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 âJimmy Kimmel Live!â expressed frustration about the intractable problems in Washington, and advised the president, âI 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 heâs ânever been more optimistic in my life.â
Kimmel swiftly interjected: âWhy are you so optimistic? It makes no sense!â
Biden said he was pinning his hopes on young people, the âbest educated, least prejudiced, most giving generation in American history.â
âThis generation is going to change everything,â Biden said. âWe just have to make sure we donât give up.â
The show was taped in the afternoon in Los Angeles. Biden is visiting the city for this weekâs Summit of the Americas, which brings together countries from across the hemisphere. First lady Jill Biden was in the audience, along with Bidenâs 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 NBCâs âThe 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 âthis is not your fatherâs Republican Party,â 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 âpassed them out like Halloween candy.â
Although Biden has taken some unilateral steps on firearms, the president said he wasn't interested in stepping beyond the limits of his authority.
âI donât want to emulate Trumpâs abuse of the Constitution and constitutional authority,â he said.
Biden said he knows some people feel like âRepublicans donât play it square, why do you play it square.â
âWell, guess what,â he said. âIf we do the same thing they do, our democracy will literally be in jeopardy. Not a joke.â
Kimmel responded, âItâs like youâre playing Monopoly with somebody who wonât pass go or wonât follow any of the rules, and how do you ever make any progress if theyâre not following the rules.â
âYouâve got to send them to jail,â 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.
âWeâve moved backwards,â he said.
Later on, Kimmel sympathized with Bidenâs challenges, particularly the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision that is expected to overturn Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion access nationwide.
âWhat a terrible job you have,â Kimmel said. âIâm glad youâre doing it. But, boy oh boy, does this seem like a bad gig.â
Biden said he was looking at executive orders that could help with abortion access â âweâre looking into it right nowâ â but said the best solutions were through legislation and elections.
If the court overturns Roe v. Wade, Biden said, âitâs going to cause a mini revolution and theyâre going to vote a lot of these folks out of office.â