I mean, just close your mouth you eat like a barn animal survivor your house. Then stay tuned for ncis tiny apartment. Announcer its the late show with Stephen Colbert tonight, all by my shelf plus stephen welcomes pod save america, john meacham and musical guest dave matthews, featuring jon batiste and stay homin. And now live on tape from a safe distance, its Stephen Colbert stephen welcome to a late show. Im Stephen Colbert. I was just talking to my son peter who is my crew. My wife is out getting me a cocktail. Its the last show of the week. I normally have a cocktail at the end of the last show of the week, but you knowco what . I dont think i can wait that long. Happy thursday. You see, during social isolation, ive asked my writers to mark the passage of time, so when i read this script ill know what day it is. Thursday. Today which, again, is thursday, stephen the coronavirus continues to ravage the country. But there are signs that social distancing is working, though that doesnt mean we can go back to normal any time soon or maybe ever. At least according to immunologist and man who just realized hes touching his face, dr. Anthony fauci. Thank you very much. This is i married the right girl. Cheers. Mmm oh, yeah. That is lovely. Whoo fruit of the vierntion work of the human hands, it shall become for us our spiritual drink. laughter on tuesday, fauci explained that weve got to take it slow. When you gradually get back, you dont jump into it with both feet. You say, you know, what are the things you could still do and still approach normal . One of them is absolute compulsive hand washing. Stephen yes, dr. Fauci wants compulsive hand washing to be the new normal, which is great news for anyone with obsessive compulsive disorder. Congratulations, you now have youre laughing. Youre laughing. Not at the joke, youre laughing at me. All right, do either one of you want to get in here, by the way, or are you just going to lurk in the doorway . Anybody want to get back in here . Okay, this is all going to be in the show. Are you going to stay over there or come in here . Are you afraid im going to bite . Its been a long week, im sure it has been for you, too. Here we go. I just want to make sure this is still yeah, i just want to make sure they hadnt switched it out. Dr. Fauci wants pulsative hand washington normal. Which is great news for anyone with obsessive compulsive disorder. Congratulations, you now have obsessive compulsive order. Also being recommended by the c. D. C. Next counting the tiles on your Kitchen Floor and making sure your shoes all face north. Fauci went on the other one is you dont ever shake anybodys hands. Thats clear. I dont think that we should ever shake hands ever again, to be honest with you. Stephen never shake hands. That is bad news for the secret societies. Welcome to the exalted brotherhood. We shall now anoint you with the scepter of rebirth, and teach you the secret. Elbow bump. Will that do . Will that enrique bloomencrofton. There are some other unexpected Silver Linings to this. After five years of brutal conflict saudi arabia and yemen have announced a ceasefire amid the pandemic. Yes, they know right now is just not a safe time to kill each other. In predictable pandemic news, a new survey finds that pot use reached an alltime high in march amid lockdown measures. Really, alltime high . You werent with me, chief big bong and the warrior back in 82 hotboxing out at the point. That was the alltime high. Whoo im joking, obviously. It makes sense that these days a lot of people are getting stress baked. Youre already on the couch all day, in your pajamas, watching netflix and eating beefaroni out of a can. Hey, its covid420 somewhere. But be careful potthusiasts. This is not the time to be doing anything that makes you cough and be paranoid. So stop smoking. Eat edibles instead. Or if that doesnt work for you, try snoop doggs new line of supotsitories. Put the shizzle up your bizzle try the tush kush. Of course, all the experts agree that the only way out of this pandemic is to increase, in any way possible, widelyavailable testing. So, yesterday it was announced that the white house will end federal support for coronavirustesting sites on friday. Why is trump opposed to the testing . Theyre coronavirus tests, not paternity tests. Instead, the federal government will be transitioning to statemanaged testing sites, part of trumps strategy to shift responsibility to states. Oh, if only there were some way to coordinate among the states, some way to, i dont know, unite the states of america under one government that had, lets say, an Emergency Management agency on a federal level. I just want to say, heck of a job, trumpie. But the president is under a lot of pressure. Hes facing the prospect of running for reelection after botching the response to a global pandemic. So its no surprise he wants to get the economy up and running again, but this tweet may have been a tad insensitive. Once we open up our great country, and it will be sooner rather than later, the horror of the invisible enemy, except for those that sadly lost a Family Member or friend, must be quickly forgotten. You know the old saying, those who forget the past, are more likely to vote for donald trump. With everyone staying home to stop the virus, americans are being hit hard by job losses. 16 Million People have filed for unemployment in the past three weeks. And with so many people filing for unemployment, its overloading the system. One person recently laid off in texas said she, had not managed to file despite more than 1,200 attempts, some at 1 00 a. M. Being out of a job should not be a fulltime job. Thankfully, Many Americans are still working, and some of them are risking their lives to help us through this crisis. Including fast food workers who are going on strike demanding paid sick leave and more protections at work. Evidently, those hairnets can only do so much. Workers are walking out at mcdonalds, pizza hut, subway, popeyes, dominos, burger king, and taco bell, asking for masks, gloves, soap, and two weeks of paid sick leave to workers exposed to covid19. I want them to have those things. I dont want a contagious person making my nachos if i get sick from eating at taco bell, i want it to be because i ate taco bell as god intended. Speaking of god heres to you, big fella i just want to say to my jewish viewers, merry passover. Tonights the second night of passover. I think it goes two rabbis aleapin. Now, if youre observing passover, youre holding seder. And that big family meal may have been different this year, because many are opting to hold their seders on zoom. Of course, tonight started with the traditional jewish prayer of, nana, youre muted the seder tells the story of the israelites escaping slavery in egypt. Its all about plagues. We can relate. Ive been putting lambs blood on my door frame just to ward off grub hub. Ive got to cut out the carbs. Traditionally, on passover, you save a place for elijah and someone gets up and checks to see if hes at the door. But this year, if hes there, dont let him in. Hes 3,000 years old. Easter is also this weekend. And its going to be a strange one. Instead of celebrating in the church, well be celebrating in sweatpants. Or in no pants. Depends on your denomination. Recently, the vatican published guidelines for easter celebrations during coronavirus, including a decree for priests saying they may offer the liturgies in their parishes without the physical presence of the faithful. So theyre going to do the mass with nobody there. Well, as someone whos been performing with no audience for a few weeks now, i feel for those priests. My advice bring your dog in once in awhile. Okay . People like that. Make sure you change his collar. A church in texas planned Something Special for the kids in their parish, a virtual Easter Egg Hunt in minecraft. A little unorthodox, but better than their original plan, a Fortnite Bunny royale. With everybody changing how they celebrate the high holy days, i thought now would be a good time to check in with god to see what he thinks of all this. Please welcome, friend of the show, the almighty. Lord, thanks for joining us. My pleasure, stephen. Nice to talk to anybody. I was getting a little squirrelly. Stephen where are you right now, lord . Technically, im everywhere, but specifically im riding it out at my cabin in idaho. Im a prepper. Ive got two years of freezedried beef stroganoff. Stephen youre a prepper . Oh, yeah. Gotta be prepared for natural disasters. Im allloving, but im also very moody. Who knows what im going to do next . Stephen what about up in heaven . Are they social distancing . Oh, yeah. Me and the angels are doing all our meetings over zoom now. Im getting pretty good at it. Look, i can change my background. Now im in the bahamas. Now im in that house from parasite. Now im in hell oh that one usually gets a laugh. Boy, i dont know how you do this without an audience, steve. Stephen its not easy. So what are you doing this easter . Oh, celebrating at home. Having dinner with the son and the holy spirit. Were not supposed to be around each other, but were one in the same being so, that makes it tough. And its impossible to pick a tv show. Jesus hasnt caught up with tiger king yet, but im like, you cant call no spoilers eternity, jdog stephen well, ill let you go, god. Im sure youre busy. Yeah, i gotta give myself a haircut, then turn water into wine and then wine into toilet paper. Stephen god everybody weve got a show for you tonight. When we come back, ill be talking to the hosts of pod save america, john meacham, and a performance by dave matthews. Stick around. And tiger kings joe exotic. Stick around. This is hal. This is hals heart. Its been broken. This is also hals heart. And his relief, knowing hes covered by blue cross blue shield. And this is our promise, with over 80 years of healthcare expertise to be here for you now. And always. This is medicare from blue cross blue shield. This is the benefit of blue. Way more than you think. Check out this game. Yes. Galaxy 5g means you will beat your friends what if i want to show my friend this little guy . Calling the whole gang is even better with galaxy 5g. Wait a minute, are you bored . Obviously imagine a future where the best seats in the house are in your hand. With galaxy 5g yelling its like being there. Without being there. And ask your doctor about biktarvy. Biktarvy is a complete, onepill, onceaday treatment used for hiv in certain adults. Its not a cure, but with one small pill, biktarvy fights hiv to help you get to and stay undetectable. Thats when the amount of virus is so low it cannot be measured by a lab test. Research shows people who take hiv treatment every day and get to and stay undetectable can no longer transmit hiv through sex. Serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. Rare, lifethreatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. Do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. Tell your doctor about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. If you have hepatitis b, do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your doctor. Common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. If youre living with hiv, keep loving who you are. And ask your doctor if biktarvy is right for you. If youre living with hiv, keep loving who you are. Step by step, were going to figure this out. Were gonna find a way through this. Were working really, really hard in hospitals, our nurses, our techs, all the docs. Its about staggering when people get sick so that the hospitals can cope. Were gonna go through an awful lot of these. All across puget sound, people have been stepping up and donating personal protective equipment. We stay at work. For you. You stay at home for us. Just know were all with you. Thank you, thank you so much. Thank you doctors nurses. Stephen hey, everybody. Welcome back to a late show already in progress. Hi, jon, what are you doing down there . Hey, whats going on . Im hanging out in the house listening to music. Stephen good, good. Have a happy easter this weekend. Oh, you, too. You know, i know its a strange time for the families to come together, but were going to the best we can. Stephen well, listen, have a happy easter and well see you soon, i hope. See you. Much love. Stephen much love to you, too. Covid19 is impacting every aspect of life. Even nonhuman life, because last weekend, a tiger at new york citys bronx zoo tested positive for coronavirus. Great, now we have to stay six feet away from tigers, too . come on the sick tiger is going to be okay. The zoo believes she was infected by a zoo employee who wasnt yet showing symptoms. So i just want to say hey, tigers. Coronavirus isnt just a human disease anymore. So you have to stay safe. That means staying home unless you are an essential tiger. Say, if youre a tiger delivering groceries. Otherwise, its not so bad you can binge watch netflix. Ooh, you should check out tiger king. Youre the only trustworthy creatures in the whole show. In fact, its the biggest thing on tv right now. It tells a terrifying true story filled with guns, drugs, animal abuse, polyamory, and a bizarre murder plot. Its just a happy escape from reality. And it all centers on a bizarre former zoo owner named joe exotic. Hes the guy everyone is talking about, including the president. One of the biggest rating hits of the coronavirus aside from these briefings has been a show on netflix called tiger king. He is asking you for a pardon, saying he was unfairly convicted. Your son yesterday jokingly said that he, you know, was going to advocate for it, and i was wondering if you had seen the show and if you have any thoughts on pardoning joe exotic. Which son . Must be don. It was. I had a feeling it was don. Stephen yes, i had a feeling it was don, too. Because all eric watches is paw patrol. The president says, and im not making this up, hes going to look into it. Well, i beat him to the punch. Because i recently snagged an exclusive interview with joe exotic live from prison in texas where he is currently serving 22 years worth of courtordered social distancing. Jim . Thank you there, mr. Stevie, to the iced cold beer. Im thrilled to be on the show tonight and especially thrilled to be your musical guest performing my new numberone hit song a liger ate my shoes stephen okay, good to know. But i was actually hoping to ask you some questions sure, absolutely. Stephen okay, good. First, i think america wants to know, how have you been since the release of the documentary . I am so glad that you asked that, little stevie colbert. It has been like a poop parade on prune avenue and i am the dang roustabout who got handed the pooper scooper. Dont just whiz in my soup and call it minestrone chris maloney, okay, because i have been saying for many moons that a great rain is coming and its gonna be a purple rain. A purple rain and prince, them purple peopl eaters. And if you want to know about people eating, ask carol baskin. Stephen so youre doing well . Yes. Stephen great. Now, the series has sparked a lot of controversy. Do you feel like you were accurately portrayed by the filmmakers . I am so glad that you asked that little stevie b. J. And the colbert because let me tell you this, there has been a lot of funky rhubarb picked in the ted sarandospatch that paints me like some kinda chickenfried freakazoid who is crazier than downtown encyclopedia brown. But, in fact, thats just a colonels 12piece bucket of deep fried baloney bites, and im actually a very downtoearth pistolpacking double husband having mullet man with joie de vivre and a love of americas great cigarettes. Stephen so you feel. You were treated unfairly . Yes, sir. Stephen and have you actually been allowed to see the series while in prison . You know, im so glad you asked that 1985 chicago cold to the championship bears, and let me tell you this, no. I have not seen it because the aryan nation controls the Remote Control in the sort of multipurpose room. They have been Binge Watching reruns of the masked singer, so i cant get anywhere close it to so im up crap creek with a pickle for a paddle and a grinch up my crack. Stephen okay, good to know. That really paints a picture. Lets change gears. How have you been holding up during the current pandemic . Its been tough but i have been able to hear the president s press conferences every day, and that stuff doesnt make a lick of sense. Stephen thank you so much for being here, joe exotic. And now were going to do any murm one hit song. Let me get into my singing voice. A loggert at my shoes and now i sing the blues for you i dont run any zoos for you when the liger ate my shoes, too stephen im afraid were out of time. Stay safe in there, joe exotic. Well be right back. You know where im going. Ill be here. Roll [ screaming ] if were gonna save the world, we need to unite all the trolls. Like k pop. Reggaeton. Yodelin. And hip hop. My whole bodys made of glitter and ill throw it in your face well, were doomed. A smooth jazz troll . I dont care for smooth jazz. The World Premiere is in your home friday. Go to watchtrolls. Com for more. Rated pg. [ chuckles ] so, what are some Key Takeaways from this commercial . Did any of you hear the bundle your home and auto part . I like that, just not when it comes out of her mouth. Yeah, as a mother, i wouldnt want my kids to see that. Good mom. To see wait. Im sorry. What . Dont kids see enough violence as it is . Ive seen violence. Maybe we turn the word bundle into a character, like mr. Bundles. Top o the bundle to you. [ laughter ] bundle, bundle, bundle. My kids would love that. Yeah. Bundle, bundle, bundle. I am totally blind. And non24 can make me show up too early. Or too late. Or make me feel like im not really there. Talk to your doctor, and call 8442342424. Hon, can you put a roll of new charmin ultra soft in the bathroom . Ohh yeah baby you feel so good. I love how soft you are. I need your soft, pillowy cushions. New charmin ultra soft is twice as absorbent so you can use less and its softer than ever baby. Hon . Save some for the bathroom. Sorry, i couldnt resist the softness. We all go, why not enjoy the go with charmin. So meet eno, the capital one assistant that looks out for charges that might surprise you and helps you fix them. Whats in your wallet . Eveso we can stillg a answer your calls. Now. You and helps you fix them. And we are monitoring our system 24 7 to ensure that we have a fast reliable network, keep the customers connected, and making sure people are staying safe. And were still on the road. Solving Critical Issues as they arise. Go to xfinity. Com prepare. Thank you. Z3ujqz zi0z y3ujqy yi0y stephen welcome back. My guests tonight host one of the most popular podcasts in the country. From pod save america, please welcome jon favreau, jon lovett, and tommy vietor hi. Whoo hey stephen. Stephen one imagines the crowd is going wild. laughter lets get to the heat of the meat. Biden is the nominee, bernie is out. Does this change anything, bernies announcement . I mean, i think we always knew it was going to end up like this, at least since biden did so well on super tuesday and then the primaries right after that. But now we have a nominee, and i think, you know, i always remember that barack obama would always say that one of the best decisions he made as president is to make joe biden his Vice President and, you know, we had our share of criticisms for biden during the primary, but he is kind and empathetic and he is experienced, and, you know, its joe biden or donald trump. Those are the choices now. Pretty easy one for me. Stephen okay. You guys you guys, obviously, for the people there who dont know, were obama guys. And joe likes to remind everybody he was obamas Vice President. Yeah, itsco joe or donald trum, vhats an easy choice, but what is your level of enthusiasm for joe biden right now on a scale of 1 to 10 . Eleven. Stephen eleven. Joe biden is a kind, decent, empathetic human being who cares about people around him and in this country. Hes also an incredibly competent leader who in addition to many duties he did over eight years in the white house helped lead the response to the ebola crisis in 2014 and happens to employ the bern who was the ebola czar at that time. Not only is he a great Vice President , he has direct expertise in handling a Pandemic Response like were doling with right now. So in many ways were lucky to have joe biden at the top of this ticket. Stephen okay, bernie got a lot of criticism for not sufficiently being enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton in 2016. What does biden need to do to court the bernie voters, and whats bernies responsibility here . What does he need to do to convince people who were essentially never bidens that youve got to do the right thing . Biden put out a statement after bernie dropped out and he is saying the right thing. I think its about demonstrating to the bernie supporters that biden doesnt take them for grand and hes going to listen to them and hear them when they say they believe the country is in crisis and traditional politics hasnt been the answer for them. I think biden has to strike this balance because a lot of impeople out there want politics to go back to normal, where every day is not about the president , where hes not a liar and a lot of chaos. But for a lot of people stephen normal gave us donald trump. Right before donald trump became president , there was a country poised to elect somebody as dangerous, unqualified and unfit as donald trump, and, so, answering that systemic undergirding sense of insecurity, sense of crisis, i think, is what bidens job is. Its not just about lip service, its about listening to bernie and bernies supporters. Stephen i think its safe to say that bernie did create a move the and he is to a certain degree a transformative political figure at the beginning of the 1st century. With all of the juice hes got with his base, what does he have to do to say to them to make sure he theyre all behind biden . First of all, i think hes handled this very responsibly so far. He got out now, he didnt wait until the convention, which, you know, gives joe biden more time to get his Campaign Ready for the general. But i think, if youre bernie, youre telling your supporters, look, this was never his slogan was not meus. This was never about Bernie Sanders, this isnt about joe biden, this isnt about anyone politician. Bernie fought for a set of ideals for his entire life and the best way to realize his ideals is by doing everything that he can and his supporters can to get donald trump out of office and to elect joe biden, and then once joe biden is in the white house, if joe biden is not going to listen, then Bernie Sanders and his supporters can keep pushing joe biden as hard as they can. But theyre going to have a better chance of getting these ideals realized with biden in the white house than with trump, so thats why they need to go all out. Stephen what do you make of him saying, while hes not going to campaign anymore, hes still going to need to gather delegates and with on the ballot. He wants the delegates so he can get the platform to look like the vision he has. Its about power and politics. Bernie sanders is not going to be the president. Thats going to be incredibly disappointing for a lot of people, and i think its important hes saying to all the people out there watching this unfold that hes still in the fight, hes serious about what hes fighting for, that hes striking a balance between getting out to make sure joe biden is president , while signaling to all the people behind him that this work is going to continue and theyre going to have a big impact at the convention and they can then become joe bidens biggest headache once joe biden is president. Stephen we went from very few White House Press briefings to watching two hours of the trump show every day at 5 00, i guess. I have to admit, i have not watched a lot of it because it doesnt seem that informative and its just generally enraging. What do you make of it . Have you been watching . You are correct, stephen, not very informative and enraging, thats exactly what they are. Ive sadly been watching every day because im a masochist. I think he gets up there, he lies a lot, he contradicts the medical experts who are there with him, who he should be allowing to speak and sort of take the lead on this stuff. He at some point realized since he cant do campaign rallies, he can still command a huge audience with these briefings, so he turned them into essentially campaign rallies. Hes attacking Sleepy Joe Biden up there, the democrats, hes saying at lot of the stuff he would say if he was at a campaign rally. Stephen attackin attacking e press for asking questions at a press briefing. Right, he attacks the press all the time. He also prescribes medicine. So he has that role to play. laughter its not very informative and, you know, what hes trying to do is convince the American People every day that things are fine and, you know, obviously, the president should be giving people optimism but they shouldnt be giving people false hope, and i think the danger is that there are so many mixed messages coming from those very things wear masks but im not going to wear a mask, and this is going to be the worst week for the United States in history but also theres a light at the end of the tunnel. He continues to offer these mixed messages and misinformation in the middle of a Public Health crisis and i think, unbalanced, these briefings are doing more harm than good for the country. Stephen lets talk about the 15 primaries delayed in april, or the one that wasnt, wisconsin. Despite the fact that governor evers wanted it delayed till june, for some reason the republicans didnt want to go extended mailin ballots, didnt want to postpone it. What do you think what is that harbinge for our democracy and the rest of the primaries such as they are and the election in the fall. Tom. No, jon, no, jon hey, fight i got it. Think people need to understand how we got to tuesday where the republican g. O. P. Forced an election that was not safe. The Republican Party in wisconsin spent a decade creating laws to mark it harder to vote and gerrymandering the state legislature and the republican gerrymandered legislature forced the vote because they want a Supreme Court judge to win and they can purple 2,000 people from the Wisconsin Voter rolls in 2020. So using voter i. D. Laws and other suppression tactics to make sure a party shrimping in terms of its total voter base to continue to win elections and why democrats need to fight hard to make it easier to vote in this country. What we saw in wisconsin should be a really chilling wakeup call for what the election could look like in november. This is dangerous, it is stealing medical supplies from doctors who need them so coworkers can wear them for an election that shouldnt take place the way it did. The takeaway from what happened in wisconsin is Everyone Needs to make sure and urge their senators and congressmen to put Election Integrity in any relief bill that comes next because we have a Massive Health crisis, we have an economic crisis, and we have a democratic crisis, and they are happening all at once, and the most important president ial election in your lifetime may be fought under these conditions, and if we wake up on wednesday after election day in an election in which a lot of people felt it was unsafe to voted, it will be an incredibly destructive outcome for this country. Stephen well, guys, thank you so much for joining me. Stay safe. You, too. Stephen pet that dog that just came into the frame. Stay sterile, wash your hands. My dogs not here. Oh, well. Hell be so jealous. Mine, too. Stephen thanks again. Their podcast is pod save america. With jon favreau, jon lovett, and tommy vietor. Well be right back. vo at sprint, our priority is keeping our customers, employees, and communities safe. During these Uncertain Times we want you to get Great Service without leaving the safety of your home. Shop at sprint. Com for free next day shipping and no activation fees on our best new phone deals, like the Samsung Galaxy s20 5g for just 0 a month. Plus, youll also get a 100 prepaid mastercard when you switch online. Stay healthy and visit sprint. Com to get the services you need. For people with hearing loss, visit sprintrelay. Com oh, oh, announcer ® onceweekly ozempic® is helping many people with type 2 diabetes like james lower their blood sugar. A majority of adults who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. Heres your a1c. Oh my a1c is under 7 announcer and you may lose weight. Adults who took ozempic® lost on average up to 12 pounds. I lost almost 12 pounds oh announcer for those also with known heart disease, ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. It lowers the risk. Oh and i only have to take it once a week. Oh oh, oh, oh, ozempic® announcer ozempic® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Do not share needles or pens. Dont reuse needles. Do not take ozempic® if you have a personal or Family History of medullary thyroid cancer, multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if you are allergic to ozempic®. Stop taking ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, itching, rash, or trouble breathing. Serious side effects may include pancreatitis. Tell your doctor if you have Diabetic Retinopathy or vision changes. Taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. Common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and constipation. Some side effects can lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. Onceweekly ozempic® is helping me reach my blood sugar goal. Oh, oh, oh, ozempic® announcer you may pay as little as 25 per prescription. Ask your Health Care Provider today about onceweekly ozempic®. Can match the power of energizer. Because energizer ultimate lithium is the longest lasting aa battery in the world. [confetti cannon popping] energizer. Backed by science. Matched by no one. The census counts us all. And an accurate count helps inform where billions go every year. So, dont miss your chance to be counted. Shape your future. Start here at 2020census. Gov. Stephen welcome back, everybody. My next guest is a pulitzer prizewinning author and historian whose latest book is the hope of glory. Please welcome, jon meacham thanks, stephen. Stephen john, good to see you. Thanks for being here. Good to be here. I always wanted to spend monday thursday with you. Stephen this is a time when you would put out the search for jesus issue. It was hard to get the interview, but its great. Stephen as an historian, i want to know about your book the hope of glory, focusing on the seven final words of christ. It was the last words from the cross, its an old ecclesiastical device to preach on good friday about the seven comments from father forgive them for they know not what they do all the way through it is finished. Its a medieval devotion. I did it seven or eight years ago at our old parish in new york, st. Thomas fifth avenue, and its an opportunity on good friday to contemplate various elements of the life of jesus and the meaning of that life through what he said in what is most unquestionably the most agonizing pain you can imagine. The cross was reserved for slaves and criminals. You couldnt crucify a citizen in the roman empire, and what he managed to say in that moment and what the church came to believe he said, it offers you a really amazing window into what the message of jesus was and as important what the early church thought his message was, as they were facing immense pain and persecution as they tried to hold the church together. Stephen so how are you going to be celebrating easter with the social distancing going on right now . Are you changing at all . Obviously, because we would be at church. Stephen some people are going to church, though. Some people are defying it and saying, no, the Church Service itself is part of the religious expression and tradition and theyre not going to stop going. What do you think . Being willfully stupid is not part of the christian tradition. Just dont do it. The early christians met in houses, they met quietly. We have a chance to have the most authentic easter you can imagine. It began when the disciples were in hiding. The disciples were socially distanced because they were afraid they were going to get arrested. Were going to be in our households because were trying to be safe. Stephen youre an historian and write about president s. What do you make of the president s response to the coronavirus pandemic so far . This is a great crisis, this is a great moment, and in great moments, great leaders rise to the occasion. Do you think hes risen to it . No, i dont. I think this is why we have a president , this is why we have a federal government, this is why we have a social contract, you know, that we surrender certain rights in order to be safe in greater numbers. The president is so intent on justifying everything hes done that hes acting more like a churlish monarch then a leading figure in a democracy. Stephen i wish more of my guests used the word churlish. laughter well, heres what i think, if there were any ways to do this, we should have an Avengers Team of president s. Stephen if we could have the president for this moment now . It would be an Avengers Team. It would be Franklin Roosevelt with his sense of hope and bold, persistent experiment take. F. D. R. , brilliant, said above all, try something. Try a method. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all try something, and dont defend everything ive ever done. Hes also said, im like a baseball player. If i could get a hit every couple of times i was at bat, i would be a hall of famer. So if he could have an f. D. R. If we could have Lyndon Johnson who could make the private sector do exactly what he wanted them to do, and if we could have barack obama with the devotion to science and fact, if you could have that team at this moment we would be in better shape. Stephen and harry truman for the clause. Very few people knew that. Would you be interested in writing a biography about President Trump . Youve written so many great president ial biographies. Thank you. The thing about trump that interests me more than trump is what he says about us. Why have so Many Americans surrendered themselves to this figure of hes weaponized narcissism in a way that i think is shaping all of us for the ill, i really do, and im not a partisan. Im not a republican, im not a democrat. I live in tennessee, so when i say i have conservative friends, thats redundant. This is not a crazy lefty thing to say. As a clinical matter, if were going to be driven by reason as opposed to passion, a reasonable person, looking at the way the president has acted, would find him remarkably uncommensurate with the task of the presidency. I dont think i could write about him because first of all i dont know how much there is that we dont know, but i am interested in why so many of us have suspended our better judgment and our better angels in this moment. Stephen well, john, thank you so much for being here. Good to see you again. Thank you, sir. Have a happy easter. Stephen have a happy easter yourself. The hope of glory is available now. Jon meacham everybody well be right back. More than ever, your home is your sanctuary. Thats why lincoln offers you the ability to purchase a new vehicle remotely with participating dealers. An effortless transaction all without leaving the comfort and safety of your home. Thats the power of sanctuary. And for a little extra help, receive 0 apr financing and defer your first payment up to 120 days on the purchase of a new lincoln. I thought i had my moderate to Severe Ulcerative Colitis under control. Turns out, it was controlling me. Seemed like my symptoms were taking over our time together. I knew i needed to talk to my doctor. Think hell make it . Thats when i learned humira can help get and keep uc under control when other medications havent worked well enough. And it helps people achieve control that lasts. So you can experience few or no symptoms. Humira can lower your ability to fight infections. Serious and sometimes fatal infections, including tuberculosis, and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened, as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. Tell your doctor if youve been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if youve had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flulike symptoms or sores. Dont start humira if you have an infection. Be there for you, and them. Ask your gastroenterologist about humira. With humira, control is possible. U to join artists from all over the globe for one specia we are one world together at home, united in the fight against covid19. Tune in april 18 to participate in this historic global event. Way more than you think. Check out this game. Yes. Galaxy 5g means you will beat your friends what if i want to show my friend this little guy . Calling the whole gang is even better with galaxy 5g. Wait a minute, are you bored . Obviously imagine a future where the best seats in the house are in your hand. With galaxy 5g yelling its like being there. Without being there. You about your credit card. So meet eno, the capital one assistant that looks out for charges that might surprise you and helps you fix them. Another way capital one is watching out for your money, when youre not. Whats in your wallet . One is watching out for your money, when youre not. There are times when our need to connect really matters. To keep customers and employees in the know. To keep business moving. Comcast business is prepared for times like these. Powered by the nations largest gigspeed network. To help give you the speed, reliability, and security you need. Tools to manage your business from any device, anywhere. And a team of experts here for you 24 7. Weve always believed in the power of working together. Thats why, when every connection counts. You can count on us. Stephen and now performing john prines speed of the sound of loneliness, ladies and gentlemen, dave matthews. You come home late and you come home early you come on big when youre feeling small you come home straight and you come home curly sometimes you dont come home at all so what in the worlds come over you and what in heavens name have you done youve broken the speed of the sound of loneliness youre out there running just to be on the run well i got a heart that burns with a fever and i got a worried and a jealous mind how can a love thatll last forever get left so far behind so what in the worlds come over you and what in heavens name have you done youve broken the speed of the sound of loneliness youre out there running just to be on the run its crossed the evil line today well, how can you ask about tomorrow we aint got one word to say so what in the worlds come over you and what in heavens name have you done youve broken the speed of the sound of loneliness youre out there running just to be on the run youre out there running just to be on the run youre out there running just to be on the run stephen well, thats it for a late show. Happy easter and passover and dont forget to wash your hands. Before we go, well enjoy music from our own jon batiste. Jon. theme song playing captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by Media Access Group at wgbh access. Wgbh. Org are you ready yall to have some fun feel the love tonight dont you worry where it is you come from itll be all right its the late late show