YEARS.

HE'S THE HOST OF "HARDBALL."

PLEASE WELCOME CHRIS MATTHEWS!

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )

>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU.

I WAS JUST ASKING AS YOU WERE COMING UP HERE IS THIS THE FIRST

TIME YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE NEW SHOW BECAUSE YOU WERE ALWAYS ON

THE OLD SHOW.

>> YOU WOULD GET 100 BUCKS IF SOMEBODY CAUGHT ME EATING A

POTATO.

>> Stephen: THAT NIGHT, ONE OF MY WRITERS WENT TO DINNER WITH

YOU AND CAUGHT YOU EATING A POTATO.

>> FRENCH FRIES.

>> Stephen: WHEN WE PUT UP A PICTURE OF YOU ON THE OLD SHOW

WE WOULD HUT UP AN IDAHO POTATO WITH YOUR FACE ON IT.

( LAUGHTER ) UH YOU COVERED A LOT OF

INAUGURATIONS AND YOU WERE IN THE CARTER ADMINISTRATION.

WHAT HAPPENS?

WHAT'S THE MOMENT OF TRANSFER LIKE?

>> I WORK FOR A GREAT GUY WHO GOT BEATEN, JIMMY CARTER, AND I

WAS SPEECH WRITER SO I HAD TO CLEAR OUT THE OFFICE.

>> Stephen: YOU WERE IN THE OFFICE.

>> THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING.

I LEFT THE OFFICE 20 MINUTES TO 12:00 ON INAUGURAL DAY BECAUSE

YOU HAD TO GET OUT.

I HAD MY ROLODEX, BOX OF PAPERS.

YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR, YOUR JOB IS OVER.

I REALIZED BECAUSE ONE OF THE SPEECH WRITERS STAYED AROUND TO

TELL ME WHAT WAS GOING ON AFTERWARDS.

EXACTLY NOON ON INAUGURAL DAY, THESE GUYS COME IN WITH BIG

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS, BEAUTIFULLY FRAMED, AND THEY CREATE A NEW

REALITY.

TRUMP'S GOING TO HAVE HIM AND MELANIA'S PICTURES ALL OVER THE

WHITE HOUSE AND ALL BARACK OBAMA AND HIS FAMILY PICTURES WILL BE

GONE.

IF YOU STICK THERE DURING LUNCH AND WATCH THE TRANSITION, IT WAS

LIKE OBAMA WAS NEVER THERE AND TRUMP WAS ALWAYS THERE.

IT'S A WEIRD THING THAT GOES ON INSIDE.

>> Stephen: THEY'RE CHEERING FOR DEMOCRACY OUT THERE.

>> IS THIS A MIXED AUDIENCE?

HOW MANY TRUMP VOTERS HERE ARE WILLING TO SAY THEY VOTED FOR

TRUMP?

( APPLAUSE ) HA!

THEY'RE IN HIDING.

DOES TRUMP BECOME PRESIDENT WHEN THEY'RE AT OATH OR NOON?

>> THIS IS THE WEIRD PART.

THIS IS NOT FUNNY.

THERE IS A GENERAL AT OMAHA, NEBRASKA, SAC HEARKDZ AND EHE

DOES VOICE RECOGNITION AND IF A CALL COMES 5 MINUTES TILL

12:00 FROM BARACK OBAMA, HE COULD START A NUCLEAR WAR.

12:00 OR 5 MINUTES AFTER, A VOICE OF TRUMP COMES, A WAR CAN

START.

>> Stephen: WHEN DOES HE GET THE CODES?

>> TOMORROW MORNING AROUND 7:30, HE GOES IN.

I'VE HEARD WHEN PEOPLE OF SOUND MIND COMES OUT OF THOSE MEETINGS

COME OUT CRYING.

IT'S HARD FOR A NORMAL HUMAN BEING TO IMAGINE.

>> Stephen: THE ODDEST THINGS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP IS IT'S NOT

LIKE I DISAGREE WITH HIM.

I'M NOT SURE WHERE HE STANDS MOST OF THE TIME.

IT'S THE MERCURIAL NATURE OF HIM.

HE SAYS HE WANTS TO KEEP PEOPLE OFF BALANCE.

>> WHEN I INTERVIEWED HIM, I GOT IN TROUBLE BECAUSE I SAID WHAT

SHOULD HAPPEN TO A WOMAN WHO CHOOSES TO HAVE AN ABORTION

UNDER YOUR PLAN?

HE SAID THERE HAS TO BE SOME PUNISHMENT FOR HER.

( AUDIENCE REACTS ) >> Stephen: THAT'S OKAY

BECAUSE THE NEXT DAY HE TOOK IT BACK.

>> YEAH, A FEW HOURS LATER.

HE SAID HE WOULDN'T RULE OUT USING NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN EUROPE.

EUROPE'S SMALL!

IF YOU BLOW UP SOMEBODY, EVERYBODY GETS BLOWN UP.

HE SAYS, WHY DO WE MAKE THEM IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE THEM?

>> Stephen: THAT'S TRUE.

THEY SAY USE IT -- AND LOSE IT.

>> YEAH.

DURING THE BREAK, HE'S A MARKETING GENIUS.

MARKETING, BRANDING, HOW HE MADE HIS MONEY.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DURING THE BREAK?

ZOOLANDER.

>> Stephen: ZOOLANDER 2?

NO, NO, HE'S SMARTER THAN US ON THIS ONE.

HE SAID ZOOLANDER WORKS.

ZOOLANDER 2 DID NOT WORK AND EXPLAINED IT TO ME.

( LAUGHTER ) IT HAD TO DO WITH THE TIMING.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

HE'S A MARKETING GUY.

>> Stephen: WHAT DID HE MEAN THE TIMING.

>> THERE IS A CERTAIN MOMENT WHEN PEOPLE THOUGHT REALLY GOOD

LOOKING MODELS WERE STUPID AND WOULD BE FUNNY, BUT IT STOPPED

WORKING AGAIN, IT DIDN'T WORK THE SECOND TIME.

>> Stephen: THS WHAT HE WAS THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU WERE

ASKING ABOUT WOMEN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE?

>> YEAH...

( LAUGHTER ) THE OTHER FUNNY THING WAS, YOU

KNOW, WE SENT THE FAMILY CHRISTMAS CARDS BECAUSE WE'D

BEEN INTERVIEWING HIM FOR 20 YEARS.

WE SENT A PICTURE OF OUR FAMILY.

EVERYBODY DOES THAT.

YOU WOULD EXPECT TO GET ONE BACK OR THANKS FOR THE NOTE OR MERRY

CHRISTMAS OR HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

HE SENT IT BACK AUTOGRAPHED.

( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: A PHOTO OF YOUR

FAMILY AUTOGRAPHED BY HIM?

>> HE SAID, BEAUTIFUL FAMILY, DONALD TRUMP, IN A FED EX

ENVELOPE.

THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE.

>> Stephen: THAT SAYS TO ME, "NICE FAMILY.

MINE NOW.

MY FAMILY.

MY NAME ON IT " .

( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: YOU SAID YOU HAD A

THRILL GOING UP YOUR LEG HEARING BARACK OBAMA SPEAK.

EIGHT YEARS LATER, HOW'S THE THRILL GOING UP YOUR LEG?

IS IT PRESENTLY GOING BACK DOWN YOUR LEG?

AND THAT COULD BE DEEP-VEIN THROMBOSIS.

YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT CHECKED OUT.

>> ONLY THE BEGINNING OF WHAT I FELT.

>> Stephen: SO EIGHT YEARS LATER DCIALGHTS.

>> ARE YOU GOING TO LET ME TALK?

>> Stephen: REALLY?

YOU'RE ACCUSING SOMEONE ELSE OF NOT LETTING THEM TALK?

WOW!

THAT IS THE POTATO CALLING THE FRENCH FRY STARCHY!

UNBELIEVABLE!

PLEASE!

I'LL GO OVER HERE!

I'VE GOT A FRESH HOT CUP OF COFFEE.

YOU HAVE EXACTLY ONE MINUTE.

>> HERE'S A GUY WHO LIVES WHAT HE TALKS.

HE SAID GO GET A CLIP BOARD AND RUNOFFS IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE

WAY THINGS ARE GOING.

HE GOT HIS BUTT KICKED IN SOUTHSIDE CHICAGO BY BOBBY RUSH

BECAUSE HE WAS TOO IVY LEAGUE.

HE WENT INTO THE SUBURBS OF ILLINOIS, RAN FOR THE SENATE,

WON THE U.S. SENATE RACE, GIVES THE SPEECH OF A LIFETIME, THAT'S

WHEN I SAID YOU JUST SAW THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN

PRESIDENT.

>> Stephen: 2004, BOSTON.

YEAH.

>> Stephen: THAT'S WHEN HE SAID HIS GRANDFATHER WAS A GOAT

HERDER.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: HE TRIED TO OUTHUMBLE EVERYBODY IN AMERICA.

>> IT'S A BETTER MOVIE THAN YOU CAN EVER MAKE ABOUT A PRESIDENT.

HE CAME FROM NOWHERE.

HE HAD THE GUTS TO DO IT, WENT OUT AND DID IT.

HE'S THE FINEST PRESIDENT WE'VE HAD.

EVERYTHING HE'S DONE, HE'S CUT THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN HALF,

TRIPLED THE STOCK MARKET AS YOU SAID A MINUTE AGO, SAVED THE

AUTO INDUSTRY, BROUGHT ABOUT MARRIAGE EQUALITY.

HE DID SO MANY THINGS.

I MEAN, HE DID IT ALL, AND THERE'S NOT A BIT OF SCANDAL.

HIS FAMILY IS COMPLETELY PERFECT.

THE KIDS ARE PERFECT.

HE'S EVERY CONSERVATIVE'S DREAM OF A PRESIDENT, EXCEPT HE'S NOT

THEIR DREAM OF A PRESIDENT.

IT'S JUST NOT THE WAY IT IS, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THAT'S MY

SPEECH.

>> Stephen: PLEASE COME BACK AND GIVE ANOTHER SPEECH ONCE WE

KNOW WHAT TRUMP IS DOING IN REALITY BECAUSE THE HARD THING

ABOUT TRUMP IS YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO, AND I

WOULD LOVE TO TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S ACTUALLY

ON THE BOOKS TO JUDGE.

>> YEAH, HE'S UNPREDICTABLE, BUT, THANKS.

>> Stephen: >> STEPHEN: YOU CAN CATCH CHRIS

MATTHEWS' ALL-DAY COVERAGE OF THE INAUGURATION ON MSNBC.

CHRIS MATTHEWS, EVERYBODY!

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A PERFORMANCE BY BASH AND POP.