MY FIRST GUEST TONIGHT IS THE
FORMER MAYOR OF SOUTH BEND,
INDIANA, WHO JUST MADE HISTORY
AT THE IOWA CAUCUS.
PLEASE WELCOME MAYOR PETE
BUTTIGIEG.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
.
>> Stephen: MR. MAYOR, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING BACK.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: GOOD TO SEE YOU
AGAIN.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?
>> NOT BAD, NOT BAD.
>> Stephen: IT HAS BEEN, IT'S
BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY FALL AND
WINTER SO FAR.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WE HAVE TALKED
THREE TIMES, THIS IS THE THIRD
TIME THAT WE HAVE SPOKEN AND ONE
OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS LIKE
ABOUT TALKING TO YOU IS THAT YOU
ACTUALLY ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT
ARE POSED TO YOU.
I DON'T ACTUALLY HEAR THUMP
BEATS WHEN I ASKED QUESTIONS,
PEOPLE ASK YOU WHO HAVE YOU BEEN
IMPRESSED WITH, AND I GO THERE
IS THIS GUY PETE BUTTIGIEG IN
THE MAYOR OF SOUTH BEND, WHAT,
THAT GUY IS RUNNING, WHEN YOU
FIRST CAME ON, PEOPLE DIDN'T
KNOW WHO YOU WERE.
>> I WAY THINKING, ALMOST
EXACTLY A YEAR AGO, MY BOOK WATT
COMING OUT, I HAD THIS SENSE
THAT MAYBE WERE YOU A LITTLE
SCEPTICAL OF MY CHANCES OF
COMING IN I WHERE NEAR THE
AMERICAN PRESIDENCY.
>> Stephen: A LITTLE BIT, A
LITTLE BIT, SOUTH BEND SAY
LOVELY PLACE.
>> ST, YEAH.
>> Stephen: YOU WON LAST TIME
WITH LIKE 8,000 VOTES OR
SOMETHING.
IT IS NOT THE SAME SCALE THAT WE
IMAGINE THAT A NATIONAL
CANDIDATE IS COMPETING ON.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID TO
YOU AT THE TIME WAS YOU KNOW,
ONE HOPEFUL SIGN I SEE IN
AMERICA IS THAT THE THIRD OR
FOURTH THING I LEARNED ABOUT YOU
WAS THAT YOU WERE A GAY MAN.
I LEARNED EVERYTHING ELSE FIRST,
AND NOW I THINK IT BEARS NOTING
THAT YOU ARE THE FIRST LGBTQ
PERSON TO WIN DELEGATES IN ANY
PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO YOU.
I WILL LET THEM HAVE A MOMENT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU
PERSONALLY AND WHAT DO YOU THINK
THAT MEANS ABOUT AMERICA?
>> WELL, WHAT IT MEANS TO ME
PERSONALLY IS THAT, YOU KNOW,
THE VERY SAME THING THAT I
THOUGHT MIGHT MEAN I WOULD NEVER
GET-- AND OR BEING IN OFFICE.
TURNS OUT TO BE, ABOUT GOD
HAVING A SENSE OF HUMOR, IT
TURNS OUT TO BE PART OF HOW I
HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
I DIDN'T SET OUT TO BE THE GAY
CANDIDATE OR THE GAY PRESIDENT,
BUT ALSO WAS OPEN ABOUT WHO I
AM.
AND HERE WE ARE.
AND MY HOPE MORE BROADLY IS
THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE IS
A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF YOUNG
PEOPLE WONDERING IF THEY FIT,
FEELING LIKE MAYBE THEY DON'T
BELONG IN THEIR COMMUNITIES,
MAYBE EVEN QUESTIONING IF THEY
BELONG IN THEIR OWN FAMILY.
AND HOPEFULLY THIS IS ONE
SIGNIFICANT BIT OF PROOF THAT
THEY BELONG, AFTER ALL, AND THEY
BELONG IN THIS COUNTRY.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: WE KNOW YOU BEST,
EVERYBODY ON YOUR POST ARES AND
EVERYTHING, IT SAYS MAYOR PETE.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: IF YOU END UP
BECOMING THE 46th PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES, WILL IT BE
PRESIDENT MAYOR PETE?
>> DOESN'T EXACTLY ROLL OFF, I
GUESS IT WOULD HAVE TECHNICALLY
BE PRESIDENT FORMER MAYOR PETE.
>> Stephen: MAYBE NOT.
>> MAYBE JUST PETE.
>> Jon:
>> Stephen: DO YOU KNOW, THIS
IS BEING TAPED ON WEDNESDAY FOR
THURSDAY NIGHT, DO WHAT THE
LATEST DO WE KNOW, DO YOU KNOW
WHAT THE LATEST RESULTSES ARE
FROM THE GREAT, IF CONFUSED
STATE OF IOWA?
>> SO THE LAST I CHECKED, BY THE
MEASURE OF STATE DELEGATE
HE-- EQUIVALENTS, WE WHERE ON
TRACK TO BE THE FIRST PLACE
WINNER IN THE IOWA CAUCUS.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE).
>> Stephen: DO YOU KNOW HOW
MUCH IS REPORTING?
>> I THINK I BELIEVE ST OVER
80%.
I THINK THERE IS ANOTHER 15% OR
SO OF THE PRECINCTS TO GO.
SO WE ARE STILL WAITING ON SOME
OF THESE VERIFIED RESULTS AS WE
SIT HERE SPEAKING.
>> Stephen: BUT YOU DID NOT
WAIT ON THE NIGHT OF THE CAUCUS,
YOU WENT AND SAID I'M PRETTY
SURE WE WON.
THAT IS WHAT HISTORIANS CALL
BALANCESY.
-- BALLSY.
WHY EVEN CAMPAIGN IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE, WHY NOT JUST DECLARE
VICTORY NOW.
CAN YOU NAME ME AS THE WINNER OF
THE EMMYS SO I DON'T HAVE TO
GIVE CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN
OLIVER NEXT SEPTEMBER, RIGHT
NOW.
(APPLAUSE)
>> I COULD BUT I DON'T KNOW IF
IT WOULD GO AS WELL FOR YOU AS
IOWA WENT FOR US.
WE WERE OBVIOUSLY WAITING ON THE
VERIFIED FIGURES, BUT THE THING
ABOUT THE CAUCUSES T IS NOT LIKE
A SECRET BALLOT VOTE, PEOPLE DO
IT OUT IN THE OPEN, HIGH SCHOOL
GYMS, REPORTERS ARE THERE.
WE ARE OBSERVERS AND VOLUNTEERS.
>> Stephen: AND THEY WRITE THE
TOTALS ON THE BOARD.
>> EXACTLY.
WE HAD SEEN ENOUGH TO KNOW EVEN
WITH THE FINAL MATH WHICH WE ARE
WAITING FOR, THAT THERE WAS NO
WAY THAT IT COULD BE ANYTHING
BUT AN EXTRAORDINARY VICTORY FOR
THIS CAMPAIGN.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU
COMMUNICATED BY ANY OF THE OTHER
CAMPAIGNS ABOUT YOUR MUTUAL
FRUSTRATION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED.
BECAUSE YOU SPENT A YEAR IN
IOWA.
AND.
>> MOSTLY.
>> Stephen: MOSTLY BUT ON AND
OFF A YEAR IN IOWA.
>> THE LAST THREE WEEKS ABOUT 55
EVENTS, WORKING TOWARDING THIS
FOR YEARS, BUS TOURS,
CAMPAIGNING.
>> Stephen: WERE YOU AFRAID IT
WOULD END UP BEING MEANINGLESS,
ALL THAT EFFORT?
>> LOOK, NOTHING IT CHANGE THE
FASSETT OF WHAT THAT MEANT AND
WHAT IT MEANT, THERE ARE SO MANY
IOWANS STOOD IN FRONT OF THEIR
NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS AND MADE
THIS STATEMENT.
BUT IT IS GENERALLY NICE TO GET
THE RESULTS-- WELL IT WOULD BE
LIKE AT THE EMMYS IF YOU HAD TO
WAIT A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER THE
CEREMONY TO FIND OUT WHO
ACTUALLY GOT IT, I'M SURE VERY
FRUSTRATING FOR EVERYBODY.
>> Stephen: IT IS PRETTY
FRUSTRATING ALREADY.
NOW OKAY, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT
IOWA, THERE IS SOME CRITICISM
THAT IT IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF
THE UNITED STATES.
IS A WIN, IF YOU ARE RIGHT, AND
YOU GET THE MAJORITY OF THE
DELEGATES AND ARE TECHNICALLY
THE WINNER OF IOWA, WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN NATIONALLY, WINNING IN
SOME PLACE THAT IS SO DEM
GRAPHICALLY NONDEMON STRATTIVE
OF THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
>> THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT IT
WILL BE AS PORNTS IN THE FUTURE
TO COMPETE IN STATES THAT HAVE
GREATER RACIAL DIE VERSITY, FOR
EXAMPLE, WE WILL BE IN NEVADA
SOON, SOUTH CAROLINA SOON.
BUT HERE IS ONE OF THE REASONS
WHY THAT IOWA SUCCESS IS SO
MEANINGFUL.
THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SUCCEED IN
RURAL AREAS, IN SUBURBAN AREAS
AND IN URBAN AREAS, IN COUNTIES
THAT VOTED DEMOGRAPHIC THE WHOLE
TIME AND MANY OF THOSE COUNTIES
FAMOUSLY SWUNG IN A BIG WAY FROM
VOTING FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA TO
VOTING FOR TRUMP.
AND WE WANT TO BEAT DONALD
TRUMP, AND I THINK WE ALL, AT
LEAST MOST OF US WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, ALL
OF US CANDIDATES GOING AROUND
THE COUNTRY SAYING PICK ME, I'M
THE ONE TO GO TOE TO TOE WITH
THIS PRESIDENT.
I'M THE ONE THAT CAN PUT
TOGETHER A BIG WIN.
AND THE PROCESS OF PROVING THAT
BEGAN IN IOWA AND THERE IS A
GREAT WAY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT
GOING TOE TO TOE WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP.
NOW THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
BEEN ACQUITTED BY THE SENATE,
DOES IT CHANGE AT ALL HOW YOU
RUN AGAINST A PRESIDENT WHO HAS
BEEN ACQUITTED OF IMPEACHMENT?
FOUND GUILTY IN THE EYES OF EVEN
MANY REPUBLICANS, A MAJORITY OF
AMERICANS WANTED HIM REMOVED.
AND YET HE STAYS IN OFFICE.
>> PIE BIGGEST CONCERN ABOUT THE
EFFECT-- EFFECT OF THIS IS A
SENSE OF EXHAUST SHUN WITH
EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE SEE THE
PROCESS IN THE SENATE, IT WASN'T
A REAL TRIAL, THEY DIDN'T HAVE
WITNESSES.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT TRIALS
GENERALLY OUGHT TO HAVE
WITNESSES.
THE JURORS, SO TO SPEAK, MANY OF
THE GOP SENATORS MADE CLEAR THIS
WAS A FORE GONE CONCLUSION.
AND THE WORST THUNKING THAT
COULD HAPPEN WAS WE GIVE IN TO A
SEARCHES HOPELESSNESS OR
EXHAUSTION AND WALK AWAY FROM
THE WHOLE PROCESS.
BUT THE BEST THING ABOUT THE
FACT THAT IT IS 2020, WE ARE
LIVING IN AN ELECTION YEAR, IS
THAT IIA, THE SENATE WAS THE
REQUIRE IN THE
IMPEOPLE-- IMPEACHMENT BUT WE
ARE THE JURY NOW.
AND WE GET THE FINAL VERDICT ON
THE PRESIDENT AND ON THE SENATE
IN THE ELECTION.
MAWS PLAWS.
>> Stephen: DID YOU WATCH THE
WHAT MITT ROMNEY SAID ON THE
FLOOR OF THE SNAPT.
>> I CAUGHT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF
IT.
>> Stephen: YEAH, HE SEEMED TO
BE THE LONE VOICE OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY WHO BELIEVED
THAT THE OATH REQUIRED HIM TO
REMOVE DONALD TRUMP FROM OFFICE,
OR VOTE TO DO SO AT LEAST.
HAVE YOU SPOKEN PRIVATELY TO ANY
REPUBLICANS ABOUT YOU HO THEY
FEEL WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED?
>> GOP SENATORS DON'T GENERALLY
CONNIFIED IN ME.
BUT, BUT-- I KNOW NIF PEOPLE WHO
KNOW ENOUGH PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT
MITT ROMNEY IS NOT THE ONLY
PERSON IN THAT CHAMBER ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE WHO KNOWS THAT
WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID WAS
GRIEVOUSLY WRONG.
AND YOU KNOW, I DO THINK HE
DESERVES CREDIT.
I THINK HE HAS BEEN ON THE WRONG
SIDE OF A LOT OF ISSUES.
BUT I THINK HE DESERVES CREDIT
FOR HAVING FOLLOWED HIS
CONSCIENCE ON THIS AND DONE THE
RIGHT THING IN THIS CASE.
AND THE FACT THAT HE IS THE ONLY
SNALT REPUBLICAN TO DO
IT,-- SENATE REPUBLICAN TO DO
IT, MORE THAN ANYTHING THAT SAYS
A LOT ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
THE SENATE GOP.
>> Stephen: MR. MAYOR, WE HAVE
TO TAKE A BREAK.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE
PETE BUTTIGIEG.
STICK AROUND.
