LOS ANGELES -- There weren't a lot of laughs, but U.S. President Joe Biden got some unsolicited advice from Jimmy Kimmel on Wednesday when the president sat down for his first in-person interview with a late-night host since taking office.
The host of ABC's 鈥淛immy Kimmel Live!鈥� expressed frustration about the intractable problems in Washington, and advised the president, 鈥淚 think you need to start yelling at people."
Biden demurred, saying the country is still suffering from the effects of the pandemic, but he insisted he鈥檚 鈥渘ever been more optimistic in my life.鈥�
Kimmel swiftly interjected: 鈥淲hy are you so optimistic? It makes no sense!鈥�
Biden said he was pinning his hopes on young people, the 鈥渂est educated, least prejudiced, most giving generation in American history.鈥�
鈥淭his generation is going to change everything,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淲e just have to make sure we don鈥檛 give up.鈥�
The show was taped in the afternoon in Los Angeles. Biden is visiting the city for this week鈥檚 Summit of the Americas, which brings together countries from across the hemisphere. First lady Jill Biden was in the audience, along with Biden鈥檚 granddaughter Naomi and her fiancé.
Biden's only previous late-night appearance as president was in December, when he spoke remotely with Jimmy Fallon on NBC鈥檚 鈥淭he Tonight Show."
Kimmel began his interview by asking about gun control, referencing a string of recent mass shootings.
"I guess, I mean, just to get into it, why haven't we done anything about this?" Kimmel asked.
Biden responded that 鈥渢his is not your father鈥檚 Republican Party,鈥� and he blamed his political opposition for being too afraid to do anything about guns because they fear primary election challenges.
Kimmel pressed Biden on whether he could use executive orders to increase gun control, noting that former President Donald Trump 鈥減assed them out like Halloween candy.鈥�
Although Biden has taken some unilateral steps on firearms, the president said he wasn't interested in stepping beyond the limits of his authority.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to emulate Trump鈥檚 abuse of the Constitution and constitutional authority,鈥� he said.
Biden said he knows some people feel like 鈥淩epublicans don鈥檛 play it square, why do you play it square.鈥�
鈥淲ell, guess what,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we do the same thing they do, our democracy will literally be in jeopardy. Not a joke.鈥�
Kimmel responded, 鈥淚t鈥檚 like you鈥檙e playing Monopoly with somebody who won鈥檛 pass go or won鈥檛 follow any of the rules, and how do you ever make any progress if they鈥檙e not following the rules.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to send them to jail,鈥� Biden joked.
At another point in the interview, Kimmel suggested he was disappointed in the progress that was being made on issues like climate change and abortion.
鈥淲e鈥檝e moved backwards,鈥� he said.
Later on, Kimmel sympathized with Biden鈥檚 challenges, particularly the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision that is expected to overturn Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion access nationwide.
鈥淲hat a terrible job you have,鈥� Kimmel said. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad you鈥檙e doing it. But, boy oh boy, does this seem like a bad gig.鈥�
Biden said he was looking at executive orders that could help with abortion access 鈥� 鈥渨e鈥檙e looking into it right now鈥� 鈥� but said the best solutions were through legislation and elections.
If the court overturns Roe v. Wade, Biden said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to cause a mini revolution and they鈥檙e going to vote a lot of these folks out of office.鈥�
