Obama Tells Stephen Colbert that Trump’s Failures ‘Exceeded’ All Expectations, Roasts ‘Shambolic’ Covid-19 Response

Stephen Colbert’s scored a pretty big name for his first in-person interview since the pandemic shut down the entertainment world.

Barack Obama joined the Late Show host to discuss his new memoir A Promised Land, the state of the U.S. following the 2020 election, and the Trump administration’s failed coronavirus response.

“I just want to take a moment to drink you in for just a moment,” Colbert said. “Because I’m having to get used to looking at a president again. I’ve gotten out of the habit. I have to warm up for Joe Biden. I don’t want to pull anything when I see him take the oath of office.”

Not mincing his words, Obama replied, “We’ve got the potential of returning to a presidency that is actually paying attention and trying to do right by all people and not just some.”

Colbert generally stayed away from discussing President Donald Trump, but did question Obama about the rest of the Republican party, asking the former president if he were surprised that the GOP failed to see the advantage of acting as if they cared.

“I think that that is a measure of how detached from reality and how embedded ideological and conspiratorial thinking has become, where you’re doing it even when it’s to your disadvantage,” Obama replied, later adding, “And it is to the detriment of the country, but it also runs contrary to what would have been smart politics if the Republicans wanted to maintain the White House.”

“And that in some ways is more troubling because now it’s no longer even strategic,” he continued. “You’re drinking your own Kool-Aid in a way that I think is troublesome. And one of the big challenges that Joe Biden is going to have is to figure out how to puncture that information bubble that, not just Republican officials, but a sizable portion of voters are in right now.”

Switching over to the Trump administration’s Covid-19 response, Obama first confirmed that nobody in his immediate family caught the virus — noting how nice it has been to have his daughters at home.

“The shambolic nature of the government response obviously has been frustrating,” added the former president, pointing out that he had a plan set up for a possible epidemic before he left office.

Clearly disappointed by how Trump handled the coronavirus, Obama noted the president’s specific shortcomings — faulting him for failing to do the bare minimum.

“If we had done the work, which was not rocket science, we’re not talking about inventing vaccines — and I’m glad to see the vaccine is now coming on board. But, preliminarily communicating effectively, respecting the science, not undermining the leading epidemiologist in the country and saying he’s an idiot, being consistent in terms of masks and social distancing. Not suggesting that this is some act of oppression, but rather a common sense thing to prevent people from getting sick,” Obama exclaimed. “Had we just taken those steps, there is no doubt that we would have saved some lives, and ironically, the economy would be better.”

The two later wistfully recalled the photo Obama and Trump took together at the White House shortly following the 2016 election, Colbert calling it a “chilling moment.”

The host added that he had an “emotional flash” thinking of all the ways Trump could and would abuse the office. “Were you having a similar feeling in that moment?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was a concern,” Obama replied.

Colbert then asked if his concerns were “borne out.”

“Exceeded,” Obama replied.

Watch above, via YouTube.