on, everybody.
WELCOME TO "THE DAILY SOCIAL
DISTANCING SHOW."
I’M TREVOR NOAH.
TODAY IS TUESDAY, THE 15th OF
DECEMBER, WHICH MEANS CHRISTMAS
IS ONLY 10 DAYS AWAY.
NOW REMEMBER, WHEN YOU WRAP UP
THE TWO TURTLE DOVES, PUT SOME
AIR HOLES IN THE BOX.
YOU DON’T WANT
CHRISTMAS DAY DIGGING A GRAVE.
ANYWAY, COMING UP ON TONIGHT’S
SHOW:
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS ON HIS WAY
OUT, PRESIDENT BIDEN IS ON HIS
WAY IN, AND PRESIDENT OBAMA IS
HERE ON THE SHOW!
SO LET’S DO THIS, PEOPLE!
WELCOME TO "THE DAILY SOCIAL DISTANCING SHOW."
Announcer: FROM TREVOR’S
COUCH IN NEW YORK CITY TO YOUR
COUCH SOWHERE IN THE WORLD,
THIS IS "THE DAILY SOCIAL
DISTANCING SHOW," WITH TREVOR
NOAH."
Trevor: LET’S TALK ABOUT
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS.
EVERY CULTURE HAS THEM, WHETHER
IT’S AMERICANS LEAVING COOKIES
FOR SANTA, THE DUTCH PUTTING ON
BLACKFACE TO PLAY SANTA’S
MAGICAL NEGRO HELPER, OR BRAZIL,
WHERE SANTA GROOMS HIS BEARD
SPECIALLY FOR THE OCCASION.
BUT IN WISCONSIN, THE GOVERNMENT
GRINCH IS TRYING TO STEAL ONE
VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS
TRADITION.
A WISCONSIN TRADITION MAY BE
UNDER ATTACK AFTER THE WISCONSIN
D.H.S. WARNED AGAINST CONSUMING
RAW BEEF SANDWICHES THIS HOLIDAY
SEASON.
THE POPULAR TREAT, KNOWN AS
"CANNIBAL SANDWICH" OR "THE
WILDCAT," IS OFTEN SERVED AT
HOLIDAY PARTIES AND OTHER
GATHERINGS HERE IN WISCONSIN.
SINCE 1986, THERE HAVE BEEN
EIGHT RAW-MEAT RELATED
OUTBREAKS IN THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN, AND THAT INCLUDES A
SALMONELLA OUTBREAK AFFECTING
MORE THAN 150 PEOPLE IN DECEMBER
OF 1994.
DESPITE THE WARNINGS THOUGH,
MANY PEOPLE SAY THEY HAVE NO
PLANS OF ENDING THEIR TRADITION.
IT’S A CHRISTMAS TRADITION.
EVERY YEAR, OUR FAMILY EATS IT.
BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND NEW
YEARS, WE MIGHT GO THROUGH THREE
TO FOUR HUNDRED POUNDS EACH DAY.
WE WARN THE PEOPLE.
WE SAY, "THIS IS RAW MEAT.
YOU SHOULD BE COOKING IT."
BUT WHEN THEY TAKE IT HOME, THEY
CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT.
Trevor: "A CANNIBAL
SANDWICH?"
OKAY, I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY
MORE SHIT FROM AMERICANS ABOUT
WHAT OTHER COUNTRIES EAT.
"EW!
AFRICANS EAT BUGS!"
YEAH, BUT WE COOK THEM FIRST.
I MEAN, RAW GROUND BEEF?
YOU SAVAGES!
WHY WOULD YOU EVEN DO THAT?
I’VE NEVER EATEN A BURGER AND
SAID, "THIS IS GOOD, BUT I WISH
THERE WAS A CHANCE I WOULD DIE.
ALTHOUGH, I LOVE HOW THEY DRESS
IT UP WITH THE ONION.
BECAUSE RAW BEEF BY ITSELF IS
GROSS, BUT YOU ADD A RAW ONION,
AND NOW IT’S LIKE, "OOH,
CUISINE!"
HONESTLY, GUYS, I CAN’T EVEN
FOLLOW CHRISTMAS ANYMORE.
IT JUST STARTED OUT AS THE BIRTH
OF JESUS, THEN WE ADDED ELVES IN
THE NORTH POLE AND MAGICAL
SNOWMEN, AND NOW YOU GUYS ARE
ADDING CANNIBAL SANDWICHES?
I MEAN, AT SOME POINT, THERE
WON’T BE ANYTHING THE HOLIDAYS
AREN’T ABOUT.
GUYS WILL BE LIKE, "YES, BABY,
I TEXTED MY EX, BUT IT’S A
CHRISTMAS TRADITION.
IT’S NOT CHEATING, ALL RIGHT?"
MOVING ON TO VIDEO GAMES-- THE
OTHER REASON YOUR NEPHEW’S WRIST
HURTS.
BLOCKBUSTER GAMES THESE DAYS ARE
SO HUGE THAT SOMETIMES EVEN WITH
YEARS OF TESTING, DEVELOPERS
STILL CAN’T GET EVERYTHING
RIGHT.
BUT ONE NEW GAME HAS SO MANY
BUGS, THE COMPANY WAS FORCED TO
ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY.
THE CREATORS OF ONE OF THE
YEAR’S MOST-ANTICIPATED VIDEO
GAMES IS APOLOGIZING JUST DAYS
AFTER ITS RELEASE.
"CYBERPUNK 2077" HAS BEEN
PLAGUED WITH BUGS AND CRASHES
SINCE ITS DEBUT.
NOW CD PROJEKT RED IS OFFERING
REFUNDS FOR CUSTOMERS
UNSATISFIED WITH THE GAME.
CYBERPUNK 2077, WHICH FEATURES
CAMEOS FROM KEANU REEVES AND
ELON MUSK, IS AN ACTION ROLE-
PLAYING GAME SET IN MEGALOPOLIS.
DEVELOPERS SAY THE $60 GAME WAS
PRE-ORDERED MORE THAN EIGHT
MILLION TIMES.
Trevor: WOW, GUYS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW BAD SOMETHING
HAS TO BE TO HAVE KEANU REEVES
IN IT AND PEOPLE STILL DON’T
LIKE IT?
I MEAN, SOMEONE COULD SERVE ME
THE CANNIBAL SANDWICH, BUT IF
THEY SAID IT WAS KEANU REEVES,
I’D BE LIKE, "I HATE WHAT YOU
DID TO KEANU, BUT THAT’S
PROBABLY A GHD SANDWICH.
AM I RIGHT IN?
AND IN CASE YOU’RE WONDERING
WHAT KIND OF GLITCHES WOULD BE
SO BAD THAT PEOPLE WOULD DEMAND
THEIR MONEY BACK, WELL, IN SOME
CASES, PLAYERS WOULD SUDDENLY
SEE THEIR CHARACTER’S PENIS
POKING OUT THROUGH THEIR PANTS.
YEAH.
AND THAT IS A HUGE GLITCH!
I MEAN, NOT LIKE A HUGE GLITCH,
AN AVERAGE-SIZED GLITCH, REALLY.
LOOK, IT’S NOT ABOUT THE SIZE OF
THE GLITCH ANYWAY.
LET’S MOVE ON!
STILL, I CAN’T BELIEVE THERE ARE
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT PENISES,
EITHER.
SOME CHARACTERS WOULD HAVE
THEIR BREASTS POP OUT OF THEIR
SHIRTS, TOO.
AND CAN I JUST SAY, KIDS TODAY
ARE SOFT, MAN.
YOU’RE SEEING DICKS AND BOOBS IN
A GAME, AND YOU WANT YOUR MONEY BACK?
IN MY DAY, IF THERE WAS A GLITCH
WHERE YOU COULD SEE BOOBS AND
DICKS, WE’D PAY
DOUBLE FOR THAT.
I DREAMED OF GETTING TO SEE ANY
KIND OF GENITALIA IN A VIDEO
GAME!
I USED TO HAVE TO TAKE A SHARPIE
AND DRAW A DICK ON
PAC-MAN!
YOU YOUNGBLOODS KNOW NOTHING
ABOUT THE STRUGGLE!
MOVING ON TO SOMETHING WITH EVEN
MORE BUGS THAN CYBERPUNK 2077--
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.
IT HAS BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE
JOE BIDEN WON THE 2020
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
BUT YESTERDAY, HE DID IT AGAIN.
PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN
TOOK ANOTHER CRITICAL STEP
TOWARD THE WHITE HOUSE TODAY
WITH THE VOTE BY THE COUNTRY’S
ELECTORS KNOWN AS THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE, FORMALIZING HIS
VICTORY.
THE CEREMONIES AT STATE
CAPITOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE
USUALLY A MERE FORMALITY, BUT
WITH THE PRESIDENT REFUSING TO
ACCEPT DEFEAT, THE ELECTORS
TODAY FOUND THEMSELVES
IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
LEGISLATIVE OFFICES IN
MICHIGAN WERE CLOSED YESTERDAY
AMID THREATS OF VIOLENCE, AND
STATE POLICE HAD TO BLOCK A
GROUP OF PRO-TRUMP SUPPORTERS
FROM ENTERING THE CAPITOL.
THE CAPITOL IS CLOSED UNLESS
YOU HAVE TO CONDUCT BUSINESS OR
IF YOU’RE TAKING PART IN THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE PROCESS.
ANYONE ELSE, NOT PERMITTED.
WE’RE ELECTORS.
THE ELECTORS ARE ALREADY
HERE.
THEY HAVE BEEN CHECKED IN.
Trevor: I LOVE THAT OFFICER’S
PATIENCE.
"BUT WE’RE ALSO ELECTORS!"
"YES, YOU ARE, AND YOU LOOK SO
GOOD IN YOUR ELECTOR COSTUMES!
BUT THIS MEETING IS ONLY FOR
GROWN-UPS, SO WHY DON’T YOU GUYS
GO TO THE PARK AND PLAY YOUR
SORE-LOSER GAME OVER THERE,
MM-KAY?"
AND DON’T GET ME WRONG, I’M GLAD
THAT THE SYSTEM WORKED, BUT IT
IS WEIRD THAT THIS IS THE
SYSTEM.
EVERYONE HAS KNOWN THAT JOE
BIDEN WAS ELECTED FOR A MONTH,
BUT IF THOSE GUYS HAD SOMEHOW
MANAGED TO SNEAK INTO THE ROOM,
THEY COULD HAVE SCREWED UP THE
WHOLE THING?
I MEAN, WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED
IF THAT COP HAD BEEN 50% DUMBER
AND LET THOSE GUYS IN?
YOU DON’T WANT YOUR DEMOCRACY TO
DEPEND ON A BOUNCER.
BUT, YES, FOR THE 30th TIME,
DONALD TRUMP’S ATTEMPTS TO UNDO
THE ELECTION HAVE ONCE AGAIN
FINALLY COME TO AN END.
AND EVEN SOME OF HIS BIGGEST
ENABLERS ARE ACCEPTING REALITY.
PRESIDENT TRUMP REFUSES TO
CONCEDE BUT TOP REPUBLICANS NOW
CONGRATULATING BIDEN.
I THINK HE SHOULD CONCEDE.
I THINK THE RACE IS OVER.
PENNSYLVANIA REPUBLICAN
SENATOR PAT TOOMEY IS TELLING
"THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER,"
"THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION IS
CLEAR, AND THAT IS THAT JOE
BIDEN WON THE ELECTION."
SENATE MAJORITY WHIP JOHN
THUNE OF SOUTH DAKOTA SAID,
"IT’S TIME FOR EVERYBODY TO MOVE
ON."
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE HAS
SPOKEN.
SO TODAY I WANT TO CONGRATULATE
PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN.
OVERNIGHT, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
VLADIMIR PUTIN FINALLY
ACKNOWLEDGING BIDEN’S VICTORY,
CONGRATULATING HIM IN A
TELEGRAM, REPORTEDLY WRITING IN
PART, "I AM READY FOR
INTERACTION AND CONTACTS WITH
YOU."
Trevor: "I AM READY FOR
INTERACTION AND CONTACTS WITH
YOU"?
PUTIN SOUNDS LIKE A
SELF-CHECKOUT AT CVS.
"READY FOR INTERACTION.
PLEASE TO PLACE ITEM IN THE
BAG."
SERIOUSLY, GUYS, WHAT A WEIRD
PHRASE: "I AM READY FOR
INTERACTION AND CONTACTS WITH
YOU."
IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT MIKE PENCE
GETTING FRISKY.
AND YOU KNOW TRUMP’S LUCK HAS
RUN OUT NOW THAT MITCH McCONNELL
HAS CONCEDED THE ELECTION,
BECAUSE FORGET PUTIN.
IF MITCH CAN’T FIND A WAY TO
SUBVERT AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, THEN
IT JUST CAN’T BE DONE.
AND THERE’S ANOTHER SURE SIGN
THAT TRUMP’S TIME IS COMING TO
AN END.
ONE OF HIS MOST-LOYAL MINIONS IS
PEACE-ING OUT.
MOMENTS AFTER THE ELECTORAL
COLLEGE MADE MR. BIDEN’S VICTORY
OFFICIAL,
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID WILLIAM
BARR RESIGNED.
HE WILL LEAVE HIS POST NEXT WEEK
AFTER THE PAIR MET YESTERDAY AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
LATELY, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
BEEN UPSET THAT BARR SAID THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOUND NO
EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD FRAUD IN
THE 2020 ELECTION, A DIRECT
CONTRADICTION OF THE PRESIDENT’S
FALSE CLAIMS.
BARR HAS ALSO ADMITTED THE
PRESIDENT’S INTERFERENCE AT THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MADE HIS
JOB IMPOSSIBLE.
Trevor: YES, BILL BARR HAS
OFICIALLY RESIGNED, WHICH
SURPRISED SOME PEOPLE, BECAUSE
FOR A LONG TIME, IT SEEMED LIKE
HE WAS RIDE OR DIE WITH TRUMP.
HE WHITEWASHED THE MUELLER
REPORT.
HE PROTECTED TRUMP’S CRONIES
HE EVEN REPORTEDLY ORDERED
PEACEFUL PROTESTORS TO BE
TEARGASSED SO TRUMP COULD WALK
OVER TO A CHURCH AND WAVE A
BIBLE NEXT TO IT.
AND WHEN THE WHITE HOUSE CHEF
PREPARED BRUSSELS SPROUTS, BARR
WOULD HIDE UNDER THE TABLE SO
TRUMP COULD FEED THEM TO HIM.
THE POINT IS THESE TWO WERE LIKE
BATMAN AND ROBIN-- IF BATMAN AND
ROBIN COULDN’T FIT INTO THEIR
TIGHTS.
BUT TRUMP ALSO WANTED BARR TO
OVERTURN THE ELECTION RESULTS,
AND BARR WOULDN’T DO THAT.
SO ONE OF TWO THINGS HAPPENED:
EITHER BARR QUIT BECAUSE TRUMP
BECAME TOO BATSHIT CRAZY EVEN
FOR HIM, OR TRUMP FIRED BARR
BECAUSE HE’S NOT BATSHIT CRAZY
ENOUGH TO ROLL IN THIS WHITE
HOUSE.
EITHER WAY, THIS WORKS OUT THE
BEST FOR BARR, BECAUSE EVERYONE
IS HEADING OUT ON JANUARY 20, SO
THIS WAY, AT LEAST BILL BARR IS
BEATING THE TRAFFIC.
BUT LET’S MOVE ON, BECAUSE IT’S
EASY TO FORGET THAT DONALD TRUMP
HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN THE
PRESIDENT.
AND EARLIER THIS WEEK, I SAT
DOWN WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
FOR A WIDE-RANGING CONVERSATION.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES
FACING THE WORLD, HIS MESSAGE TO
YOUNG ACTIVISTS, AND
WORKSHOPPING SLOGANS WITH
MICHELLE.
ENJOY.
ARE YOU GOING TO FILIBUSTER ME.
I DON’T HAVE ALL THE TIME--
DO YOU WANT ME TO BE-- IS
THIS A ROUNDABOUT WAY OF SAYING
YOU WANT ME TO GIVE SHORT,.
IY ANSWERS.
Trevor: no, I don’t want
quick answers.
DO YOU WANT ME TO SPEED UP?
Trevor: no,
Mr. President--
I WILL NOT PURPOSELY
FILIBUSTER, BUT SOMETIMES I WILL
HAVE A PAUSE AS I’M FORMULATING
MY THOUGHTS, AS YOU WELL KNOW.
MICHELLE-- MICHELLE HAS BEEN
SPEEDING UP MY AUTO-- MY AUDIO
BOOK.
SO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS YOU CAN
PRESS A BUTTON SO IT PLAYS --
YEAH, YEAH, YOU CAN TWO 1.25
OR ONE AND A HALF.
YOU’RE A ONE-AND-A-HALF-GUY.
YOU’RE DEFINITELY A
ONE-AND-A-HALF-GUY.
I WAS A LITTLE OFFENDED BY
THAT, BUT THAT’S OKAY.
THAT’S FINE.
IT DOESN’T COMMUNICATE THE DEPTH
OF FEELING WITH WHICH I’M DOING
THE READING.
BUT IT’S OKAY.
Trevor: how do you like
being referred to, like, just as
a human being?
DO YOU LIKE "MR. PRESIDENT?"
PEOPLE CALL ME BARACK, BUT
SOMETIMES SOME FOLKS FEEL
AWKWARD DOING IT.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT’S WHAT MY
FRIENDS CALL ME.
SO I CONSIDER YOU A FRIEND, BUT
YOU MAY FEEL, YOU KNOW, SO...
Trevor: no, no, the people
will feel like-- like, even
Africans, they’ll write me
letters saying, "how dare you--"
THIS IS MY POINT.
I DON’T WANT TO GET YOU IN
TROUBLE.
YOU CAN SAY, "MR. PRESIDENT."
YOU CAN CALL ME "POTUS."
Trevor: my favorite was
obizal.
PLEASE CALL ME THAT.
Trevor: Mr. President,
welcome to "The Daily Social
Distancing Show."
I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE
WITH YOU.
Trevor: you’re out there
promoting a brand-new book "A
Promised Land," a 700-page book,
if I may add.
I LOVE READING YOUR STF-- DON’T
GET ME LONG, BUT I WOULD HAVE
LIKED 350, 350.
WHY 700 PAGES?
I WOULD HAVE BROKEN IT UP
EVEN MORE BUT, YOU KNOW, THE
PUBLISHERS THOUGHT THAT BREAKING
IT UP INTO TWO VOLUMES WOULD BE
ABOUT RIGHT.
AND... LOOK, THE GOAL OF THE
BOOK WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE A SENSE
OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE IN THE
WHITE HOUSE.
Trevor: right.
AS A NORMAL PERSON, FINDING
THEMSELVES IN EXTRAORDINARY
CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND I THINK PART OF THE GOAL,
PARTICULARLY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, I
WANTED THEM TO GET A SENSE THAT,
YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY’S GOING
TO END UP BEING PRESIDENT.
BUT IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOUR
VOICE MAKES A DIFFERENCE, IF YOU
DECIDE THAT YOU CAN HAVE AN
IMPACT, THEN THROUGH THE UPS AND
DOWNS, YOU WILL END UP HAVING
SOME PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY
EXPERIENCES.
AND I WANTED TO BE AN
ENCOURAGEMENT FOR PEOPLE TO SAY,
"EH, YOU KNOW, THE GUY, YEAH,
HE’S OKAY, BUT HE’S NOT SO
SPECIAL AND LOOK WHAT HE ENDED
UP DOING.
MAYBE I CAN DO SOMETHING AS
WELL."
Trevor: it feels like this
book is Barack Obama convincing
Barack Obama to remain
optimistic.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY "CONVINCING
BARACK OBAMA," I THINK OF, LIKE,
A YOUNG BARACK OBAMA.
I THINK OF A FLEDGLING BARACK
OBAMA.
NOT TRYING TO EMULATE YOU PER
SE, BUT RATHER KNRN ANYONE WHO I
TRYING TO MAKE A CHANGE IN THEIR
WORLD OR THE WORLD.
THAT’S WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
IF YOU ARE WRITING TO YOUNG
PEOPLE TO BE OPTIMISTIC IN THE
BOOK, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
FRUSTRATIONS THAT YOU UNDERSTAND
ON THEIR SIDE THAT MAY HINDER
THAT OPTIMISM?
IF A YOUNG PERSON SAYS, "YEAH,
BUT THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW IS
CRUMBLING MORE AND MORE," HOW DO
YOU-- HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THAT
OPTIMISM?
OR DO YOU THINK THERE HAS TO BE
A POINT WHERE THEY GO, "I’M NOT
OPTIMISTIC.
I’M JUST FIGHTING TO BREAK
WHATEVER IT IS TO CREATE
SOMETHING NEW."
PART OF THE REASON IT’S 700
PAGES LONG IS BECAUSE BY READING
THE BOOK THEY’LL SEE, MAN, THERE
ARE A LOT OF STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS
OR BARRIERS IN MAKING THIS PLACE
BETTER.
WE’RE LEARNING RIGHT NOW IN
VIVID-- A VIVID EXAMPLE OF THE
FACT THAT OUR DEMOCRACY IS NOT
THE WAY WE WOULD IMAGINE IT TO
BE.
THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF ELEMENTS
TO IT WHERE THE MOST VOTES DON’T
NECESSARILY TRANSLATE INTO THE
EQUIVALENT AMOUNT OF POWER.
VERY POPULAR PROPOSALS CAN
WHITHER ON THE VINE BECAUSE OF A
FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE.
AND SO I DON’T TRY TO GLOSS
THOSE OVER.
YOU KNOW, THE PARIS ACCORD DID
NOT SOLVE CLIMB CHANGE, BUT IT
CREATED THE FIRST GLOBAL
FRAMEWORK, WHEREBY ALL COUNTRIES
AGREED WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THIS AND HERE’S A
MECHANISM TO DO IT.
YOU CAN STILL BE TERRIFIED ABOUT
THE PACE AT WHICH WE ARE BURNING
UP THE PLANET, AND YET THINK
THAT WAS A WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR
BECAUSE IT GIVES US AT LEAST THE
OPPORTUNITY MAYBE THREE, FOUR,
FIVE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD TO KEEP
BUILDING ON THAT.
SO THAT IS THE KIND OF MENTALITY
I WANT YOUNG PEOPLE TO HAVE, A
CERTAIN IMPATIENCE, A CERTAIN
FRUSTRATION, A CERTAIN ANGER
ABOUT THE STATUS QUO.
THERE ARE TIMES NOW WHERE, YOU
KNOW, YOU HAVE YOUNGER ACTIVISTS
CRITICIZING ME FOR-- "OBAMA, WHY
DIDN’T YOU TAKE CARE OF THIS OR
THAT OR THE OTHER?"
AND I-- I WELCOME THEM FEELING
FRUSTRATED AND IMPATIENT,
BECAUSE THAT’S HOW I WAS BEFORE
I GOT STARTED.
AND THEN THEY’LL GET THEIR OWN
KNOCKS ON THE HEAD AND SOME
STUFF WON’T WORK OUT EXACTLY THE
WAY THEY WANT.
BUT THE INTULS IMPULSE IS THE ON
WANT TO ENCOURAGE.
BECAUSE IT’S AS A CONSEQUENCE OF
THAT CONSTANT STRIVING AND
IMAGINING SOMETHING BETTER THAT
THINGS DON’T GET EXACTLY AS WE
WANT IT, BUT THEY GET BETTER.
Trevor: you’re a very
serious person because, I mean,
you’re a president of the United
States, but at the same time,
you’re a lot more fun than a lot
of people think.
YOU KNOW.
I’M CONSTANTLY TRYING TO
EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE I’M A FUNNY
GUY, BUT-- BUT, I DON’T KNOW.
Trevor: but you really
are.
YOU REALLY, REALLY ARE.
WHAT I LIKED IN THE BOOK THERE
ARE MOMENTS WHERE THERE’S JUST A
ROASTING OF PEOPLE OR LIFE.
LIKE THE G-20.
I’VE NEVER-- I’VE NEVER HEARD A
WORLD LEADER DESCRIBE THE G-20
THE WAY YOU DO IN THE BOOK IT’S
HIGH SCHOOL OF IT ALL.
I WONDERED ON A PERSONAL LEVEL
HAVE YOU MAINTAINED CONNECTIONS
WITH THOSE LEADERS?
DO YOU SEND ANGELA MERKEL MEMES.
WHO ARE YOU CLOSE WITH AS A
HUMAN BEING?
I DON’T SEND ANGELA MERKEL
MEMES, BUT I TALK TO HER
SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES SHE’LL GIVE ME A CALL.
I’LL GIVE HER A CALL.
WE’LL TRADE NOTES.
THERE ARE A HAND FULL OF FOLKS
WHO YOU’VE BEEN IN THE FOX HOLE
WITH, RIGHT.
YOU’VE DONE SOME GOOD, IMPORTANT
WORK.
SOME OF THEM ARE STILL IN POWER,
SO I DON’T WANT TO MENTION THAT
KNOW-- THAT I’M GIVING THEM A
CALL BECAUSE WHO KNOWS?
IT MIGHT GET THEM INTO TROUBLE.
YOU MENTIONED SOMEBODY LIKE AN
ANGELA MERKEL.
LOOK, THE STANCE SHE TOOK IN
EUROPE RELATIVE TO IMMIGRATION
AND THE ENORMOUS POLITICAL COST
SHE PAID FOR THAT.
AND, YET, THERE WAS SOMETHING
INSIDE HER THAT SAID, LOOK, I’M
NOT GOING TO SIMPLY ABANDON A
MILLION PEOPLE WHO ARE IN
DSPERATE NEED.
YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THAT IN
SOMEBODY, AND YOU SAY... IT-- IT
ENCOURAGES YOU THAT FOR ALL THE
CRUELTY AND VENALITY AND
CORRUPTION AROUND THE WORLD,
THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE
DOING GOOD WORK.
AND SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY RISE
TO SIGNIFICANT POSITIONS OF
POWER, AND IN THAT SENSE,
DEMOCRACY CAN WORK THE WAY IT’S
SUPPOSED TO IF WE HAVE A
VIGILANT CITIZENRY, AND THAT’S
NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.
Trevor: all right, don’t
go away.
WHEN WE COME BACK, I SPEND MORE
TIME WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA AND HE
TELLS ME THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
OF HIS PRESIDENCY. STAY TUNED.
Trevor: back back to "The
Daily Social Distancing Show."
HERE IS MORE OF MY CONVERSATION
WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA.
WE TALKED ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND
WHAT HE WRESTLED WITH THE MOST
AS PRESIDENT.
YOU STARTED LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS,
NOT JUST IN SOUTH AFRICA BUT ALL
OVER THE WORLD.
THE OBAMA FOUNDATION HAS SET
ABOUT ON A JOURNEY TO INSPIRE
YOUNG PEOPLE TO GROW UP TO
BECOME LEADERS.
GROWING UP IN SOUTH AFRICA, I
WAS TAUGHT ABOUT THE DIFFERENT
LEVELS OF WHAT A STRUGGLE IS
GOING TO BE.
YOU KNOW, THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS
MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE BEST
POLITICIANS.
THE BEST POLITICIANS MAY NOT
NECESSARILY BE THE BEST LEADERS.
THE BEST ACTIVISTS MAY NOT BE
THE BEST ORGANIZERS AND SO ON
AND SO FORTH.
EVERYONE HAS A ROLE TO PLAY IN
TRYING TO GET TO A CERTAIN
PLACE.
I WONDER, WHEN YOU SET UP THIS
LEADERSHIP ACADEMY THAT’S ALL
OVER THE GLOBE, YOU’RE CLEARLY
TRYING TO CREATE MANY OBAMAS
EVERYWHERE, WHICH IS PROBABLY A
FEVER DREAM OF THE RIGHT.
BUT WHAT YOU’RE TRYING TO DO IS
CREATE SOMETHING SPECIFIC.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT
THAT IS.
WHAT DO YOU-- WHAT DO YOU
BELIEVE A LEADER IS-- NOT JUST
SOMEBODY WHO?
POWER BUT A LEADER?
THE PROGRAM WE DID IN
JOHANNAS BERG, WE GATHERED UP
200 YOUNG LEADERS FROM 50
COUNTRIES ON THE CONTINENT OF
AFRICA.
AND IT WAS AS VARIED-- YOU HAD
YOUNG WOMEN WHO HAD STARTED
RURAL HEALTH CLINICS.
Trevor: yeah.
YOU HAD M.P.s WHO HAD TAKEN
A MORE CONVENTIONAL POLITICAL
ROUTE.
YOU HAD ENTREPRENEURS.
THE THING THEY ALL IN COMMON,
THOUGH, WAS THIS-- THIS SENSE
NOT ONLY THAT THE WORLD COULD BE
BETTER AND THAT THEY HAD A ROLE
TO PLAY IN IT, BUT ALSO THE
BELIEF THAT THEY COULDN’T DO IT
BY THEMSELVES, AND THAT THEY HAD
TO IN SOME WAYS UNLOCK THE
POTENTIAL AND POWER OF OTHER
PEOPLE.
A SPEECH I GAVE IN JOHANNESBURG
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT-- IT
WAS FOR THE ANNIVERSARY OF
MANDELA’S 100th
ANNIVERSARY-- WHERE I-- I
CONTRASTED THAT SORT OF
DEMOCRATIC INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP
TO THE STRONGMAN LEADERSHIP THAT
IN SOME WAYS WE’VE SEEN
ASCENDANT IN CERTAIN PARTS OF
THE WORLD, IN SOME WAYS WAS
ASCENDANT HERE IN THE UNITED
STATES.
AND THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT
STORIES OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A
LEADER.
AND POWER.
AND THAT CONFLICT, THAT BATTLE
BETWEEN A MORE DEMOCRATIC,
INCLUSIVE VISION, AND ONE THAT’S
TOP-DOWN, DOMINANT SUBORDINATE,
THAT’S A CONTEST TAKING PLACE
HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND
AROUND THE WORLD.
IT’S NOT GOING TO BE FINISHED
JUST BECAUSE THE ELECTION’S OVER
AND DONALD TRUMP WAS DEFEATED,
BECAUSE YOU SEE EXAMPLES OF THIS
IN THE FILL BEANS, IN HUNGARY,
IN A VARIETY OF COUNTRIES-- IN
AFRICA AND ASIA.
AND SO THAT CONTEST IS GOING TO
CONTINUE.
Trevor: what I find
fascinating about the
conversation that a lot of
Americans are having now-- and
you talk about this in the book
as well-- is how America’s
influence in the world has
diminished over the past few
years, you know, how countries
around the world have no longer
said, "what is America doing?
WE’RE WORK WITH THEM."
IT’S BEEN MORE LIKE, "NO, GUYS.
WE CAN’T WAIT FOR AMERICA.
WE’RE DOING OUR OWN THING."
BUT I WONDER, AS SOMEBODY WHO
HAS GROWN UP IN OTHER PARTS OF
THE WORLD, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS
FAMILY IN OTHER PARTS OF THE
WORLD, IS THERE AN ARGUMENT THAT
MAYBE THAT’S A GOOD THING THAT
THE WORLD DOESN’T FOLLOW AMERICA
ANYMORE?
OR WHAT WOULD THE INVERSE OF
THAT ARGUMENT BE?
LIKE, SHOULD THE WORLD FOLLOW
AMERICA?
OR IS IT TIME FOR THE WORLD TO
START DOING ITS OWN THING AND
AMERICA TO BE LESS THE WORLD
POLICE?
I THINK IT IS A GOOD THING
THAT OTHER COUNTRIES CATCH UP
AND HAVE THEIR OWN CAPABILITIES
AND THEIR OWN AGENCY.
THAT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT I
THINK AMERICA SHOULD FEAR.
MY ARGUMENT WOULD BE THAT EVEN
IN A MORE MULTIPOLAR WORLD WHERE
YOU DON’T HAVE JUST ONE BIG
POWER BUT YOU HAVE OTHER
COUNTRIES WHO ARE COMING INTO
THEIR OWN, THE PRINCIPLES THAT
AMERICA ARTICULATED AT ITS BEST
ABOUT RULE OF LAW, HUMAN RIGHTS,
FREEDOM OF SPEECH, DEMOCRACY--
THOSE VALUES, AT LEAST I CHOOSE
TO BELIEVE, ARE NOT EXCLUSIVELY
AMERICAN.
YOU, AS SOMEBODY WHO LIVED IN
SOUTH AFRICA KNOW THE PLAY IN
OTHER COUNTRIES SOMETIMES YOU
HEAR WHERE SOMEBODY WHO IS DOING
SOMETHING ENTIRELY FOR POWER AND
MONEY AND INFLUENCE WILL SAY--
I THEY’RE CRITICIZING-- SAY,
"YOU’VE BEEN JUST INFLUENCED BY
WESTERN THINKING.
THAT’S COLONIAL THINKING."
NO, NO, NO, NO.
YOU ARE STEALING FROM YOUR
PEOPLE.
DON’T-- AND WHEN WE CRITICIZE
YOU, DON’T CLAIM THAT SOMEHOW
THIS IS SOME AMERICAN HEGEMONY
BEING ASSERTED AGAINST YOU.
WE’RE CALLING YOU ON THE FACT
THAT YOU’RE A THIEF.
I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO
RECOGNIZE THAT FOR ALL ITS
FAILINGS, THE VALUES THAT
AMERICA IS OFTEN ARTICULATE ON
THE WORLD STAGE HAD BEEN ONES
THAT I WOULD STILL BELIEVE IN
AND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE TOOK
COMFORT FROM.
AND WHEN WE ARE NOT ASSERTING
THEM, OFTENTIMES, THEY DON’T--
YOU KNOW, THEY DON’T PLAY OUT ON
THE WORLD STAGE.
Trevor: I sometimes
wondered if you ever grappled
with the dichment of difficulty
paradox of what America was
trying to do in the world and
what its actions were sometimes
creating in the world.
I THINK ABOUT THAT IN THE MIDDLE
EAST, WARS THAT HAVE BEEN
STARTED UNDER FALSE PRETENSES.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN KILLED WHO
HAD NOTHING TO-- AS SOMEONE WHO
HAD TO MAKE DECISIONS AND
SOMEONE WHO WAS IN THAT
LEADERSHIP POSITION, DO YOU
SOMETIMES GRAP WELHOW AMERICA
DID OR DID NOT HELP ITSELF IN
HOW IT ACTED WITH THE WORLD?
BECAUSE, IN THE WORLD, I’LL TELL
YOU AN AN INTERNATIONAL PERSON,
WE WOULD OFTENTIMES GO, "MAN,
YES, AMERICA IS GREAT AND DOING
WONDERFUL THINGS, BUT ALSO, MAN,
SOMETIMES THEY BREAK THE RULES
AND NO ONE CAN SAY ANYTHING
ABOUT THAT."
ABSOLUTE, AND I RECORD
EXAMPLES IN THE BOOK OF WHERE
I’M GRAPPLING WITH THIS.
AND ONE OF THE INTERESTING
CHALLENGES OF BEING PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES, BUT I THINK
BEING HEAD OF GOVERNMENT OR
STATE IN ANY COUNTRY, IS YOU
INHERIT A LEGACY, RIGHT.
SO IF I COME IN AS PRESIDENT-- I
CAN’T UNDO THE IRAQ WAR, THE
DECISION TO GO INTO IRAQ.
NOW, I CAN MANAGE AS BEST I CAN
HOW WE CAN WIND DOWN THAT WAR,
MITIGATE SOME OF THE DAMAGE
THAT’S BEEN DONE, BUT I CAN’T
REVERSE IT.
Trevor: did you ever-- did
you ever envy, though, how trump
came in and basically broke
shit, though?
BECAUSE HE DIDN’T CARE.
NO, I DIDN’T ENVY IT BECAUSE
I DO CARE.
AND I DO NOT THINK THAT IS AN
OPTION TO SIMPLY PRETEND THAT
THE LEGACY OF PROBLEMS OR ISSUES
THAT YOU INHERIT ARE SOMEHOW
THINGS YOU CAN JUST BRUSH ASIDE.
SO THE ANSWER IS, YES, I-- I
WOULD STRUGGLE WITH THE FACT
THAT ANY ACTION I TOOK,
PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
COUNTER-TERRORISM.
Trevor: right.
THAT’S PROBABLY THE AREA
WHERE I WRESTLED WITH THIS MOST.
MY OBLIGATION FIRST AND FOREMOST
IN THE UNITED STATES WAS TO MAKE
SURE PEOPLE DIDN’T GET HURT.
THAT’S SORT OF THE BARE MINIMUM
THAT YOU EXPECT OUT OF A NATION
STATE THAT YOU’RE LIVING IN IS
THAT YOU CAN DEFEND AGAINST
HARM.
BECAUSE YOU’RE DEALING WITH
NONSTATE ACTORS, THAT MEANT BY
THE TIME I TOOK OFFICE, YOU HAD
NETWORKS THAT WERE EMBEDDED IN
SOCIETIES, NOT NECESSARILY
SUPPORTED BY THOSE SOCIETIES,
BUT THEY’RE THERE, AND THEY ARE
PLOTTING AND THEY ARE PLANNING.
AND THAT WASN’T MADE UP.
AND THERE WERE ORGANIZATIONS
THAT IF THEY COULD BLOW YOU WANT
NEW YORK SUBWAY SYSTEM, THEY
WOULD, IF THEY COULD GET THEIR
HANDS ON A BIOLOGICAL WEAPON,
THEY WOULD USE IT.
YOU THEN ARE WRESTLING WITH HOW
DO I PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
FROM THOSE ACTORS, BUT DO IT IN
A WAY THAT IS MORALLY AND
ETHICALLY JUSTIFIES?
Trevor: right.
AND WAR IS MADNESS.
KINETIC ACTION OF ANY SORT,
MILITARY ACTION OF ANY SORT THAT
RESULTS IN DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
AT A CERTAIN LEVEL IS NOT THE
THING I WOULD WANT HUMANITY TO
DO.
AND WHAT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE IS
TRAGIC.
IT IS NOT-- IT IS NOT SOMETHING
YOU GLOSS OVER.
WHAT-- WHAT IT DOES TO OUR
SOLDIERS AND OUR TROOPS, YOU
KNOW, AS I TALK ABOUT IN THE
BOOK.
IT’S NOT JUST THE HARM THAT OUR
YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN SUFFERED--
AND I WOULD WITNESS IN WALTER
REED-- BUT IT’S ALSO HOW IT
CHANGES THEM INTERNALLY WHEN
THEY HAVE ENGAGED IN VIOLENCE,
EVEN IF NECESSARY AND JUSTIFIED
AGAINST OTHERS.
Trevor: right.
SO THE BEST I COULD COME UP
WITH WAS TO NEVER GLORIFY IT, TO
NEVER PRETEND LIKE IT ISN’T A
DILEMMA.
AND SO THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS
I THINK ARE ONES THAT NOT ONLY
SHOULD AMERICAN LEADERS HAVE TO
GRAPPLE WITH, BUT I THINK THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE TO BE AWARE
OF.
AND SOMETIMES THE MEDIA DOES NOT
DO A VERY GOOD JOB.
IT’S A VERY BINARY-- YOU KNOW,
THE IRAQ WAR, IT’S GLORIOUS FOR
THE FIRST YEAR AND A HALF, AND
THEN SUDDENLY, IT’S NOT.
Trevor: yes, yes.
AND WE’RE SHOCKED THAT US
INVAGD ANOTHER COUNTRY MIGHT
TURN OUT TO BE MESSY.
HOPEFULLY, THAT’S NOT A LESSON
WE HAVE TO REPEATEDLY RELEARN.
Trevor: when we come back,
President Obama talks about how
he really feels about the black
lives matter movement. STAY TUNED.
"The Daily Social Distancing
Show."
HERE IS MORE OF MY CONVERSATION
WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA.
HE TOLD ME HOW HE WOULD TALK
ABOUT POLICE REFORM WITH WHITE
FOLKS AND WITH PEOPLE LIKE
MICHELLE’S MOM, AND WHY
PROGRESSIVES SHOULD AVOID TAKING
CUES FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
2020 WAS A YEAR FOR MANY OF
RACIAL RECKONING.
IT WAS THE YEAR WHEN PEOPLE OF
ALL AGES TO BE TO THE STREETS--
BLACK AND WHITE ALIKE-- AND SAID
WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY THE
POLICE DEAL WITH PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY, PREDOMINANTLY BLACK
PEOPLE THIS THIS COUNTRY.
IT WAS AN INTERESTING TIME AS
WELL.
YOUR PRESIDENCY, AS YOU KNOW,
BETTER THAN EVERYONE, PEOPLE
THOUGHT, THAT IS IT.
WE’RE NOW IN A POST-RACIAL
UTOPIA.
BARACK OBAMA IS IN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
WE HAVE HALF BLARK HALF WHITE,
LET’S HAVE A GOOD ONE.
AND PEOPLE SAW THERE WAS A LOT
OF WORK TO BE DONE.
LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THE MOVEMENT AS YOU SEE IT.
THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH
HEADLINES SOMETIMES IS PEOPLE
TAKE THINGS OUT OF CONTEXT, EBT.
ET
CETERA.
BUT SOME ACTIVISTS CRITICIZED
YOU FOR SAYING THEY HAVE TO BE
CAREFUL OF SNAPPY SLOGANS LIKE
"DEFUND THE POLICE," BECAUSE IT
LOSES PEOPLE.
BUT I WONDER, DO YOU THINK THAT
THE SLOGAN IS-- IS THE THING
THAT MAKES PEOPLE FOR OR AGAINST
YOU, OR DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE
JUST GOING TO BE FOR OR AGAINST
YOU, AND THE SLOGAN DOESN’T
REALLY MEAN AS MUCH?
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, LIKE DONALD
TRUMP’S "MAKE AMERICA GREAT
AGAIN IT’S IT’S NOT A VERY
DIVISIVE SLOGAN.
WHY WOULD ANYONE NOT WANT TO
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.
AS SOMEONE WHO IS GREAT AT
SLOGANS-- "YES, WE CAN."
IT’S SNAPPY.
IT WORKED.
AS I SAID IN THE BOOK I
ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS CORNY.
I DIDN’T LIKE IT THAT MUCH.
( LAUGHTER )
WHEN MY TEAM CAME UP WITH IT.
AND THEN THEY WENT TO ASK
MICHELLE, AND MICHELLE SAID,
"NO, IT’S NOT CORNY.
IT’S FINE."
CLEARLY SHE HAD A BETTER
POLITICAL BRAIN THAN I DID ON
THIS.
I-- I’M GLAD YOU ACTUALLY
BROUGHT THIS UP.
BECAUSE WHAT’S BEEN FASCINATING
WHILE I’VE BEEN ON THIS BOOK
TOUR IS PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME
WHAT’S MY SOURCE OF OPTIMISM?
AND UNIFORMLY WHAT I HAVE SAID
IS NOTHING MADE ME MORE OPT MISH
DURING A VERY DIFFICULT YEAR
THAN THE ACTIVISM THAT WE SAW IN
THE WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD’S
MURDER.
Trevor: right.
AND BLACK LIVES MATTER.
AND I HAVE CONSISTENTLY BELIEVED
THAT THEIR COURAGE, ACTIVISM,
MEDIA SAVVY, STRATEGIC RESOLVE
FAR EXEDZ ANYTHING THEY COULD
HAVE DONE AT THEIR AGE.
AND I THINK IT HAS SHIFTED THE
CONVERSATION IN WAYS THAT I
WOULD NOT EVEN HAVE IMAGINED A
COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
SO THROUGHOUT THIS SLEW OF
COMPLIMENTS, I THEN SAID, "WELL,
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
PARTICULAR SLOGAN ’DEFUND THE
POLICE’?"
AND I SAID, WELL, THAT
PARTICULAR SLOGAN, I THINK THE
CONCERN IS THAT THERE MAY BE
POTENTIAL ALLIES OUT THERE THAT
YOU LOSE, AND THE ISSUE ALWAYS
IS HOW DO YOU GET ENOUGH PEOPLE
SOSUPPORT YOUR CAUSE THAT YOU
CAN ACTUALLY INSTITUTIONALIZE IT
AND TRANSLATE IT INTO LAWS
STRUCTURURES, AND SO FORTH.
Trevor: right.
THERE WERE TWO OR THREE
WRITERS, WHO I ADMIRE, WHO BROT,
"OBAMA’S MAKING IT A MISSION TO
CHASTISE BLACK LIVES MATTER."
AND YOU’RE LIKE, WAIT, HOLD ON A
SECOND.
I JUST SPENT THE WHOLE SUMMER
COMPLIMENTING THEM.
WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"
THE REASON IT CAUGHT ATTENTION,
I SUSPECT, IS THERE WERE SOME IN
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHO
SUGGESTED THE REASON WE DIDN’T
COBETTER IN THE CONGRESSIONAL
ELECTIONS THIS TIME AROUND WAS
BECAUSE OF THIS PHRASE.
Trevor: right.
AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE
ASSUMED THAT SOMEHOW I WAS
MAKING AN ARGUMENT THAT THAT’S
WHY WE DIDN’T GET, YOU KNOW, A
BIGGER DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY.
THAT ACTUALLY WAS NOT THE POINT
I WAS MAKING.
I WAS MAKING A VERY PARTICULAR
POINT AROUND IF WE IN FACT WANT
TO TRANSLATE THE-- THE VERY
LEGITIMATE BELIEF THAT HOW WE DO
POLICING NEEDS TO CHANGE AND
THAT IF THERE IS, FOR EXAMPLE, A
HOMELESS GUY RANTING AND RAILING
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET,
SENDING A MENTAL HEALTH WORKER,
RATHER THAN AN ARMED, UNTRAINED
POLICE OFFICER, TO DEAL WITH
THAT PERSON MIGHT BE A BETTER
OUTCOME FOR ALL OF US AND MAKE
US SAFER, RIGHT.
IF WE DESCRIBE THAT TO NOT JUST
WHITE FOLKS BUT LET’S SAY
MICHELLE’S MOM, THAT MAKES SENSE
TO THEM.
BUT IF WE SAY, "DEFUND THE
POLICE," NOT JUST WHITE FOLKS,
BUT MICHELLE’S MOM, MIGHT SAY,
"IF I’M GETTING ROBBED, WHO AM I
GOING TO CALL, AND IS SOMEBODY
GOING TO SHOW UP?"
RIGHT.
Trevor: right.
SO THE ISSUE HERE BECOMES AT
ANY GIVEN TIME HOW ARE WE
TRANSLATING AND USING LANGUAGE
NOT TO MAKE PEOPLE MORE
COMORTABLE-- QUOTE, UNQUOTE--
RIGHT.
BECAUSE THAT’S ALWAYS A STRAIN
HISTORICALLY.
THE CONCERN IN THESE DEBATES IS
ALSO-- IS OFTEN, "OH, ARE WE
JUST TRYING TO MAKE WHITE PEOPLE
COMFORTABLE RATHER THAN SPEAKING
TRUTH TO POWER?"
RIGHT?
THAT’S THE FRAMEWORK WE TEND TO
THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS.
Trevor: right.
THE ISSUE TO ME IS NOT MAKING
THEM COMFORTABLE.
IT IS CAN WE BE PRECISE WITH OUR
LANGUAGE ENOUGH THAT PEOPLE WHO
MIGHT BE PERSUADED AROUND THAT
PARTICULAR ISSUE TO MAKE A
PARTICULAR CHANGE THAT GETS A
PARTICULAR RESULT THAT WE WANT,
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO
DESCRIBE THAT?
Trevor: so what you’re
basically saying is we should
workshop all of our slogans with
Michelle.
THAT’S WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING.
THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE WISE.
IT WOULD PROBABLY WORK.
BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO
SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER WHICH
I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I-- I SAID THIS IN THE WAKE
OF SOME OF THIS CRITICISM.
I SAID, LOOK, PART OF THIS IS
ALSO EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT
ROLES TO PLAY.
AN ACTIVIST, A MOVEMENT LEADER
IS GOING TO PROVIDE A PROPHETIC
VOICE, AND SPEAK CERTAIN TRUTHS
THAT SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO BE
ELECTED INTO OFFICE WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO SAY.
I RE-READ JAMES BALDWIN’S "A
FIRE NEXT TIME" THIS SUMMER.
HOW IS IT THAT SOMETHING WRITTEN
50 YEARS AGO, 55 YEARS AGO...
Trevor: right, yeah,
Germany.
...APPLIES DIRECTLY TODAY,
RIGHT, DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT’S
HAPPENED?
TO ME, THAT IS AS SEARING AND AS
HONEST A PORTRAYAL OF THE GAPING
WOUND OF RACE IN AMERICA.
BUT, OF COURSE, JAMES BALDWIN
CAN’T BE ELECTED TO THE U.S.
SENATE OR UNLIKELY THAT HE WOULD
WANT TO BE THE MAYOR OF A CITY,
WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR FIGURINGUT
HOW I DO DEAL WITH THE POLICE
UNION?
THAT’S SOMEBODY ELSE’S ROLE.
AND ALL THESE ROLES ARE
IMPORTANT.
AND SO KNOW--
Trevor: why do you think--
if I may interrupt-- why do you
think, though, that republicans
or right-wingers now do that,
though?
THAT’S SOMETHING THAT I’VE
STRUGGLED TO UNDERSTAND.
YOU SEE NOW, EVEN IN THIS
ELECTION, I MEAN, SOME OF THE
REPUBLICANS WHO WERE RUNNING
WERE QANON, AND SOME OF THEM
WERE WINNING.
SOME OF THEM WERE SO EXTREME AND
THEY’RE WINNING.
I SOMETIMES WONDER IF THERE’S
THIS-- IS IT JUST A POLITICAL
THING IN AMERICA WHERE IF YOU’RE
IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY YOU CAN
BE COMPLETELY BOMBASTIC IN WHAT
YOU BELIEVE IN, AND THEN AS A
DEMOCRAT YOU’RE TRYING TO TOE
THE LINE BETWEEN CENTRIST AND
LEFT LEANING?
OR--
WELL, BECAUSE I THINK IN FACT
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS THE
MINORITY PARTY IN THIS COUNTRY.
THE ONLY REASON THAT IT DOESN’T
LOOK LIKE THEY’RE THE MINORITY
PARTY IS BECAUSE OF STRUCTURES
LIKE THE U.S. SENATE AND THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE THAT DON’T
RENDER THEM THE MAJORITY PARTY.
SO THEY HAVE CERTAIN BUILT-IN
ADVANTAGES AROUND POWER GIVEN
THEIR POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
AND HOW OUR GOVERNMENT WORKS.
BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS
THAT 60% OF THE PEOPLE ARE
OCCUPYING WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER
A MORE REALITY-BASED UNIVERSE,
AND THOSE ARE THE-- THOSE ARE
THE CONSTITUENTS WE’RE SPEAKING
TO.
AND THAT IS A MORE-DIVERSE
GROUP.
YOU KNOW, I DESCRIBE-- IN THE
BOOK, THE FIRST TIME I GO TO
THE-- TO THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE
CAUCUS TO SPEAK TO THEM.
AND I THINK THERE WAS AN ASIAN
GUY, OR GAL, AND MAYBE A COUPLE
OF HISPANICS, AND THAT WAS IT.
IT IS MUCH MORE HOMOGENEOUS.
WHICH MEANS THAT, YES, THEY HAVE
TO DO LESS WORK, BUT IT ALSO
MEANS THAT THEY CAN TALK TO
THEMSELVES AND, AS A CONSEQUENCE
OF THE WAY OUR DEMOCRACY, OUR
REPUBLIC IS STRUCTURED, THEY
DON’T HAVE TO APPEAL TO AS BROAD
OF A BASE.
THAT’S NOT FAIR, BUT, YOU KNOW,
I AT LEAST WOULD PREFER NOT
HAVING THE PROGRESSIVES MODEL
OURSELVES OUT OF-- OR MODEL OURS
ON THE CURRENT REPUBLICAN PARTY.
THAT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE A GOOD
STRATEGY TO ME TO GET THE
OUTCOMES THAT WE WANT.
Trevor: when we come back,
President Obama reflects on
whether he should have roasted
Donald Trump back in 2011. YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS IT.
"The Daily Social Distancing
Show."
HERE IS THE FINAL PART OF MY
INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA.
I ASKED HIM ABOUT HIS LEGACY AND
WHAT PART HE MIGHT HAVE PLAYED
IN THE RISE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP.
LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT-- LET’S
LOOSEN THINGS UP.
LET’S UNBUTTON ONE OF THOSE--
ONE OF THOSE BUTONS ON THE
SHIRT.
( LAUGHS )
AS SOMEONE WHO I CONSIDER TO BE
ONE OF THE BEST DELIVERERS OF
JOKES AND ROASTS, ARE YOU GOING
TO BE MORE CAREFUL GOING FORWARD
ABOUT WHO YOU ROAST?
AND I SAY THIS BECAUSE YOU
ROASTED DONALD TRUMP.
HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT.
YOU ROASTED KANYE WEST, HE RAN
FOR PRESIDENT.
SO I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’VE
NOTICED, BUT YOU HAVE AN ABILITY
TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO RUN FOR THE
HIGHEST OFFICE IN THE LAND WITH
SOME OF THE JOKES THAT YOU TELL
ABOUT THEM.
WELL, I SHOULD-- I SHOULD
ROAST PEOPLE-- PEOPLE I ADMIRE
MORE.
I’LL START ROASTING YOU, MAN.
WHO KNOWS.
ALTHOUGH, YOU WEREN’T BORN HERE
SO... YOU KNOW.
I WAS BORN IN HAWAII--
WHO KNOWS?
Trevor: uhm, before I let
you go, I wanted to know one
last thing and that is being
president of the United States
is arguably the toughest job in
the world.
WHEN YOU TRANSITION BACK TO
PERSONAL LIFE, I WONDER WHAT
THAT IS LIKE.
BECAUSE, UNLIKE YOU, I DON’T
HAVE THAT POWER.
I’VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO CHANGE A
THING IN THE WORLD OR DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
BUT NOW IN MANY WAYS ARE YOU
LIKE ME IN THAT YOU SEE THE THE
THING ON THE TV AND YOU GET
ANGRY OR SAD BUT YOU CANNOT
REALLY DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SO I WONDER, AS FORMER PRESIDENT
BARACK OBAMA, HAVE YOU
TRANSITIONED INTO THAT
COMPLETELY?
OR DO YOU FIND DIFFERENT WAYS TO
TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEMS YOU SEE
IN THE WORLD?
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I’M NOT
ANYTHING LIKE YOU.
I STILL HAVE A LOT MORE
INFLUENCE AND CLOUT.
SO LET’S JUST BE CLEAR.
( LAUGHING )
COME OMAN.
LET’S PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE
GLI I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD LET
THAT ONE SLIDE AND BE LIKE,
"TREVOR, IN MANY WAYS--"
THE TRUTH IS THAT I-- I DID
NOT HAVE THOSE KIND OF
WITHDRAWALS.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE
WHO I KNOW WHO HAVE HAD THEM
WHEN THEY LEAVE PUBLIC LIFE AND
VERY VISIBLY.
THEY WANT TO GET BACK ON STAGE.
Trevor: yeah.
MICHELLE AND I, THAT’S
SOMETHING WE SHARE.
WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE WORK WE
DID.
WE DON’T FEEL ANXIETY ABOUT NOT
BEING THE CENTER OF ATTENTION.
WE GET FRUSTRATED, LIKE I THINK
CITIZENS AROUND THE WORLD AND
HERE IN THE COUNTRY DO, WHEN WE
SEE SOMETHING UNJUST OR UNFAIR.
AND, YES, THE GOAL I THINK FOR
US IS TO FIND NEW WAYS TO HAVE
THAT SAME IMPACT, UNDERSTANDING
THAT WE’LL NEVER HAVE THE EXACT
SAME IMPACT AS YOU HAVE IN THE
OVAL OFFICE.
BUT A LOT OF THE WORK AROUND THE
FOUNDATION IS-- YOU KNOW, YOU
SAID CREATE A LOT OF OBAMAS.
I’M NOT SURE THAT’S THE GOAL.
BUT IF 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS DOWN
THE ROAD, THERE ARE 1,000,
10,000, 100,000 YOUNG PEOPLE WHO
ARE NOW MOVING INTO POSITIONS OF
AUTHORITY AND POWER, AND IN SOME
WAYS HAVE BEEN SHAPED BY OUR
EXAMPLE IN A POSITIVE WAY, YOU
KNOW, THAT-- THAT’S THE LEGACY
THAT MAY EXCEED ANYTHING THAT WE
DID WHILE WE WERE IN-- IN OUR
FORMAL POSITIONS.
AND THAT FEELS PRETTY GOOD.
Trevor: well, I could talk
to you for hours, but luckily, I
have a 700-page book to answer
the rest of my questions.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.
AND, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR BEING
YOU.
MR. PRESIDENT.
A.K.A. OBISALTHANK YOU FOR
JOINING ME ON THE "THE DAILY
SOCIAL DISTANCING SHOW."
I ENJOYED IT, MAN.
WE’LL DO IT AGAIN, VOLUME TWO.
Trevor: PRESIDENT OBAMA’S
MEMOIR "A PROMISED LAND" IS
AVAILABLE NOW.
OKAY, WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A
QUICK BREAK, BUT WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THIS.
Trevor: THAT’S OUR SHOW FOR
TONIGHT.
BUT BEFORE WE GO: THIS HOLIDAY
SEASON, PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS.
THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO STAY OPEN
DURING THIS PANDEMIC, AND IF
THEY DON’T GET THE HELP THEY
NEED, THEY MIGHT NOT BE OPEN FOR
YOU WHEN THE PANDEMIC IS OVER.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP BEYOND JUST
BUYING FOOD,
PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION TO
THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION’S
"OPEN FOR GOOD" CAMPAIGN, WHICH
HELPS INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS
SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC AND
REBUILD STRONGER.
UNTIL TOMORROW, STAY SAFE OUT
THERE, WEAR A MASK, AND
REMEMBER: IF YOUR PENIS POPS
OUT, JUST SAY IT WAS A GLITCH
AND OFFER EVERYONE IN THE ROOM A
FULL REFUND.
NOW, HERE IT IS, YOUR MOMENT OF
ZEN.
IT’S THE HOTTEST NEW SHOW IN
AMERICA-- "WHO WANTS TO BE
VACCINATED?"
LET’S ACTUALLY GET SOME SHOTS
IN ARMS.
YOU’RE GOING TO SEE THE FIRST
SHOT DONE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
YOU GUYS READY TO GO?
NOT IN FRONT OF A STUDIO
AUDIENCE.
YOU DO I WANT WANT TO MISS YOUR
TO WIN.
WE’RE HERE TO WATCH YOU TAKE
THE FIRST SHOT.
( APPLAUSE ).
JOHNNY, TELL THEM WHAT
VACCINATED PEOPLE GET.
YOU’LL BE TAKING HOME
VACCINATION AND A FREE TRIP TO
SANDALS JAMAICA. YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS OUT!