( APPLAUSE )
LOUIS CATO, AND EVERYBODY IN STAY HUMAN RIGHT OVER THERE.
FOLKS, MY GUESTS TONIGHT ARE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING TITANS OF
JOURNALISM WHO HAVE BEEN REPORTING FOR OVER 50 YEARS
COMBINED.
THEY'VE WRITTEN 25 BOOKS, INCLUDING THEIR LATEST TITLES:
"PERIL," AND "CHASING HISTORY."
PLEASE WELCOME THE TRULY LEGENDARY, BOB WOODWARD AND
CARL BERNSTEIN!
♪ ♪ ♪
>> Stephen: GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.
I HAVE INTERVIEWED BOTH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN YOU IN FULL FORM, THE TWO
OF YOU TOGETHER, BRING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER HERE.
YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS THIS FRIDAY THE 50th
ANNIVERSARY OF THE WATER GRATE BREAK-IN, BUT YOU HAVE A NEW
50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF "ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN," RIGHT
THERE.
YOUR CLASSIC BOOK, ON THE WATERGATE SCANDAL.
>> IT'S OLD.
>> Stephen: AND A NEW FORWARD ON WHAT WATERGATE MEANS TODAY.
I'LL BITE.
WHAT DOES WATERGATE MEAN TO US TODAY?
HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING THE HEARINGS?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, OBSESSIVELY.
I THINK THEY'RE GREAT HEARINGS.
I THINK IT NOT ONLY TELLS YOU WHAT HAPPENED, BUT AT THE CENTER
OF THIS IS WHO IS DONALD TRUMP?
AND DONALD TRUMP IS SOMEBODY-- YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE A TOUGH
JUDGMENT.
BUT HE DID ALL OF THESE THINGS.
AND IT IS A CRIME IN THE SIMPLEST DEFINITION TO TRY TO
SUBVERT THE LEGITIMATE FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT.
AND THIS IS TO CERTIFY ON JANUARY 6 WHO'S PRESIDENT.
IF THEY DON'T DO THAT, WE DON'T HAVE A PRESIDENT.
I MEAN, IF -- >> Stephen: OR A DEMOCRACY.
>> OR A DEMOCRACY.
IF PENCE HAD JUST WALKED OFF AND SAID, "SORRY, NEVER MIND--" I'M
SORRY, THAT'S ANOTHER SHOW.
AND THEN WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED?
AND SO, WE-- THE STAKES COULDN'T BE HIGHER.
>> NO, THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Stephen: CARL, WHAT DO YOU THINK-- WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM
WATERGATE THAT'S APPLICABLE TODAY?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, RICHARD NIXON WAS A CRIMINAL PRESIDENT
WHO TRIED TO UNDERMINE THE VERY BASIS OF OUR DEMOCRACY, THE
ELECTORAL SYSTEM.
AND THEN YOU HAVE DONALD TRUMP, WHO ALSO TRIED TO UNDERMINE THE
ELECTORAL SYSTEM, BUT WENT FARTHER.
HE STAGED A COUP TO PREVENT THE PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER TO
THE DUAL ELECTED SUCCESSOR, JOE BIDEN, WHO WAS ELECTED FAIRLY
AND FREELY.
AND THEN WE HAVE, IN THIS COUP ATTEMPT, THE FIRST SEDITIOUS
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
IMAGINE, A PRESIDENT WHO ATTEMPTS TO INSPIRE AN
INSURRECTION AT THE CAPITOL BUILDING TO SHUT DOWN AN
ELECTION.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAS TO BE ELECTED BY THE
ELECTORS WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT PRESIDING AT 1:00 P.M. ON
JANUARY 6.
IF THEY CAN'T FULFILL THAT FUNCTION, THEN YOU'RE INTO
CHAOS, MAYBE MARTIAL LAW.
WE HAD A COUP STAGED BY A PRESIDENT, THE LIKES OF WHICH
YOU SEE IN AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES ALL OVER THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: IN THE NEW FORWARD TO "ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN," IT
COMPARES THE FORMER PRESIDENT TO NIXON.
WHAT DO YOU GENTLEMEN SEE AS THE STARKEST SIMILARITIES BETWEEN--
BETWEEN NIXON AND TRUMP?
>> AN OBSESSION WITH HATING THE OPPOSITION.
NIXON SAID SO FAMOUSLY THE DAY HE RESIGNED-- WE'LL NEVER FORGET
THIS.
I MEAN HE'S GIVING THIS SPEECH.
HE'S LEAVING THE PRESIDENCY, SOMETHING HE WORKED ALL OF HIS
LIFE TO GET.
AND HE SAYS, "ALWAYS REMEMBER, OTHERS MAY HATE YOU, BUT THOSE
WHO HATE YOU DON'T WIN UNLESS YOU HATE THEM."
AND THEN YOU DESTROY YOURSELF.
IT'S THE HATING THAT EATS AWAY AT YOU.
TRUMP IS THE SAME WAY.
I WAS, IN 2020 DOWN AT MAR-A-LAGO INTERVIEWING HIM, AND
HE HAD A VIDEO OF HIMSELF GIVING THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS,
BUT HE PUT IN VARIOUS DEMOCRATS.
AND THEY'RE JUST KIND OF SITTING THERE.
AND TRUMP'S RIGHT BEHIND ME.
I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO BITE ME IN THE NECK.
( LAUGHTER )
IT'S HATE.
IT'S HATE."
AND THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE HATE HIM, AND HE
HATES THEM.
BUT THIS ACCELERATED SENSE SUFFICIENT OF, YOU KNOW, THEY
ARE AFTER ME.
BERNIE SANDERS, THERE WAS A CLIP OF BERNIE SANDERS.
SEE, THE HATE?
AND BERNIE IS JUST SITTING THERE.
( LAUGHTER )
LITTLE BIT OF PROJECTION?
WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE BOB WOODWARD AND CARL BERNSTEIN,
EVERYBODY.
STICK AROUND.