>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW""
ALREADY IN PROGRESS.
FOLKS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN.
HIS NEW BOOK IS CALLED "LET ME FINISH."
PLEASE WELCOME GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE.
♪ OH, WE'RE HALFWAY THERE OH, LIVING ON A PRAYER
♪ TAKE MY HAND AND WE'LL MAKE IT I SWEAR ♪
>> A LITTLE BON JOVI.
>> Stephen: OF COURSE, WE WANT TO MAKE YOU FEEL AT HOME.
>> GOD BLESS YOU.
>> Stephen: WELCOME TO THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER.
I'M SURE YOU KNOW THIS.
I'VE WANT UNDERSTAND TO INTERVIEW YOU FOR A LONG TIME
AND WE TRIED TO GET THIS TO HAPPEN.
IT WAS MAYBE LATER.
NOW YOU'RE LOOKING TO-- >> I'M SCHILLING.
>> Stephen: IT'S CALLED "LET ME FINISH."
WE MAY NOT HAVE ROOM FOR THE INTERVIEW AFTER I FINISH THE
TITLE LET ME FINISH, TRUMP, THE CURBERS IN, BANNON, NEW JERSEY,
AND THE POWER OF IN-YOUR-FACE POLITICS."
WHY RIGHT A BOOK, GOVERNOR?
>> LISTEN, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, ARE WE DRINKING TONIGHT OR
NOT?
ME AND YOU?
>> Stephen: I HEARD-- MY FOLKS TOLD ME--
>> YEAH, LET'S GO.
>> Stephen: MY FOLKS TOLD ME YOU WANTED A COCKTAIL, SO WE
ASKED AND YOU WANTED TEQUILA.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: THERE WE GO.
>> OF COURSE,.
>> Stephen: NOW THIS IS THAT-- THIS IS THAT LIBERAL GEORGE
CLOONEY TEQUILA.
I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND.
>> I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, IF IT GETS ME LODED, I DON'T CARE.
LIBERAL, CONSERVATIVE, WHO CARES.
OH, HOLD ON!
LOOK AT THAT MOVE.
TO YOU, YOUNG MAN.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
FINISH UP.
LET'S GO.
>> Stephen: NAH, I DON'T DRINK DURING THE WEEK.
>> COME ON!
>> Stephen: LET'S SEE HOW THE INTERVIEW GOES.
>> IT'S GOING TO GO MUCH BETTER IF YOU FINISH.
>> Stephen: NOSTATE OF THE UNION TONIGHT.
>> NO.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
IT GOT CANCELED.
WHERE DO YOU THINK THE WHEELS CAME OFF DURING THE SHUTDOWN?
>> THE PRESIDENT BLEW IT.
>> Stephen: WHEN?
>> WHEN HE SHUT THE GOVERNMENT DOWN WITH NO PLAN ON HOW TO
REOPEN IT
>> Stephen: ENTIRELY HIS FAULT, RIGHT?
LISTEN, HE-- AND I SAID THIS TO HIM, LIKE, LISTEN, IF YOU'RE
GOING TO DO THIS, YOU BETTER HAVE AN EXIT PLAN BECAUSE
SOMETIMES IN POLITICS, THINGS DON'T GO THE WAY YOU EXPECT.
AND SO IF IT DOESN'T GO WELL IN THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS, YOU
GOTTA HAVE A WAY TO GET IT BACK OPEN.
>> Stephen: SO YOU CALLED HIM.
YOU TALKED TO THE PRESIDENT.
>> I WAS ACTUALLY WITH HIM, TOLD HIM.
>> Stephen: YOU WERE WITH HIM, WHERE, IN THE OVAL OFFICE?
>> NO, UPSTAIRS IN THE RESIDENCE.
>> Stephen: AND HE SAID, "I'M GOING TO--"
>> IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT HE WAS
THINKING ABOUT DOING IT AND HE ASKED MY ADVICE.
>> Stephen: HE DIDN'T HAVE AN EXIT PLAN.
DID HE HAVE AN ENTRANCE PLAN?
>> OBVIOUSLY, OBVIOUSLY.
HE SHUT IT.
I JUST SAID TO HIM, "IT'S OKAY.
IT'S A POWER YOU HAVE AND IF YOU WANT TO DO IT BUT YOU HAVE TO
HAVE A PLAN SO YOU ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING BY IT AND THEN REOPEN
IT.
AND I DON'T THINK, GIVEN THAT IT WENT 35 DAYS, WE HAD A PLAN.
>> Stephen: AND HE GOT GOOSE EGG, I BELIEVE IS THE TECHNICAL
TERM.
>> YES, IN-- IN-- IN POLITICS WE CALL THAT "GETTING ROLLED."
>> Stephen: OH,.
>> TECHNICAL TERM.
>> Stephen: CARDI B. CALLS IT "I WILL DOG WALK YOU," I
BELIEVE.
>> REALLY?
>> Stephen: YEAH, YEAH.
( APPLAUSE ).
>> THAT GREAT POLITICAL PHILOSOPHER CARDI B.
>> Stephen: I THINK SHE'S GIVING THE RESPONSE TO THE STATE
OF THE UNION.
WE INVITED HER.
>> FOR THE SHOW NEXT WEEK.
>> Stephen: SURE, WHY NOT?
>> WHY NOT?
I REFUSED TO DO THAT TWICE BY THE WAY.
THEY OFFERED ME THE RESPONSE TO THE STATE OF THE UNION.
TWICE.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THAT LIKE?
>> I SAID NO TWICE.
>> Stephen: WHY?
>> BECAUSE IT SUCKS.
BARACK OBAMA IS GOING TO GO OUT IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT, CABINET,
MILITARY AND GIVE A SPEECH.
AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN, LIKE, SOME ROOM STARING AT A
CAMERA GOING, "HEY, DON'T I LOOK SPECIAL?"
IT'S A LOSE-LOSE, MAN.
I SAID TO THEM TWICE, "THANK YOU, BUT NO.
I'LL PAZ."
AND YOU KNOW THE TWO PEOPLE WHO DID IT WHEN I REFUSED TO?
>> Stephen: WHO.
>> BOBBY JINDAL.
REMEMBER THAT ONE?
>> Stephen: SURE.
>> AND MOOUB.
REMEMBER THAT ONE.
>> Stephen: YOU DODGED A POLITICAL BULLET THERE.
>> YEAH.
SO NO RESPONSE TO THE STATE OF THE UNION.
LET CARDI B.DO'RE DO IT.
>> Stephen: AS A FORMER RECALL FEDERAL PROSECUTOR YOU MUST HAVE
SOME FACE IN THE F.B.I.
HOW DO YOU FEEL WHEN THE PRESIDENT UNDERMINES THE POWER
OF THE F.B.I., WITH "SO-CALLED JUSTICE."
WHAT DOES THAT DO TO YOU?
DOES THAT HURT YOU PROFESSIONALLY OR YOUR PRIDE AS
SOMEONE WHO BELIEVES IN THIS COUNTRY AND BELIEVES IN OUR
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
>> IT HURTS ME MORE PERSONALLY, AND I'VE TOLD HIM THAT.
MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE F.B.I., WHEN I WAS
U.S. ATTORNEY, AND MY EXPERIENCE WITH ALMOST EVERY U.S. ATTORNEY
I WORKED WITH IN THE YEARS THEY DID IT WAS THESE ARE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO ARE SACRIFICING A LOT, LOVE THE COUNTRY, AND DO A JOB
THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND YOU DON'T GET ANYWHERE BY DOING THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND SO I'VE BEEN REALLY CLEAR WITH HIM ABOUT THAT.
AND I'VE SAID THAT PUBLICLY, TOO, LIKE, IT JUST DOESN'T HELP.
AND IN FACT, IT HURTS.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE A JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
HAVE CONFIDENCE IN, WE'VE LOST A HUGE PART OUR DEMOCRACY, AND
IT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE.
>> Stephen: THAT SEEMS LIKE A BIG PART OF OUR COUNTRY--
( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: ...FOR-- THAT SEEMS LIKE AN EXTRAORDINARILY
IMPORTANT THING FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
TO BE UNDERMINING.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE HE IS NOW, STILL, TWO YEARS IN, "YEAH,
THAT'S THE RIGHT GUY FOR THIS JOB AT THIS TIME."
>> WHO, THE PRESIDENT?
>> Stephen: YEAH.
>> WELL, I MEAN -- >> Stephen: DO YOU REGRET AT
ALL-- DO YOU REGRET AT ALL HELPING THIS MAN GET ELECTED?
AND I'LL JOIN YOU--
I'LL JOIN YOU ON THIS ONE.
♪ ♪ ♪ >> YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.
HERE WE GO.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> WHAT DID YOU SAY?
>> Stephen: DO YOU REGRET-- >> LISTEN --
>> Stephen: DO YOU REGRET GETTING DONALD TRUMP, HELPING
GET HIM ELECTED.
>> I MADE A DECISION AT THE TIME THEY THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO WIN
THE NOMINATION AFTER I DROPPED OUT, AND THAT I PREFERRED HIM TO
HILLARY CLINTON.
AND THAT'S YI MADE THE DECISION.
IT WASN'T A WHOLE LOT MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT.
AND I STILL AGREE WITH WHAT HIS POLICIES ARE, MORE THAN I AGREE
WITH HILLARY CLINTON'S.
SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT HE DOES THE NEXT TWO YEARS --
>> Stephen: WHAT POLICIES ARE THOSE, BY THE WAY.
I UNDERSTAND TAX CUTS.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: ANY REPUBLICAN-- >> BUT HE WAS GOING TO BE THE
REPUBLICAN, STEPHEN.
THIS IS THE JOKE.
I RAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT-- FROM CAMPAIGNING THAT HE WAS GOING TO
WIN THE NOMINATION.
AN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS OVER, A STATE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH.
SO HE LOSES IOWA BY A WHISKER TO CRUZ.
HE WINS NEW HAMPSHIRE TWO TO ONE.
AND THEN HE WINS SOUTH CAROLINA BY DOUBLE DIGITS.
IT'S OVER.
I MEAN, FORGET IT.
EVERYBODY ELSE SHOULD HAVE GONE HOME THEN.
IT WAS OVER.
SO THEN IT WAS GOING TO BE A BINARY CHOICE.
IT WAS GOING TO BE EITHER DONALD TRUMP OR HILLARY CLINTON.
SO HE WAS THE REPUBLICAN WHO WAS GOING TO GIVE TAX CUTS, WHO WAS
GOING TO DEREGULATE, AND PUT MORE CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES ON
THE COURT THEY PREFER AND WAS GOING TO, I THINK, NEGOTIATE
BETTER TRADE DEALS.
AND I THINK HE HAS DONE THAT WITH MEXICO AND CANADA, AND NOT
SO MUCH WITH SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS, YET.
SO ON THE POLICY SIDE OF IT, I LIKE MUCH OF WHAT HE'S DONE.
AND THE THINGS I DISAGREE WITH, I SAY I DISAGREE WITH HIM.
>> Stephen: DO YOU STILL THINK HE REALLY IS-- HE IS THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY NOW.
THE REPUBLICANS ARE 100% BEHIND HIM.
IS HE REALLY A REPUBLICAN?
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO HAVE-- TONIGHT WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE THE STATE OF THE UNION.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: I WANTED YOU TO COME ON HERE NOT ONLY TO SELL
YOUR FANTASTIC BOOK "LET ME FINISH"--
>> BLESS YOU.
>> Stephen: BUT TO BE THE REPUBLICAN RESPONSE TO THE
REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT.
>> LISTEN, HE HAS TURNED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY INTO SOMETHING
DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS WHEN I STARTED TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT.
NO QUESTION.
>> Stephen: YEAH, THE KREMLIN.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪ ♪ ♪
>> VERY GOOD.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A COMMERCIAL BREAK.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE.
HE'S GOT A BOOK.