>> Stephen: HEY, WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.

MY GUESTS TONIGHT ARE THE FOUNDERS OF "CROOKED MEDIA" AND

CO-HOSTS OF "POD SAVE AMERICA."

PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO "A LATE SHOW," JON FAVREAU, JON LOVETT,

AND TOMMY VIETOR!

FELLAS!

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!

>> YOU, TOO.

>> YEAH, IT'S A GOOD DAY.

>> Stephen: IT IS, WELL, "POD SAVE AMERICA," IS AMERICA SAVED?

HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

>> I THINK AMERICA IS RELIEVED.

BEATING... TOOK A LITTLE LONGER THAN WE HOPED.

DONALD TRUMP IS GONE.

JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS ARE RUNNING THE SHOW.

MITCH McCONNELL IS NO LONGER THE HEAD OF THE SENATE.

IT'S A PRETTY GOOD DAY.

>> Stephen: IT TRICKLED IN.

>> I FEEL LIKE AMERICA SURVIVED A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE, AND WE

HAVE, LIKE, GIVEN OURSELVES MAYBE ONE MORE CHANCE.

HOPEFULLY MORE, BUT MAYBE ONE MORE CHANCE.

AND IT IS ACTUALLY-- IT'S-- IT'S INSPIRING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I

WAS WORRIED WHEN TRUMP WON.

MY BIGGEST FEAR WAS THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE SO CYNICAL AND SO DOWN

THA THEY WOULDN'T WANT TOPARTICIPAT

AWAY FROM POLITICS, THAT THEY WOULDN'T GET INVOLVED.

AND THE FACT THAT SO MANY PEOPLE DID IS THE REASON THAT WE'RE

HERE TODAY, IS THE REASON THAT JOE BIDEN IS PRESIDENT RIGHT

NOW.

>> Stephen: WELL, JON, AS OBAMA'S FORMER HEAD

SPEECHWRITER, YOU'RE AN EXPERT AT INAUGURAL ADDRESSES.

WHAT STOOD OUT TO YOU TODAY?

>> A LOT OF INAUGURALS ARE PRESIDENTS LIKE TRYING TO DO AN■

IMPRESSION OF J.F.K.'S ADDRESS, SO THEY END UP BEING, LIKE, A

LOT OF FLOWERY RHETORIC, AND THEY DON'T ACTUALLY SAY MUCH.

I LOVE JOE BIDEN'S BECAUSE I THINK HE MADE A REAL ARGUMENT

ABOUT UNITY.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT IT'S ALWAYS BEEN DIFFICULT

TO OVERCOME RACISM AND DIVISION AND NATIVISM.

BUT HE SAID AT EVERY BIG MOMENT, ENOUGH OF US-- AND HE REPEATED

"ENOUGH OF US--" CAME TOGETHER TO CARRY ALL OF US FORWARD.

AND THEN HE OFFERED A REALLY MOVING LESSON FROM HIS OWN

EXPERIENCE, I THOUGHT.

HE SAID, "HERE'S THE THING ABOUT LIFE.

THERE'S NO ACCOUNTING FOR WHAT FATE WILL DEAL YOU.

THERE ARE SOME DAYS WHEN WE NEED A HAND.

THERE ARE OTHERS WE'RE CALLED TO LEND A HAND.

THAT IS HOW WE MUST BE WITH ONE ANOTHER."

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST A REALLY BEAUTIFUL SENTIMENT FROM

HIM.

>> Stephen: UNITY, OF COURSE, HAS BEEN A THEME LEADING UP TO

THE INAUGURATION, AND IT WAS ALL THROUGH THE DAY.

LOVETT, WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THOSE CALLS FOR UNITY?

DO YOU THINK WE HAVE A CHANCE?

HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE DIVISIVENESS IN THE COUNTRY, BUT DO YOU THINK

WE HAVE A CHANCE TO BOUNCE BACK FROM THAT NADER THAT WE SAW ON

THE CAPITOL STEPS TWO WEEKS AGO?

>> I THOUGHT WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE INAUGURAL IS IT WASN'T-- IT

WAS HOPEFUL WITHOUT BEING NAIVE.

AND IT TALKED ABOUT UNITY IN A WAY THAT I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD

JOE BIDEN TALK ABOUT IT IN THE PAST, WHICH IS THAT IT WASN'T--

HE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT AS SOMETHING YOU BEG FOR.

HE TALKED ABOUT IT AS SOMETHING YO FIGHT FOR.

IF WE WANT TO HAVE SHARED FACTS, IF WE WANT SOTEE SHARED

HUMANITY, IF WE WANT A NICE THING, PEOPLE DON'T TRY TO BURN

THE CAPITOL DOWN WHEN THEY LOSE AN ELECTION, THEN WE DON'T JUST,

LIKE, BEG OUR OPPONENTS TO BE NICE.

WE POINT OUT THE FORCES AND MAKE PEOPLE PAY A POLITICAL PRICE FOR

EMBOLDENING THE FORCES OF PROPAGANDA, RACISM, BIGOTRY AND

LIES WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH FOR FOUR YEARS.

AND HE WAS VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.

AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF SOMETHING COMES OUT

OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS, FOUR YEARS OF SOMEBODY LYING TO US,

IT CAN BE THAT WE ARE FINALLY, COMPLETELY HONEST ABOUT HOW

BROKEN THINGS HAVE GOTTEN, HOW DANGEROUS SOME OF THESE FORCES

ARE, AND WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO FIX IT.

AND THAT, TO ME, WAS VERY HOPEFUL AND EXCITING.

THAT WAS WHEN I FELT THE EMOTION OF THE DAY THE MOST, I THINK.

>> Stephen: TO ME, IT SEEMED LIKE THE ARGUMENT, ON A CERTAIN

LEVEL WAS, LET'S FIND UNITY, IF ONLY ON A UNITY THAT FACTS

MATTER, A UNITY THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE AFFORDED DIGNITY.

A UNITY THAT OUR INSTITUTIONS THAT SUSTAIN OUR DEMOCRACY ARE

WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

ANOTHER THING THAT BIDEN HAS A UNIQUE ABILITY TO ADDRESS IS

LOSS AND GRIEF.

AND, TOMMY, HOW-- WHY DO YOU THINK IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT--

FOR INSTANCE, THAT LAST NIGHT HE WENT TO THE REFLECTING POOL AND

TOOK THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE AND REMINDED US THE NECESSITY FOR

THAT RECOGNITION?

>> YEAH, LOOK, EVERYONE THAT IS-- THAT HAS WORKED FOR JOE

BIDEN OR WORKED AROUND HIM HAS A STORY ABOUT A TIME WHEN HE

REACHED OUT TO YOU WHEN YOU WERE STRUGGLING OR, LIKE, YOU SAW HIM

GIVE HIS CELL PHONE OUT TO A STRANGER HE MET AT AN EVENT WHO

EXPERIENCED LOSS AND HE ACTUALLY STAYED IN TOUCH WITH THEM.

IT'S THE CORE OF WHO HE IS IS.

THE MAN EXPERIENCED THIS UNIMAGINABLE LOSS AND TRAGEDY IN

HIS LIFE AND HE CAME AWAY WITH IT WITH THIS BOTTOMLESS WELL OF

EMPATHY FOR OTHERS.

WHAT I THINK THAT MEANS FOR US AS PRESIDENT NOW IS HE IS GOING

TO VIEW COVID AS A HUMAN PROBLEM AND NOT A POLITICAL PROBLEM.

TRUMP GAVE UP ON MANAGING COVID.

HE DIDN'T WANT NATIONAL TESTING BECAUSE HE THOUGHT MORE CASES

MADE HIM LOOK BAD.

HE DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE STATES MONEY TO DISTRIBUTE THE

VACCINES, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS

LOOK GOOD.

IT'S TRULY SHOCKING THAT WE HAVE HAD 400,000 DEATHS.

THERE HAS BEEN NO MEMORIAL SERVICE UNTIL TODAY.

BUT WHAT I THINK BIDEN SAID THROUGH THE EVENT AND THE COVID

PLANT HE ANNOUNCEDDED IS, "I WILL GRIEVE WITH YOU.

I WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND I WILL OWN IT,

BECAUSE WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER."

THAT IS A VERY DIFFERENT VISION OF LEADERSHIP.

>> Stephen: YOU GUYS WORKED ON CAMPAIGNS.

DO YOU THINK IF THE LAST PRESIDENT HAD JUST TAKEN ONE

MOMENT TO ADDRESS THE GRIEF OF THE NATION, OR TO ACKNOWLEDGE

THE LOSS, HE MIGHT STILL BE PRESIDENT TODAY?

>> YES.

I MEAN, UNFORTUNATELY.

( LAUGHS ) BECAUSE I THINK HE SHOULDN'T BE

PRESIDENT FOR A NUMBER OF OTHER REASONS.

>> Stephen: SURE.

>> BUT I THINK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS

ABSOLUTELY A MOMENT WHERE THE COUNTRY WAS YEARNING FOR ALEADER

NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THAT PERSON, EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T VOTE

FOR THAT PERSON.

AND HE COULDN'T SHOW EVEN A MODICUM OF EMPATHY FOR OTHERS,

BECAUSE HE IS A NARCISSIST, OBSESSED WITH HIMSELF.

AND THAT WAS BASICALLY THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC OF THE

ENTIRE PRESIDENCY, WAS SELFISHNESS.

>> Stephen: LET'S GET TO AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT, GAGA, J-LO,■ç

GARTH BROOKS.

LOVETT, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PERFORMANCE TODAY?

WHAT LEFT OUT?

>> OBVIOUSLY, AS A GAY AMERICAN, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT I CHOOSE

GAGA.

( LAUGHTER ) I MIGHT --

>> Stephen: SURE, LEGALLY.

>> LEGAL ME SPEAKING.

AMAAMANDA GORMAN'S POEM WAS, OBVIOUSLY, BEAUTIFUL.

BUT I WOULD-- I WOULD SAY THAT TED CRUZ PRETENDING HE DIDN'T

SUBORN A CUE TWO WEEKS AGO WAS EXTRAORDINARY.

>> Stephen: OSCARS.

OSCARS.

>> KEVIN McCARTHY, LIKE GEORGE CASTANZA WANDERING AROUND LIKE

HE DIDN'T JUST DECLARE WAR ON THE WHOLE PLACE.

HE VOTED AGAINST DEMOCRACY TWO WEEKS AGO!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

( LAUGHTER ) WE WERE THERE.

WE ALL SAW IT HAPPEN.

IT WAS ON TELEVISION.

>> Stephen: YES.

BUT YOU NOTICE-- >> HE CAME BACK IN AFTER THE CUE

ATTEMPT.

>> Stephen: THE TELEVISION CAMERAS, THERE'S RIGHT AND

THERE'S WRONG-- THE CAMERA CUTS TO TED CRUZ.

OR WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN VISITED BY

EVIL, IT CUTS TO KEVIN McCARTHY.

IT WAS INCREDIBLE, WHOEVER WAS PRODUCING IT, KNEW WHERE PEOPLE

WERE SITTING.

>> REMEMBER HOW YOU VOTED AGAINST DEMOCRACY, AND THEN YOU

HAD TO LEAVE YOUR OFFICE?

AND THEN WHEN YOU CAME BACK A BUNCH OF STRANGERS HAD PEED IN

VARIOUS STRANGE PLACES?

>> Stephen: WE'RE LIVE.

WE'RE LIVE.

STOP THERE.

TOP IS THERE.

WE WERE LIVE.

YOU GUYS ALL WORKED FOR OBAMA.

WHAT'S THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR OLD BOSS AND THE NEW

PRESIDENT?

THAT CLUTCH AT THE END, YOU KNOW, THE FIST BUMP, AND THE