LET'S, BECAUSE, LET'S MEET OUR GUEST TONIGHT, IS HE THE
44th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
HIS BEST SELLING BOOK "A PROMISED LAND QUTIONZ SOWT RIGHT
NOW.
WHAT AN ABSOLUTE HONOR AND A PLEASURE TO WELCOME TO THE SHOW,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE ONE, THE ONLY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
IS HERE ON THE "LATE, LATE SHOW"!
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!
(APPLAUSE) CAN YOU BELIEVE IT.
WAIT, WAIT-- HANG ON.
MR. PRESIDENT, JUST GIVE ME 30 SECONDS.
WE'VE DONE 400 SHOWS IN HERE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT LEVEL OF ENTHUSIASM WHEN I HAVE WALKED
OUT ON THE SHOW, THIS IS AN OUTRAGE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FROM D.C..
NOW THE FORMER FIRST LADY HAS APPEARED ON THE "LATE, LATE
SHOW" A COUPLE OF TIMES.
I REMEMBER VIVIDLY WHEN WE SHOT THE CARPOOL KARAOKE.
WERE YOU IN THE OVAL OFFICE AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
AND I SAID TO THE FIRST LADY THAT YOU WERE WELCOME TO JOIN US
IF YOU WISHED.
AND I REMEMBER HER LOOKING ME DEAD IN THE EYE AND SAYING
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THIS IS MY THING.
DID YOU-- DID YOU HAVE TO CLEAR YOUR APPEARANCE ON OUR SHOW WITH
HER TONIGHT?
>> YES, I DID.
I HAVE TO CLEAR ALL APPEARANCES WITH HER.
AND SHE SAID LOOK, I KNOW JAMES LOVES MOO HE MORE, SO I AM FINE
WITH YOU BEING ON THE SHOW.
YOU WILL NEVER REPLACE ME IN HIS AFFECTION.
AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> James: OF COURSE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT.
>> YEAH, I MEAN YOU GUYS HAVE PLAYED DODGEBALL TOGETHER.
I CANNOT DO THOSE THINGS.
>> James: WE'VE GOT A HISTORY.
TELL ME, MR. PRESIDENT, HOW IS LIFE AS A FORMER PRESIDENT?
IS IT WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE?
ARE YOU ABLE TO ENJOY YOURSELF MORE NOW?
>> YOU KNOW, IT IS PRETTY DARN GOOD.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ARE PRESIDENT EVERY MORNING WHEN YOU OPEN UP A
NEWSPAPER OR YOU ARE, IN MY CASE, READING AN iPAD, EVERY
SINGLE STORY IS YOUR PROBLEM.
RIGHT?
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T GO THROUGH A STORY WHERE SOMEBODY IS NOT
THINKING WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT.
AND SO OBVIOUSLY THERE IS SOME-- THERE IS LESS STRESS,
LESS BURDEN.
I GET A LOT MORE TIME WITH MICHELLE.
AND YOU KNOW, WE JUST WENT THROUGH AN EXTRAORDINARY AND
VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR EVERYBODY, DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
THE BLESSING WHICH I KNOW OTHERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT IS IS THAT MY
COLLEGE-AGED GIRLS WERE HOME.
AND SO I GOT A LOT OF TIME WITH THEM.
AND YOU KNOW, HI TIME TO READ.
I SLEEP MORE.
YOU KNOW, MICHELLE THINKS I'M A LITTLE CUTER NOW.
>> James: NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR BOOK "A PROMISED LAND"
WHICH IS A REALLY INTIMATE LOOK AT YOUR LIFE THROUGH YOUR FIRST
TERM IN OFFICE.
YOU SPEAK A LOT IN THE BOOK.
YOU SAY THAT YOU WROTE THE BOOK TO INSPIRE YOUNG PEOPLE TO
CONSIDER A LIFE IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON, WITH EVERYTHING FEELING SO
DIVIDED, AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW IT FEELS
HARDER THAN EVER, TO CONVINCE ANYBODY, TO PUT AN END TO THE
POLITICAL FREY, WOULD YOU-- FRAY, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH
THAT AND HOW DO YOU CONVINCE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT A LIFE OF
PUBLIC SERVICE IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD NEWS IS, WITH A FOUNDATION TALKING TO
YOUNG PEOPLE NOT JUST IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT ALL AROUND
THE WORLD.
AND EVERYWHERE WE GO, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INCREDIBLY
IDEALISTIC.
I MEAN THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
THEY CARE DEEPLY ABOUT CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND FINALLY
MOVING THE COUNTRY PASSED OUR TRAGIC RACIAL HISTORY.
THEY CARE A LOT ABOUT INCOME INEQUALITY AND HOMELESSNESS.
AND SO YOU SEE AS MUCH IDEALISM AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AS YOU EVER
HAVE.
THEY LOST FAITH IN A LOT OF INSTITUTIONS, RIGHT, POLITICAL
PARTIES, BIG GOVERNMENT, BIG BUSINESS.
AND SO PART OF MY MESSAGE TO THEM IS LOOKING , THERE ARE A
LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS OF SERVING.
SOME PEOPLE, I WANT THEM TO GET INTO POLITICS BECAUSE IF YOU
DON'T HAVE GOOD PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE, THEN YOU END UP
GETTING PEOPLE WHO AREN'T SO GOOD.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF SERVING.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN START A NONPROFIT.
YOU CAN BE ACTIVE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
YOU CAN, IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO INTO BUSINESS, THEN YOU CAN
FIGURE OUT HOW DO I TREAT MY EMPLOYEES WELL AND HOW DO I GIVE
BACK TO MY COMMUNITY.
YOU ARE GOING INTO JOURNALISM, LET ME BE PURPOSEFUL ABOUT
MAKING SURE THAT I AM TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT ISSUES THAT ARE
PORNTD, AND HELPING PEOPLE TO BE INFORMED.
SO WHAT I AM SEEING IS, I THINK, A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WANTING TO
SERVE.
THEY'RE GOING TO FIND THEIR OWN WAYS OF SERVING AND I ALSO THINK
THEY WILL WANT TO REMAKE A LOT OF INSTITUTIONS THAT FRANKLY WE
FEEL HAVEN'T SERVED US AS WELL AND THEY HAVE BEEN DISILLUSIONED
OR DISAPPOINTED BUT THEY ARE EAGER TO GET OUT THERE AND SEE
IF THEY CAN DO BETTER.
>> James: YOU HAVE BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT
YOUR DAUGHTERS FACED GROWING UP IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, UNIMAGINABLE CHALLENGES TO ME, A LACK OF
PRIVACY, SPOTLIGHT ON THEIR EVERY MOVE.
WHAT WOULD YOU THINK OR WHAT ADVICE WOULD I GIVE IF SASHA OR
MALIA EVER CAME TO YOU AND SAID I WANT TO GO INTO PUBLIC
SERVICE.
>> FIRST OF ALL,-- FIRST OF ALL, THEM AS TEENAGERS AND HAVING
SECRET SERVICE GUYS FOLLOW THEM WHEN THEY WERE GOING OUT ON
DATES, I THINK PROBABLY HAS SHUT DOWN THEIR INTEREST IN PUBLIC
SERVICE.
THEY STILL HAVE PTSD FROM OUR GUYS WALKING WITH MICROPHONES
AND GLASSES AS THEY ARE TRYING TO GO TO A MUSIC CONCERT.
YOU KNOW, AND MICHELLE HAS BEEN HONEST WITH YOU.
SHE HAS BEEN ON THE SHOW.
SHE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN
TOLERANCE FOR NONSENSE AND SILLINESS AND MEANNESS, FRANKLY,
TO GO INTO PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND YOU KNOW, AS A FATHER, I WANT TO PROTECT MY GIRLS FROM
THAT STUFF.
I THINK THEY ARE PROBABLY GOING TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO SERVE.
RATHER THAN RUN FOR OFFICE THEMSELVES.
BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
AND IF THEY DECIDED TO DO IT, OBVIOUSLY I WOULD BE
EXTRAORDINARILY PROUD OF THEM.
THEY HAVE TURNED INTO JUST EXCEPTIONAL YOUNG WOMEN.
I COULD NOT BE PROUDER OF THEM.
NOT JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SMART AND ACCOMPLISHED,
BUT THEY'RE JUST KIND PEOPLE, YOU KNOW.
THEY DON'T HAVE AN ATTITUDE.
THAT WAS THE THING MICHELLE AND I WORRIED ABOUT MOST.
I WRITE ABOUT THERE IN THE BOOK.
WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RUNNING.
ARE WE GOING TO END UP WITH WEIRD KIDS, RIGHT.
BECAUSE THEY'RE-- CUZ-- NO, I MEAN THEY'RE LIKE BUTLERS IN THE
WHITE HOUSE.
AND YOU KNOW, WHO HAS BUTLERS, RIGHT?
SO YOU KNOW, AND MICHELLE AND MY MOTHER-IN-LAW WERE VERY GOOD
ABOUT SAYING LISTEN, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN BED.
YOU HAVE TO WAKE YOURSELVES UP.
IF WE EVER SAW A HINT OF THEM THINKING THAT SHOW THEY
WERE-- MY MOTHER-IN-LAW ALWAYS HAD THE BEST LINE ABOUT IT.
I THINK ONE TIME THEY DID SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE
ACTING OUT.
MY MOTHER-IN-LAW LOOKED AT THEM AND SAID YOU GUYS REALIZE, YOU
GUYS HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING, RIGHT?
LIKE YOUR PARENTS HAVE DONE SOME THINGS.
YOU GUYS HAVE DONE NOTHING.
(LAUGHTER) IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD-- PRETTY
GOOD CORRECTIVE.
>> James: ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
DO YOU MISS HAVING A BUTLER THOUGH?
I FEEL LIKE THAT IS THE BIGGEST THING, I DO, I FEEL LIKE THERE
MUST BE A MOMENT, THERE HAS TO BE A MOMENT AFTER, WHEN YOU STOP
BEING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WHERE YOU ARE
LIKE, CAN I-- I GOT TO GET IT MYSELF.
(LAUGHTER) >> I HAVE TO CONFESS, MICHELLE
AND I, WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS AMAZING YOUNG MAN OVER WHO IS
STILL DOING MOST OF OUR COOKING.
SO WE-- WE, IT HAS BEEN-- MICHELLE JOKES ABOUT HOW
IF PEOPLE ASK, DO YOU COOK.
I SAY OH YEAH, I MAKE THIS GREAT CHILI.
AND SHE POINTS OUT I LITERALLY HAVE NOT MADE THIS CHILI IN 20
YEARS, RIGHT?
(LAUGHTER) >> IT IS REALLY GOOD, I PROMISE
YOU.
(LAUGHTER) BUT IT'S BEEN AWHILE.
>> James: NO, I BELIEVE IT I BELIEVE IT WELL, WE'VE GOT A
SPOT FOR A COOKING SPACE COMING UP IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
ANY TIME, ANY TIME.