♪♪♪ >> STEPHEN: WELCOME BACK.
LET'S SAY HELLO TO OUR FRIEND MR. JON BATISTE.
JON, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
>> Jon: HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2021 IN FULL EFFECT.
HOW ARE YOU FEELING THIS YEAR?
>> Stephen: I. FEELING GOOD.
NOT AS GOOD AS YOU LOOK IN THAT HAT, THOUGH.
TELL ME THE STORY ABOUT THIS HAT.
>> Jon: I GOT THIS IN NORTH AFRICA, TUNISIA, ACTUALLY.
IT'S A KUFI THAT.
THE LONELIEST MONKEY WORE THIS WHEN HE WOULD PLAY.
I SAW THE AWE THENTDIC ONE AND I HAD TO GET IT.
>> Stephen: YOU AND I ARE FROM THE SOUTH.
IS THERE A NEW YEAR'S TRADITION WHERE YOU GREW UP?
DO YOU GUYS EAT ANYTHING ON NEW YEAR'S DAY WHERE YOU GREW
UP?
>> Jon: COME ON, NOW!
WE EAT BLACK-EYED PEAS, CABBAGE AND PORK SHOPS.
>> Stephen: WE DO THE SAME THING.
DO YOU CALL IT?
WE CALL IT HOPPIN' JOHN.
>> Jon: WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?
>> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW.
WHERE DOES IT COFROM, DARLING?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
>> Stephen: IT'S ALWAYS BEEN CALLED HOPPIN' JOHN.
AND YOU COOK BACON, BACK FAT IF YOU'VE GOT IT, AND ONIONS AND
THROW IT IN WITH THE RICE AND THE BEANS AND IT'S SO GOOD.
>> Jon: YEAH, YEAH, WE HAVE BEEN EATING THAT SINCE
NEW YEAR'S DAY, WITH LEFTOVERS.
IT'S KICKIN', MAN.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: ANYWAY, JON, HAVE
YOU GOT A SONG FOR THE NEW YEAR?
>> Jon: YES, INDEED.
♪♪♪ >> Stephen: JON BATISTE,
EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU, JON >> Jon: YOU GOT IT, YOU KNOW!
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: JOINING ME TONIGHT
IS THE WOMAN WHO DELIVERED GEORGIA TO JOE
BIDEN THROUGH HER ORGANIZATION, "FAIR FIGHT," AND WHO HOPES TO
MAKE HISTORY WITH TOMORROW'S SENATE ELECTION.
PLEASE WELCOME, STACEY ABRAMS!
MS. ABRAMS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING BACK!
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AGAIN.
>> Stephen: HAPPY ELECTION EVE, NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN YOU SINCE RIGHT AFTER THE ELECTION.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE ELECTION TOMORROW OF, OBVIOUSLY,
RAFAEL WARNOCK AND OSSOFF WHO ARE RUNNING TOMORROW, BUT I WANT
TO TALK ABOUT THIS TAPE RELEASED OVER THE WEEKEND WITH THE
PRESIDENT PRESSURING RAFFENSPERGER TO FIND VOTES IN
GEORGIA THAT WOULD GIVE THE WIN TO THE PRESIDENT.
YOUR NAME COMES UP A COUPLE OF TIMES IN THAT.
HAVE YOU HEARD THE RECORDING?
>> I DID INDEED LISTEN.
>> Stephen: THE PRESIDENT SAYS THAT -- HE SAYS THAT STACEY IS
LAUGHING AT YOU, TO RAFFENSPERGER.
SHE'S LAUGHING AT YOU.
COULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE LAUGH?
IS IT A GIGGLE, MORE LIKE A -- ( MANIACAL LAUGH )
-- WITH THE FLY HANDS.
HOW ARE YOU LAUGHING AT THEM?
>> HYMN THINKING ABOUT THEM.
I'M FOCUSING ON WINNING THE ELECTION.
THEY ARE NOT MY ISSUE.
>> Stephen: BOOM!
VERY QUICKLY, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PRESIDENT PUTTING THE
PRESSURE ON RAFFENSPERGER?
WERE YOU SHOCKED TO HEAR AT OR IS THIS PAR FOR THE COURSE?
>> NOT AT ALL.
THIS IS A PERSON WHO HAS DEMONSTRATED ABSOLUTELY NO, YOU
KNOW, GRASP OF THE AWE GUSTNESS OF HIS OFFICE OR THE CONTOURS OF
THE LAW, BUT I WILL SAY LEON-IZING BRAD RAFFENSPERGER IS
NOT IT.
HE'S DEFENDING THE ELECTION HE RAN.
AT THE EXACT SAME MOMENT HE'S PUSHING ON TRUMP, HE'S WORKING
HAND IN HAND WITH REPUBLICANS TO PUT TOGETHER A LIST OF WAYS TO
CONSTRAIN THE RIGHT TO VOTE STARTING WITH THE NEXT ELECTION.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE BE DISTRACTED BY HIS ATTEMPT TO NOT
BECOME A LAUGHING STOCK BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM IN JUNE, WE
SHOULDN'T MISTAKE HIM FOR A VOTING RIGHTS CHAMPION.
HE'S NOT.
BUT A BROKEN CLOCK IS RIGHT TWICE A DAY, AND HE'S DEFENDING
THE RESULT BECAUSE THE ELECTION RESULT IS THE RIGHT RESULT.
>> Stephen: IS IT HARD FOR YOU TO ACCEPT THAT YOU AND DONALD
TRUMP AGREE ABOUT ANYTHING?
BECAUSE, EVIDENTLY, BOTH OF YOU DON'T THINK BRIAN KEMP SHOULD BE
THE GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA.
>> AGAIN, BROKEN CLOCKS AND OCCASIONAL CORRECTNESS.
I TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT THAT TOO CLOSELY BECAUSE I DON'T WANT
TO HAVE TO REEXAMINE MY LIFE'S GOALS AND MISSION.
>> NOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THE CURRENT SECRETARY OF STATE,
RAFFENSPERGER DOWN IN GEORGIA, AS YOU SAID, DON'T LIONIZE HIM.
THIS IS BUTT COVERING FOR HIM, IS HOW I CHARACTERIZE YOU
CHARACTERIZING IT AND STOP ME IF YOU WANT, BUT SINCE HE IS IN
CHARGE OF THE ELECTIONS, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR HIM TO DO OR
WHAT SHOULD WE KEEP OUR EYE ON AS VOTES ARE COUNTED FROM
TOMORROW'S ELECTION?
>> WELL, FIRST, WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE PROCESS WORKS
SMOOTHLY.
SADLY, BECAUSE TO HAVE THE PROPAGANDA AND THE
MISINFORMATION, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ELECTION WORKERS.
WE WANT THEM TO BE SAFE.
WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOBS AND, HOPEFULLY, HE IS
GOING TO WORK AS HARD AS THE REST OF US ARE TO MAKE SURE THEY
THEYHAVE ACCESS TO THE SUPPORT T NEED.
BUT WE KNOW IT TAKES TIME TO COUNT BALLOTS.
WE HAVE 4.2 MILLION CAST BALLOTS ALREADY AND THE NUMBERS REFLECT
AN EXCITEMENT THAT'S NEVER BEEN SEEN IN A RUNOFF.
WE NEED TO BE PATIENT AND WE NEED TO KNOW WE MAY NOT HAVE THE
ANSWER TILL WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY.
HOPEFULLY, WE'LL HAVE IT BEFORE NEXT NOVEMBER, BUT WE SHOULD
HAVE AN ANSWER PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT WE SHOULD BE PATIENT WITH
THE PROCESS.
>> Stephen: THAT 3.2 MILLION PEOPLE WHO VOTED EARLY IN
GEORGIA, HOW DOES THAT TURN OUT TO THE TURNOUT IN THE GENERAL
ELECTION.
GENERAL ELECTION HAS A TOTAL TURN OUT OF 5 MILLION PEOPLE AND
IT'S UNUSUAL FOR A RUNOFF ELECTION TO COME CLOSE.
THE LAST ELECTION OFTEN WAS 2.8 MILLION PEOPLE IN 2008, SO
WE'VE SMASHED THOSE RECORDS.
WHAT'S MORE EXCITING, OF THE MILLIONS WHO VOTED, 112,000 ARE
PEOPLE WHO DID NOT VOTE IN NOVEMBER BUT DECIDED TO VOTE IN
THIS ELECTION, 40% ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, AND
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ONLY COMPRISE ABOUT 30% OF THE REGISTERED
VOTERS.
BUT 20% ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 29, THEY'RE 18 TO 29, AND THEY'RE
ONLY 12% OF THE ELECTORATE.
THAT MEANS PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S AT STAKE AND THEY WANT TO
BE HEARD.
>> Stephen: NOW, IN NOVEMBER, YOU TOLD ME THE SENATE RUNOFF
STRATEGY WAS "TO RAISE ALL THE MONEY WE CAN AS FAST AS WE CAN."
HOW DID THAT GO?
>> YES.
IT WENT REALLY WELL.
WE WERE PRETTY GOOD AT IT.
THERE'S A LOT OF INVESTMENT -- >> Stephen: BY REALLY GOOD AT
IT, I UNDERSTAND IT'S OVER $100 MILLION FOR EACH OF THE TWO
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES.
>> YES, AND MY ORGANIZATION "FAIR FIGHT" WAS ABLE TO RAISE
ENOUGH MONEY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SHARE MORE THAN $25 MILLION
WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY HAD THE
RESOURCES THEY NEEDED TO SUPPORT TURNING OUT VOTERS.
>> Stephen: HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT TOMORROW'S
ELECTION?
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ODDS ARE?
>> IF I KNEW ODDS-MAKING I WOULD BE IN LAS VEGAS.
UNFORTUNATELY I DO POLITICS INSTEAD.
BUT WE'VE SEEN INCREDIBLE TURNOUT FROM DEMOCRATS ACROSS
THE STATE.
WE HAVE SEEN A DIVERSE ELECTORATE, THE LIKES OF WHICH
WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN A RUNOFF, AND WE'RE ENERGIZED.
I WAS AT THE BIDEN RALLY TODAY, AND THE ENERGY IS EXTRAORDINARY,
BUT I WAS ALSO IN SMALL COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE.
PEOPLE WANT COVID RELIEF, THEY WANT GOOD JOBS, THEY WANT ACCESS
TO JUSTICE, AND THEY WANT JOE BIDEN TO HAVE A PARTNER, NOT AN
OBSTRUCTIONIST, AND THEY NEED KAMALA HARRIS TO BE
VICE PRESIDENT AND GET A TIE BREAKING VOTE.
I PUT MY ONE ON BLUE.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICKBREAK BUT WHEN WE COME BACK
I'LL ASK MS. ABRAMS IF SHE HAS ANY PLANS TO RUN FOR OFFICE
AGAIN PERHAPS IN GEORGIA, PERHAPS FOR GOVERNOR IN TWO
YEARS.
STICK AROUND.