Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart welcomed liberal historians David Blight and Annette Gordon-Reed to Wednesday’s The Weekly Show podcast to look at competing visions of the country’s history ahead of America 250. According to all involved, conservatives are trying to erase complications and nuances from the country’s efforts, which Stewart wondered is just a way to amass power. Turning to Gordon-Reed, Stewart wondered: And that is that what you've seen that over time, you know, the fact that you're dealing with tricky issues of slavery and race and those kinds of issues. Is the dividing point here that the effort is to create an origin story of the country that's more singular and more reflective of maybe a Christian origin story or a nationalist origin story that's more homogenous, and that because you're dealing in the complexities of race or, as David said, gender, things that don't fit as easily, that's where the pushback comes, and have you felt that pushback grow?   Ahead of America 250, Jon Stewart wonders, "Is the dividing point here that the effort is to create an origin story of the country that's more singular and more reflective of maybe a Christian origin story or a nationalist origin story that's more homogenous and that because… pic.twitter.com/eqlNi5qfJe — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) June 18, 2026   Gordon-Reed replied that the current efforts are part of a history of reactionaries who are upset at desegregation, “I mean, the last from the Revolution in the historiography of slavery in particular in the 40s and the 50s and ever since then that goes along with the Civil Rights Movement. I mean, history, we asked different questions of the past depending upon what's going on. And once we started changing laws and getting rid of segregation, all those kinds of things that make transforming America, you go back and people start looking at history in a different way, asking different questions. And I think as David is suggesting, this is a reaction to all of that.” What made the entire episode, and Gordon-Reed’s comments in particular, so distressing is that she was one of the prominent black liberal historians who condemned The 1619 Project’s efforts to reduce American history to slavery and racism. That is the central debate: whether or not America was founded as a racist country and is therefore systemically and irredeemably racist. Not whether America has had a sinless history. Nevertheless, Gordon-Reed continued, “There are people who want to put the genie back in the bottle and want to rewind the tape and say, no, let's go back to a more comforting narrative mainly because perhaps they want to go back to a more comforting country, you know, a country that, a sort of 1950s, 1940s country and everybody idolizes it, but that's the time when people went to separate bathrooms, people, women couldn't get credit cards.” Gordo-Reed also claimed, “And so that's what's really frightening about it. It's not just about a complaint about history. It's the complaint about where we are now, the kind of country we have become in the past 50 or 60 years.” Stewart then wondered, “Is the idea and — that if they feel like they can control the narrative of the past, they can control the future?” That is not exactly a profound insight. The 1619 Project believers also want to control the narrative so they can control the future to push left-wing agenda items. The problem is that Stewart seems to think conservative control means racism. Still, Gordon-Reed answered, “Exactly. I mean, the thing is, this is who we are in this, the push for originalism, the idea we have to go back essentially to— it's always the 1789 Constitution, 1787, 1789 Constitution. It's not the post-Civil War one it gives us the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment. Let's go back to the original.” Stewart thought that was deeply profound as he interjected with “That’s interesting.” It really wasn’t. Originalists believe in the post-war amendments. They’re simply originalists on their interpretation of them and therefore don’t believe the 14th amendment’s Equal Protection Clause mandates that every liberal cause be enshrined as a Constitutional right. However, Gordon-Reed claimed, “That is back in a time when, you know, black, there was a strict racial hierarchy, a gender hierarchy, and we can't do anything past what those people thought at the time. And that's, you know, that's, that's a complaint about history, but it's also a complaint about the new society that Americans tried to make in the late 20th century and the early 21st century.” Almost nobody has a problem with talking about the history of racism in the country. The problem comes when it is claimed to be the country’s only defining characteristic and that it explains all of today’s problems. Here is a transcript for the June 17 show: Comedy Central The Weekly Show 6/17/2026 JON STEWART: And that is that what you've seen that over time, you know, the fact that you're dealing with tricky issues of slavery and race and those kinds of issues. Is the dividing point here that the effort is to create an origin story of the country that's more singular and more reflective of maybe a Christian origin story or a nationalist origin story that's more homogenous, and that because you're dealing in the complexities of race, or as David said, gender, things that don't fit as easily, that's where the pushback comes, and have you felt that pushback grow? ANNETTE GORDON-REED: Oh, yes, definitely. STEWART: Right. GORDON-REED: I mean, the last from the Revolution in the historiography of slavery in particular in the 40s and the 50s and ever since then that goes along with the Civil Rights Movement. I mean, history, we asked different questions of the past depending upon what's going on. And once we started changing laws and getting rid of segregation, all those kinds of things that make transforming America, you go back and people start looking at history in a different way, asking different questions. And I think as David is suggesting, this is a reaction to all of that. There are people who want to put the genie back in the bottle and want to rewind the tape and say, no, let's go back to a more comforting narrative mainly because perhaps they want to go back to a more comforting country, you know, a country that, a sort of 1950s, 1940s country and everybody idolizes it, but that's the time when people went to separate bathrooms, people, women couldn't get credit cards. I mean, there are all these things that there's a lot that goes along with this nostalgic vision of history— STEWART: Right. GORDON-REED: —and that is a nostalgic vision of the present. And so that's what's really frightening about it. It's not just about a complaint about history. It's the complaint about where we are now, the kind of country we have become in the past 50 or 60 years. STEWART: Is the idea and — that if they feel like they can control the narrative of the past, they can control the future? GORDON-REED: Exactly. I mean, the thing is, this is who we are in this, the push for originalism, the idea we have to go back essentially to— it's always the 1789 Constitution, 1787, 1789 Constitution. It's not the post-Civil War one it gives us the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment. Let's go back to the original. STEWART: That’s interesting. GORDON-REED: And that is back in a time when, you know, black, there was a strict racial hierarchy, a gender hierarchy, and we can't do anything past what those people thought at the time. And that's, you know, that's, that's a complaint about history, but it's also a complaint about the new society that Americans tried to make in the late 20th century and the early 21st century. 

MRC Watchdogs churn out breaking news on a daily basis. Don't miss Today's Highlights, where you can keep up with the top MRC content, whether it's the latest study on media bias, a glaring omission from the elitist media, or how the Big Tech companies are serving up the same leftist spin as the media.  Top Stories:   RC Research Exposes How Elon Musk’s AI Stands Alone Against Left-Wing Chatbots Promoting Pride to Kids MRC Archives Expose Decades of Sickening Elitist Media Adulation Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening MRC Uncovers How MSNBC Media Elites Are Using the Obama Library Opening to Gush Over His Legacy   MRC Research Exposes How Elon Musk’s AI Stands Alone Against Left-Wing Chatbots Promoting Pride to Kids MRC researchers tested seven leading AI chatbots to determine their stance on children participating in Pride Month. Elon Musk’s Grok was the only chatbot to advise extreme caution and advocate for evidence-based child safeguarding. Grok uniquely cited developmental science, biology, and the Cass Review to warn parents against the premature sexualization of minors. Competing chatbots from Google, OpenAI, Meta, and Microsoft implicitly pushed Pride participation as family-friendly and a way to teach inclusivity.   MRC Archives Expose Decades of Sickening Elitist Media Adulation Ahead of Obama Presidential Center Opening MRC analysts compiled a massive archive of ridiculous media fawning ahead of the Barack Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony. Past coverage from networks like ABC and NBC compared Obama to a rainbow, a prince born in the imagination, and a world-historical soul. Media figures openly abandoned journalistic standards by crying at his speeches and admitting to feeling a literal thrill go up their leg. The extensive MRC research shows how legacy journalists have consistently acted as PR agents rather than objective reporters for the former president.   MRC Uncovers How MSNBC Media Elites Are Using the Obama Library Opening to Gush Over His Legacy MRC news analysts exposed how MSNBC host Alicia Menendez launched into an uncritical fawning session over the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center. Menendez claimed on-air that the partisan library campus is not just a tribute to Obama but a sacred tribute to the entire country. MRC media tracking shows this segment fits perfectly into a historical pattern where the media sycophantically praises Democratic libraries while trashing Republican ones. The media double standard is evident as journalists previously used the George W. Bush library opening to badger him on policy and declare his brand stained.    

The impending grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago has triggered a lot of nostalgia within the Elitist Media. This is particularly true at Democrat propaganda arm MS NOW, where Barack Obama is revered as a god-king. And with the God-King gone from power for nearly a decade, MS Now viewers may feel some sort of way. They may even feel like America 250 might not be appropriate to celebrate. Don’t fret, though. Luke Russert offers a glimmer of HOPE™:  WATCH: MS NOW's Luke Russert calls the UFC White House event a "debacle" and "disgusting event", and urges those who feel "it's not a good time to celebrate the country" to let the Obama Presidential Center "speak for you": LUKE RUSSERT: You think about the week we've had.… pic.twitter.com/8wtdmv9jbQ — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) June 18, 2026 LUKE RUSSERT: You think about the week we've had.  SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Talk about it, Luke.  RUSSERT: And you had the UFC just-  SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Debacle. RUSSERT: This debacle- disgusting event that was on The White House grounds on Sunday night. And then on Juneteenth, this Obama presidential library is going to open. And that's to some degree, the story of America is in there. And President Obama had always said that the greatness of America was that a guy like him could become President. And that is something that I think that this Center will immortalize forever. The promise of America resides there. And I look at it and I'm thinking and watching that clip with Michele, which is so wonderful. Think of the empathy that came from this man. And he did that every single evening. His way of connecting with average Americans. We don't see that anymore at all. (CROSSTALK) RUSSERT: We don't care about the average Americans anymore. And I'll just say this. For a lot of people who might be feeling that America 250 is just not getting off on the right foot, it's not a good time to celebrate this country, let this moment speak for you. Because this is something that every American can be proud of. Because this is a rare thing to happen in a very young country and in the world leading democracy, who we hope to be the leading democracy. In order to build the Obama Center up as an alternative celebration, Russert first had to tear down the patriotic celebration that was UFC Freedom 250. Which makes sense because if you’re not into America 250, then you’re really not going to be into the UFC White House event. And of course, there is the rank hypocrisy of criticizing the UFC card as some sort of desecration of The White House, “disgusting” to use Russert’s language, while the previous administration had topless transgenders on that same White House lawn. But we digress. MS NOW elitists here convey that an America where the left is out of power and not running amok is not worth celebrating. The Obama Center here stands in as a sanctuary of sorts, where Russert and his ilk can indulge their historic ache for a return of Hope and Change.  Russert offers the Obama Center as a refuge where people can alternatively celebrate- not the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, but the public opening of the god-king’s very own temple: a place where MS Now’s viewers can feel a pride that they may not feel for their county. Hope and Change as an alternate founding. Obama might be out of office for nearly a decade, but his cultists in the Elitist Media remain as committed as ever. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned segment as aired on MS Now’s The Weeknight on Wednesday, June 17th, 2026: MICHAEL STEELE: Tomorrow is the dedication ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center. We're excited about that and The Weeknight will be live in Chicago to cover the event. The Center's 19.3 acre campus has a public library, athletic center, and a museum that houses a replica of the Oval Office. But there's one exhibit President Barack Obama hopes people will take just a little bit of time to seek out. Here's what he told MS NOW's Michele Norris exclusively. BARACK OBAMA: The exhibition team made this wonderful short video. This vignette of- of a few of those letters and- and whenever I watch those, because it's a mother talking about, you know, Mr. President, I'm struggling” and it's a, a- a vet, you know, who's still trying to find his path after he's no longer serving. And people are really raw in their emotions in some of these letters, partly because they don't expect the president's actually going to read it. It's almost like a- a meditation for them, a- a way of getting stuff off their chest. And- and so whenever I watch that, I get kinda... MICHELE NORRIS: Yeah, I can see that you get… OBAMA: Yeah, I get choked up. STEELE: It's clear that this- this, and this should be- the opening of your presidential library is a very personal journey as much as it is for the public. You know, it's a, it's for us to sort of go back and relive some of that history. And then for people who are doing research and things like that to go and study his presidency. But you can see from President Obama- and the same was true for- for President George W. Bush. It's a very personal thing for- for them in so many ways. SYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: It's also I mean, Mrs. Obama talked about this last night. They did an event for some- the folks that helped make the Obama Presidential Center possible. And she said that it means so much that this is also on the South Side of Chicago. Her as a South Side Chicago native, and talked about the importance of where it was. STEELE: They went and invested in that area. (CROSSTALK) SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Very much so. I mean, it changed. I had the opportunity to go to the Presidential Center about a month or so ago. Sean and I took our moms and we took Little Sean, and it was just remarkable. And there are so many new things at the Center since we have been. But one of the things that stood out to me was there's a- these big words on a wall, and it says, "I am asking you to believe not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours.” And that's from Obama's farewell address in 2017. And I think the whole idea of the Center- because there’s a library, his presidential library, there's an actual public library on the grounds where the public can just go in and go to the library. There's a restaurant, obviously a very nice gift shop, but I think the whole idea is reminding people what is possible in the United States of America, because we are living in a time. Again, it's like… STEELE: Where the possibilities are… SANDERS-TOWNSEND: …being… Well, the possibilities feel like they don't exist. But being there, it was like being on Earth Three. I was in there like, oh wow! Then I came out, I was like, what the (...) going on? LUKE RUSSERT: You think about the week we've had.  SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Talk about it, Luke.  RUSSERT: And you had the UFC just-  SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Debacle. RUSSERT: This debacle- disgusting event that was on The White House grounds on Sunday night. And then on Juneteenth, this Obama presidential library is going to open. And that's to some degree, the story of America is in there. And President Obama had always said that the greatness of America was that a guy like him could become President. And that is something that I think that this Center will immortalize forever. The promise of America resides there. And I look at it and I'm thinking and watching that clip with Michele, which is so wonderful. Think of the empathy that came from this man. And he did that every single evening. His way of connecting with average Americans. We don't see that anymore at all. (CROSSTALK) RUSSERT: We don't care about the average Americans anymore. And I'll just say this. For a lot of people who might be feeling that America 250 is just not getting off on the right foot, it's not a good time to celebrate this country, let this moment speak for you. Because this is something that every American can be proud of. Because this is a rare thing to happen in a very young country and in the world leading democracy, who we hope to be the leading democracy. STEELE: And that- and that's such an important point because it really is in many respects, as much a part of the celebration of 250 years. Right? But given how I mean, not just, you know, folks who are like, “oh, Trump”, but a lot of Americans who aren't paying attention to politics the way we do.  RUSSERT: Yeah.  STEELE: Look at this, this celebration. They do feel somewhat alienated from it. They do see this outsized veneration of Donald Trump, which is not what they want to celebrate. And I think that's this moment, as you rightly put it, happening on Juneteenth. Juneteenth is going to be so profoundly cool because, you know, one thing I loved about Obama during the time he and I were going toe to toe was the beige suit, baby. You look good in that beige suit. Don't let nobody fool you. RUSSERT: We got Stevie Wonder and Springsteen while the president has Vanilla Ice. STEELE: There you go. There you go. Make sure, folks,  to tune in to MS NOW Friday at 9 P.M. Eastern for Michele Norris’s special behind-the-scenes look at the Obama Presidential Center featuring exclusive interviews: the former President, the First Lady, and members of their inner circle.  

On Tuesday we learned that the FBI had thwarted an attack targeting Sunday's USC Freedom 250 event, which took place on the White House South Lawn, arresting five suspects, who were planning to use drones equipped with explosives, which would have targeted nearby buildings, with the ultimate intent of storming the White House during the ensuing chaos. On Tuesday's edition of Fox News's The Five, it was not surprising to see leftist Jessica Tarlov and Greg Gutfeld go at it once again, this time over which political side poses the biggest threat of violence in the country, even with V.P JD Vance at the table as a guest. When it was her turn to weigh in, Tarlov felt the need to immediately turn the conversation to Barack Obama.  TARLOV: This has been a problem for a long time and is growing exponentially.  Obama got three times the number of threats and 11 credible assassination plots. Then it went up under Trump, and  Biden had some but not as much, and then Trump again. So obviously we have a real problem with this. I think also the amount of conspiracy theorists and conspiracy theories that are flying around on the left and the right when things like this do happen like Butler for instance or what we saw at the White House Correspondent's Dinner where people thought that that was staged. It's an unhealthy place for us to be as a country. And as often happens, Gutfeld responded and the fireworks started. GUTFELD: I don't know. I mean when I hear you talk about Obama's threats, and I know that's been debunked.  TARLOV: What? GUTFELD: Hundreds and hundreds of threats. We're talking about-- TARLOV: Eleven credible assassination plots. GUTFELD: We can go through that in the break and you'll find out that a lot of these threats  were just like e-mails and phone calls. We're talking about people that tried to kill leaders. There's been nothing like this in the history of this country. The tell for this, is whenever you're talking to a liberal, they galvanize that evidence. They're so intent trying to tell you it's both sides. That tells you that it's not. We know that it's just one way. In May, Snopes reported that there were 14 assassination attempts against Obama, thankfully, only one involved an actual shooting attempt. Gutfeld continued with hardcore observations. GUTFELD: Dana (Perino) points out the language used. Capitalist elites, billionaires, AIPAC, Jews, right? I didn't know Platner and Hasan Piker had time to plan this. Because that's the same language they use. The motive, the rhetoric, is directly related to the inflammatory rhetoric of the mainstream left, which has become so mundane because you're supporting some asshole with a Nazi tattoo on his chest. This is why liberal outrage has no credibility. I can say bad things about Joy Behar, but no right wing group is going to go burn down her house.  A wrestler can call Michelle a man. I doubt a right wing group is going to her house in Hawaii. But you do a repetition of demonization about Nazis and fascists and white supremacists. Is it no surprise that  Charlie Kirk gets killed? Is it no surprise that Trump gets shot at? Is it no surprise there are these large terror plans that end up being thwarted? We're lucky they got thwarted. He then addressed Tarlov, and the two of them went back and forth. GUTFELD: You can look it up, go look up Obama. Google actual-- TARLOV: Oh I'm happy to look it up, this break is going to be amazing on the Google machine. There are Melissa Hortman who was killed, the pipe bomber, the people who are shooting up Walmart, that kind of rhetoric, listen to the rhetoric. GUTFELD: Do it side by side, it's one way TARLOV:  Communists. That sounds like Donald Trump talking about leftists. Calling people vermin, scum. Like, what, that we're traitors -- GUTFELD: : You're comparing that to a repetitive rhetoric, that's been going on for ten years. TRALOV:  It's been a broken record for ten years. GUTFELD: Where people are called Nazis and deserve to die. That's what conservatives hear every single day. Save it!  Then, as they usually do, things ended on a lighter note. TARLOV: I hear terrible things every single day on this show. GUTFELD: That's just from me. Tarlov turning the conversation to Obama, during a discussion on a planned massive attack at a major White House event is nothing more than intellectually vacant leftist trash. Expect much more to come.

With the Obama Presidential Center set to open to the public on Friday in Chicago, the liberal media is once again falling on their faces to grovel to Barack and Michelle Obama. ABC’s Good Morning America broadcasted a pre-taped interview with the former President and First Lady on Wednesday, praising the couple ahead of the ugliest museum in history’s dedication and opening.  “I was speechless, which is hard for me to be,” Michelle said to interviewer Robin Roberts in a rare moment of honesty. If there’s one thing we know about Michelle, it’s that she loves to run her mouth on her podcast, where she constantly degrades her husband, or on her endless media promotions. In the world of politics, both Obamas have appeared on the campaign trail for Democratic candidates such as Kamala Harris, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, making it hard to believe Barack’s claim they “prefer a quieter life.” Barack compared himself to George Washington, who retired from the presidency after only two terms in office: You know, my goal was to, you know, look at the example of our first president, George Washington. You know, he kind of - I don't have a horse to get on, but he kind of said, 'All right, I've done my stint, and now I'm going, you know, back home.'      But the Obamas are not relinquishing the spotlight anytime soon. Why would they, when the media trips over themselves to kiss the ground that Barack and Michelle walk on?  Roberts asked if there was “anything in looking back that [Barack] would do differently as President,” but Barack answered like he was trying to pass a job interview: I always used to feel like I was making a mistake a day. . .  I always felt that when we made decisions, we were making decisions with the American people in mind. No mention about how his "Affordable Care Act," which Barack suggested was his "greatest accomplishment," hasn't proven to be affordable at all. Or the failed Libyan intervention, or drone strikes that killed innocent American citizens. Despite those massive mistakes, the media still touts Barack Obama as one of the greatest presidents, but if they had been interviewing Trump, they would have attacked him for tiny things like his mean posts and comments before even getting to anything he did with the military.  Only a few seconds later, Roberts made a direct allusion to Trump: Walking the halls here, the museum really, it's about the promise of democracy. And it's very difficult for people right now when they feel a lot of their freedoms are being taken from them. They're very familiar now with Project 2025, many of your policies are being rolled back.  Roberts is probably referring to abortion, which the administration hasn’t touched, but she didn't attempt to explore exactly which freedoms were "being taken" -- as if the Democrats aren't the party that typically finds there are just too many "freedoms." Barack closed out the interview saying, “You know, how things get better is, us old folks, we kind of fade, and we got to get out of the way.” But unfortunately for the rest of us, the Obamas, despite what they and the liberal media say, will keep digging their claws into the American body politic for many years to come. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC's Good Morning America 6/17/26 8:31:49 a.m. Eastern GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Now it's time for your big interview with the Obamas. ROBIN ROBERTS: It's really a special time for them because they are just days away from the opening of the Obama Presidential Center.  And with that comes, yes, reflection on their road to the White House and what was achieved while they were there. We spoke about that and what is happening now to some of the work they did while they were in office.  [Cut to interview] ROBERTS, VOICEOVER: This morning, the Obamas, just days away from opening the doors to their Presidential Center. MICHELLE OBAMA: It's done. It's finished. It is opening. ROBERTS: You had a private moment, able to walk through on your own- BARACK OBAMA: The two of us for the first-- M. OBAMA: Yeah, yeah B. OBAMA: --time since the exhibits. And the art has been- M. OBAMA: Well, the last time I was on this floor, it was still a-- B. OBAMA & M. OBAMA: --construction site. B. OBAMA: We still had hard hats on. M. OBAMA: I was speechless, which is hard for me to be. ROBERTS: And people are going to experience that when they walk through these doors. And they're also going to just learn more about your eight years as President of the United States of America.  B. OBAMA: They will.  ROBERTS: And what do you consider your greatest accomplishment? B. OBAMA: Look, there's a lot of stuff I'm proud of. I - for all the resistance from our political opposition, you know, the Affordable Care Act has-- [Cut to signing video] B. OBAMA: We are done! [applause] [Cut back to interview] B. OBAMA: --now helped 50, 60 million people, and continues to help people, even though the current Congress has tried to weaken it and taken away some of the subsidies that were really helping a lot of working people.  The thing I'm probably the most proud of is the tone we set. I'm very proud of the message we sent to the country that we're representing everybody. ROBERTS: Is there anything in looking back that you would do differently as President? B. OBAMA: Oh, I - look, there's - I always used to feel like I was making a mistake a day.  The thing that we were good at and allowed me to sleep at night and get up and go back at it, was I always felt that when we made decisions, we were making decisions with the American people in mind.[Cut to video] ROBERTS, VOICEOVER: From Barack Obama's time as a State Senator-- B. OBAMA: Hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty. ROBERTS, VOICEOVER: --to the Presidential campaign trail-- CROWD: Yes he can! ROBERTS, VOICEOVER: --and two terms in office-- [applause and cheers] ROBERTS, VOICEOVER: --the Obamas leaning on their message of hope.  [Cut back to interview] ROBERTS: Could that movement that you started then, could it happen now, Mrs. Obama, do you think?. M. OBAMA: It can always happen, you know. People just have to be fed up enough. They have to want more.  And I think the Presidential Center hopefully will remind people of just how close we are to move in this country in the direction that we want to move it in.  You have one exhibit where people thought that it could never happen, that a Black man, a Black family would never live in the White House, that America would never accept that. And lo and behold, the whole country, you know, the vast majority of the country believed differently. ROBERTS: Mr. President, when you left the office, I remember you saying this:[Cut to video] B. OBAMA: I want to, be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much. [Cut back to interview] ROBERTS: But you also said when core values may be at stake, it would merit you speaking out. How have you been able to find that balance? B. OBAMA: I - you pick and choose your spots. I'm not suggesting I've done it perfectly.  You know, my goal was to, you know, look at the example of our first president, George Washington. You know, he kind of - I don't have a horse to get on, but he kind of said, 'All right, I've done my stint, and now I'm going, you know, back home.' And I think Michelle very much would prefer a quieter life for us. And on the other hand, there have been some folks who would like to see me out every day, right, banging the drum.  What I've tried to do is to move from player to coach. Part of our foundation mission here is, how do we encourage the next generation of leadership? ROBERTS: And walking the halls here, the museum really, it's about the promise of democracy. And it's very difficult for people right now when they feel a lot of their freedoms are being taken from them. They're very familiar now with Project 2025, many of your policies are being rolled back. How do you when you see these things happening, how do you deal with that? B. OBAMA: There has always been sort of contesting stories in America. One story is, you know, the - 'we find these truths to be self-evident, that all men, all people are created equal, endowed with certain unalienable rights.' But there's always been a part of this, our story that is about the strong trying to dominate the weak. This country wasn't designed to be everybody marching in lockstep.  The premise of this country is everybody gets a right to say, 'No, I don't agree with that. I challenge that. No, Obama, I think you're making a mistake.' You know, and then we have a conversation about it, and then it gets settled in an election and, all right, if enough people decide I didn't know what I was doing, then you move on to the next person. ROBERTS: And the next election we have coming up is a midterms.  B. OBAMA: That's correct.  ROBERTS: And both parties, the polling numbers are very low for both parties. B. OBAMA: People are a little discouraged right now. But I - again, I believe that we go through these cycles, and there is going to be a younger generation that pops up and they're going to be leaders who pop up where people go [snaps]. Michelle's mom was always good about saying this: 'You know, how things get better is, us old folks, we kind of fade, and-- M. OBAMA: You gotta get out of the way.  B. OBAMA: --we got to get out of the way.' [Cut back to live] ROBERTS: And the Obamas are keenly aware of their place in history, but they are also determined that their part of their legacy is about inspiring the next generation of leaders, as they said, 'to get out of the way,' and their Presidential Center focuses a lot on that. Yes, there is a lot of nostalgia, but they emphasize it's not about the change that happened for them going from the South side of Chicago, where the museum is located, to the White House, it is their belief that everyone is capable of change and, as they say, 'bring change home.' And you see that outside-- MICHAEL STRAHAN: Yeah. ROBERTS: --of the Center, 'to bring change home.'