President Obama Reflects On The Drone Program And "The Illusion That It Is Not War"

President Obama describes the decision-making process behind his administration's use of drone strikes and why he ultimately had to reform the system. Barack Obama's new memoir "A Promised Land" is available everywhere now. #Colbert #PresidentObama #BarackObama
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The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is the premier late night talk show on CBS, airing at 11:35pm EST, streaming online via CBS All Access, and delivered to the International Space Station on a USB drive taped to a weather balloon. Every night, viewers can expect: Comedy, humor, funny moments, witty interviews, celebrities, famous people, movie stars, bits, humorous celebrities doing bits, funny celebs, big group photos of every star from Hollywood, even the reclusive ones, plus also jokes.

[@marka6591]

Can we just agree that Colbert should number these releases?

[@cece5088]

DuMp45 probably will be selling our country's secrets to his buddy Putin..💰💰💰💰💰💰

[@ArdPulaStudios]

Or just put it out in full 🙄🙄🙄🙄

[@Veronique487]

Yes, Part I, Part II, Part III, etc

[@Boobalopbop]

YES! It's so frustrating... I understand posting it in pieces (more clicks), but really. Just a simple number in the title. That's all we need.

[@Nicolas-uu3jr]

Amen ;p

[@jay_rgb]

People criticise Obama for taking long pauses while speaking, but I honestly never minded it, it showed that he was taking the time to seriously think about what he was saying and making sure it was meaningful. Its much better than the verbal diarrhea we got from Diaper Don.

[@romanhed]

I agree with your sentiment. But I still watch Barry at 1.5x speed :)

[@Chrisbell804]

@The Grizzled Norseman ☠️☠️☠️

[@nancychandler367]

Absolutely! Imagine that, a President who thinks before he talks instead of the 🍊 Orange derangement of Trumps flight of 💡 ideas.

[@telectronix1368]

"It's important everyday to take some time just to stop and think."

[@robingarrett3171]

For me, it also gave me time to keep up with him.

[@od9694]

Lot of respect for Colbert never would have expected him to bring up the drone program with Obama

[@bend769]

This is a rare instance Colbert isn't being a complete corporate shill

[@od9694]

@@bend769 it's almost as if he works for a massive corporation, what are you expecting he is a comedian

[@theciakilledjfk5973]

Why didn't he mention the Fifth Amendment and the fact that you cannot deprive a person of Life unless Congress has declared war? This is the Supreme Ironclad law of our country and Obama just ignored it. Not much different than Trump in terms of criminality. Just smoother and more polished.

[@od9694]

@@theciakilledjfk5973 he is a comedian to be fair if America is depending on him to hold its politicians USA is more fucked than I thought

[@geekylove3603]

@@bend769 They are laughing and joking throughout the interview. Its called a gloss over.

[@qmandolin5020]

I really appreciated that when he discussed “collateral damage,” he took the time to acknowledge that term was a polite way of saying “killing innocent people.” This is a really tricky topic and I respect that he acknowledges his responsibility and the cost of his decisions.

[@Allr3dc]

I think this is why I know I could never do that job and why we need good people in that position. As a citizen it’s easy for me to say “the drone program shouldn’t exist.” For him, though, it was probably the classic ethics question of changing the tracks of a train.

[@dazzlemasseur]

@@Allr3dc I really wish more people would hear him talk about that. Hopefully with the second volume of his book coming out, people will inform themselves and stop accusing him of the worst things. He's a good man, and he does what he can, like all of us.

[@christoffellner84]

Absolutely. Its, in my humble opinion, voters who need to learn too, that sitting in that chair (or any other chair that is in charge), it is impossible, that decisions you make, can be limited only to the addressed person (be it a drone, be it something else). This, i think, should humble both the siting one and those that put the person there.

[@TheDrexxus]

It reminds me of the speech from A Few Good Men. The cold reality is, we do need people willing to kill and end lives guarding the rest of the people. The ones willing to make the hard choices and do what it takes to ensure survival of the group, even if it is unpleasant, lacks compassion for those outside the group, and so on. War and conflict are a universal element of human existence. We will never live in a peaceful world where everyone gets along, and there will always be those who are willing to kill others to take things from them and who will do this on a world stage using armies and soldiers. You must have your own and they must be willing to fight and die for everyone they are there to protect. War is a horrible, ugly, horrific, monstrous thing and it dehumanizes people, damages people, kills people, and breaks people. But we can't escape it, so we must embrace it. Even if every country in the world but one rejected all war, all militaries, all weapons, etc. As long as there was still one country that did, it would simply start taking over all the other countries until they decided they needed soldiers, weapons, and war once again. It only takes one person to ruin it, and people are too diverse and random to ever escape those kinds of people.

[@SM-po9wf]

@@dazzlemasseur nearly 90 percent of the people killed in airstrikes were not the intended targets. Stop romanticising him because he sounds smart. He is a war criminal.

[@mikeharrison1868]

Gosh. Being able to hold two things in mind at once. Neither of which is "What can I personally get out of this, up front, in my hand, right now?" Not a saint, but a genuine and smart human being.

[@gim5964]

Obama's personal gain was always his motivation. Have you looked at his personal worth now and the number of homes he owns. He's come a long way from his community organizer days. It's always about HIS egotistical globalist ambitions and not about the nation. He's the one that continues to stoke the flames of racial division. HE is not color blind!

[@mikeharrison1868]

@@gim5964 I understand that this is the way you look at things. Where do you get your information from? I am a UK and NZ citizen, and I lived in Minnesota for a couple of years. I get information from a wide variety of sources. As I said, I don't regard him as a saint. But I don't recognise your picture of him at all. Best wishes.

[@issyikhis3449]

@@gim5964 he made most of his money with his books... he sold 14 000 before and when he became president sold millions. Then public speaking, he gets like $500k per speech. Then this book deal was like $80M. It's all in his tax returns. He is a big nerd so all his charities are about education and books..again common knowledge.

[@bulavo]

you do know the has murdered thousands by drone strikes? hundreds of thousands by starting 5 new wars? AND deported 5 millions from US!!

[@mikeharrison1868]

@@bulavo I agree he's not a saint. Thanks for your information. Can you please give me detailed references. Thanks in advance.

[@GG-bn4sx]

"For the country" has no "I" in it. Sad that it was taken for granted that any president should know and hold true to that.

[@davidanderson_surrey_bc]

Er... doesn't "The United States of America" have TWO i's in it?

[@TheJipino]

I think judging the selfishness of words, actions and phrases on the number of i's in them is an incredibly unreliable measure of said selfishness.

[@maximeprometheas]

After living through the past four years, I have to ask - is it even legal for Presidents to admit that they are not infallible and that they may have been wrong at some point? Oh the Humanity!

[@nolanholmberg3264]

Yeah it’s just bombing brown children isn’t excusable there’s a word we have for that it’s called “war criminal” and if international law was upheld every president since Clinton would be in jail rn.

[@Marijuanifornia]

@@nolanholmberg3264 Seriously. How is this guy laughing in an interview about indiscriminately firing missiles at weddings, hospitals and schools? They wrote off every civilian casualty as either "enemy combatants" (including toddlers) or "collateral damage" (as if they were furniture or some other inanimate object). And this from a Nobel peace prize recipient. And everyone still cheers for him. It's sick.

[@faaaszoooom6778]

@@Marijuanifornia If you think these casulties are avoidable, than I suggest you should grow up.

[@Chrisbell804]

@@Marijuanifornia , you’re smoking the wrong stuff man. Get off the Clickbait, reality is waiting for you.🎸🍀🕊

[@hizzlemobizzle]

I could not bear to watch it. Did he apologize for murdering countless civilians with drones? If so that is a good start. Next he could apologize to the millions of Americans who lost their homes while he bailed out wall street.

[@Beygent]

You can see the weight of the decisions on him. It's an albatross he still carries, and I appreciate knowing that they didn't come easy, but from careful deliberation.

[@GeorgeP1066]

I'm betting the thousands of innocent people killed and maimed by US drone strikes must be really reassured knowing that at least Obama carries a little weight on his conscience from having ordered those strikes.

[@allyourcode]

Here here. Unfortunately, what ~50% of Americans see is "indecisiveness". Americans want to see Action Man (TM) as president. That is why they voted t-bag dump. He is loud and dramatic. What these people do not understand is that quality decision making is much more important than dramatic action, and quality decision making requires thoughtfulness more than it requires decisiveness.

[@GeorgeP1066]

@Near Yetfar yup, I'm aware that the orange fascist was/is worse than Obama. That doesn't change the fact that Obama has the blood of thousands on his hands and that it clearly isn't making him lose much sleep. "Person X is worse than Y" isn't a defence of Y, and if the only reason you're saying it is for the sake of defending your party (less than a month after an election you won no less!) then that doesn't reflect as well on the party as you might think.

[@thomasparkin259]

@@GeorgeP1066 I suppose the question I ask myself is would my hands be any less bloody in the same position? I think it's terrible so many people died, but I can't say I wouldn't ere on the side of caution if I thought someone was a threat to people under my protection.

[@GeorgeP1066]

@@thomasparkin259 and the decision to value the lives of a dozen innocent foreign strangers less than the life of a single innocent stranger who's a countryman is precisely why such thinking is so inherently immoral. Either you believe in the sanctity of life or you don't.

[@jordanlong8005]

This was cathartic. I felt so at ease with the knowledge that my elected representative was a competent, knowledgable person.

[@mark-ish]

..and didnt throw in a word salad or a covfefe.

[@tygilsdorf4895]

You said war criminal wrong, I advocated people to vote for him but he sucked as president

[@waryaawariiri1812]

Are you telling me really Obama knew about Nepal and Bhutan and where they are located, and did not call them 'Nipple' and 'Button' respectively? Or that the Finnish people do not rake their forests. Or that he knows the difference between the Baltics from the Balkans. Get out here.

[@robertshaw5599]

Yeah he Drone Stricked u when u least expect it. Ask middle EAST. Chicago was smooth. Ask the Kids in Cages and Deportation squads and thousands of Pardons in hush hush last few months. He was the Deporter in Chief. Also he put 3 times more kids in cages than Trump but at least he never separated them from their Cayotes and or Mothers and Fathers at the border, right? Such a nice guy. So deceptive. Wake up.

[@samsonlassen1296]

@@robertshaw5599 Found one!! A dude who dislikes 44. Need some of you around.

[@taerri10]

I am loving the joy that John Baptiste obviously feels playing for this interview. I feel it too!

[@ginablanshard8255]

john baptiste is fabulous - I love the joy he projects (and he plays plano great!)

[@ginablanshard8255]

sorry Teresa - I wrote identical to you b4 seeing it!!!

[@gwenreader6631]

@@ginablanshard8255 It’s worth repeating. 😀

[@andirodriguez5408]

Im happy Colbert mentioned the drone program

[@tomsdralis3166]

I love how he talks about the drone program. A clear understanding of the concerns and the subsequent arguments, as well as the reasoning behind the support of this use.

[@Stolens87]

@@tomsdralis3166 The only insight I missed there was that the drone strikes maybe created more terrorists than they killed. I can't think how I would react if a foreign force fires missiles at an apparently random place and kills my loved ones because they were accidentally close a phone of an allegedly terrorist.

[@themadafaka6839]

@@Stolens87 still keep in mind, no matter how magnetic, how charming Obama might be to u.. he's STILL just a president OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA... sadly, he's still gotta do what american government does best..BOMBING ppl.

[@mikebutler4189]

To be honest it was mentioned in a pretty softball way, but I think Obama's acknowledgement of the good and bad sides was decent.

[@conancat]

@@Stolens87 yeah, that's a type of human error that both soldiers on the ground and drone pilots can commit. Heck you arguably have less chances of that happening when using drones than sending in soldiers. Drone operators get to act under a more controlled environment where all the non-frontline-soldiers experts of the case are there to support you to make sure you don't get the wrong person. if you send in team of soldiers on the ground to do it, not only you're now putting more lives in danger, every person in the team are all capable of human error, you have basically multiplied the chances of innocent civilians to become victims of a worse tragedy. All the backend support people can't actually help you when shit goes down at the frontlines. of course, let's not delude ourselves into thinking it actually kills less civilians though lol. the drone argument only works and as always been about getting less American soldiers killed.

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

I should be sleeping. But these episodes fresh out of the oven are too tempting.

[@waryaawariiri1812]

I am on a shift. 😁

[@9crazylegs]

I’m on the toilet

[@doramilaje9750]

2:47am 🙃

[@doramilaje9750]

@@9crazylegs 🤣🤣damnnn🤣🤣

[@taleinz1]

8pm here in Australia 🇦🇺, loving them

[@LiveyLuLu]

Imagine a president who can reference historical figures in context.

[@DoctorProfessorPablo]

You mean to say Abraham Lincoln wasn't enough for you?

[@kylelucien7632]

@@DoctorProfessorPablo I know right? he clearly also talked about Jesus

[@jamesb4523]

And doesn't think dead ones are still alive. And doesn't mention Revolutionary War troops taking over airports.

[@notsure1969]

And who doesn't believe that dead historical figures are still alive.

[@Cenyon]

Imagine getting a pass for war crimes because you’re charismatic.

[@matchamate]

Obama: trying to explain his existentialism in that chapter Stephen: ~nods~ Are you okay?

[@matchamate]

@phosphorescent wave technically if you have a natural burial after your death, no preservatives or casket somewhere in a forest or field, you're leaving the Earth better because you become fertilizer. Similar concept with cremation and spreading your ashes somewhere useful.

[@TyrSkyFatherOfTheGods]

That kind of annoyed of me, because Obama was right.

[@BlushGush]

He trivialized it (Stephen)

[@cea6770]

That is incorrect. The shear amount of change, in particular the ecological damage caused by humans is forever recorded in Earth history, a notion called the anthropocene. Fleas do not have such an impact.

[@TyrSkyFatherOfTheGods]

@@cea6770 Geez, nobody ever talks about asteroids causing "ecological damage" by creating mass extinctions. I feel judged!

[@dawnlabette8576]

Can I say just once more how much I miss this man? Hearing such an educated, articulate speaker seems like it was a dream.

[@bulavo]

@The Grizzled Norseman dont forget mass murder, 5 new wars, 5 millions deported

[@theciakilledjfk5973]

Trump is terrible. But Obama presided over the continuation of the illegal Bush Wars, the expansion of the illegal drone assassination program, the Foreclosure crisis that turned into a homelessness crisis, he bailed out the banks that took people's homes, opened the Arctic to Drilling and started a brand new oil war in Libya. Have we completely lost our minds?

[@theciakilledjfk5973]

@midniteryder 3:16 actually, that's not a conservative fantasy. The illegal Bush Wars continued for 8 years under Obama and he handed them off to Donald Trump. He started a new war in Libya and a proxy war in Syria.

[@MarquesLKing]

There is a similar interview with Christopher Hitchens and a female journalist. For the life of me I cannot remember it, something from the late 80's possibly and its a beautiful and brilliant interaction. Each individual is a wordsmith and master of prose while at every moment carrying respect and admiration for the other despite certain opposing views, a wonderful moment to behold. If you closed your eyes you'd think the leaders of 2 mighty empires were debating the future of our world.

[@alejandrosolano7421]

It is so beautiful to miss yet another War Criminal in office.

[@misterderp4566]

Imagine a President using a word like "equanimity." Imagine a President knowing what that word means...

[@soumyajitmazumdar4749]

I can only imagine 😂

[@thisbushnell2012]

We had that, and opted for the reverse.

[@stephaction2023]

give a like, if you're one of those people who looked up the definition right after reading the comment above. XD

[@bryantubbs1695]

Watch this interview and then watch any T** speech in history. How those two beings even belong in the same species, let alone the same office, is absolutely incomprehensible.

[@samsonlassen1296]

@@stephaction2023 no likes. Guess noone looked it up. I didn't either :) what does it mean

[@Scott-kc5fg]

A President who can actually admit mistakes and shortcomings?! Wow, refreshing!

[@iliass2543]

@Nirvana9999 Bbhhh Try to lead the richest country in the world who at the time inherited one of the worst economic crises of all-time along with two messy wars and then we'll talk again.

[@woke_rd124]

@BP solutions rescuing an entire economy is far from shortcomings

[@silasmadis2006]

​ @Matthew Schwartz Sending drones to kill people. arming the rebels and Isis. Is really a legitamate mistake. Good game.

[@juliemckenzie5960]

Has he really admitted his shortcomings?? Why did he win the Nobel Peace Prize? Do you know who he was running against for the Nobel Peace Prize? It was someone who actually deserved it!!! Obama is the 44th official and 46th unofficial President! His military policy was disastrous!!! He illegally took us to war without the required Congressional approval!! He couldn’t even pronounce the Marine Corps! He constantly gave stand down orders to our military and pulled out of areas leaving behind weapons, vehicles and more to arm our enemies against our soldiers! He wanted to shut down GITMO, our military wouldn’t let him. He traded 3 high value terrorist leaders for one worthless deserter. Our military suffered as those three terrorists returned to reign terror down on our military. Let’s not forget his Secretary of State, Hillary selling weapons grade plutonium to Iran! And let’s not forget the crippling sanctions he leveled against our ALLY, Israel while sending tons of cash on a plane to our ENEMY, Iran, to help them develop nuclear bombs that they want to use on the US! He did this even while the Iranian government burned our flag, called us the great Satan, threatened to wipe Israel off the map!! If there are any questions where his loyalties lie, remember the Georgetown University commencement speach that he gave where he demanded the Christian symbol for Jesus be covered up because he wouldn’t share the stage with a symbol of our Savior!! Which bring me to Jamie Fox’s comment: "First of all, giving honor to God and our lord and savior Barack Obama. Barack Obama." True to form, Obama did not denounce this!! He openly mocked God and the Bible in our Christian majority nation! He implemented Muslim prayer in the White House. Worse President Ever!!! He has also admitted that if he could “run things” behind the scenes of a new President, he would. The were more votes in the 2020 Presidential election than voters!!!!

[@SantoTrafficanteBoss]

Admitting your "mistakes" (euphemistically speaking) is alright, but paying for them is a whole different pair of shoes...

[@shalinbhatt8718]

the original stable genius.

[@okey6845]

The real "original stable genius"

[@curequranavirustoday6467]

see my Playlist called soulwinning demonstration it explains how to receive eternal life with bible verses.........................

[@Dan-nt2yb]

😊👍🏾

[@Chrisbell804]

@@curequranavirustoday6467 , eternal life is not yours to give it is not the gift of some made up entity! Your story book religions only cause suffering! True spirituality eludes you.🍀🕊

[@eileenahern-ku9nx]

Wonderful ❤

[@brianmessemer2973]

8:16 "Apparatus" of security. Oh how refreshing it is to hear intelligent, eloquent conversation.

[@gim5964]

All double speak and lies...

[@brianmessemer2973]

@@gim5964 Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

[@Fecalage]

9:50 “Any UFO’s?”, and he says he can’t tell him, while nodding his head “yes”.

[@Fecalage]

Then when Colbert says he tipped his hand, he nods “yes” again!

[@jacksontaylor5476]

oh dang he totally does 😂

[@aplaceandathing]

Obama also says "Why Not?" when Colbert says he'll take it as a yes. Whenever Obama says "Why Not?" in that tone, it means he thinks you're on the right track.

[@NubianGirl7]

Maybe he’s speaking in code

[@Fecalage]

@@aplaceandathing I’ve been thinking about his behavior here and your comment in light of the pending report to be issued by June 1st, 2021. Portions have already been disclosed, like the government admitting they’ve tracked objects via “non-human observation” that matches the descriptions given by fighter pilots who have reported seeing objects. One example was that the federal government tracked objects breaking the speed of sound but producing no sonic boom.

[@sweepingtime]

I miss UFO conspiracies. At least those got some people interested in science.

[@arisardar6018]

That is actually very good point.

[@Vagajammer]

@Brit-any Mur-phy Of course they're real. You have to be pretty egotistical as a species to think we're the only advanced beings in the whole of the universe. The question is, have any bothered to come to Earth?

[@jayoctopus8832]

@@Vagajammer well, why haven’t humans gone to any other alien planets?

[@jayoctopus8832]

@No Chance Without Pasta we always picture aliens as way beyond our own technology. Maybe the aliens are still in the Stone Age. Or maybe, their so far beyond us, that they don’t think we’re intelligent enough to even speak to yet.

[@jayoctopus8832]

@No Chance Without Pasta maybe the aliens are animals

[@billncambo1]

Nice to see and hear the president laugh, especially at himself.

[@nancychandler367]

Humility. God Bless Obama. 🙏

[@testtalk8917]

Yeah ahahaha I “accidentally” bombed thousands of innocents in the middle east. Ahaha.

[@luisfer9361]

This Michelle Obama's husband seems like a cool guy

[@SunGawdRa]

Yeah really, he should try out for politics. Who knows how far he'd go!

[@grapatin]

@@SunGawdRa He could be mayor some day!

[@grapatin]

@Falcon Good idea. Let him learn about the workings of government for a while.

[@gmailfarmer2779]

It's nice to see a president that can engage in an intelligent conversation.

[@Doggeslife]

And he didn't call anyone a "loser" the whole time". How unusual.

[@presterjohn1697]

Agree. So nice to see a president who can bomb civilians in 7 countries yet maintain such overarching likability.

[@theciakilledjfk5973]

Trump is horrible, but Obama still presided over the brutal destruction and bombing of Libya for over half a year. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed for absolutely no good reason. We just made up some BS and went to war with an oil producing country... Again.

[@presterjohn1697]

@@theciakilledjfk5973 Libya is a tip of the iceberg with regard to Obama's pro-war corporatism which was destructive to both US citizens and the world. Obama vigorously lobbied US legislators to prevent the our government from being able to negotiate drug prices with big pharma. Giving the government the authority to negotiate drug prices keeps prices low. He fought against that which is why US drug prices astronomically high today. Obamacare was a Wall Street friendly/Heritage Foundation created program which predates upon the US public without any limitations. Big pharma and Big Insurance authored the legislation to benefit their bottom line and strip Americans of billions of dollars. It ultimately ended up moving the US farther away from Universal Healthcare.

[@theciakilledjfk5973]

@@presterjohn1697 Hey, you're preaching to the choir. However, when I'm speaking with people who are in love with the man, it's usually better to keep it simple. They will just accuse you of being a Trump supporter, even if you despise Donald Trump. I've already had someone tell me that all of the videos of Joe Biden talking about cutting social security are just deep fakes made by Russia. That's where we're at.

[@DeborahChapin]

And yet the art, the hieroglyphic remains.

[@shakthidhasan4544]

Apropo

[@vforwombat9915]

now that trump knows about it, not for long.

[@bioschlock]

I like this comment

[@curequranavirustoday6467]

see my Playlist called soulwinning demonstration it explains how to receive eternal life with bible verses.........................

[@telectronix1368]

Well, yeah, some signs of a past civilization can survive, "I am Ozymandius" etc but that previous society and all that apparent 'power' can, ultimately, fade away for something new.

[@useurbrain999]

I love watching intelligent and reasonable people having a wise conversation, it's calming and comprehensive that is so different from the ones who can only structure with nothing but anger and ignorance.

[@SeismicCWave]

That's a person with some depth to his intelligence. Some one who can think in multi dimensions.

[@dannynimmo3052]

lol, thats a person reading a teleprompter. those pauses are even fake to make it look like he's thinking, he's a great actor I'll give him that. but you have to see the teleprompter in almost every public speach

[@chocolateeclare2286]

@@dannynimmo3052 prove it

[@lovelysphynx7396]

😂

[@gardengorl]

I’ve been waiting all night to hear the rest of this interview! Thank you to two of my favorite gentlemen!

[@dannynimmo3052]

unfortunately Casey, that was all scripted questions, and the long pauses to make it look like he was thinking, its an act. like every politician, not just picking on berry hussein oboma here but they are all well practiced actors and liers and you'll never see an interview like this that isn't scripted, just how it works...

[@gardengorl]

@@dannynimmo3052 that may be true, but I still enjoy them both.

[@gainnorlaney]

Stephen, Johnny B, AND President Barack Obama?? Hot dang this is one of my all time favorites!

[@michaellamport1238]

I'm a Canadian and I think Obama is AMAZIING!

[@KenFrazer_IPS]

Steven: UFOs? Obama: I cant tell you. Me: Oh shit!! what?! Now that is scary.

[@romangysse3690]

Right ? I'm surprised there are so little comments about the fact that Obama literaly said there are things he can't tell about that XD

[@gentrykoda]

I couldn't help it, I gasped a little bit when he said that. 👽🛸

[@arkhadipustaka_]

insert: SPACE FORCE!

[@TelekineticKhai]

Not to mention (if I understood this correctly) Mr Obama was hinting that Roswell was actually nothing compared to what he's learned. Damnnnn

[@andreaswiklund7197]

He is joking. No way that could be a secret. I mean just think about all the people from different administrations that had to be shutting their mouths about it.

[@outlawJosieFox]

The Executive branch has far too much power. If Trump has not demonstrated that then I dont know how else it could be demonstrated

[@charlcoetzee3358]

Agreed, but the EB didn’t TAKE it. Congress GAVE it to the president so that they did not have to be held accountable when things inevitably went wrong.

[@nancychandler367]

Only in Trump 🌎 World. The Legislative branch have become enablers to the Traitor in Chief, Trump.

[@charlcoetzee3358]

@@John-ir4id I think we agree. But that is why Congress have abdicated so much of war powers to the executive...so that they cannot be held accountable for conflicts come election time and all the blame falls on the President.

[@charlcoetzee3358]

@@John-ir4id I honestly don’t understand what you are trying to say. My only point was that today too much is expected and too much is blamed on the president BECAUSE congress has found a convenient loop hole. They can avoid all the difficult calls but making it the President’s problem and criticize from the sideline depending on the final outcome. The American system wasn’t designed to work like that.

[@nicolehjelte4315]

You tease him so much about the tempo of his speech and his long pauses, but can I just say how refreshing it is to watch and hear a president actually think before he speaks?! 😂

[@Junior-bv2kg]

Listen to that... an intelligent, eloquent president and man... music to my ear... trump is right to be intimidated by Obama 😆😎

[@Junior-bv2kg]

@Bethnal Green i didn't say Obama was perfect... I said he is intelligent & eloquent & that he intimidates trump (which i maintain he does) Stick to the topic (that doesn't mean don't criticize Obama)...unlike trumpers, I won't shy away from calling Obama out or anyone else for that matter...

[@matthewschwartz6607]

Obama did not get us into more wars. Obama had to clean up Bush’s mess. And Biden was with him every step of the way.

[@silasmadis2006]

@Bethnal Green Exactly the Truth. People are so indoctrinated by the hateful media until they cannot realise that they're been manipulated. The simple fact that Trump gave us 4 years iwhtout war says alot about all the other ''well spoken'' hypocritical blood thirsty politicians. its strange that people are blinded to reality.

[@alejandrosolano7421]

Yes! Such an intelligent and eloquent war criminal 😍

[@NanNanNABooBoo]

Looking at all these comments..you can see how brainwashed people were to keep staying this same thing..when in reality...he was terrible lol...too many ugggggghhssss, and ahhhhhhhsss lol...he was constantly thinking how to spin a lie, which is why he needs to pause lol...

[@mahfah7911]

Thats why i am so hooked to Stephen channel. He keeps cool and has awesome personality. That UFO question was awesome. This whole interview was a notch higher and 60 mins couldn’t have done better

[@99GAZI]

President Barrack Obama’s smile is so infectious 😀

[@bulavo]

not to the hundreds of thousands he massacred by starting 5 new wars, not the 5 millions he DEPORTED!!

[@JerseyfreshXx]

I love that Obama will be talking about a serious topic then the camera cuts back to Stephen and he has a giddy smile because he’s in awe of this mans

[@carolynkinch4623]

OMG.. I have missed this man's presence in Our Highest Office SO Much.. Nuanced Intelligence to address Critical Issues..

[@fozzy9212]

Can’t agree more. The void without his voice over the past 4 years has stunk. I understand you don’t criticize the president but the sad part is that BO’s ribbing at the WH Correspondents dinner helped create the monster that is 45.

[@lillithdv8]

LOL I'm reading the book and when I got to the everything will be dust I actually said out loud: "are you ok" LOL, seems like I travel the same brainwave than Stephen

[@who0icu812]

No! He never was

[@bohogland5376]

It’s so refreshing to listen to a president who can string words together and that they make sense!

[@veritastold830]

The harmony of TRUTH is addictive. Jon Batiste is a musical empath!!

[@android12921]

Stephen's ability to match the class of the interviewee and ask questions that befit the intelligence of the subject is truly commendable. Enjoyed this interview for both men's tangible respect for each other. A pleasure to watch!!

[@myaussiebabe1]

Jon Batiste, that is one of my favourite songs, and you sang it so beautifully 😍 thank you 🙏🏽. I'm so glad God made you, you are a wonderful man 🤗

[@sschithra]

Can you imagine Trump having a conversation about foreign policies? Neither can I!

[@J.Egholm]

@The Grizzled Norseman that would still make him bright enough to rule the US

[@telectronix1368]

@Such - trump has never engaged in policy at any substantial level.

[@gim5964]

@@telectronix1368 He has and you just weren't listening because you have never bothered to go beyond MSM...

[@telectronix1368]

@@gim5964 More maga tears. No, dear, he does not engage in policy at any deep level.

[@telectronix1368]

@The Grizzled Norseman -peace deals- trade agreements, between territories that were not in conflict. You are so fucking uninformed. 🤣

[@abidrzaidi]

LMAO "are you ok"

[@doramilaje9750]

Brilliant.... that reading was deep and Steven had the right touch

[@jajaja9661]

No Chance Without Pasta the funny thing is you being triggered over a religious nut. Let him be man

[@jessiemac9226]

People criticise Obama for taking long pauses while speaking, but I honestly never minded it, it showed that he was taking the time to seriously think about what he was saying and making sure it was meaningful. Its much better than the verbal diarrhea we got from Diaper Don.

[@mori1bund]

@No Chance Without Pasta That's actually the perfect con: you sell people something you never have to deliver, because when people find out you've conned them, they're already dead. "Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool" - Mark Twain ^^

[@curequranavirustoday6467]

@@RevDrDoo and?

[@69nereis]

His humility and intellect. Sublime !👏🏻

[@Ajox191]

Obama bombed the shit out of Somalia, which doesn't even have an Air Force to defend itself. He was more of a warlord than a politician but whatever.....

[@SuperBlessedKing]

I bought President Obama’s book “A Promised Land” the physical version of the book and I am super proud to support my amazing Black American USA President. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💙💙💙💙♥️♥️♥️♥️ I was only eight years old when President Obama became our President in 2009, I grew up watching the lovely Obama family succeed with us, the American people. My family voted for President Obama in 2008 and in 2012. Now when I became nineteen years old, I voted for President Biden and First Lady Vice President Harris in 2020. God bless the United States of America, I was born and raised in California USA. I love my incredible country the United States of America, WE are the GREATEST. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💙💙💙💙♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@seigeengine]

lol, the First Lady is Jill Biden.

[@SuperBlessedKing]

@@seigeengine Obviously Dr. Jill Biden is the First Lady and as for Mrs. Kamala Harris, Mrs. Harris is the FIRST LADY VICE PRESIDENT. The First Lady to be OUR Vice President, which was never done by any other ladies in the past. I’m not incorrect. You misunderstood the words.

[@SuperBlessedKing]

@@seigeengine Mrs. Kamala Harris could be referred to as FIRST WOMAN VICE PRESIDENT or FIRST LADY VICE PRESIDENT. My messages are absolutely correct. It is your incompetence that made you misunderstand the words, so you attempted to make fun of me, but the jokes are on you and the last laughs come from over here. Also, the Vice President’s sister Maya Harris is my friend. She liked my posts when we won the 2020 election. My amazing friends Zoey Kravitz (Daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz) and Alicia Keys (Amazing singer and mother to incredible young children with Swizz Beatz) united with me as we all talked to each other online to bring more than two thousand American voters together to vote for President Joseph Biden and First Lady Vice President Kamala Harris NATIONWIDE. WE WON the 2020 general election together. You should keep your ignorant and incompetent, rude remarks to yourself. You’ve been schooled by an amazingly intelligent, highly educated young college student. I am the future California senator and I am the FUTURE FIRST Mexican American USA President for two terms when I’ll be 35 years of age in 2036. 🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇲🇽🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💙💙💙💙♥️♥️♥️♥️ Respect that, respect me.

[@JonBlondell]

Excellent interview!

[@TheMaskofVegito]

I love how he talks about the drone program. A clear understanding of the concerns and the subsequent arguments, as well as the reasoning behind the support of this use.

[@tygilsdorf4895]

Acting like drone strikes didn't kill vast amount civilians that were under-reported is gross. War Criminal.

[@suzanne2]

Then you'll love the book. It is an explanation of thought process behind every decision he has made.

[@mark-ish]

@@tygilsdorf4895 *vast. Yea, nicely vague there tyg. Just chuck in a subjective and vague statement, that'll do it.

[@sonny9493]

@@mark-ish Well he's right. He did give orders that kill massive amounts of civilians and I'm sure their families consider him a war criminal

[@tygilsdorf4895]

@@mark-ish I feel lied to by Obama, I advocated for my entire family to vote for him both times when he spoke of helping the working class and ending war. He gave subsidies to corporations and he continued war that violated US/international law. Over 200,000 civilians have died in/around Iraq because of American involvement, that is an atrocity and I am partly to blame for supporting him.

[@neilnelson7603]

The only President who was forced out of retirement to come and campaign for the next president. Obama keeps on making history. Thank you for your service Obama.

[@dannynimmo3052]

Oh shit, he didn't want any part of that, thats why he didn't come out till october, and that was one or two showings.... sparse anyway, nooo he avoided that like the plague obama never liked biden he just needed an old white guy standing behind him, appearance only, they did not get along, biden's best friend since the 60's was the leader of the KKK, biden attended his funeral in October when obama was appearing for him, that was all televised, talk about an awkward moment lol... i think you guys just hear fantasy, the shit is right in front of you, im watching the same shit you are how do you miss it

[@Ajox191]

Obama conducted over 600 missle strikes throughout his presidency which resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 innocent civilians. He was an absolute gem.

[@isaiahayers1550]

Pretty sure I remember Bill Clinton campaigning for both his wife as well as Biden. I'm sure he campaigned for Gore and Kerry too.

[@cindyoser9988]

It's refreshing to listen to a president who has some reality about life and responsibility of the high office. Such a contrast to the last 4 years where every day was about making an insecure person feel loved and smart. Geesh! I can't believe this country was all about pettiness for the last 4 years.

[@jonathanwetherell3609]

Ditto. Here in the UK we also have a complete (there are no words I can put on the internet legally) as Prime Minister. At least you have only a few weeks left to suffer, we may have 4 years more of pettiness and destruction!

[@LunarisArts]

@@jonathanwetherell3609 i read that parenthises bit like a [insert prefered invective], and edited it to "plum" in my head.

[@CloudsGirl7]

I can't believe this country LASTED four years since.

[@bulavo]

you do know the has murdered thousands by drone strikes? hundreds of thousands by starting 5 new wars? AND deported 5 millions from US!!

[@cindyoser9988]

@@bulavo huh? You ok?

[@anonymusum]

Trump: What the f*** are they talking about?

[@deeferrante]

Two of my favorite men engaged in conversation! Loved the whole interview. It’s like a light rain on a hot dry day...

[@kylesnider5425]

I'm Canadian but I absolutely love this man. What a great President he was.

[@dannynimmo3052]

no, he was a fuck up

[@kelleydavis100]

Yes he was, he is sorely missed! 😢

[@jofis912]

Is there clips of John batiste playing his great music between segments? I would like to have that on KZbin

[@dianafromcalifornia5127]

Yes I agree. He played beautifully! Inspiring.

[@puehlong]

Look for John Baptiste tiny Desk concert for some of his music

[@DackxJaniels]

Have your tried typing in his name in the search bar? No? Needed me to let you know it was possible? Okay.

[@gamepapa1211]

It's so refreshing to see a POTUS, even a former one, who just answers a question instead of attacking the integrity of the person who asks the question in an attempt to shut them up.

[@dannynimmo3052]

its all scripted, even the pauses, he's trying to make it look like he's thinking. he's a great actor I'll give him that

[@kelleydavis100]

I totally agree Gamepapa!!

[@Sensibile-ge5gf]

Can’t help but listen to this man. His speech may be slower than your average politician, it is because he thinks before he speaks and not just spit out whatever comes to mind about matters not caring whether it is relevant or nonsensical.

[@ninanano]

very true, people like calling him and Biden "sleepy" but i think unfortunately, after 4 years, we just forgot that reasonable people think and pause before and while speaking... it's actually a quality i admire because i talk very fast and sometimes run over myself 😂 it's easy to pay attention to what they say and assimilate it

[@renegadeoffunk32]

His speech is slow because as you read in his book he says a lot during his early days that he too frequently spoke from his heart that would land him in some sort of trouble. With each "err" and "erm" he is weighing up the consequence of his words as well as trying to explain it in a way that can be understood by any and every person. Unlike 45 who clearly now lets us all understand the importance of a verbal filter and what having none can lead to.

[@TheBerny32]

And he isn't lying all the time like the Cheese Doodle in Chief does ALL the time!!!

[@annapeck7635]

It's crazy how thirsty we all are for Obama's words lol his book is selling like crazy! God I miss him!

[@slydog1080]

You will realize very soon,the world is not what you thought it was.

[@corbeau-_-]

@@slydog1080 ok boris xD 'soon'

[@ValerieJNorse]

@@corbeau-_- -- Man, I wish these guys would deliver on their "soons" eventually. I've been holding my breath so long for the Durham report, the coming storm, and the big appeal to the Supreme Court, that I'm turning blue.

[@who0icu812]

You don't miss much then

[@annapeck7635]

@@ValerieJNorse lol right??

[@Vik-Tor94]

this is so normal; in 4 years I already forgot how it feels.

[@gim5964]

You part of the herd and not thinking for yourself. Dig deeper into this man and you will have more clarity of thought. And its not good...

[@thisbushnell2012]

The drone program, from its inception, evoked memories of "A Taste of Armageddon" from Star Trek TOS. When we are distanced even a little from the horrors of intraspecies slaughter, our humanness is blunted and betrayed.

[@seigeengine]

Humanity has demonstrated fine how casually it commits atrocities face-to-face.

[@expressionofwill5307]

@@seigeengine yes humans can, but there is something despicable about being there in a nice suit having a nice interview with adoring fans, and you can just say "yeah I killed a bunch of people, most of them innocent, no one even had to get their hands dirty. But the real problem is how pushing that button effected me."

[@seigeengine]

@@expressionofwill5307 There is something far more despicable than your fiction about you lying to smear someone.

[@expressionofwill5307]

@@seigeengine just shouting liar, isn't actually an argument friend. "However, documents detailing a special operations campaign in northeastern Afghanistan, Operation Haymaker, show that between January 2012 and February 2013, U.S. special operations airstrikes killed more than 200 people. Of those, only 35 were the intended targets. During one five-month period of the operation, according to the documents, nearly 90 percent of the people killed in airstrikes were not the intended targets. In Yemen and Somalia, where the U.S. has far more limited intelligence capabilities to confirm the people killed are the intended targets, the equivalent ratios may well be much worse." theintercept.com/drone-papers/the-assassination-complex/

[@seigeengine]

@@expressionofwill5307 Except I was clearly talking about your direct claim about what Obama did in this video is bogus, which is evident from the video we all just watched. But since you want to dive down, fine: Kinetic strikes over a year in a specific operation killed a couple hundred people, 84% of which were not the specific person they were targeting. That doesn't mean they were innocent people, just that they were not the specific individual being targeted. And then you lied. :D Thanks for wrecking yourself with your own citations, pal.

[@LittleBananaJoe]

The one remaining question about the drone program I have is, he says drones strikes are preferable to conventional methods of war, on which agree, but the US wasn’t at war with Pakistan or Yemen or many of the other countries where strikes occurred. Even if you call it a war on terrorism, which is as stupid as the war on drugs but okay, it is police work, not soldier work. Is it really necessary for the police to use drones?

[@MeTakingAStand]

Do you think the police have a level of intelligence and an apparatus to handle this better than the military? If the police had a level of surveillance on you that could read your text messages, hear you from in the air, would you condone such a massive police state? Terrorism is a much more complicated matter than say gangs and drugs.

[@AnneWilkynson]

He said it right here, you can't possibly understand it until you are in the position. He himself was against before he got into the WH.

[@likesecondnaturetome3061]

Drone operators referred to killing kids as “mowing the lawn”, since they were killing them before they grew up enough to fight back.

[@bobbodaskank]

I think that's the trouble with terrorists. Terrorists aren't a nation. Terrorists don't represent a geopolitical power. That means a couple things that complicate engaging them. For one thing, terrorists don't have a seat at the negotiating table. Another thing is that terrorists are free to engage in acts of war, but as you point out, from certain perspectives it seems wrong to respond with acts of war. There are valid questions too about what America is doing fighting terrorists on foreign soil, questions that are complicated by the reality that by eliminating threats based on secret intelligence before crimes can be carried out, it seems publicly like we're playing Minority Report. One way or another, though, the fact is that America is slowly eroding the lines between police and military. Frankly, it's barely implausible to imagine the police of 2030 rolling out predator drones at the rate their equipment is being militarized. And given the unrest in America today over the loose standards police are currently held to regarding civilian casualties, I don't think the first news story about an innocent American civilian being killed as collateral of drone use by American police will have the shock factor it will deserve.

[@jccanteen]

I think you have to appreciate that there are layers of intel that we simply do not have. It’s easy to be a backseat driver... or sideline president in this case. But how do you bring yourself to make strong judgements about someone else’s decision making when you only have maybe 15% of the perspective they have? Foreign policy is more nuanced than we give credit or than media outlets portray when feeding us tidbits of news based on their limited information. We should certainly still hold our elected leaders accountable, but we need to check our self-righteousness when doing so. Like he said, it’s a whole new ballgame when you’re the one sitting in the seat.

[@azusa9963]

Great interview! I wish the pieces were better organized. Good to hear Barack's perpective on the drone program. Cant wait to lusten to his book.

[@MrBoDiggety]

Obama: McArthur and Hirohito Trump: Hero Who?

[@shakthidhasan4544]

Stephen, thank you for putting this out. Well done, good interview.

[@taleinz1]

What a delight to listen to . Could listen to President Obama for hours . What an intelligent man .

[@billsmith1014]

He speaks full and complete sentences. If you transcribed what he said and then read it back, it would make sense. Amazing.

[@theciakilledjfk5973]

Barack Obama is a harvard-trained constitutional scholar, which means he is totally aware that the Drone kill program is a flagrant violation of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. The Fifth Amendment clearly states that you cannot deprive a person of their life without due process of the law, unless Congress has declared war. Congress has not declared war since World War II. Please learn your own history and laws.

[@squareysquare3150]

"Ant UFO's?" "Can't tell you about that" Okkkay..

[@Katobal]

😂 aliens are real

[@noptimized]

“We come in peace. Take us to your sandwiches”

[@jazzmanchgo]

@@noptimized "'To Serve Man' -- IT'S A COOKBOOK!!"

[@akilapurna6960]

Can I just say that I haven't seen Stephen glowing this much in last 5 years :D

[@ritamayer7080]

Ahh, I miss the thoughtfully constructed words spoken by Obama. Such a pleasant voice to listen to, and a smile and laugh that were genuine.

[@derricktopping6693]

I would love to hear the book at double speed! I have a bad habit of finishing peoples sentences, and this man makes me listen to him finish them because he is better at using the vocabulary than I! He sure chooses his words hard!

[@attoriqyufi2694]

I dont know why i love he speak, laugh, and style.. so charismatic, the world feels different with just this one person

[@PrincessofErised]

Tears well up listening to a President so wonderful, smart, thoughtful. Biden was Obama approved and now 80 million Americans agree. Finally, the anger over the last 4 years is fading.

[@annishilcock4587]

He wasn't just a President for your country he was an inspiration for the world.

[@samsonlassen1296]

@@annishilcock4587 hear hear

[@pilargonzalez8442]

No pardons would be justified.

[@user-kw7gv4fj8x]

“You gotta try anyway” I wanna cry

[@Derknomicon]

Yeah, the nodding of the head after 9:50 really makes you think.

[@AlisonInCT1971]

I saw that too. Basic psychology...some people when trying to lie or deny knowledge will unconsciously nod the truth. Or will display other little ticks you can pick up on. Most people won't pick up on it but if you know about even basic body language, you can pick up what they really mean. But hey, he also didn't deny it either.

[@dominickjvlogs]

Thank you for this!

[@illlit2258]

Well we know Extraterrestrials are definitely real from this interview. If nothing exist you would never get a "No Comment"

[@no1special999]

That's not true. As far as intelligence goes there is value in a foreign power believing you may have access to alien tech. This itself as well as what you said are both random strings of words both of which provide no definitive proof either way.

[@no1special999]

@No Chance Without Pasta "Take the size of the universe.~ If that number is greater than 1, we're not alone." That's not proof, that's called probability. "The problem, is that we have no clue how to travel through space without sleeping away years of our lives" That's not the problem either, you couldn't even sleep your life away. The nearest star is 4.3 light years away, 25,239,768,480,000 miles. At 35,000 MPH it would take 81,000 years to reach. You also have to consider that at extreme velocity even the smallest of particles in the darkness of space basically become capable of puncturing almost any craft we can get beyond our own atmosphere. It's the physics question and a logistics nightmare. We would first need to build mining and manufacturing facilities on an object with lower gravity like the moon just to be able to build a large generational ship and even then, it would have to be durable enough to last 2700 generations. And that is just 1 star...

[@Joe-eq8we]

He knows!

[@damianmcwilliams8352]

Get some help

[@UGNAvalon]

@no1 special - this is the same reason israel “officially” says “no comment” about its nuclear program, despite everyone knowing that it does, in fact, have nukes.

[@peskiw]

I love his smile.

[@shafeeqahsmith6999]

Can't wait to read the second volume! The first volume rocked!

[@ajm2212]

Such a pleasure to listen to a President who can articulate and be understood.

[@emvv3784]

That was straight out of marcus aurelius’ meditations. Surprised he didnt mention thats where he got the inspiration, nice to see hes a student of stoicism though, all leaders should be.

[@theciakilledjfk5973]

Obama is a harvard-educated constitutional scholar. The Drone program is a violation of the Fifth Amendment, which clearly states that you cannot deprive a person of their life without due process... Unless Congress has declared war. There's no wiggle room. Just like George Bush and Donald Trump, Obama is a serious war criminal.

[@NewMessage]

Not his best hour, sure.. but he learned from it.. and that's more than we can say for SOME Presidents...

[@glenncross956]

Thousands of mothers and fathers and children in the Middle East also learned from it.

[@captainlunartv]

@@glenncross956 Maybe those mothers and fathers shouldn't have been raising future religious terrorists.

[@glenncross956]

@@captainlunartv please research about the numbers of "collateral damage" with all those drone strikes. If you come home from work and find your house in rubble and your wife or husband and child blooded and crushed, dead. How will your life continue after that when you know it was a US drone attack that was the cause?

[@captainlunartv]

@@glenncross956 Why don't you research the abuse that goes on in these countries and why we're bombing them in the first place first of all?

[@jstinson78]

I'm currently reading his book. The level of thoughtfulness he puts into recounting his experience as president is refreshing.

[@creceda]

Thank you for this. Thank you very much. From this I feel relief, comfort, strength, humility, laughter, insight, care, compassion...thank you. Thank you.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

The first thought I had when Stephen read that line is, “Mood.”

[@straef1042]

Nice to see someone describe the killing of people as "the most profound act" rather than randomly blurting it out.

[@derriklee287]

He's a good talker, all the dumbocrats miss his smooth talking bullshit.

[@helena8999]

Though I may not agree with the drone strikes, and I may not have all the information here, I think the most telling part of this interview is the sobriety with which Obama talks about them. He can be fairly jokey and lighthearted elsewhere in the interview, but when things get to real important state matters, he takes a step back to give them the weight and intense examination that they deserve. That seriousness and deep introspection before action is something that seems sorely lacking in the current administration.

[@mariekastler5391]

In a Roman triumphal procession, there was a person whose duty it was to whisper in the ear of the man so honored "Remember, you are Human." Obama has internalized this...because he's the Best of Men, even with his flaws, which he acknowledges.

[@Scarletraven87]

That was great. All the good questions we needed.

[@sharon9399]

Steven this is such a great show. First FLOTUS then POTUS. I love the awesome look on your face during the interview of Pride and Excitement. I have been re-watching each segment. Thank you for this.

[@TheRealBeatMaster]

Agree or disagree with his policies, at least he has intelligent reasoning.

[@ToniGlick]

I am so glad to hear this perspective. Drones and Guantanamo were a couple of my issues with his administration.

[@kathyclarke6327]

There are things the president has to do, that we will NEVER understand.

[@seigeengine]

@@kathyclarke6327 We must still be critical of them.

[@FireSpyGuy]

Absolutely fantastic interview

[@MhetreMudita]

I love the song at the beginning. Love Jon Batiste voice ❤️

[@sarah_van_]

Can we all just agree that Obama should be America's dad?

[@ol4er]

And trump the racist unwanting stepdad...

[@wolke1955]

Sarah, I wish I had a Dad like him 🙏🕊

[@taurusking_1997]

You be my wife Sarah.

[@SuperTron10]

@9:51 - Did Obama just admit that aliens exist without admitting that they do?

[@erickuiso3703]

I think he did😂😂😂😂

[@joedufour8188]

"I can't tell you" while nodding yes.

[@vforwombat9915]

it's fun to believe that. plus those vides the Air Force released. otoh, seems farfetched that aliens would be buzzing the earth so much. or that an alien spaceship would crash. you'd figure a couple centuries or more of tech advantage over us and they'd have solved any mechanical issues with their stealth craft.

[@nd0136]

You realize that the existence of intelligent life somewhere else in the universe is a different notion than this intelligent life making contact with us, physically or communicationally, right ? Aliens definitely exist, but the odds that they made their way anywhere close to our planet at any point are ridiculously small.

[@johnad101]

@@nd0136 It is possible. We are assuming that better technology equals better race but if we look at ourselves, this doesn't seem to be the case. We are still prone to errors and are still morally bankrupt despite our relatively huge leaps in technological advancement

[@anne-marievini4980]

That's so cool.. Ozymandias is one of my favourite poems to ground oneself

[@Cinematicjosh]

There’s was very enlightening about the drone controversy - really glad you went there

[@Dr-Lex]

Really interesting, and it makes me eager to see the second volume when released as many of the scathing op-eds from news organizations like Aljazeera have remarked on his silence regarding drone programs... Who knew it would just take him.... a little longer.... to address it......... than average writers...

[@Lilly300100]

😂😂

[@theciakilledjfk5973]

Obama is a harvard-trained constitutional scholar... And the Drone program is a flagrant violation of the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. You cannot deprive anyone of life without due process, unless Congress has declared war. The guy is admitting to war crimes.

[@theciakilledjfk5973]

@xLuke_25x wow. You're saying literally exactly what Dick Cheney propagandized you into believing. What you don't realize is that these terrorist groups have state backing from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf monarchies- and the US government is aware of that. John Kerry even admitted that the US was allowing Isis to run wild in Syria because it was hurting Assad. By your logic, everything that Bashar al-assad did was totally legit. Interesting.

[@samaritaDeath]

Compared to Obama, Stephen sounds like his speech is on double speed.

[@kettyspikes]

Man I can just go on listening to Jon on his piano