Welcome to a special bonus episode of POD, save America, I'm John Vera on Jon, Lovett and with us. Today we have former chief speechwriter, for president obama- not me but go to gain it for the broad thrust of the wise men at an over that not make out. He had, you feel regret having to say curry. We got you ready You have the White House, I know acts got you like on your last day, I think a light on the area. While I was born, I lives you now really get into it. We were all in the White House together the three of us from teeth,

and in nine to when I left and honour, when did you leave level again of eleven like the first term? Basically, ok, so first couple years, the end of the first or sort of three years after the first three years, encoding I or together for a long time, sluggard out, could you you wanna first tell us how you got the job with Obama? How you first tell the origin story? Will you hired me, which was a nice gesture on your part? We welcome the origin story. Was we the mutual friend Stephanie cutter? Yes, who I worked than TAT Kennedys office back in the old days, and she first approach me saying you know you should consider writing for Brok dominoes like well, that's a nice pipe dream, but how on earth second work up? She while I know his shoe speechwriter from that carry campaigned as taking them exactly how we up and touch number you called me one day, I was at legal seafoods in Boston classes at just ended at I was in Graduate school Harvard we were all sitting outside having a couple beers and you called me where Leon Simon and allowed mention corporate sponsorship. Now, I'm at Harvard part. We believe it is good

chapter one bottle of legal safeguards that where yes, direct message, gets nothing very as drinking a delicious Lenin, Yeah. That's right! I know which is mainly because I never return email nor you why we say when we were like how'd you get. This job was a mix of luck in desperation, luck on my back! desperation on yours. I needed help. It was just me and Adam Frankel in the speech waiting office at the beginning of that campaign into doesn't seven writing everything. When people ask me how I became speechwriter at the White Ass, I say because I was astounded, yeah anyway, kurdish somethin. I remembered I tweeted a joke about Miss connection with you give em around phone call. You said what have you written before and the truth is only written.

Five speeches were Teddy Kennedy and usually ignored Muslim. Anyone did his own thing, but there is a speech for the hour of K, human rights awards in two thousand and five area, and I mean I wrote the Centre Kennedy speech for that and you wrote Centre Obama speech for that, and we connect about about that over the phone that you are both standing in the back of the room, both nervous watching our bosses give those speeches just a couple of Labour kids with Kennedys. As I can look at it. I can see I love it's. Not ruling is as yet, but I can feel they can feel that it's the Ferryman dream during a big dreams. Now, With interesting where I was, which was just like slogan, it out in the Hillary Clinton said office just just trying to avoid I contacts, I would be fired, but I do remember needing help really badly and cut her saying have an internet. I think I was most impressed by the Kennedy background, because I'm also from Adam from ass a cheese. It said I thought writer for TED Kennedy. Absolutely, let's do it so

You came on you're the speech running off his intern for the while, and then you left us to go. Finnite get your degree or whatever when the hardest roses, I remain because I was just your in turn for the summer about seven right and I remember you not talking to you be, unlike which I do she skip the should I stay and you in five both Tommy me or like here's. A deal were put Oliver money into the field as it should be right now took we gotta go on when I went on and he said: if you stay, you know you'll be my first higher once we win the primaries, so I thought about it ultimately decide. To go back and finish school and I just happen to get lucky that the primary stretched all the way I told you got there Are you called me again, and I was like the day after Hilary concede in your? Let's do this and I was out there in today's Russia is about a biased and also I wasn't there are literally These are the campaign love. It was working really gotten at the time and lost.

Yeah, and then you as the then you came on and we had our little speech writing to him by that point. Roads is had joined them. Rosaria rights. I sat like five you from Tommy. I mean it is a great. It was a great time limit. You would have really enjoyed it, yeah as pride, the genocide, because Hilary Lost- and I was working with us in their speeches threat, so they got fit. I sat so then we all get to the White House and we made one more higher and that was John love. A fella We had our team. And then I was no longer the junior gags. We had kind O Connor, that's right take overs in turn on the campaign. It has an eight and then we at the White House and love. It was the most of it was the most the newest guy actually YAP watch what we that consumers? I don't. I don't do that junior where next to my name, kosher novice, that's right, we did. However, sharing in office is good for the first year That egg is love, it wasn't there. He usually come into his electric scooter around eleven thirty in a t, shirt,

this is not a joke. Finally need finally put a suit on whenever you to go to the bathroom right will basically had cut right, I'd I'd where the teacher and shorts I'd bike in that during the summer months. That's what she liked suitor. So when sweat, throw my clothes and then then that you certain shorts and work until I had to leave the office again at which, when I put on my sit and agile where people I don't come I'm putting up his suit. I ran a tight ship people, so here's a question because I've thought about this too, Do you remember which speech finally made you stop feeling like I'm just a fraud. How did I get this job? I don't know of any come on? I believe that now it did you, you mention again more comfortable with it, but I think you know none of its thing about writers, but I think I will always feel like a frog. Not worthy of writing, for him but a yields, but a more countries that I mean do not smoke. Are you an incredible mentor who taught me how to do this and say we invited you on this programme in a sort of Ozma with wet with

got a mentorship program. You apply for writing, get any of that of the clear I dont know the answer to that. I'd have to think about the first big speech. You remember writing for about two, some Tucson RARE, those first big one and now normal. You would have done that. We are working on the ceiling and address which was only about two weeks away, and then you have to rewrite the opening of the sale of union address because in cars give it a shot, not attack, and I should say this is the thing about speed training and we all know this is the aim Eighty and the workload is be, training is directly how many people you have doing the job? I know that's on simple, but like the worst, I am of my professional career, was when it was just an eye on the campaign and no one else I'll bring Us- and I remember when that happened in design- and I was sitting there working on state of the union, and now he has to go, deliver go to

did you get a memorial service immediately, but also we have to finish the state of the union. I do not have a lot of stress then, because as well, if quotas gonna handle it Cody can handle it. Don't have to worry about that, gets just having the team and having people with different skills on the team like a corresponding dinner comes up and that could take it. Each year and of an olive, it's gonna handle its that's fine. We're got the item the strange thing. Just in general, I could be training. Is this artistic long form time consuming weak or multi weak process Grafton on top of politics, which is very technocratic and very much rooted in thirty minute meetings all day? And so it's like you know, people always say like you know, oh you know you know working in the White House what's the day like an act, four speechwriter everyday kind of different, like if your communications person in the White House, if you're a policy person white ass, you get in seven thirty two morning call you do these responses. Respond to these emails. You figure out. What's the next phase about you write the memo, but for speeches it's this cycle of work in the end

it's a strange thing and so does really depend on having people around. You can my kind of slot in right to each of these different big speeches coming down the pike and so talk, but the process for Tucson all about that Ok, I think. First, why went in to your office and said what the hell am I gonna do here right and then you know I went up and talk to him and bluff but what we really say anything about two things. The first is that we should say off the top that Barack Obama was actively involved in every single speech, often rewrote big sections of, It's not like. We just is not just a disclaimer that we had to sign some agreement to say there is really gets real. It's a beautiful thing and I think we ve seen enough of beaches photos to know that's true what also goes into a speech is what actually happening around it. You know in the real world and pretty quickly after you know, even during the events of Tucson, you saw people start pointing fingers and getting angry and blaming one another in that's kind of

in the context for that speech. I remember that our member amber in that meeting to he said I want to speak like I'm going to. You know like a friend passed away or family, more pesterin, I'm going to the memorial service.

And giving a eulogy for if about that person that I knew- and I want a very human and personal- and I dont want it to political and yet with ever, you would you have done, and we ve had to do far too many. You know the first part will always be paying tribute to the victims telling their stories and then a second part will usually be. What is our responsibility now that they're gone and that changed over time? You know Tucson, he didn't get. Political neutrality did right because you had to at that point. Dallas Charleston all had political components to him, because we have responsibilities to prevent that from happening again to live up to. You know that the people that we lost, you know to sign the end of it was. I want this democracy to live up to this little girls expectations. This little girl, Christina Taylor, Green, who died the shooting, who had just become active, who went to see her congresswoman, which has a patriarch thing to do, who ran for student council and was gunned down in a supermarket, did a shrink.

Thing that I had the hallmark of this integration that time and time again he went and did these the memorial services for a budget at people who were killed in a measured and over and over and over and over again, and you don't think about that, go on in a member when we went to the White House we're all excited, we were like we get right about moon shots at still. Union addresses commencement and big things a year. New, never think that every couple months you have to give a eulogy for something or other yeah. That was it just never entity there, Sir I left the White House in March of twenty thirteen. I think about a year before that you moved into we start sharing office together those my failure. Their worldwide souvenir, and we end rightly links that I can answer her love it. When I left things really brightened up and partly was made. You were deputy director speech waiting at the time, but sort of wanted make sure that when I left you know you be ready

was the transition like for you on your side and becoming cheese speechwriter for the president like. Where did you go through there? It was why won through spasms of panic and fear? Fifa, but what helped was spending all that time with you for year, watching your interactions with him getting spend more time with him. You know, I remember you came back from a trip with him. I think it s, you are now lay for fundraiser whatnot The way you told me was rendered talked him on air force, one and said: look, I'm thinking about leaving in the next year or so, What happened as we have just been to allay, and we saw love it and It was like her lover doing and I told about the called classic sexting underpin agenda, and I could also raised like that something. So you see some really excited about that, like you might wanna go to do that and I do I do you a couple years from now. Administrations overheads, like maybe a little sooner than that is like white you're. What you wanna leave and then I told him not fear-

get em over the way you told it. He said what you think about a replacement. You said, I think, Cody and I said I think, that's right you did and he wanted to get to know you even more. I mean I think, one thing about speed. Training that everyone should know is. I do not think you can be a speechwriter for someone successfully without talking to that person, and I think this is true politics and government. You know, I said this to a million different companies and organisations that we were in speeches for like there's. A lot of times were communications. We're like ok, you can just go through me and I'll. Tell you what the principal wants to say and then you can run. And I was like it is impossible to write for someone unless you know that- and you see this over and over again there's this vicious circle for speechwriters. You don't have a good relationship with the principle that writing, for which is they try their hardest. Innovative and try to be creative and write a great speech, but they don't know the voice of the person there. Writing, for it goes up. The chain gets rejected the principles getting losing confidence in the person they hired and to the new person starts kind of withstanding down the corners. Trying to be

safe and then the speaker get more more boring and the senator of the congressman who have it whatever gets more and more tired of this person and this person, who could have been a great speech, writer, never had a chance to do a good job. And you see this in a lot of campaigns. Machine lot of say, failed, That's why I was made sure everyone our team got, spend time of the president in the oval. If you had a speech was out of town, you got to travel with them. You know it's the only way it works. Yeah, and I'm telling Samantha Power shook him and ass for advice on hiring speechwriter when she became you an ambassador because, like our boss, she's next ordinary writer in her own right, one appeal answer Then I told her, you know whoever you hire. You have to spend time with a person taking with you take her with you. You know and end up being afraid of my Nick Steinberg who's, a brilliant writer for- and I said you have to spend time with this guy like every They respect its. That is easily the most important piece of advice about speechwriter like it doesn't you you don't need to be the world's best writer. You need to have the best political judgment. You don't need to be the hardest worker.

Personal blog. But you have to do all those things and you have to have access to the personal anymore, because it's about that relationship in your village to harness thereby setting be boys ass, coming to take you to get his voice and it's a few years now. It's my fault first couple years special campaign were more mimicry than anything else. I hadn't Madame yet because everything was going through you getting edited and it's real a mimicry until you actually meet that person work without person get inside their head and we didn't spend at a time with him during the campaign, as he was traveling overtime agreement a moment we were only. I went on the road once in a while, but we were made mainly based in Chicago was actually what better during the White House, because we had, we ended up with a weekly meeting with her to talk about the speeches for the week, we meet with that's right every day, because you could sort of game through our most by at through Axelrod, by when President seller Wee Wee. It's weird of all those who goes the extra every day, every speechwriter and we'd citizen, indeed walk in usually like Rumbold and late firms?

they're, gonna, say hello, known, have done in his pocket and on a shirt and is a hollow words. With that I would start the speech waiting moving yet is there's also just the m the at it's like. You know, you tries hard, you can't get a person's voice and then, like you know, you'd read the speech you think you captured at and unlike the prisoner bomber, would like right but cross something out and write a paragraph beneath it. It's like that's how he sounds: Mr Corrie was the hardest speech you ve ever written, not like emotionally difficult legacy, but I've been staying up for eggs and I can't figure this out at in addresses are always like that, but on because you're trying to cram so much stuff into it and in getting the structure right is the hardest part. Once you get that rather us Zizi I'd die, some wanna call those the hardest part must time consuming an annoying yeah Charleston might have been harnessed area because you know we can. We can do our best,

but an elm tree went through this with Ray Speech and await its. We haven't lived the experience of a black men round, so that's a difficult thing to try to empathize and the matter me bill you talk to. He will eventually have to take control that speech the president and take it a place where we can. Reach also gives you imagine one of us thinking like oh yeah. We know in my in my few logical background. We did that come from the government me. This is obviously the speech where the president decided to sing amazing grey. For me. This is obviously the speech where the president Did you sing amazing grace at the end of the speech? One of I think the best moments in his eight. And the White House, how did that start? This was again a speech where in those circumstances outside the White House kind of dictated the way would go We were sitting in the oval on Monday. I think of that week that incredible crazy week, where the confer If I came down, Obamacare was upheld, marriage equality was upheld and the trials and speech happened and we're trying to figure out what to say- and I confess I was kind of

mentally and emotionally exhausted. From all the times we had to go get speeches after mass shootings. I was like. I got nothing left. I think he was. I saw him at a fundraiser earlier that weak and allay right after the shooting. It happened, and I remember hearing him speakers. Like many sense, yeah. If you dont want to you, I saw I've seen him angry twice over the first was the day he was told that Healthcare Da Gov was a catastrophic failure which, by the way, works great now check it out, and the second was the date at the Senate fail on background checks. Right, and I remember in his anger at afterwards. He liked me what do I say the next time, as happens in a eulogy when our Congress has made it clear that I can do anything about this, so I was kind of a context for discussion on Charleston, but then some incredible happened, which was the families of the victims, all forgave the killer in court. None of us saw coming in here like that's it

That's grace, that's what I want to talk about, and you know so. I agonized for a few days. Overdraft gave it to him in the span of five hours he crossed out the last three gauges and handwritten himself all about this concept of unarmed grace me it's a free, benevolent gift of God and as like, well thanks. A lot of this is positive. Mecca, stick around more great show coming away. This episode of POD save America is brought, you buy, Sherry's berries, monsieur, achieves betrayed her to the White House and you workin, lay your governs. Can a peasant out, as is coming up in one sense, chop covered strawberries motive coming out, Sherry's berries. She deserves it. Well, you're stuck in the White House and by the way we are going to be gender normative about it than you we venture is men, love Chagas, covered strawberries and elaborate them as a gift. When you gonna settle down loving care

it is not for Sherry's buried vat is larger converts detention day, you're gonna wanna send your loved ones. Some shares buried there, freshly dips, robberies starting ninety, ninety nine plus shipping or double the berries for his ten dollars, more double the bear. Just go to very calm and use our code. Crooked help support our show by supporting our sponsors, use crooked, again, visit berries, dot, com, b, e r r. I e S, dot, com, click on the microphone in the top right hand, corner and typing crooked. That's berries outcome and use our code crooked. Go get. Some cherries varies today. We got a samples and to our house and, I think, alienated the whole box at eleven o clock at night. I think crooked berries is trumps, nickname at the roots Carlton in Moscow. Oh boy, that's good! Crooked! Thanks guys, I always have the best part of our job was waking up in the morning going. It's

White House and hearing that he has a lot of at it yeah with weed. I wish you wouldn't think you think. Like a speech Roby like oh, no, he wrote all my shit and now he doesn't like it. But when he had real edits. You'd see you get these yellow pages back in. With them, and you just be like. Ah, yes, rather like that, that was it I missed it presents now in its better one. If it came up with nothing, it could mean anything wrong they d come back when it was like. I want to see you- and I am not at all the worse right, but but but if it goes back to another community and engage with it or thought it was fine, but it comes back with a bunch of at it's a bunch of line, notes and things. That means it's. He you gave him what he needed to do his job, and that was true of the correspondence in her speech. Do you think about how the first correspondence thinner than we ever did coda? You ended up as a pirate,

Thank you guys forced me to do that every created out of it. So I hope you like it becomes a cheese speechwriter for the present I'd states and when you, Google, your name, the picture that still comes up as you dress, is a pirate attacks of imposing limits. I've had, I came to be what it is that wasn't that does there was tat, was the first correspondence in a right, and it was this insane priorities dealing with the financial crisis hit him with all these different things. I was that was like the era of ok Gimme speech on sites, but there's a topper on pirates, the bird flu and the vulgar role. So that was the year of that was I'm gonna captain was cabin Philip saw. It has developed on the captain I make up to now, but that was always when it was a real event in trust you up like a captain pirate is we set. The joke was like the present has also promised to meet with leaders he doesn't necessarily agree with and which is a problem. May during the campaign. There is like a Washington kerfuffle cause. I think Hugo Chavez like gave him a book at that. Guy is right on that. I handed him a book and washing and he was like one of us was a do, throw it in

face or some young man he took the, but can you God the things that used to be fucking scandal was president holy shit like a book like her Gus healthier Nelson Mandela's funeral us like a morning Joe topic for two weeks. You know unbelievable effects of the joke was that he had said during the campaign that he would meet with formulas that precondition lookers a photo of me. You know taking about from our job as here's a photo of meeting with the leader of the pirates rebellion, and I was me and you're just dressed as its in article five Did we get apparent on your shoulder him a regret? I try so got it you're the paranoia. That's awesome. I drove reverent costume job to customers. To get that unfair and you handed and Peter PAN European. I wanna talk about. I think one of my all time, favorite speeches that Brok, Burma has ever delivered and I can citizens. I had Cyril part in writing it, the Selma speech the speech. He gave the anniversary Selma twelve years ago, twitter. I don't know that we ve ever talked about to have how how they came to be what his thinking was from

from the outside. What I remember is scheduled to speak, therefore, like a month or so it was coming up and and then a couple weeks, but or the speech. That's when Rudy Giuliani still still cause trouble today said you know, I don't think brag about. His country, let's something like that, do he started by saying. I know this is a the thing to say, which is your first, You should just stop yet that that's not good. Also, I'm not a racist but is also a bad sign of our about to come at us. Unless mouth produce long lines of he wasn't raised like we were, I don't think he loves a country like we do is the same kind of dog was bullshit. We put up with for eight years. You know, like Brung Obama, some creepy other, you know, but I- and when he said that as like boom, this whole speech now not a directive. It's a Giuliani but an indirect response to that kind of thing. Yes, so you know no matter you can write a beautiful speech, just commemorating what happened at summer and the thing to do I daresay goblets merkin go home, we wanted

The old one was like you heard about this Gaza and was like well. Let's talk about that. Lets address it indirectly in haste he started. The wheelchair attorney was like yeah. Let's I got the idea of America what it means to love this country, what it means to be a patriot who defines what an american is- and you don't give us all sorts of incredible ideas for the speech that were true to his vision of America, going back to the o for speech in Boston. Yes, you know, which is that the people of that country can change. You know that This. Is a country founded on the idea that we are imperfect. You know even says to form a more perfect union and we have the tools it with a system of self government to do that, and people have done it a great risk to themselves throughout history. Let's tell that story and plate plant some of firmly in it. It's also it happened before tromp, but I think it may be the best response.

Tromp ism from the president that I've ever heard an average ago read it could still. It is the best distillation of Obama's view of patriotism and american history. What makes America exceptional? Yes, it has its patriotism for adults as well as well. But I have always thought that the two thousand for convention speech was notable, because what he tried to do was redefine the concept of patriotism as not just flag waving, mindless sort of where the best right or is, as he said, Anne and some are not stock photos are airbrush history or able at debates on cases more american than ok, guys, guys. People are listening to the Junta that I can have us, quoting the speeches at each other. Look just because you to remember gray, cord from Obama speech,

That's my that some of the great stuff he can do it like an opportunity here. Lighted up got a events that some of the great stuff the brok abundant with that its though, like I thought I had written, a good draft, was true to what he wanted to do and then, when you start getting at its back- and we are lucky that weeks, we to snow day too, so the government shut down a things either the day before the speaker to his before so always means were pulled down. We could just hand rats back and forth all day and he'll come back with a couple different kind of edits. You know one that just ties together, everything you trying to say in a way that you couldn't reach and in others that just make things just make your language better. You know the worst example was he added in the line about you know not stock Rhodesia, irish history, a feeble attempts to pessimism, morbid and others. That is just a shift in a rhetorical right. There are there other ones where I pray at some pedestrian line, like you know they endured beatings and he turned it into the Billy Club in the chastening, rob tear gas and trampling hoof the gush of London splintered bone.

Ok he's an author he's just sometimes you just proves that can dunk on you here he enjoys do. I know Have you thought about love, love, it's taking the place. A lot of people will soon be, like God, the Israel bomb of people who have had arose souffle. I drank the coup and I just yeah you I'd, I'd regulator that everybody else. I have to tell you I'm the Kool aid. For me he is I kind of, slowly over many years man. What would you have abrupt Brok Obama when love about knows you say it's a silly question when it's almost like about his speeches and his style. Unlike what what made you think this guy has it irony? in the two thousand and eight primary I always found him really compelling and I'll be out. Like I really like and I'm not the same. In hindsight like I did really like him. My

We remember Hilary side of them from what would make what would go out with a last word of hook. I had to hang my hat on. Was let's opportunists, not a rest? Six or the way I was thinking about it too has an end. Is that we just couldn't electronic came in weight of these eight years of of Bush. The country was in shambles like we needed to elect someone and I for me once, but I I generally adopted the position that look I'd know. Hillary Clinton can be John Mccain. I believe Rock Obama can be John Mccain, but I'm just not sure so that was enough to scare me and also- and I also think that a lot of taxing Hilary benn unfair over the years- but I remember, I think, maybe was around the room- speech, or just maybe was even the eye. Would J J I'd seem give these speeches. I return to somebody relay head you ever who lost it

Eddie. Neither do I I. I think that Brok Obama ran on this platform of optimism and change, but ultimately that's not what was called for from him in the first two years. This presidency, which I think are the two years that in many ways to find his his legacy. What was called from him is maturity, responsibility being circumspect being in adults, treating people like adults making hard decisions. You know it turned out that that you know he ran on this platform of change and he did bring a great deal of change, but the qualities that were actually background. You know, and actually probably really just under girded what made it possible for him to win, even if they weren't the part of his platform, his humility, his decency as a human being are also really what I think made him an extraordinary president and- and I am not like you know their people. I think you talk politics and I'm just looking for someone who inspires me. It's like well, no. I understand saying that inspiration is a tool, but if you're, so

you need to be inspired. You need to grow up because that's our politics is about politics. Isn't a tv show it's not actual problems in people's lives like? I am glad Barack Obama's inspirational, but I don't need it. I need a politician, Do things, and so to me, like that's, always been my attention with which the people are like. You know as an Hilary inspiring as well? Who is that for you? Or is it because you believe it useful to win elections? in part of what Obama's. Inspiration though it is, it is a challenge to get your ass and gear and go do something right it was always like the we first. As the eye of Trump, I think is one of the biggest contrast there and it's got lost because it was like Barack Obama is celebrities workin on water. I was going stuff, but every single speech it was always like dont believe, I believe you, big rat change, believe in yours which can very easily sound cheesy and Triton cliche, but There's something underlining that that's real, which is what the responsibilities our citizens in a democracy. It is more more thing off

I had to learn over time, which is, I don't know, I'm a cynic about certain things. And I believe anybody who wants to be president is insane and that usually that these are people with a hole in their hearts that that no power or privilege or attention could fill that's been true of many of our president's. They have a chip on their shoulder. They have something in their history that makes them search for this thing to make them feel better to make them

forget their fear of death. What have you and I met her feeling, like I don't understand- is brought about cipher? Where is this flaw that, whereas this far and I do believe you know- you see that that over the course of an instruction, you see the consequences of aloofness of arrogance? What have you, but his fundamental flaw is simply believing he was the right person to do this job, but I do believe, and over eight years that was true, so it in the end. I think my fear was actually that that he wasn't as good a good of a person is people said he was, but I really you know, look we sat down with him for that last interview which quota you help make possible, and I was just over. You know you talked about it. He never got cynical, but you just unshakeable decent as well. Yeah, really is a decent man. While that takes discipline, I think too, pronounced pretty easy to pop office, easy from all of us. I give us a lot. You know. Why did you leave and a success you fucking tired, why did you stay,

You stay for a long time, the lights out in two thousand and nineteen and twenty two days. I well, that's it he's an x. I remember you know grabbing you fabs for a drink back in a way we are still in Chicago Boon, tavern, ah na on the park, and I asked you if I was gonna come to. One has any real again, and I told you that night that if you took me to the white as I would turn lights off- and I meant it s wonderful reason- I state its cause. I I couldn't imagine leaving you know, and you put in enough time. You ve been there since two thousand and five minutes a lifetime, especially going through first and bent over my twenties, and you know there were throwing out. Every living now affects twenty thirty nine twenty fourteen were brutal, just slogs I we were so. Forget the above, a foundation which you know who the devil that for last year and they're, asking too like help put together sort of a narrative of everything that happened from like birth through the under the ministry.

And I remember and time in Aragon through it all and we get to twenty thirteen and twenty fourteen? We tried to pick outlining the events from that year and I just looked back as like those were. Add years. All the events were bad things. Just it was awful men, Eisele, Ebola, Ferguson God, Burma forgetting other budgets and fascinating despicable Congress, Shariah Gov crews didn't Thank you, weren't in do were unwilling to lift a finger to help. Ever I mean that's what the paradoxes of Brok Mama's presidency, getting back to this whole, we thing is that this was a I who and it's like, he came up with the idea that we have to do things together. Democracy, it's a rather runs rudder. History is the whole point of the summer speech, but once he got there, a lot of Amerika has placed their faith in him to get it done. You know, go force these things through as long as you have sixty votes in the first couple years and then even intransigent opposition and the wonderful kind of backlash. That's what we're here. Now you know the past ten days of have not made me more optimistic, as I still was, but watching people do all these,

to us now and taking on this democracy, because I can see you have to take carry on without Brok Obama. You know do this without this was this is like the summer speech come to life yeah. I mean it's true, but it also you know, there's a lot of people that supported and enthusiastic about Barack Obama who disappeared, it has disappeared and we do not. We can get them out of the milk quota. Succinct Y know twenty I mean twenty fourteen, I'm twenty twenty unto either that didn't turn out to take the house back. Take the Senate back, I mean the obstinacy of Mitch Mcconnell. It worked, meaning did work what most like in the White House when Trump One, because I'm out we asked Potest F protests, The service question during the interview, which was like what was sort of the principle behind the restraint you shown during the transition and always a protest us and here right, that's true and he never broke great, like Ebay,

I can t even private he's, never said like I'll fuck. I can't believe you know like he's just there is something bigger than just sort the public persona there and why he's acted like this, but talk about like the day after when you guess our back into the with house, I sucked roads in favour. Actually, my apartment watch more turns at night and put us called, I think, run two in the morning saying it, write something a little different than we were expecting an, something that you know lobby caressingly to. Why is he being so deferential? You're why's? He insisted on peace, will transfer of power for someone at once, a tab, everything you ve done embarrassments always ban? You know any in a year to where almost every democratic norms been shredded the one of the president has sole responsibility. To maintain is the peaceful transfer power and he's gonna? Do it of years the office he believes in this. Democracy like it sounds quaint naive, but he actually really does

and he remembered how George Bush to hold out for him in the beginning to, but it was brutal and its there. A lot of you not lost campaigns before so I would have liked, but their allow young people still work and await us who, for whom this was their first job. So I ve never lost anything in their people tears need to tell em like look. I simply. This is gonna, be an aberration in our history It's getting a lot of damage over the next few years and it's gonna be pretty brutal on a lot of people, but this people will look back on this. They will read some of, for example, as one of the first speeches about the future and be like what were you guys thinking for four years now, I I do you think of it like there's an American, its dying in it. It's gone out with like a supernova in some stars. Some searches dine fade away, but others explode brightly before they disappear, and I think Trump is a supernova of a kind of politics forsaken by to the future stolen or let's make it so one last thing, president always this has been reported a couple this is presented as referred to use Hemingway, we think that's just like that. Didn't really come from Ernest Hemingway,

There is nothing Hemingway ask about political speeches, so how did they come about? That gives the real story around by the Americas is the This is the first time, as is urban, told nice. When I knew it has nothing to do with writing or beards. It was. I thought it was the beard and not the beard. I think the beer broadly helped, but it was twenty fourteen. We're on a european trip, we're flying back from Poland to Paris and the working group's enormity Normandy for the seventieth anniversary of deed it. So I had written a dna speeches really excited about it, and I worked my grandfather's unit into it, even though even fighting dna but another beach landings and gave it to the present on the plan, hoping he would look at it so that you know if he liked it. I could give little worked. I may we govern parents becoming so he comes back on a flight. Ngos is great. I have no added some really happy with US

Excellent. So finalize the speech about twelve us whenever dinner together, like all staff, just having fun cause units when the great things about foreign troops is you're working constantly, but you also get to spend an hour or two at night, seeing a new city. That our turned into Ben roads and terrorism plan. And been holes are, and I just decided to spend and going on in Paris We decided to watch the sunrise overdone and walk back to the hotel does everybody was loading a motorcade? we need time to out to the president as we're getting on the plain in the morning. He comes up he's like what HO movable feast his back and I was if there are lost generation, are moving up. Now, that's, I think, is very wise Cody. Thank you for doing this with us things around me. This was gone and I thank you both also for making this be training team. As immensely

talented as it was next hiring. You two were a huge part of that. Every down into my benefit it'll be really interesting to watch how trumps betraying operations Semi Stephen Miller's already after gray start, if you thought and bees at its assyrian address or bad. We receive Lattimer put out a fat and with that we will see later Gus hangs goaded. Thank you.