OK, BOTH OF YOU ARE BESTSELLING AUTHORS
WHY DO YOU NEED EACH OTHER?
( LAUGHTER ) WHAT DID THIS MAN PROVIDE THAT
YOU JUST COULDN'T IMAGINE, JAMES PATTERSON.
>> I THINK WHAT SEPARATES THIS BOOK FROM BOOKS THAT I'VE READ
AND WHAT MOST OF YOU HAVE READ IS THE AUTHENTICITY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THRILLERS OUT THERE.
MY GOAL, WAS TO TRY TO DO THE BEST THRILLER ABOUT A PRESIDENT
THAT HAD BEEN WRITTEN.
THERE ISN'T AN ATTACK IN THE UNITED STATES IN THIS COUNTRY,
IF IT HAPPENED, A DEVASTATING ATTACK, IT WOULD HAPPEN
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
THE PRESIDENT DISAPPEARS IN THIS BOOK.
IF IT HAPPENED, IT WOULD HAPPEN-- IT COULD HAPPEN
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
>> Stephen: WHAT DID YOU GIVE HIM ABOUT THE PRESIDENCY, WHAT
DETAILS DID YOU PROVIDE THIS MAN THAT HE COULDN'T HAVE IMAGINED
HIMSELF?
WHAT WERE THE TIDBITS?
LAUNCH CODES?
>> FIRST OF ALL, WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS--
>> THE LAUNCH CODE, YES.
>> NO, I DIDN'T GIVE HIM THE LAUNCH CODES.
( LAUGHTER ) RELAX --
>> Stephen: IT'S JUST YOUR BIRTHDAY TWICE.
>> I DON'T HAVE THEM ANYMORE.
BUT WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS IN 2016.
SO THE DEFINITION OF WHETHER THIS BOOK IS AUTHENTIC OR NOT
HAS SORT OF CHANGED IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF IN TERMS OF WHAT
REALLY HAPPENED.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
REALLY, BUT IT WAS EVERYTHING FROM...
THE PHYSICAL REALITIES OF HOW WOULD YOU GET THE PRESIDENT OUT
OF THE WHITE HOUSE IF THAT WERE GOING TO HAPPEN?
HOW WOULD THE PRESIDENT DISAPPEAR FOR --
>> Stephen: HOW?
>> READ THE BOOK.
>> Stephen: DID YOU-- DID YOU-- CAN I ASK YOU-- DID YOU
GIVE THAT SUBJECT A LOT OF THOUGHT AROUND 1998?
>> I THOUGHT ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
I USED TO JOKE THEY COULD NEVER TELL WHETHER THE WHITE HOUSE WAS
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PUBLIC BUILDING IN WASHINGTON OR THE
CROWN JEWEL OF THE FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEM.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALWAYS KIND OF HEMMED UP.
>> Stephen: OH, RIGHT, RIGHT.
>> BUT IT WAS-- IT WAS A JOKE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THIS BOOK IS, ALSO A PRETTY STRONG ENDORSEMENT
OF THE SECRET SERVICE THAT HAS GOTTEN SOME BAD PUBLICITY OVER
THE YEARS AND I THINK IT'S BEEN OVERDONE THE COMPARED TO THE WAY
THEY RISK THEIR LIVES TO KEEP THE PRESIDENT AND THE
PRESIDENT'S FAMILY SAFE AND YOU WILL SEE THAT HERE.
>> IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE PRESIDENT,
THIS IS A REALLY GOOD-- YOU REALLY GET A FEELING FOR WHAT
IT'S LIKE.
AND EVEN MORE SO THAN IN A LOT OF GOOD MEMOIRS.
BECAUSE IN THE MEMOIRS, THEY REALLY CAN'T TALK ABOUT A LOT OF
THINGS.
>> Stephen: READING THIS GIVES YOU A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT IT IS
LIKE TO BE PRESIDENT?
>> YES.
>> Stephen: CAN WE SEND THIS TO DONALD TRUMP SO HE HAS A
STANDARD--
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen:-- A STANDARD BY
WHICH TO JUDGE HIS BEHAVIOR.
>> Audience: STEPHEN!
STEPHEN!
>> LOOK, THERE IS-- >> WE KNOW PRESIDENT TRUMP ISN'T
MISSING BECAUSE WE GET TWEETS EVERY MORNING YOU.
MORNING.
>> Stephen: WE GET TWEET FROM MELANIA AND WE DON'T KNOW WHERE
SHE IS JIERVETION GLAD TO SEE THAT PICTURE OF HER.
I LIKE HER.
IT MADE ME FEEL GOOD THAT SHE WAS ALL RIGHT.
>> Stephen: EVERYBODY LIKES HER.
YOU'RE A PRESIDENT, AS A PRESIDENT, DO YOU THINK YOU
COULD PARDON YOURSELF?
>> NO.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: DID ANYBODY-- BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT'S
IMPEACHMENT LAWYER, EMMET FLOOD, WAS YOUR IMPEACHMENT LAWYER.
DID HE BRING IT UP?
>> NO-- WELL, HE WORKED, ON THE TEAM.
>> Stephen: HE WORKED ON THE TEAM.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: SURE.
I'VE NEVER MET THIS MR. FLOOD.
>> NONE OF US-- NONE OF US EVER CONSIDERED THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT-- IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THE BOOK OPENS
AND YOU LOOK AT THE QUESTIONS YOU JUST ASKED ME.
>> Stephen: YES.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EVERY PRESIDENT HAS TO DO, IF YOU'RE
GOING INTO A HEARING, YOU'RE GOING INTO A NEWS CONFERENCE,
YOU DO WHAT I DIDN'T DO BEFORE I DID THAT INTERVIEW THAT WILL
NEVER GO DOWN AS MY FINEST HOUR.
THAT IS, YOU GO THROUGH WHAT YOU CALL "A MURDER BOARD."
YOUR OWN STAFF SITS THERE AND ASKS YOU MIDDLE EASTERN
QUESTIONS THAN COLBERT WOULD.
>> Stephen: I'M THE NICEST GUY ON TELEVISION.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> AND SO YOU WILL SEE THAT IN THE PAPER-- IN-- AND THE
PRESIDENT WILL GO ALONG, AND HE'LL BE JUST FINE.
AND FINALLY, THEY JUST HIT HIS HOT BUTTON, AND HE GIVES THE
ANSWER THAT HIS HEART WANTS TO GIVE.
AND HE'S ALL HOT UP, AND THEY SAY, "OKAY, THAT'S ANSWER "A."
LET'S GO TO PLAN "B" HERE.
GIVE THE ANSWER YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD."
YOU SHOULD WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
A LOT OF THESE MATTERS INVOLVE NATIONAL SECURITY.
THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS JUST AN ATTACK ON THE PRESIDENT.
>> Stephen: AS A WRITER, MR. PATTERSON, DO YOU THINK
DONALD TRUMP IS A BELIEVABLE CHARACTER?
( LAUGHTER ).
>> I, YOU KNOW -- >> Stephen: ARE WE LIVING--
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).
>> WELL, IT MAKES IT -- >> Stephen: ARE WE LIVING--
ARE WE LIVING IN A CHEAP NOVEL RIGHT NOW?
>> SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON-- THERE JUST WAS A
THING TODAY, JUST RECENTLY, ABOUT HIM POSSIBLY BRINGING
RODMAN TO SINGAPORE.
AS A FICTION WRITER, IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP WITH-- I MEAN, THAT'S
TOUGH COMPETITION.
( LAUGHTER ).
>> Stephen: YOU MET-- SIR, YOU WENT OVER TO HELP FREE SOME
HOSTAGES ON BEHALF OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
YOU WENT OVER THERE TO FREE-- YOU MET KIM JON-IL.
WHAT CAN MR. TRUMP EXPECT WHEN HE SITS DOWN WITH THE LEADER OF
NORTH KOREA, BRIEF?
>> Stephen: BRIEFLY, HE CAN EXPECT TO MEET A GUY WHO IS
RELUCTANT TO GIVE UP HIS NUCLEAR WEAPONS, BECAUSE THEY THINK WHEN
THEY GIVE THEM UP THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO BE OVERTHROWN.
HE WANTS TO STAY IN POWER.
BUT HE CAN ALREADY EXPECT A PERSON WHO HAS TOLD HIS OWN
PEOPLE HE WILL MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR THEM.
SO THE KEY TO THIS WHOLE THING IS THE PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA,
WHO HAS BEEN BRILLIANT IN BRINGING NORTH KOREA INTO THE
OLYMPICS.
BRILLIANT IN UNDERSTANDING HOW THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP AND PRESIDENT KIM JONG-UN.
AND SO IF WE-- WE SHOULD ALL WANT PRESIDENT TRUMP TO SUCCEED
HERE.
>> Stephen: I AGREE.
>> EVERY ONE OF US SHOULD.
( APPLAUSE ) AND WE SHOULD-- WE SHOULD
MEASURE SUCCESS NOT BY THE GUY SAYING, "OH, I WAS A BAD BOY FOR
HAVING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THROWING THEM AWAY."
BUT IF HE COMES OUT OF THIS THING REDUCING THE LIKELIHOOD OF
A NUCLEAR EXCHANGE OR THE NUCLEAR MATERIALS BEING GIVEN
AWAY, STOLEN, OR SOLD TO TERRORIST GROUPS, IN RETURN FOR
SOMETHING THAT THE SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT AND THE CHINESE WILL
SUPPORT TO MAKE THEM SLIGHTLY MORE PROSPEROUS, THAT'S
PROGRESS.
YOU SHOULD WANT SOMETHING THAT MAKES US SAFER, OUR NEIGHBORS,
SOUTH KOREA, SAFER, AND THEM A LITTLE BETTER OFF.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, SIR.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: MR. PATTERSON.
A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: "THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING" IS IN STORES NOW.
BILL CLINTON AND JAMES PATTERSON, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH TIG NOTARO.
THANK YOU, SIR.