Stephen Colbert interviewed former President Barack Obama in the final stretch of The Late Show’s more than 30-year run. During the interview, Colbert acknowledged that he is “looking for a new gig soon,” and jokingly asked the Democrat about the idea that he run for president, as some people have floated.
“For the record, I think it’s a stupid idea. How dumb do you think it is for people to say that I should run for president?” Colbert said. Obama quipped, “The bar has changed” in an apparent, thinly veiled attack on President Donald Trump.
“I think that you could perform significantly better than some folks that we’ve seen,” Obama added.
Light-Hearted Conversation
The conversation was light-hearted for the most part, with the two discussing extraterrestrial life at one point. Colbert had asked Obama about a comment the former president made during a February interview with podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, where he said aliens are real, “but I haven’t seen them.”
Obama later tried to backtrack, saying, “I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us.” But Colbert wasn’t buying it. The former president insisted that there is no conspiracy that the government was hiding evidence of extraterrestrial life, simply because they wouldn’t be able to keep it hidden. “For those of you who still think that we’ve got little green men underground somewhere — one of the things you learn as president is government is terrible at keeping secrets,” Obama said.
Interview Location
Obama spoke with Colbert at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. It’s the former president’s first interview on the 19.3-acre campus set to open next month. The campus will include a museum, library and outdoor areas such as the Women’s Garden.
Colbert's History with Obama
Colbert’s relationship with the former president goes back to his days on Comedy Central. The comedian interviewed Obama three times on his former show The Colbert Report, which ran from 2005 to 2014. Obama also appeared on The Late Show in 2016 and 2020.
CBS News announced last July that it would be retiring The Late Show. The network insisted it was a “financial decision,” but speculation swirled that it was politically motivated. The announcement came shortly after Colbert criticized CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, for its decision to settle a lawsuit brought on by President Donald Trump.
David Letterman's Reaction
David Letterman, the original host of The Late Show, said he was in “disbelief” when he heard that the show would be canceled. “TV may be not the money machine it once was. On the other hand, what about the humanity for Stephen and the humanity of people who love him and the humanity for people who still enjoyed that 11:30 respite?” Letterman asked in a new interview with The New York Times.
The final episode of The Late Show will air on May 21. Bryon Allen’s Comics Unleashed will fill the show’s slot.
