Transcript - Interview: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett Interview Joe Biden - November 2, 2022 | Factba.se

Joe Biden

00:00:00 - 00:00:04 ()

You're making me famous with my granddaughters, you guys. I -- I --

Sean Hayes

00:00:04 - 00:00:10 ()

This is -- this is wild. This is unbelievable for all of us. So, thank you for being here. It's such an honor. Thank you.

Joe Biden

00:00:10 - 00:00:14 ()

Oh, no, it's an honor to be on. I mean, what -- what you guys did to lift people's spirits is important.

Sean Hayes

00:00:14 - 00:00:15 ()

Jason Bateman

00:00:15 - 00:00:16 ()

Joe Biden

00:00:16 - 00:00:16 ()

It's been a tough time.

Jason Bateman

00:00:16 - 00:00:26 ()

And -- and we're surprised that just our -- our silly little chitchats are -- are making people grin. But I guess we'll just -- we'll keep at it because a smile is always worth this --

Will Arnett

00:00:26 - 00:00:26 ()

Sean Hayes

00:00:26 - 00:00:27 ()

Especially nowadays.

Will Arnett

00:00:27 - 00:00:37 ()

And we -- we often have a lot of -- you know, we started by getting a lot of our friends on here and people who are performers and people who are -- and so, Sean won't be able to ask his normal question: Do you have any great theater?

Joe Biden

00:00:37 - 00:00:39 ()

I got a lot of great theater.

Will Arnett

00:00:39 - 00:00:40 ()

Oh, right. Right.

Joe Biden

00:00:40 - 00:00:41 ()

Well, I know Trump.

Sean Hayes

00:00:41 - 00:00:44 ()

That's the best theater ever.

Joe Biden

00:00:44 - 00:00:47 ()

A lot of theater.

Sean Hayes

00:00:47 - 00:00:48 ()

Will Arnett

00:00:48 - 00:00:48 ()

Sean Hayes

00:00:48 - 00:01:00 ()

Before we start -- I don't have a question. I just want to say a thank you for something, and I have to read a quote that you -- you said almost 10 years ago. And now that you're sitting in front of me, and it's such an honor, and I'm shaking a little bit, but you said --

Jason Bateman

00:01:00 - 00:01:01 ()

A lot of that is sugar.

Sean Hayes

00:01:01 - 00:01:12 ()

Oh, sugar I ate earlier. I -- you said, I think Will and Grace did more to educate the American public more than almost anything anybody has done so far. And as much as [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:01:12 - 00:01:14 ()

And by the way, you did.

Sean Hayes

00:01:14 - 00:01:27 ()

Thank you. And I was sitting on the couch. I nearly fell out of my -- my seat. And it -- it just meant so much to me and a million other people -- millions of other people that you recognized us and spoke up for us. So, thank you. I have no question. I just wanted to say thank you.

Joe Biden

00:01:27 - 00:01:34 ()

No, no. I don't think it was a quote. But look, I -- but it's the truth. You know, people are afraid of what they don't know.

Sean Hayes

00:01:34 - 00:01:35 ()

Joe Biden

00:01:35 - 00:01:45 ()

And they're -- they're frightened of it. And they had images that every gay person in the world or lesbian was an extremist on everything. I mean, it's --

Jason Bateman

00:01:45 - 00:01:46 ()

Joe Biden

00:01:46 - 00:01:47 ()

But it's like --

Sean Hayes

00:01:47 - 00:01:49 ()

We're just as boring as everybody else.

Joe Biden

00:01:49 - 00:01:50 ()

Well, that's true --

Sean Hayes

00:01:50 - 00:01:50 ()

Joe Biden

00:01:50 - 00:01:51 ()

Jason Bateman

00:01:51 - 00:01:53 ()

Look at his zipped-up cardigan there.

Will Arnett

00:01:53 - 00:01:55 ()

Often more -- often more -- often far more boring.

Joe Biden

00:01:55 - 00:02:08 ()

No, no, but -- but think -- think about it. You know, the first -- you made it clear that a gay person's interest and -- and life is not any fundamentally different.

Sean Hayes

00:02:08 - 00:02:08 ()

Joe Biden

00:02:08 - 00:02:12 ()

I mean, they have the same fears, concerns, ambitions, likes. I mean --

Sean Hayes

00:02:12 - 00:02:14 ()

Joe Biden

00:02:14 - 00:02:15 ()

Sean Hayes

00:02:15 - 00:02:18 ()

Yeah. And thank you for giving us the right -- the same rights as everybody else.

Jason Bateman

00:02:18 - 00:02:19 ()

Speaking of Sean --

Sean Hayes

00:02:19 - 00:02:20 ()

Jason Bateman

00:02:20 - 00:02:31 ()

You -- you clearly -- you've stated your love for Will and Grace. Now, that makes me think, what other television shows are you able to watch now that you've got a fairly busy job? Is there any TV time for you?

Sean Hayes

00:02:31 - 00:02:32 ()

Joe Biden

00:02:32 - 00:02:43 ()

Yeah, well, the honest-to-God truth is it's a joke among my granddaughters who -- very little. When I have time on television, what I tend to do is I tend to --

Will Arnett

00:02:43 - 00:02:44 ()

You watch the news?

Joe Biden

00:02:44 - 00:02:50 ()

Watch sports or watch the news. And by the way, I don't work harder. A lot of people work a hell a lot harder than I do.

Jason Bateman

00:02:50 - 00:02:51 ()

I don't know about that.

Joe Biden

00:02:51 - 00:02:54 ()

But -- but there's just not that many hours. Do you know what I mean?

Sean Hayes

00:02:54 - 00:02:55 ()

Jason Bateman

00:02:55 - 00:03:00 ()

But I -- I wanted to like -- because we -- we -- we're not bright enough to ask you really smart questions. I'm really --

Joe Biden

00:03:00 - 00:03:01 ()

Jason Bateman

00:03:01 - 00:03:09 ()

I'm really -- I'm -- I'm such a big fan of you as -- as just -- obviously, we've never met before, although I did shake your hand on a school trip in the ninth grade in Delaware, and you were very nice. But I want to know --

Will Arnett

00:03:09 - 00:03:10 ()

Expand on that.

Jason Bateman

00:03:10 - 00:03:11 ()

I want to know --

Sean Hayes

00:03:11 - 00:03:12 ()

How have you been since?

Jason Bateman

00:03:12 - 00:03:19 ()

You were so sweet to our class. But, like, what time does the day wrap up for you? What -- what -- what -- you go you upstairs --

Will Arnett

00:03:19 - 00:03:20 ()

You want to know bedtime.

Jason Bateman

00:03:20 - 00:03:21 ()

Well, I want to know what goes on when --

Joe Biden

00:03:21 - 00:03:23 ()

Well, my staff is laughing. They're behind you.

Jason Bateman

00:03:23 - 00:03:37 ()

When -- but when you go upstairs, you're not lounging around in that. Is there a transition into -- I'm asking because I'm projecting because I get in my PJs as soon as I get home. You get into the PJs. You let them know what you want for dinner, and then you start watching TV with Jill. Is that what -- what -- what happens?

Joe Biden

00:03:37 - 00:03:41 ()

Now, that's one of the things Jill and I are working out. And I mean this sincerely.

Jason Bateman

00:03:41 - 00:03:42 ()

Joe Biden

00:03:42 - 00:03:44 ()

Jill, because she teaches full time --

Will Arnett

00:03:44 - 00:03:44 ()

Joe Biden

00:03:44 - 00:03:53 ()

Is in bed by 9:30, and -- and I used to go to bed 9:30, 10 o'clock, and we talk before we go to sleep. I mean, we -- we spend time together.

Jason Bateman

00:03:53 - 00:03:54 ()

Joe Biden

00:03:54 - 00:04:03 ()

But now, I don't get back to my -- even in the White House, I don't get from the Oval Office into my -- in the residence --

Jason Bateman

00:04:03 - 00:04:03 ()

Joe Biden

00:04:03 - 00:04:05 ()

Until usually around 7 o'clock.

Jason Bateman

00:04:05 - 00:04:06 ()

Will Arnett

00:04:06 - 00:04:06 ()

Joe Biden

00:04:06 - 00:04:15 ()

We have dinner. And then I have -- and I'm not -- not a complaint. I give my word, but I have a briefing book that is probably 200 pages.

Jason Bateman

00:04:15 - 00:04:16 ()

Will Arnett

00:04:16 - 00:04:16 ()

Joe Biden

00:04:16 - 00:04:18 ()

I mean, a big binder like that.

Will Arnett

00:04:18 - 00:04:18 ()

Jason Bateman

00:04:18 - 00:04:19 ()

Mine has two pages and --

Will Arnett

00:04:19 - 00:04:21 ()

Yeah, and they're all deals.

Joe Biden

00:04:21 - 00:04:30 ()

No, but -- but worst part, you guys got to memorize your lines. But all kidding aside, so I -- I usually get in bed around 11 o'clock.

Sean Hayes

00:04:30 - 00:04:30 ()

Joe Biden

00:04:30 - 00:04:35 ()

Jill gets up at 6:30 and goes -- works out. I get up at 8 o'clock and work out.

Jason Bateman

00:04:35 - 00:04:35 ()

Sean Hayes

00:04:35 - 00:04:47 ()

But wait, I want to know -- I want to know, though. When -- when you -- is there a time that when you're exercising with Jill -- is there a time where you guys can go away --

Will Arnett

00:04:47 - 00:04:47 ()

Sean Hayes

00:04:47 - 00:04:50 ()

And shut it off and just be like --

Joe Biden

00:04:50 - 00:04:51 ()

Sean Hayes

00:04:51 - 00:04:52 ()

Yeah, because --

Joe Biden

00:04:52 - 00:05:18 ()

Well, we -- we just have to do it because she's worked so long as well. So, we just set time, and I tell Annie, who runs the show for me and my -- and my chief of staff, I'm not doing anything. And so, Jill and I -- but it's -- they're -- they're getting further apart. I mean, in the sense. But usually, we try to do that.

Joe Biden

00:05:18 - 00:05:29 ()

We go to Camp David or -- or go back to our house in Delaware, which is secluded enough off the road, that we just, you know, and --

Sean Hayes

00:05:29 - 00:05:38 ()

And can you really not think about work and you really kind of calm down or is it always there?

Joe Biden

00:05:38 - 00:05:48 ()

Well, yeah. No. Well, there's certain things that -- I mean, like with the war in Ukraine, there's a lot of really --

Will Arnett

00:05:48 - 00:05:48 ()

Jason Bateman

00:05:48 - 00:05:50 ()

You got to stay available.

Will Arnett

00:05:50 - 00:05:51 ()

Joe Biden

00:05:51 - 00:05:54 ()

But no, I'm always available, but I --

Jason Bateman

00:05:54 - 00:06:05 ()

Do they try to protect -- obviously, weekends are not off, but you get to go to church on Sundays or you get a little sports time?

Joe Biden

00:06:05 - 00:06:24 ()

Well, here's what I do. My -- my -- my worst part is I -- they -- they kid me and everybody kids me. I'm -- I'm one of those practicing Catholics. My mother come down from heaven if I didn't.

Sean Hayes

00:06:24 - 00:06:25 ()

Joe Biden

00:06:25 - 00:06:34 ()

But I go to -- I go to -- I don't want to tell everybody because I'll be there. But I -- I go to 5 o'clock mass in my local church.

Jason Bateman

00:06:34 - 00:06:34 ()

Joe Biden

00:06:34 - 00:06:41 ()

Or I go to -- in Washington, I go over to Georgetown to the [Inaudible]

Jason Bateman

00:06:41 - 00:06:41 ()

Joe Biden

00:06:41 - 00:06:52 ()

And I go to -- there's a 5:00 -- well, there's a 4:30 mass, and I go to mass on Saturday. And then Sunday, I -- we just try to -- try to do nothing.

Jason Bateman

00:06:52 - 00:06:53 ()

Will Arnett

00:06:53 - 00:06:56 ()

Yeah, that's great. I mean, that's pretty good.

Sean Hayes

00:06:56 - 00:06:58 ()

I think you have to.

Jason Bateman

00:06:58 - 00:07:04 ()

You watch a football game or something like that, perhaps.

Joe Biden

00:07:04 - 00:07:05 ()

Jason Bateman

00:07:05 - 00:07:06 ()

Joe Biden

00:07:06 - 00:07:06 ()

Will Arnett

00:07:06 - 00:07:13 ()

What's your No. 1 sport if you had to rank them that you like to watch?

Joe Biden

00:07:13 - 00:07:17 ()

Well, my No. 1 sport is football.

Will Arnett

00:07:17 - 00:07:18 ()

Joe Biden

00:07:18 - 00:07:24 ()

But it's changed so much. I -- I was a relatively good ballplayer and --

Jason Bateman

00:07:24 - 00:07:25 ()

Joe Biden

00:07:25 - 00:07:29 ()

A high scorer. I was a flanker back, a halfback.

Jason Bateman

00:07:29 - 00:07:29 ()

Joe Biden

00:07:29 - 00:07:30 ()

Sean Hayes

00:07:30 - 00:07:31 ()

I like flanks, too.

Joe Biden

00:07:31 - 00:07:32 ()

Sean Hayes

00:07:32 - 00:07:33 ()

I'm just saying.

Jason Bateman

00:07:33 - 00:07:35 ()

Don't pay any attention --

Will Arnett

00:07:35 - 00:07:37 ()

You're just saying word association.

Sean Hayes

00:07:37 - 00:07:39 ()

Yeah, I'm just [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:07:39 - 00:07:44 ()

But it's a sport that I -- that I watch probably more than any other [Inaudible]

Jason Bateman

00:07:44 - 00:07:47 ()

You're not -- you're not a terrible golfer.

Joe Biden

00:07:47 - 00:07:47 ()

Jason Bateman

00:07:47 - 00:07:54 ()

I -- I looked up your index.

Joe Biden

00:07:54 - 00:07:59 ()

I used to be pretty good. I haven't played golf on three --

Jason Bateman

00:07:59 - 00:08:12 ()

Your current index is a 6 7, I believe, which puts you at about a 12, a handicap. What is the best part of your golf game: off the tee, chipping, putting?

Joe Biden

00:08:12 - 00:08:13 ()

Jason Bateman

00:08:13 - 00:08:13 ()

Will Arnett

00:08:13 - 00:08:15 ()

Yeah, of course, it is.

Jason Bateman

00:08:15 - 00:08:17 ()

Do you hit it far?

Joe Biden

00:08:17 - 00:08:20 ()

Well, yeah. Three years ago, I did. I haven't played much.

Will Arnett

00:08:20 - 00:08:21 ()

Joe Biden

00:08:21 - 00:08:42 ()

We added up, they figured out that I try to -- when I -- when I'm home in Delaware, it was a place I can go where I can play -- it's a -- it's a private club. It's called Fieldstone. But I -- I play -- all of this is golf, and I get in. I've -- I've not played 18 holes lately. I've nine holes and --

Will Arnett

00:08:42 - 00:08:53 ()

I'm with you on that. We play a lot. Jason and I play a lot of golf, and it's [Inaudible]

Sean Hayes

00:08:53 - 00:08:59 ()

Will, big things. He thinks golf should be 12 holes.

Will Arnett

00:08:59 - 00:09:07 ()

I think it should be 12 holes. I think it should be six and six. I think that'd be perfect.

Joe Biden

00:09:07 - 00:09:10 ()

By the way, there's a lot of national debate about that.

Will Arnett

00:09:10 - 00:09:10 ()

Is there really?

Joe Biden

00:09:10 - 00:09:13 ()

Yeah, there is about [Inaudible]

Will Arnett

00:09:13 - 00:09:15 ()

Do you want to appoint me the golf czar?

Sean Hayes

00:09:15 - 00:09:16 ()

Just because he's [Inaudible]

Jason Bateman

00:09:16 - 00:09:22 ()

At 12 usually. It falls apart on the 12th fall, and he just starts whining.

Will Arnett

00:09:22 - 00:09:26 ()

I'm 52, and I'm tired. And I like to spend time with my kids.

Jason Bateman

00:09:26 - 00:09:28 ()

You work on your game.

Joe Biden

00:09:28 - 00:09:32 ()

By the way, that's my best recreation, my granddaughters.

Will Arnett

00:09:32 - 00:09:32 ()

Joe Biden

00:09:32 - 00:09:33 ()

They're crazy about me.

Will Arnett

00:09:33 - 00:09:34 ()

I don't blame them. [Crosstalk]

Joe Biden

00:09:34 - 00:09:36 ()

I know you think I'm kidding. [Crosstalk]

Joe Biden

00:09:36 - 00:09:41 ()

Every single day, I contact every one of my grandchildren.

Sean Hayes

00:09:41 - 00:09:42 ()

That's amazing.

Jason Bateman

00:09:42 - 00:09:53 ()

All right. You got to pick one of these three things as the coolest thing about -- about being the man. Is it the White House, is it Air Force One, or is it the Beast? Which -- you can only -- you can only --

Will Arnett

00:09:53 - 00:09:55 ()

You don't mean Marshawn Lynch?

Jason Bateman

00:09:55 - 00:09:57 ()

I do not. I'm talking about the car.

Will Arnett

00:09:57 - 00:09:58 ()

Jason Bateman

00:09:58 - 00:09:59 ()

Which -- which -- which is -- which -- which --

Joe Biden

00:09:59 - 00:10:01 ()

Will Arnett

00:10:01 - 00:10:04 ()

It's Air Force One. It's got to be Air Force One.

Sean Hayes

00:10:04 - 00:10:06 ()

Yeah, it's got to be, right?

Joe Biden

00:10:06 - 00:10:10 ()

Well, the good news is the plane never leaves until I get there now. You know.

Sean Hayes

00:10:10 - 00:10:19 ()

Do you always get the seat you want? Do you always get the seat you want or is there sometimes there's someone in it and you got to go to the back?

Jason Bateman

00:10:19 - 00:10:24 ()

I would love to see the inside of Air Force One.

Joe Biden

00:10:24 - 00:10:27 ()

Sean, I'll take you through it.

Sean Hayes

00:10:27 - 00:10:28 ()

Joe Biden

00:10:28 - 00:10:29 ()

Sean Hayes

00:10:29 - 00:10:30 ()

I would go crazy.

Will Arnett

00:10:30 - 00:10:33 ()

God, they were dripping, we're begging for an invite.

Sean Hayes

00:10:33 - 00:10:34 ()

Joe Biden

00:10:34 - 00:10:36 ()

No, I'm serious. Happy to share [Inaudible]

Will Arnett

00:10:36 - 00:10:42 ()

Sean, you're only -- you only -- I thought you were going to say I'd love to do a Will and Grace reunion on Air Force One.

Jason Bateman

00:10:42 - 00:10:44 ()

And we will be right back. [Commercial break]

Jason Bateman

00:10:44 - 00:10:46 ()

All right. Back to the show.

Will Arnett

00:10:46 - 00:11:06 ()

OK. So, people in this country never before has it felt like -- and I looked back -- you know, I spent a little bit of time looking back over the way that people spoke and politicians spoke and etc., especially in the 20th century. And a lot of the same verbiage was used to scare people, to make -- put people -- to divide people.

Sean Hayes

00:11:06 - 00:11:07 ()

Will Arnett

00:11:07 - 00:11:32 ()

And it was you -- and -- and people say, well, no, this is new. Historically, that has been something. But never before has it seemed like common ground was so far off in the distance. And I'm trying to understand why because we all share -- I had an experience recently where I spent some time with somebody and I didn't find out until later that their perspective on the world was very different from mine.

Will Arnett

00:11:32 - 00:11:39 ()

But when I -- he and I were speaking and hanging out one on one, we got along very fine, and I thought, wow, isn't that funny?

Jason Bateman

00:11:39 - 00:11:40 ()

Will Arnett

00:11:40 - 00:11:48 ()

If I didn't know anything about his politics, he and I got along great. What is it we can do to try to get that back? Because I -- I think that that's something you talk about a lot.

Joe Biden

00:11:48 - 00:11:55 ()

Well, I do. Look, guys, I had no intention to run for president again. For real.

Jason Bateman

00:11:55 - 00:11:55 ()

Joe Biden

00:11:55 - 00:12:19 ()

Or running for office. I was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, enjoying it, and put together an institute up there. And -- and when those folks came out of the fields, literally carrying torches down in Charlottesville, and the last guy said, "There are good people on both sides," and that young woman was killed, I realized that -- that we are at an inflection point in history.

Joe Biden

00:12:19 - 00:12:46 ()

And it occurs every three, five, seven generations that what happens in the near term, in this case, the next two to three, five years, the last several years, is going to determine what it looks like for the next several generations. And -- and -- and the context was my -- my son had just died. And so, we have a tradition in our family.

Joe Biden

00:12:46 - 00:13:14 ()

Anyone in the family, any kid can ask for a family meeting. This is dead serious. I'm not joking about this, as well as my -- my dad's family when I was growing up. And so, I got a call from my oldest granddaughter and saying, "Pop, we want to have a family meeting." She was a freshman -- either a senior at Penn or a freshman at Columbia Law.

Joe Biden

00:13:14 - 00:13:26 ()

And then my other granddaughter, Finnegan Biden. She's a brilliant kid. She's a wonderful kid. She's my secret weapon. She was, I think, a sophomore at Penn. And anyway --

Jason Bateman

00:13:26 - 00:13:27 ()

A couple of dummies, huh?

Joe Biden

00:13:27 - 00:13:32 ()

Well, I -- no, I don't mean that. I meant they were close to me [Inaudible] from my house.

Jason Bateman

00:13:32 - 00:13:32 ()

Joe Biden

00:13:32 - 00:13:52 ()

And -- and then I had another granddaughter who was a senior in high school and then a granddaughter who was a sophomore in high school and a -- and a grandson who was, I'm thinking, seventh or eighth grade. And they came in, and they sat down, and they said, "Pop, you really should run." And I didn't want to run because I knew it was going to be ugly.

Joe Biden

00:13:52 - 00:14:00 ()

And keep in mind, just like your -- your children in the show business, what with you in show business, they get used to the barbs, they get used to the accolades.

Jason Bateman

00:14:00 - 00:14:01 ()

Joe Biden

00:14:01 - 00:14:22 ()

And so, they've been their whole life, either I've been a vice president or a senator and their dad or uncle had been attorney general and so on. And so, they said, "You got to run, Pop." Pop -- they call me pop. They said, "Pop, Uncle Beau wants you to run. Daddy wants you to run." Etc. And I said, "Well, it's going to be not -- it's not going to be very nice, honey."

Jason Bateman

00:14:22 - 00:14:22 ()

Joe Biden

00:14:22 - 00:14:55 ()

And my little guy, little Hunter, he's now 16 years old. Wonderful kid. He took out his cellphone. He said, "Here's a picture, Pop. We know." And he showed me a picture. My wife hates me telling this story, but it's true. And it was a picture was me walking out of the -- out of the cathedral with my hand on my son's flag-draped coffin, the military escort, and my arm around him like I used to hold his dad to just reassure.

Joe Biden

00:14:55 - 00:15:13 ()

We're walking out. And the caption at the bottom said that Biden molests another child. And they said, "We know it's going to be tough." But here's the point about your question. I think the biggest thing that's changed is technology. There are no editors anymore.

Jason Bateman

00:15:13 - 00:15:13 ()

Joe Biden

00:15:13 - 00:15:35 ()

And so, you know, I -- you know, there's a lot been written, and I started to write a book about it, but I don't, obviously, have the time to do it now, that if you go all the way back to Gutenberg and the printing press, it changed the nature of the world and how nations got along.

Will Arnett

00:15:35 - 00:15:40 ()

These guys have never read a book, so just keep going.

Joe Biden

00:15:40 - 00:15:58 ()

No -- no. Well, I know. But look -- look, I'm -- I'm getting the television. But think about how things have changed. In every new technological change, it changed the way we interface with one another.

Will Arnett

00:15:58 - 00:15:58 ()

Joe Biden

00:15:58 - 00:16:07 ()

Whether it was the telegraph or the radio and then television.

Jason Bateman

00:16:07 - 00:16:09 ()

Joe Biden

00:16:09 - 00:16:14 ()

But now, the internet, for the first time, there's no editors.

Jason Bateman

00:16:14 - 00:16:15 ()

Will Arnett

00:16:15 - 00:16:15 ()

Joe Biden

00:16:15 - 00:16:16 ()

There's no editors at all.

Jason Bateman

00:16:16 - 00:16:17 ()

Joe Biden

00:16:17 - 00:16:19 ()

And so, how does somebody know what is true?

Will Arnett

00:16:19 - 00:16:41 ()

The difference. Yeah. And the difference between -- you know, I think that you should do an executive order where you could do, you can post on the internet, on social media, but you have to have your -- your name, your address, and your phone number. And then we'll see if people change their tone [Inaudible]

Sean Hayes

00:16:41 - 00:16:51 ()

You know, there -- isn't there any way for the FCC or someone to -- to put a rating system or the equivalent of saying this is just opinion, this is actually fact?

Will Arnett

00:16:51 - 00:16:54 ()

Oh, you've wanted this for a long time?

Sean Hayes

00:16:54 - 00:17:07 ()

Just like you should be able to have to hit a certain threshold. You can't just -- everything can't look the same. It should have a little qualifier. Twitter does it or did it with the -- with the last guy's tweets.

Will Arnett

00:17:07 - 00:17:30 ()

I mean, we -- we live in an age where people decided to start politicizing science and medicine that -- that it's so absurd. And you go -- you know, I'm originally Canadian, and -- and I go back to Canada. I'm -- I am American now, sir, but --

Joe Biden

00:17:30 - 00:17:33 ()

Oh, if I defect, I'm going to Canada.

Will Arnett

00:17:33 - 00:17:39 ()

Yeah, well, listen, and you can stay with my folks.

Sean Hayes

00:17:39 - 00:17:40 ()

I'll drive you.

Will Arnett

00:17:40 - 00:17:53 ()

Jim and Alex will take you any day. But -- but that idea that, like, how -- it's absurd. How are we politicizing this stuff that we used to take as fact?

Joe Biden

00:17:53 - 00:18:08 ()

Well, look, that's -- that's true. And -- and if you notice, the generic polling about the American public, they're 40, 50, 60 percent are worried about the survival of democracy.

Jason Bateman

00:18:08 - 00:18:08 ()

Will Arnett

00:18:08 - 00:18:08 ()

Joe Biden

00:18:08 - 00:18:11 ()

But it's not just here. It's all around the world --

Jason Bateman

00:18:11 - 00:18:12 ()

Will Arnett

00:18:12 - 00:18:12 ()

Joe Biden

00:18:12 - 00:18:21 ()

This notion of can -- you know, democracy, can it be sustained? But I'm optimistic, and I really am.

Will Arnett

00:18:21 - 00:18:23 ()

Joe Biden

00:18:23 - 00:18:34 ()

No, but I -- I genuinely am because this younger generation, the ones you speak to up to -- I say up to 30 when I talk about the younger generation.

Jason Bateman

00:18:34 - 00:18:36 ()

Joe Biden

00:18:36 - 00:18:50 ()

No, I'm not being facetious. I'm being deadly earnest. Is the best educated, the most open, the least prejudiced, the most giving generation in American history.

Jason Bateman

00:18:50 - 00:18:50 ()

Joe Biden

00:18:50 - 00:19:20 ()

And -- and we're going to break through this. We really, truly are. And you think about the things that how ugly things have gotten. But think about how much we've gotten done. I mean, did -- you know, when I ran, I said I was running for three reasons: to restore the soul of America; to rebuild the middle class, and because when the economy is built from the middle out, the poor do have a road up and the wealthy still do very well; and to -- and to unite the country.

Joe Biden

00:19:20 - 00:19:34 ()

The third part's being the hardest because I went through my career as being the guy who got a lot done with Democrats and Republicans for all those years I was in the Senate. Hell, I was there for 36 [Inaudible]

Will Arnett

00:19:34 - 00:19:38 ()

You started when you -- you were 29 when you became a senator.

Joe Biden

00:19:38 - 00:20:06 ()

Yeah. And -- and I -- and what's got me involved was the -- I came from a state, to its great shame, was segregated by law. And -- and we have the eighth largest Black population in America. And I was really moved by the Civil Rights Movement as a kid. And I remember, we moved down from Scranton, Pennsylvania when coal died.

Joe Biden

00:20:06 - 00:20:38 ()

My dad was not a coal miner, but he was a salesperson. And we moved back to this little town called Claymont, Delaware, and it used to be a big steel town. And we lived in what became projects, but at the time, they were apartment complexes that were modest compared to where we had lived. And I went to a little Catholic school called Holy Rosary, and it was across the street from the -- the fire station there.

Joe Biden

00:20:38 - 00:20:59 ()

And I remember, my mom used to drive us up to school, I was in third grade, and drop us in the parking lot to go into school. And I see this bus go by all the time with only, then we -- we referred to as colored, but Black children in it.

Jason Bateman

00:20:59 - 00:20:59 ()

Joe Biden

00:20:59 - 00:21:02 ()

I didn't understand it.

Sean Hayes

00:21:02 - 00:21:03 ()

Joe Biden

00:21:03 - 00:21:29 ()

Because I didn't know it. There were hardly any Black people in -- in Scranton. And what was that all about? And said, well, they're not allowed to go to school, honey. They're not allowed to go to the public schools here. And then I ended up being the only white employee in the east side of Wilmington, which is 98% African American.

Joe Biden

00:21:29 - 00:21:37 ()

I was a lifeguard there. Then I got involved, and -- and that's what got me engaged.

Sean Hayes

00:21:37 - 00:21:43 ()

So, that was -- that was very inspiring for you, just --

Joe Biden

00:21:43 - 00:22:04 ()

Well -- well, it was. But I also was very angry. I mean, it made me angry. And like -- like a lot of folks of my generation, and I never -- I love reading how I knew I was going to run for president and I knew I was going to be, and so I wasn't even hell -- I wasn't even old enough. I mean, I'll never forget.

Joe Biden

00:22:04 - 00:22:14 ()

I was -- I got really involved trying to bring the Democratic Party in Delaware into the mainstream of Northeastern Democrats. It was more a Southern Democratic Party.

Jason Bateman

00:22:14 - 00:22:14 ()

Will Arnett

00:22:14 - 00:22:15 ()

Joe Biden

00:22:15 - 00:22:22 ()

You know, southern part of my state, the Delmarva Peninsula, talk -- gets like this. A lot of -- it's just very southern. For real.

Will Arnett

00:22:22 - 00:22:25 ()

It's right at the Mason-Dixon line, right?

Joe Biden

00:22:25 - 00:22:50 ()

Yeah. Like, actually, it goes north-south. Most people don't realize that, but yes, it is. And the end -- the end result of all that was that I got involved. I -- I was a young lawyer. I went to law school, and I went to work for a guy who was a local. He was a state rep. He was a great trial lawyer. And -- and one thing led to another.

Joe Biden

00:22:50 - 00:23:19 ()

And they tried to reform the Democratic Party to make it more -- I mean, the Republican Party was more liberal than the Democratic Party at the time. It was the Rockefeller Republicans. Anyway, to make a long story not quite so long and boring, I was asked to help put together a group of young people to get someone to run for the United States Senate.

Joe Biden

00:23:19 - 00:23:45 ()

And I kept working on it. And I went to an off-year convention in Dover, you know, the Democratic convention. And I was -- it was between the evening -- the afternoon and evening session. And I was in a motel -- small motel down there, shaving. And I was in the bathroom, and I had a towel on and shaving cream.

Joe Biden

00:23:45 - 00:24:11 ()

And they're just banging the door. And I opened the door and there's four leading Democrats, two of which I never met before, two former governors and a state chairman and a head of the Supreme Court who had retired and a family with more senators than any family in American history, the tunnels. And -- and I was -- I thought it was the guys I drove -- drove down with.

Joe Biden

00:24:11 - 00:24:52 ()

I was 27 -- 28 years old. And they said, "We got to talk to you, Joe." We just had a dinner together. And I said, "OK, gentlemen." I walked in and quickly got in the bathroom thinking there was a towel. [Inaudible] I wiped the shaving cream off my face, came out. You know, those desks that are nailed to the wall, headboard is nailed, and I'm leaning against the desk, and they said, "Joe, we were thinking, you should run for the Senate." I said, "Oh." I said no -- I said --

Sean Hayes

00:24:52 - 00:24:53 ()

You said, "Can I get dressed?"

Joe Biden

00:24:53 - 00:25:13 ()

No, no. No, I'm serious. It's a true story. And the chief justice -- the former justice said -- I said, "I'm not old enough, sir." He said, "You obviously didn't do well in constitutional law, Joe." Said, "You don't have to be 30 to get elected. You had to be 30 to be sworn in."

Jason Bateman

00:25:13 - 00:25:14 ()

Joe Biden

00:25:14 - 00:25:21 ()

And I remember going home, and I don't know if you guys ever did this, but I had a great professor in -- in college.

Will Arnett

00:25:21 - 00:25:23 ()

No, they never did. No, no.

Joe Biden

00:25:23 - 00:25:31 ()

No. But, I mean, there was a guy that -- I wasn't a good student either if you're implying they weren't.

Will Arnett

00:25:31 - 00:25:36 ()

No, no, no. No, they weren't students at all. But --

Joe Biden

00:25:36 - 00:26:04 ()

But -- but here's the point, I -- I'm riding home, and I stopped at the University of Delaware the next day. I had a professor named David Ingersoll. He was my political philosophy professor. And I said -- I said, "They just asked me. This is crazy." And he looked at me and said, "Joe, remember what Plato said?" And I'm thinking, what the hell did Plato say?

Joe Biden

00:26:04 - 00:26:17 ()

And he said, to paraphrase, the penalty good people pay for not being involved in politics is being governed by people worse than themselves.

Jason Bateman

00:26:17 - 00:26:18 ()

Joe Biden

00:26:18 - 00:26:26 ()

And it was the middle of Vietnam War, and a lot of other things going on. One thing led to another.

Jason Bateman

00:26:26 - 00:26:29 ()

That's the penalty for not voting.

Joe Biden

00:26:29 - 00:26:29 ()

Sean Hayes

00:26:29 - 00:26:32 ()

I used to play with Plato as a kid.

Jason Bateman

00:26:32 - 00:26:32 ()

Sean Hayes

00:26:32 - 00:26:33 ()

Will Arnett

00:26:33 - 00:26:40 ()

See, I told you. By the way, I wasn't a good student either. This is just an inside joke to -- to torture them.

Jason Bateman

00:26:40 - 00:27:07 ()

Mr. President, so your ability to, as you -- as you always have, across the aisle and -- and broker these -- these great agreements, if -- if a somebody who was -- what do you say, you were 29 at the time, 29 now coming into politics with how dynamic this political culture is and the necessity, the -- the vital that we -- we come across the aisle to -- to one another, what would you suggest to them?

Jason Bateman

00:27:07 - 00:27:20 ()

What -- what's the -- what's the secret sauce to be able to do that? How do you identify things that both sides could get excited about?

Joe Biden

00:27:20 - 00:27:41 ()

You know, because I got elected so young, everybody thought there had to be some secret sauce I had. I -- you know, there must have been something. And so, I've had -- just about everybody has ever sought the office of the Senate or governor, a young person in the last 40 years of the country say, you know, what -- what is it?

Joe Biden

00:27:41 - 00:27:47 ()

And I say the same thing in the media from the bottom of my heart. I said, figure out what are you willing to lose over.

Jason Bateman

00:27:47 - 00:27:48 ()

Joe Biden

00:27:48 - 00:28:15 ()

Or don't get involved because if you don't know what you're willing to lose over and have something that important to you, don't get engaged, don't get involved running because you can make a lot of money and do a lot better doing other things than being in politics. And so, one of the things that does is that -- you know, there's a joke among my colleagues when I said it, no one ever doubts I mean what I say.

Joe Biden

00:28:15 - 00:28:18 ()

The problem is I sometimes say all that I mean.

Sean Hayes

00:28:18 - 00:28:19 ()

We'll be right back. [Commercial break]

Sean Hayes

00:28:19 - 00:28:20 ()

And now, back to the show.

Jason Bateman

00:28:20 - 00:28:47 ()

Mr. President, we -- this is, you know, we're -- we're -- we're not qualified or smart enough to ask you great questions. So, what we'd like to do -- I -- I would love to know just some of the just the simple sort of human stuff. I want to know, to the extent you're comfortable telling us, like -- just like the dumb stuff in your life.

Will Arnett

00:28:47 - 00:28:49 ()

You want to know his personal stuff?

Sean Hayes

00:28:49 - 00:28:50 ()

His personal stuff?

Jason Bateman

00:28:50 - 00:28:57 ()

Yeah. He's a person. What -- what time do you get up most mornings? And do you use an alarm clock?

Joe Biden

00:28:57 - 00:29:11 ()

I -- I get a staff call. I have an alarm, but they -- they don't trust that. So, I mean, my -- my routine is there's a great guy who used to be a physical therapist at the -- at the White House. Now, he comes in, and I --

Sean Hayes

00:29:11 - 00:29:16 ()

What do you mean he comes in? He comes in and he gently rocks you? [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:29:16 - 00:29:23 ()

Yeah, I -- he rocks me. I tell you what, he works me. When I go up, there's a gym upstairs.

Sean Hayes

00:29:23 - 00:29:25 ()

Well, he [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:29:25 - 00:29:35 ()

And so, I -- 8 o'clock -- I'm up at 7:00 -- 7:15. I go up and work out from 8:00 until quarter to 9:00.

Jason Bateman

00:29:35 - 00:29:41 ()

And what are we doing up there? We -- we blast him back and buys on Tuesdays and Thursdays or --

Joe Biden

00:29:41 - 00:29:42 ()

Yes, as a matter of fact.

Will Arnett

00:29:42 - 00:29:44 ()

Jason Bateman

00:29:44 - 00:29:47 ()

Will Arnett

00:29:47 - 00:29:49 ()

You look like you're in great shape.

Sean Hayes

00:29:49 - 00:29:49 ()

Joe Biden

00:29:49 - 00:29:58 ()

Well, I feel good. I feel good. I -- the thing I learned, the difference in age, if I let it go for a week, I'd feel it.

Will Arnett

00:29:58 - 00:29:58 ()

Sean Hayes

00:29:58 - 00:30:00 ()

Is there -- is there --

Jason Bateman

00:30:00 - 00:30:02 ()

Again, he's looking at you, Sean. Go ahead.

Joe Biden

00:30:02 - 00:30:09 ()

Wait. No, I used to be able to go for a week and nothing would change. And I was like --

Will Arnett

00:30:09 - 00:30:10 ()

No, it's true, though. It's true.

Joe Biden

00:30:10 - 00:30:12 ()

No, I'm serious.

Will Arnett

00:30:12 - 00:30:19 ()

Believe me, we're all over 50, and we know -- we talk about it all the time how much harder it is getting on top of it.

Sean Hayes

00:30:19 - 00:30:26 ()

What's your -- what's your kryptonite? If something's in front of you, it's going to get eaten. What it is?

Will Arnett

00:30:26 - 00:30:28 ()

I know what it is.

Sean Hayes

00:30:28 - 00:30:30 ()

Is it sugar? Is it French fries?

Jason Bateman

00:30:30 - 00:30:30 ()

Will Arnett

00:30:30 - 00:30:33 ()

Hang on, hang on. I know what it is.

Jason Bateman

00:30:33 - 00:30:34 ()

It's the same thing I like.

Will Arnett

00:30:34 - 00:30:37 ()

It's ice cream. And I'm -- and Sean and I --

Joe Biden

00:30:37 - 00:30:38 ()

Chocolate chip.

Jason Bateman

00:30:38 - 00:30:39 ()

Will Arnett

00:30:39 - 00:30:40 ()

That's what I wanted to ask. [Crosstalk]

Will Arnett

00:30:40 - 00:30:42 ()

Wait. Ice cream [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:30:42 - 00:30:46 ()

I was dull as hell. I'm known for my Ray-Ban sunglasses and chocolate chip ice cream. That's a hell of a --

Will Arnett

00:30:46 - 00:30:50 ()

I wanted to -- so -- so I wanted to also say that the Ray-Bans --

Jason Bateman

00:30:50 - 00:30:50 ()

Will Arnett

00:30:50 - 00:30:53 ()

I mean, the -- this is the greatest look of a president. All president --

Jason Bateman

00:30:53 - 00:30:55 ()

You're the coolest guy in the world.

Will Arnett

00:30:55 - 00:31:03 ()

Yeah, of course, you wear Ray-Bans.

Jason Bateman

00:31:03 - 00:31:04 ()

Joe Biden

00:31:04 - 00:31:24 ()

Oh, by the way, all those years -- when I ran for the first time for the Senate, I had -- I had been up to that point, even though I was a practicing lawyer, in order to get free rent, there was a country swimming club that had 17 acres, a little tiny house on it --

Jason Bateman

00:31:24 - 00:31:25 ()

Joe Biden

00:31:25 - 00:31:32 ()

And they let us live in the house as long as I would hire all the pool people, right?

Will Arnett

00:31:32 - 00:31:32 ()

Joe Biden

00:31:32 - 00:31:46 ()

But all -- from the time I was 16 years old as a lifeguard, I -- it's all I ever did. So, the headline was, you don't want this guy. The only job he's ever had is a lifeguard.

Will Arnett

00:31:46 - 00:31:50 ()

By the way, I'm like, yeah, he's like, ripped and tan and wearing sunglasses.

Joe Biden

00:31:50 - 00:31:51 ()

Sean Hayes

00:31:51 - 00:31:51 ()

Will Arnett

00:31:51 - 00:31:56 ()

By the way, the guy before you, he -- he didn't even need sunglasses. He would just look at an eclipse.

Sean Hayes

00:31:56 - 00:32:10 ()

I want to know -- I want -- first of all -- I want -- first of all, there's no reason coconut should ever be an ice cream. I just wanted to say that.

Joe Biden

00:32:10 - 00:32:11 ()

I like coconut.

Jason Bateman

00:32:11 - 00:32:13 ()

Yeah, I like coconut, too.

Will Arnett

00:32:13 - 00:32:14 ()

Joe Biden

00:32:14 - 00:32:16 ()

Coconut and custard pie.

Sean Hayes

00:32:16 - 00:32:23 ()

Well, coconut -- pie is fine, but not an ice cream. I can't do the ice cream. I'm a simple plain.

Jason Bateman

00:32:23 - 00:32:24 ()

Sean Hayes

00:32:24 - 00:32:26 ()

Anyway, here's the thing.

Will Arnett

00:32:26 - 00:32:27 ()

Sean Hayes

00:32:27 - 00:32:29 ()

I want to know about suits. How many suits?

Jason Bateman

00:32:29 - 00:32:30 ()

Sean Hayes

00:32:30 - 00:32:31 ()

Because you only need --

Jason Bateman

00:32:31 - 00:32:34 ()

Yeah, yeah, I had the same question.

Sean Hayes

00:32:34 - 00:32:38 ()

Right? You only have -- like, you only need, like, two or three. Nobody's --

Jason Bateman

00:32:38 - 00:32:43 ()

Who's picking -- who's picking the suit in the morning?

Sean Hayes

00:32:43 - 00:32:44 ()

Yeah. And like --

Joe Biden

00:32:44 - 00:32:45 ()

Jason Bateman

00:32:45 - 00:32:49 ()

Really? So, you got a big closet.

Sean Hayes

00:32:49 - 00:32:51 ()

How many do you have?

Joe Biden

00:32:51 - 00:32:56 ()

Yeah. No, I have -- I guess I have a -- I have --

Jason Bateman

00:32:56 - 00:33:00 ()

Less than 100 or more than 100?

Joe Biden

00:33:00 - 00:33:02 ()

I have probably less than 15 --

Jason Bateman

00:33:02 - 00:33:04 ()

Joe Biden

00:33:04 - 00:33:05 ()

But more than -- more than 14.

Jason Bateman

00:33:05 - 00:33:07 ()

But a lot of ties. A lot of ties.

Joe Biden

00:33:07 - 00:33:09 ()

Sean Hayes

00:33:09 - 00:33:10 ()

You can get sassy with the ties.

Will Arnett

00:33:10 - 00:33:10 ()

Do you choose tie, too?

Joe Biden

00:33:10 - 00:33:11 ()

Will Arnett

00:33:11 - 00:33:11 ()

Joe Biden

00:33:11 - 00:33:11 ()

Sean Hayes

00:33:11 - 00:33:19 ()

No, Jill doesn't -- does Jill ever give you the hairy eyeball, like, no, what, please. What are you doing with that thing?

Joe Biden

00:33:19 - 00:33:21 ()

Well -- well, she is if -- if I'm not --

Will Arnett

00:33:21 - 00:33:24 ()

I'm sure -- or you must mean Mrs. Biden.

Sean Hayes

00:33:24 - 00:33:24 ()

Well [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:33:24 - 00:33:27 ()

Oh, Jill's -- no, Jill is fine.

Jason Bateman

00:33:27 - 00:33:29 ()

The first lady, first lady.

Sean Hayes

00:33:29 - 00:33:31 ()

The first lady.

Joe Biden

00:33:31 - 00:33:36 ()

Jill -- Jill is fine. Joe is fine. All kidding aside. No, no.

Will Arnett

00:33:36 - 00:33:36 ()

Joe Biden

00:33:36 - 00:33:45 ()

No, no. And -- but it's a -- she is -- gets very upset if I have not fully shaven or all this -- this excessive amount of hair I have. You know what I mean?

Jason Bateman

00:33:45 - 00:33:48 ()

What do you do with it? I know I --

Will Arnett

00:33:48 - 00:33:51 ()

I think we suffer from the same problem.

Sean Hayes

00:33:51 - 00:33:57 ()

Now, wait. Just, you know, I want to get back to -- just one second.

Will Arnett

00:33:57 - 00:33:58 ()

Sean Hayes

00:33:58 - 00:34:26 ()

Back to ice cream? No. No, you -- you've obviously accomplished so many -- so many amazing things in your presidency so far, one of which is the Inflation Reduction Act, which I was excited about because of global warming, because I hate the heat. I'm -- I want the temperatures to go down. When it's hot, I get irritable.

Jason Bateman

00:34:26 - 00:34:27 ()

What's that got to do with inflation?

Will Arnett

00:34:27 - 00:34:28 ()

Sean Hayes

00:34:28 - 00:34:33 ()

No, it's inside the Inflation Reduction Act, is the global -- right, it's the global warming thing.

Jason Bateman

00:34:33 - 00:34:33 ()

I'll [Inaudible]

Sean Hayes

00:34:33 - 00:34:39 ()

But -- but is there -- is -- is the ship sailed on fixing this climate thing, like, oh, is there anything we can do?

Will Arnett

00:34:39 - 00:34:41 ()

Oh, you mean, should we just give up?

Sean Hayes

00:34:41 - 00:34:41 ()

Will Arnett

00:34:41 - 00:34:43 ()

You're asking the president --

Sean Hayes

00:34:43 - 00:34:47 ()

No, I meant like what -- is there -- is there any hope? Is there any hope?

Joe Biden

00:34:47 - 00:34:48 ()

There's a lot of hope.

Sean Hayes

00:34:48 - 00:34:49 ()

Joe Biden

00:34:49 - 00:34:53 ()

There's a lot of hope because two things. For example, I'm out here --

Jason Bateman

00:34:53 - 00:34:55 ()

With you on the wheel there's hope.

Joe Biden

00:34:55 - 00:34:59 ()

Well, I'm out here today with Congresswoman Bass -- Karen Bass --

Jason Bateman

00:34:59 - 00:34:59 ()

Joe Biden

00:34:59 - 00:35:04 ()

And I go over. They have a rapid transit system here that needs a lot of work.

Jason Bateman

00:35:04 - 00:35:05 ()

Joe Biden

00:35:05 - 00:35:20 ()

Well, we're going to spend $9 billion making a change. But here's the deal. It's estimated to take 124,000 tons out of the air. Let me back up. If people have a chance to get on a track train.

Will Arnett

00:35:20 - 00:35:21 ()

Joe Biden

00:35:21 - 00:35:28 ()

And can make it quicker than they can drive in the car, they -- they take the train.

Jason Bateman

00:35:28 - 00:35:29 ()

[Inaudible] any traffic.

Joe Biden

00:35:29 - 00:35:47 ()

And -- and I'm a big train guy, and I -- we've gotten billions of dollars more from -- we're spending more in Amtrak than Amtrak initially was spent, and it's all just getting underway. But it's fundamental changes that are going to be taking place.

Will Arnett

00:35:47 - 00:35:48 ()

Joe Biden

00:35:48 - 00:35:49 ()

Sean Hayes

00:35:49 - 00:35:55 ()

And it really does work, too. I -- I noticed during COVID when everyone was having to stay inside here in LA --

Joe Biden

00:35:55 - 00:35:56 ()

Sean Hayes

00:35:56 - 00:35:59 ()

The -- the skies were -- in -- in a week, they were crystal clear. It really does work.

Will Arnett

00:35:59 - 00:36:09 ()

No, I thought you were going to say I noticed, too, that the roads were really empty, and I could just bomb around. No, but they were. The air out here, as you know, historically --

Joe Biden

00:36:09 - 00:36:15 ()

Oh, I know. And this is going to be -- it's going to be a game-changer. It's going to take --

Sean Hayes

00:36:15 - 00:36:17 ()

Yeah, I'm so excited about it.

Joe Biden

00:36:17 - 00:36:33 ()

And by the way, in addition to the $368 billion for climate in that bill, we also have over $1.2 trillion that we got passed in the -- in the act having to do with dealing with the infrastructure.

Sean Hayes

00:36:33 - 00:36:34 ()

Joe Biden

00:36:34 - 00:36:43 ()

We -- we used to rank No. 1 in the world in infrastructure. We're No. 13, for God's sake.

Will Arnett

00:36:43 - 00:36:44 ()

Yeah, of course.

Joe Biden

00:36:44 - 00:36:46 ()

We used to -- I mean --

Jason Bateman

00:36:46 - 00:36:49 ()

And this is a lot of jobs. This is a --

Joe Biden

00:36:49 - 00:37:07 ()

A lot of jobs. Literally, we've created more jobs in the first 18 months than any president in history, 700,000 manufacturing jobs. Where the hell does it say America can't be the manufacturing capital of the world?

Jason Bateman

00:37:07 - 00:37:11 ()

Yeah, everyone says manufacturing is gone now, and all that [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:37:11 - 00:37:15 ()

No. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

Will Arnett

00:37:15 - 00:37:24 ()

Yeah, and it is -- it is a little shocking that how much of that has been lost, and it is -- does fill me with hope with the idea that we can get manufacturing back.

Joe Biden

00:37:24 - 00:37:52 ()

Well, you know why it got lost? We used to spend 2 percent of our GDP on research and development as a nation. We're down to 0.7 percent. China's -- other countries are passing us by. But now, we're going back to -- look, my major goal in terms of the economy was to change the dynamic of trickle-down economy to building from the middle out, bottom up, and doing it that way.

Jason Bateman

00:37:52 - 00:37:54 ()

Will Arnett

00:37:54 - 00:37:54 ()

Joe Biden

00:37:54 - 00:38:13 ()

And I know I get criticized and understandably for being "the most pro-union president in history." Well, the reason for that is these union folks, everybody thinks you show up on a job and you can be a technician. Guess what? You take four or five years, like going back to college. It's like going to school.

Joe Biden

00:38:13 - 00:38:35 ()

They're the best in the world. They're the best in the world. And they're -- ultimately, it's cheaper for us. So, there's a lot we're doing. And for example, we -- we're going to invest literally several hundred billion dollars in building chips or computers. We invented them. We invented them.

Jason Bateman

00:38:35 - 00:38:40 ()

Yeah, that's really exciting. Yeah. Yeah, it's so important.

Will Arnett

00:38:40 - 00:38:40 ()

Joe Biden

00:38:40 - 00:38:42 ()

Will Arnett

00:38:42 - 00:38:51 ()

Trickle-down economics, I want to, like, go find a billionaire and give him 10 grand because I know it'll get to the little guy.

Jason Bateman

00:38:51 - 00:38:57 ()

With the -- with the -- I've got I got a fairly adult question here. So, I've written it out. I apologize for reading.

Will Arnett

00:38:57 - 00:39:00 ()

Oh. Well, we'll judge if it's adult.

Jason Bateman

00:39:00 - 00:39:17 ()

With the -- with the midterms on our doorstep, OK, two-thirds of the seats that are up for grabs in the midterms are trending to be won by admitted election deniers. And then that means that elections and consequently democracy as a form of government will most likely be done away with or could be seriously threatened.

Jason Bateman

00:39:17 - 00:39:45 ()

This is what they're -- they're saying that their plan is once -- once elected. So, doesn't that current real forecast, even declaration, justify some kind of emergency alert that asks for maximum attention and participation from every single voter in America? No advocation for Republican or Democrat, just a request to vote in this midterm election.

Jason Bateman

00:39:45 - 00:40:08 ()

Could I ask you to commit to consider over the next few days using your unique power as president to utilize the emergency alert system? For -- for the listener, this is the system that's in place to alert citizens of -- of impending danger. Yes, it's usually for the weather or killers or -- or kidnapping or whatever.

Jason Bateman

00:40:08 - 00:40:31 ()

But I don't think it's an exaggeration to categorize this as a light crisis, an existential threat. Just ask the families of the COVID victims what danger is if -- with poor leadership; or the citizens of Russia or Ukraine, what happens when the electoral process is merely a facade? So, our TV and radio outlets are required to deliver presidential alerts.

Jason Bateman

00:40:31 - 00:40:44 ()

And all this would be to simply to air once a night leading up to Election Day on every TV, satellite, and cable channel a quick 10-second card that just simply says, "Please vote on November 8th." That's all.

Sean Hayes

00:40:44 - 00:40:45 ()

That is a great idea.

Jason Bateman

00:40:45 - 00:40:47 ()

Is there any way you can consider --

Will Arnett

00:40:47 - 00:40:55 ()

Wow. Great idea. And also, the -- officially, with the president, the longest Bateman question ever to simultaneously -- and it's a great idea, Mr. President.

Sean Hayes

00:40:55 - 00:40:58 ()

No, but I -- but I understand. I understand.

Joe Biden

00:40:58 - 00:41:01 ()

By the way -- by the way, the point you're making is the point.

Jason Bateman

00:41:01 - 00:41:02 ()

Joe Biden

00:41:02 - 00:41:04 ()

People have to vote.

Jason Bateman

00:41:04 - 00:41:04 ()

Joe Biden

00:41:04 - 00:41:11 ()

But look, you saw -- I mean, the best example is the Supreme Court in the Dobbs decision --

Will Arnett

00:41:11 - 00:41:11 ()

Joe Biden

00:41:11 - 00:41:17 ()

Said -- there's a line from one of the justices saying women have a right to vote. We'll see -- but basically, we'll see if they do.

Jason Bateman

00:41:17 - 00:41:18 ()

Joe Biden

00:41:18 - 00:41:32 ()

You saw what happened in Tennessee. Women showed up and vote. Women are out-registering men for the first time significantly for this new election.

Jason Bateman

00:41:32 - 00:41:33 ()

Will Arnett

00:41:33 - 00:41:37 ()

And that was immediate, wasn't it? I mean, that --

Joe Biden

00:41:37 - 00:41:54 ()

Oh, that -- that was immediate. And so, my generic point is, I think people, particularly younger people, that's where I'm spending most of my time trying to focus on, people under 30. They, in fact, understand that vote matters.

Will Arnett

00:41:54 - 00:41:55 ()

Right. They sure do.

Joe Biden

00:41:55 - 00:42:03 ()

What I worry about -- I worry about the states that have the election deniers in them making it harder practically for them to vote.

Will Arnett

00:42:03 - 00:42:05 ()

Joe Biden

00:42:05 - 00:42:33 ()

That's what I worry about, the Supreme Court decisions on voting that are coming down -- that are going to be coming down. And so -- but vote, vote, vote. That's been my -- I end all my speeches, everything I talk about. For me to do what you're suggesting, my -- I imagine it would end up being a gigantic fight, whether I was using an emergency system designed to save "lives" for political purposes.

Joe Biden

00:42:33 - 00:42:34 ()

Jason Bateman

00:42:34 - 00:42:34 ()

Will Arnett

00:42:34 - 00:42:36 ()

It's not, but you are saving lives.

Jason Bateman

00:42:36 - 00:42:43 ()

It's not for Republican or Democrat. It's just participate in the American process of voting. Just a quick a 10-second.

Joe Biden

00:42:43 - 00:42:52 ()

Well, guess what? Well, it's great. But guess what? The whole idea is the other team doesn't want people to vote. They don't want open voting. They don't want to be able to mail-in ballots. They don't want --

Sean Hayes

00:42:52 - 00:43:01 ()

But they get to do what the president says, at least until while you're still president. You could put that little card up there, get everybody voting, and save our elections.

Joe Biden

00:43:01 - 00:43:03 ()

Well, we're praying to try to put that card.

Will Arnett

00:43:03 - 00:43:08 ()

It'd make a great movie. We need to thank you, Actor Jason Bateman. Hey, can I just say --

Joe Biden

00:43:08 - 00:43:09 ()

I'm serious, Jason. You're right.

Will Arnett

00:43:09 - 00:43:21 ()

No, he's a great -- by the way, it's a great idea. And I really like that. I think that that's pretty awesome, and it would be a good use of it. But I think you're right. It would be hijacked, if you will, by -- by people who would think you're politicizing --

Sean Hayes

00:43:21 - 00:43:25 ()

Well, they you should do it one -- you know, they're in charge, too. I mean, it's just voting.

Will Arnett

00:43:25 - 00:43:44 ()

I just want to say, Mr. President, what's crazy for us is we started this podcast in the middle of COVID when everybody else was locked down and we were, too. And for us, it was a way to connect. We've been friends for 20 years. I get to do it with these two guys that I love a lot and who are my -- my best friends.

Will Arnett

00:43:44 - 00:43:59 ()

And we -- we just started. We didn't know where we were going. It gives us a lot of joy to know that it gave people -- that it uplifted people and made people feel more confident or made people feel more positive in a -- in a tough time.

Joe Biden

00:43:59 - 00:44:19 ()

You gave them hope. Look, guys, two things are going to go down in history. Number one, more than a million people died. A million people died. And the estimates are those million people had nine close related people, whether their family or otherwise. The psychological impact on the nation has been profound.

Joe Biden

00:44:19 - 00:44:41 ()

Absolutely profound. And the other thing is, the whole idea that we're moving -- think about this, graduating from -- when you graduated from high school, you had -- you had your prom, you had, you know, the -- the graduation ceremonies you had. What do these kids have? The kids are graduating. What are the things that they, in fact, missed that are consequential?

Joe Biden

00:44:41 - 00:44:59 ()

That junior prom, that senior prom, that graduation ceremony. They -- all -- all those parties, all -- I mean, it's like -- and it's like the difference. Everybody asked me what was the most exciting thing when you got elected and so on. You know, I was really honored to be -- I mean, it's the greatest honor in the world.

Joe Biden

00:44:59 - 00:45:02 ()

OK? But there was no celebration about it.

Jason Bateman

00:45:02 - 00:45:05 ()

Yeah, you were having to do rallies with cars honking.

Joe Biden

00:45:05 - 00:45:09 ()

No, no, but -- but -- but I mean it. And that's not who we are.

Will Arnett

00:45:09 - 00:45:09 ()

Joe Biden

00:45:09 - 00:45:15 ()

And the other thing people have to remember, our strength lies in our incredible diversity.

Will Arnett

00:45:15 - 00:45:15 ()

Joe Biden

00:45:15 - 00:45:16 ()

It's incredible.

Sean Hayes

00:45:16 - 00:45:17 ()

Joe Biden

00:45:17 - 00:45:18 ()

Sean Hayes

00:45:18 - 00:45:18 ()

Joe Biden

00:45:18 - 00:45:23 ()

And other nations are realizing that that's why they want to invest here. That's why they want to get engaged here.

Jason Bateman

00:45:23 - 00:45:25 ()

Or come here for education.

Joe Biden

00:45:25 - 00:45:31 ()

Exactly right. And so, there's so much. And by the way, I'm convinced, we're going to be able to do a hell of a lot.

Sean Hayes

00:45:31 - 00:45:31 ()

Will Arnett

00:45:31 - 00:45:46 ()

Me, too. And I got to tell you, during a time -- I can speak for me, during a time that felt really hopeless and dark and it felt like a number of years where the -- the sort of the sentiment of the nation was quite dark, Mr. President, you brought a lot of light. So, you did bring a lot of hope to a lot of people.

Sean Hayes

00:45:46 - 00:45:47 ()

Absolutely in this --

Will Arnett

00:45:47 - 00:45:48 ()

And we fed on that --

Jason Bateman

00:45:48 - 00:45:49 ()

Will Arnett

00:45:49 - 00:45:52 ()

And common sense. And -- and I thank you so much for that.

Sean Hayes

00:45:52 - 00:45:52 ()

Will Arnett

00:45:52 - 00:45:55 ()

I -- I think that you -- you were able to light it towards your [Inaudible]

Joe Biden

00:45:55 - 00:46:03 ()

Well, the biggest thing I'll say is one more thing. One of the things is that people understand that I understand loss.

Jason Bateman

00:46:03 - 00:46:04 ()

Joe Biden

00:46:04 - 00:46:30 ()

And I -- I think it's so important that people understand that from that loss, it's never -- the pain never goes away, but you can do incredible things. The person you lost never leaves your heart. I don't know how many times I ask myself, "What would Beau do?" I'm not joking. And so, you just -- there's so -- people are genuinely empathetic if you give them a shot.

Joe Biden

00:46:30 - 00:46:37 ()

And I think just reaching out to people. Not me president, but just reaching out to people matters.

Jason Bateman

00:46:37 - 00:46:37 ()

Joe Biden

00:46:37 - 00:46:42 ()

Think of the number of people who are down and out, wonder where in the hell am I going to go.

Will Arnett

00:46:42 - 00:46:43 ()

Joe Biden

00:46:43 - 00:46:44 ()

Will Arnett

00:46:44 - 00:46:50 ()

Your -- your empathy is -- is genuine, it's sincere, it's infectious. And it's a pleasure to be led by you.

Sean Hayes

00:46:50 - 00:46:51 ()

Joe Biden

00:46:51 - 00:46:53 ()

Well, you guys are giving me more credit [Inaudible]

Jason Bateman

00:46:53 - 00:46:56 ()

And thank you for the -- thank you for the hope that you -- you give to everybody.

Joe Biden

00:46:56 - 00:46:59 ()

I really do. I am optimistic. I truly am.

Sean Hayes

00:46:59 - 00:47:00 ()

Will Arnett

00:47:00 - 00:47:09 ()

You know, I -- I will leave you, and we -- we take -- you know, we say this to everybody. We have taken up too much of your time. I have a friend of mine who always says, if you're feeling down, call five people and tell them how much you love them.

Sean Hayes

00:47:09 - 00:47:10 ()

Will Arnett

00:47:10 - 00:47:12 ()

And you know what? It works.

Joe Biden

00:47:12 - 00:47:13 ()

Will Arnett

00:47:13 - 00:47:14 ()

Joe Biden

00:47:14 - 00:47:14 ()

Sean Hayes

00:47:14 - 00:47:16 ()

So, give me your number.

Will Arnett

00:47:16 - 00:47:21 ()

Yeah. If we can get your cellphone. It'll just be a text. I promise. It won't be -- Mr. President, thank you so much.

Jason Bateman

00:47:21 - 00:47:21 ()

Thank you so much.

Sean Hayes

00:47:21 - 00:47:23 ()

Thank you, sir, very much.

Joe Biden

00:47:23 - 00:47:27 ()

Thank you, guys. No, I really -- I enjoyed it. Thank you. Invite me back.

Will Arnett

00:47:27 - 00:47:28 ()

Jason Bateman

00:47:28 - 00:47:30 ()