
>> NO.
NO.
WHAT HAPPENS, AND WE KNOW THIS AND THIS IS PART OF THE PORTRAIT
OF HIM, HE'S A ONE-MAN BAND.
HE DECIDES, IT'S THE IMPULSE, AND, IN A WAY, I THINK, AROUND
THE WHITE HOUSE, HE DOESN'T DRINK.
I THINK THAT'S TRUE.
HE'S THE NIGHT PROWLER, AND HE'S LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO, AND
HE EPIX UP THE PHONE, AND -- AND HE EPIX UP THE -- AND HE EPIX UP
THE PHONE AND CALLS PEOPLE.
I CALLED TO HIM ABOUT NINE TIMES AND SEVEN TIMES HE INITIATED.
I HAD TO RUN AROUND THE HOPES WITH ONE OF THOSE OLYMPUS TAPE
RECORDERS IN CASE HE CALLED.
ONE TIME HE CALLED AND MY WIFE ELSA PICKED UP AND HE SAID, IS
BOB THERE?
AND SHE SAID, WHO IS THIS?
AND HE SAID, DONALD TRUMP.
AND SHE SAID, OH, OKAY, I'LL GET HIM.
>> Stephen: NIXON, TO DROP A NAME YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, WAS
FAMOUS FOR CALLING PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, SOMETIMES
WHEN HE'D HAD A COCKTAIL OR TWO.
IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT TRUMP WANTING TO TALK TO YOU THAT'S
REMINISCENT OF NIXON'S OWN INSECURITIES AND THE WAY HE
WOULD CALL PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT?
>> WELL, I HAD A GREAT ADVANTAGE HERE OVER TEN MONTHS, ALL OF
THOSE INTERVIEWS, I COULD PREPARE QUESTIONS, I COULD THINK
ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, TRY TO DIG INTO -- BECAUSE, IN A VERY
INTERESTING WAY, WHICH I DID NOT FULLY APPRECIATE BECAUSE,
NORMALLY, PRESIDENTS I WROTE BOOKS ABOUT EITHER WOULDN'T TALK
TO ME OR WOULD DO ONE INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESS SECRETARY SITTING
THERE WITH AN IGNITER LIGHT IF IT GOT OUT OF HAND.
AND, SO, THIS WAS A FULL ENGAGEMENT, AND T THE MICROPHONE
IS REALLY LIKE A MICROSCOPE.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST WORDS.
IF YOU READ THE WORDS, THEY HAVE ONE MEANING, AND IF YOU ACTUALLY
DO IT IN A WAY WHERE YOU ARE -- YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LETTING
SOMEBODY GO ON AND HE TENDS TO GO ON AND ON, YOU ARE LOOKING AT
SOMETHING MORE THAN THE WORDS BECAUSE THERE IS AN ATTITUDE OR
AN ENERGY OR DISGUST, LIKE WHEN I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE "BLACK
LIVES MATTER" MOVEMENT AND WHETHER HE UNDERSTOOD AS A
PRIVILEGED WHITE PERSON LIKE MYSELF, IF HE COMPREHENDED THE
ANGER AND PAIN THAT BLACK PEOPLE FEEL, AND HE JUST -- HE JUST
SAID, OH, WOW, YOU SHOULD HEAR YOURSELF, YOU DRANK THE
KOOL-AID, SCORNED ME, RIDICULED ME.
ON PAPER THAT'S ONE THING.
WHEN YOU HEAR THE VOICE, IT'S MUCH LARGER THAN THE WORDS ON
THE PAGE.
>> Stephen: WELL, SPEAKING OF WHICH, YOU HAVE BROUGHT A CLIP
FOR US TO HEAR TONIGHT, AND THIS IS -- WE CALL THIS AN EXCLUSIVE,
IN THE BUSINESS.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
SO LET'S BLOW THE LID OFF OF THIS.
CAN YOU SET UP WHAT THIS CLIP IS ABOUT?
>> THIS IS THE ONE WHERE HE'S IN THE OVAL OFFICE.
>> Stephen: YES, SIR.
AND IT'S IN APRIL, AND HE TELLS ME WHAT HAPPENS WHEN
SOMEBODY SNEEZES, AND WE ALL LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THERE ARE
PEOPLE WHO SNEEZE, AND IF YOU HAVE THE AUDIO OF IT AND THIS IS
THE FIRST TIME IT WILL BE PLAYED, IT'S QUITE REVEALING.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
DO WE HAVE THIS?
CAN WE PLAY THIS?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: HIT IT, JIM.
AND, BOB, IT'S SO EASILY TRANCE MISSABLE YOU WOULDN'T
BELIEVE IT.
>> I KNOW.
MEAN, YOU CAN BE IN THE ROOM.
I WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, MEETING OF
TEN PEOPLE IN THE OVAL OFFICE, AND A GUY SNEEZED INNOCENTLY,
NOT A HORRIBLE, YOU KNOW, JUST A SNEEZE.
>> YEAH.
THE ENTIRE ROOM BAILED OUT, OKAY, INCLUDING ME, BY THE WAY.
>> Stephen: HERE HE'S MAKING LIGHT THERE AT THE END, BUT AT
THE HEART OF THAT IS SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARILY SHOCKING.
>> YES.
AND, I MEAN, HERE HE'S SAYING -- BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE'S
DOWNPLAYING THE VIRUS.
SO HE'S IN THE OVAL OFFICE, SOMEONE SNEEZES, AND HE BAILS
OUT.
HE GOES RUNNING OUT.
LAST NIGHT IN NEVADA, WHEN HE WAS GOING THROUGH THAT RALLY, I
MEAN, GOD KNOWS HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE ALL PACKING TO.
I WONDER IF SOMEONE SNEEDS IN THE FRONT ROW THAT TRUMP WOULD
BAIL OUT AGAIN AND GET OUT OF THE WAY.
ANYWAY, THIS IS TOO SERIOUS A MATTER.
WE REALLY -- AS YOU KNOW, 190,000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED, AND MY
REPORTING SHOWS THAT HE KNEW BACK IN JANUARY, JANUAR
JANUARY 28th IN AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING, MAYBE ONE
OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY MEETINGS IN THE OVAL OFFICE I'VE
RECORDED ON FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS, AND THAT IS WHEN HIS NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISOR TELLS HIM THAT THE VIRUS IS GOING TO BE THE
BIGGEST NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT TO YOUR PRESIDENCY, AND THEN THE
DEPUTY WHO WORKED IN CHINA FOR SEVEN YEARS FOR THE "WALL STREET
JOURNAL" GIVES SPECIFICS ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS THIS IS, HOW EASY
IT IS TO BE TRANSMITTED, AND IT'S EXTRAORDINARY THAT, AT THAT
MOMENT, THE MAN WE ELECTED TO -- I ONCE ASKED HIM WHAT'S THE JOB
OF THE PRESIDENT, AND HE SAID THE JOB IS TO PROTECT THE
PEOPLE.
I AGREE.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE N COUNTRY WOULD -- IN THIS COUNTRY WOULD,
AND HE FAILED TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE, HE FAILED TO FIND A WAY
TO TELL THE TRUTH.
>> Stephen: BOB, WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
BUT STICK AROUND, EVERYBODY.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE WITH THE AWE FOR OF "RAGE,"
MR. BOB WOODWARD.
♪ ♪