Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO A LIVE "LATE SHOW" FOLLOWING THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. LET'S SAY HELLO TO JON BATISTE. HELLO, JON. >> Jon: YES! SHOE FLY DON'T BOTHER ME. ( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: I WAS WONDERING-- I KNEW YOU'D HAVE SOMETHING. I KNEW SOMETHING. >> Jon: MY GOODNESS. WAY BACK IN NEW ORLEANS WHEN I WAS A KID, IT WAS A NURSERY RHYME, BUT WITH THE NEW ORLEANS MARDI GRAS INDIAN BEAT ♪ SHOE FLY DON'T BOTHER ME ♪ SHOE FLY DON'T BOTHER ME ♪ >> Stephen: WE SANG THAT WHEN I WAS A KID. OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE "HAIL TO THE CHIEF "FOR PRESIDENTS. THERE'S A LOT OF PRESIDENTIAL-SOUNDING MUSIC. IS THERE ANY VICE PRESIDENTIAL-SOUNDING MUSIC? >> Y YOU KNOW, I'M WORKING ON THAT. IN FACT, I HAVE A NICE LITTLE PIECE I'M CRAFTING. I WANT TO SHOW IT TO THE PEOPLE. WHEN CAN WE DO THAT? >> Stephen: I DON'T KNOW. WE HAVE TO WORK IT OUT. I HEARD IT AND I LOVE IT. >> Jon: OOPTS KICKING, MAN. >> Stephen: IT'S INTENSE. FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ONGOING SAGA ON THE SHOW, IT'S A SONG FOR KAMALA HARRIS. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO IT, MY FRIEND. CAN YOU PLAY US OUT TO PETE BUTTIGEIG. >> Jon: YES, MAYOR PETE IN THE HOUSE. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Stephen: JON BATISTE, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU, JON. ♪ SHOE FLY DON'T BOTHER ME ♪ >> Stephen: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN MY GUEST TONIGHT WAS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AND THE FORMER MAYOR OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. PLEASE WELCOME PETE BUTTIGEIG. MAYOR PETE, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME. EXCITED TO BE WITH YOU. >> Stephen: WERE YOU IN THE HALL TONIGHT? >> I WAS, YEAH. FAR ENOUGH AWAY I DIDN'T SEE THE FLY, BUT I WAS THERE TO SEE EVERYTHING ELSE. >> Stephen: YOU MISSED ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING MOMENTS OF THE EVENING, ACTUALLY. IT WAS REMARKABLE HOW LONG THE FLY-- THAT'S A FLY I'M SURE COULD HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF A SPIDER WEB FASTER. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH HAIR SPRAY PENCE HAS IN THERE, BUT HE REALLY LOOKED LIKE HE WAS GLUED TO THE SPOT. >> I GUESS HE JUST GOT STUCK. >> Stephen: WHAT WAS IT-- WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN THE ROOM? WHAT WAS THE VIBE? DID YOU HAVE TO WEAR A HAZMAT SUIT? DID YOU FEEL NERVOUS AT ALL? >> WE WERE MASKED UP. THEY WERE VERY RIGOROUS AND SERIOUS ABOUT THE SOCIAL DISTANCING. I HAVE LOST COUNT OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES I'VE BEEN TESTED SINCE WE STARTED THIS TRIP. I FELT SAFE AND THOUGHT THE HOST DID A GOOD JOB. IT WAS REALLY INTENSE IN THERE BECAUSE, OF COURSE, WE KNOW HOW MUCH IS AT STAKE. AND, YOU KNOW, AFTER WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK, I THINK A LOT OF US WERE LOOKING FOR A DEBATE WHERE WE COULD ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, HEAR WHAT PEOPLE HAD TO SAY AND THERE WAS A GREAT CHANCE FOR SENATOR HARRIS TO DIRECTLY MAKE THE CASE ABOUT NOT JUST THE FAILURES OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, BUT WHAT WE COULD HAVE IF WE HAD A BETTER ADMINISTRATION. >> Stephen: IT WAS-- IT WAS, ACTUALLY, GOOD TO HEAR IDEAS. IT WAS REFRESHING IN ITS-- IN ITS ORDINARINESS. HOWEVER IMPORTANT THE CONVERSATION, IT WAS A CONVERSATION. IT WASN'T SOME SORT OF STRANGE DONNYBROOK. IT WAS REPORTED THAT YOU PLAYED PENCE FOR SENATOR HARRIS' PREP. IS THIS-- IS THIS TRUE, MR. MAYOR? >> YOU KNOW, YES, YEAH, IT IS. YOU KNOW, GETTING INTO THE MIND OF MIKE PENCE WAS NOT SOMETHING I WOULD HAVE GUESSED WOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE CAMPAIGN WHEN I SAID I WOULD DO ANYTHING I COULD TO HELP JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS GET ELECTED. OB, SPENT A LOT OF TIME DEALING WITH HIM, KNOW HIM WELL, AND GLAD I WAS ABLE TO HELP IN THAT WAY. >> Stephen: WELL, BECAUSE YOU WERE MAYOR OF SOUTH BEND WHEN HE WAS GOVERNOR. >> RIGHT. >> Stephen: WHEN YOU ACTUALLY OT INTO HIS MIND, AFTER IT WAS OVER, AFTER AN HOUR OF DEBATE PREP RPS WAS IT HARD TO GET OUT OF CHARACTER? >> YEAH, IN FACT, IT'S BEEN HAPPENING TO ME QUITE A BIT. SOMETIMES I'LL BE DOING A REGULAR NEWS HIT AFTER A DAY OF PREP AND I GET INTO THAT "I TRULY DO BELIEVE THAT THE BROAD-SHOULDERED LEADERSHIP OF THIS PRESIDENT"... >> Stephen: DON'T STOP. I'M SURE "S.N.L." IS,LYING FOR SOMEBODY. >> I'LL GIVE THEM A CALL. >> Stephen: WHO PLAYED THE FLY IN THE MOCK DEBATES? >> YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO SAY THE FLY WAS ONLY THING THAT WE-- THAT WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT OR CONTEMPLATE. THAT AND JUST HOW OFTEN PENCE WOULD INTERRUPT THE MODERATOR. THAT WAS THE OTHER THING THAT TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE, ONE THING ABOUT HIM, HE'S PRETTY PREDICTABLE. YOU COULD TELL THAT JUST ALTERNATE REALITY FORCE FIELD THAT HE'S BUILT UP AROUND HIMSELF, AND WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE WAS PREPARED FOR ALL OF THE ATTACKS, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE WEIRD VERSIONS OF REALITY HE WAS GOING TO TRY TO TELL ABOUT THIS PRESIDENT. >> Stephen: WHAT'S HE LIKE WHEN THE CAMERAS ARE OFF? LIKE, WHEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH HIM OR DEAL WITH HIM AS AT MAYOR, WHAT WAS HE LIKE JUST ONE-ON-ONE? >> YOU KNOW, I MEAN, NOT THAT DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW, POLITE, AND SPEAKS SLOWLY AND CALMLY, AND GENTLY. BUT AS WE'VE SEEN IN KNOW-- AS WE SAW IN THE 2016 C DEBATE, TOO THE SCARY THING IS HE'S PRETTY COMFORTABLE TELLING A LIE AND IN A CALM, REASSURING VOICE THAT WOULD MAKE YOU THINK WHAT HE WAS SAYING WAS GOD'S HONEST TRUTH. >> Stephen: AGAIN, THAT IS SPOOKY. I'M FEELING IT. I'M FEELING IT. YOUR HAIR ACTUALLY GETS WHITER, AND YOU... YOU -- >> LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. I WONDER IF IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE PREP. >> Stephen: NOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF ANSWERS TONIGHT THAT WERE SORT OF DISCONCERTING FROM VICE PRESIDENT PENCE, BUT AS DISCONCERTING WERE SOME OF THE THINGS HE DIDN'T ANSWER, LIKE, WHY THERE WAS SUCH A MASSIVE FAILURE OF HIS CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE, AND THE WHITE HOUSE IN GENERAL RESPONDING TO THIS CRISIS. WHETHER THERE WOULD BE A PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER, SHOULD THEY LOSE? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO PREEXISTING CONDITION COVERAGE. WHAT ANSWERS DO YOU THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED AT THIS POINT. >> YEAH, I MEAN, PEACEFUL TRANSFER OF POWER, THAT'S ONE OF THE ABSOLUTE BASICS. AND HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME ANSWER ON WHAT THEY WOULD DO ON HEALTH CARE IF THEY SUCCESSFULLY STRIP AWAY PREEXISTING CONDITION COVERAGE, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR FOUR YEARS. THAT'S WHY WHEN HE SAYS THERE'S SUDDENLY A PLAN IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE HIM. THE. LINE IS THE PRESIDENT PUT HIM IN CHARGE OF LEADING THE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE, AND BETWEEN THEM THEY'VE LED THE WORST RESPONSE OF THIS PANDEMIC OF ANY COUNTRY IN THE DEVELOPED WORLD. I THINK THAT WAS THE REALITY BEHIND ALL OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT WERE BEING EXCHANGED TONIGHT IS JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY WAS MORE IN TUNE WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING AROUND US. WHERE, YOU KNOW, NOT TO DOWNPLAY THE SWINE FLU, BUT, OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS NOT THE SWINE FLU. AND, OBVIOUSLY, THE ECONOMY IS NOT JUST FINE. AND, OBVIOUSLY, THIS COUNTRY HASN'T DONE A GOOD JOB, THIS ADMINISTRATION HASN'T DONE A GOOD JOB, FOR SURE, DEALING WITH THE CORONAVIRUS. AND WE DESERVE BETTER. AND I THINK THAT'S THAT JUST BASIC REALITY WAS BEHIND EVERYTHING AS WORTH THINKING ABOUT HOW TO TACK A DEVOID, HURTING NATION AND GET IT INTO BETTER SHAPE. I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS, AS SHE WAS ABLE TO POINT OUT, NOT ONLY ARE DEMOCRATS UNITED, EVEN IN OUR FAMOUSLY BIG TENT, BEHIND JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS, BUT A LOT OF INDEPENDENTS AND A REMARKABLE NUMBER OF REPUBLICANS. BECAUSE THIS TRANSENDS IDEOLOGY, THAT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE DIFFERENT AND BETTER LEADERSHIP. >> Stephen: ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE SWINE FLU COMPARISON DOESN'T HOLD UP, AS SUSAN PAGE POINTED OUT AND AS DID SENATOR HARRIS IS THAT ON JANUARY 28, THE ADMINISTRATION KNEW THAT IT WAS DIFFERENT.