Stephen Colbert interviews President Obama for his next job, works in Trump joke

Stephen Colbert gives interview tips to President Obama
(Image credit: Late Show)

After he leaves office, President Obama might spend at least part of his time working to reform America's redistricting systems, it emerged Monday. On Monday's Late Show, Stephen Colbert helped Obama prepare for... well, some sort of transition. "There are a lot of signs the economy is improving, but there are still a lot of people out there struggling to find work," Colbert said. "Did you know unemployment is currently at 100 percent among America's Billy Bushes? And a friend of this show is about to lose his job, so last week, I helped him transition to his second career."

In the interview, shot last week, Colbert interrupts a minute of Obama's coffee-and-newspaper downtime, and he offered Obama interview tips dressed up as a mustachioed office manager named "Randy." Randy went through Obama's résumé, offering tips and critiques — "55, tough time to start over for a man," and "okay, little tip — when you say staying in your job would be unconstitutional, what employers hear is that you stole office supplies" — and between Obama's deadpan answers is a healthy dose of self-deprecation. "Do you have any awards or commendations?" Randy asked. "Well, I have almost 30 honorary degrees, and I did get the Nobel Peace Prize," Obama said. "Oh, really? What was that for?" Randy asked, and Obama shrugged: "To be honest, I still don't know."

Obama was able to both tout and downplay his accomplishments, and he urged people — especially young people — to vote at least twice. "Now sir, because we are on a network television show, I cannot allow you to endorse a candidate right now, but I would like to ask you about your choice of snack," Colbert's Randy said. "I have two choices for you here: Would you care for an extra-fiber nutrient bar, which has traveled to more than 100 countries, or this shriveled tangerine covered in golden retriever hair, filled with bile, that I wouldn't leave alone with the woman I love?" You can probably guess Obama's answer, and you can watch the sometimes awkward, frequently funny exchange below. Peter Weber

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.