Barack Obama may’ve gotten a chuckle out of Stephen Colbert floating his own potential run for president, but the politician admitted the comedian would be “significantly better” than many others.
The topic of Colbert’s hypothetical bid for president came during Tuesday’s episode of “The Late Show,” where the late night host sat down with the former president at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois.
“I’m looking for a new gig soon,” Colbert said, referencing his late night show’s looming end date. “And a lot of people tell me I should run for president.”
In response, Obama told Colbert that he has “the look” to be president, adding, “You have the hair.”
“Well, for the record, I think it’s a stupid idea,” Colbert noted. “How dumb do you think it is for people to say that I should run for president.”
While Colbert’s comment prompted a big laugh out of Obama, the former president defended that “the bar has changed.” Colbert then co-signed this remark, quipping that the qualifying bar to be president is “at times subterranean.”
“I don’t have to limbo so low?” Colbert went on.
After laughing a bit more, Obama added, “Let me put it this way, I think that you could perform significantly better than some folks that we’ve seen … I have great confidence in that.”
When Colbert asked Obama if this was a formal endorsement, the former president clarified: “It was not.”
Watch the moment below.
This exchange was a sneak peek of Colbert and Obama’s upcoming Tuesday night sit down, which was announced last month and will be the pair’s last televised chat for the program.
In January, CBS locked in the final air date for “The Late Show,” which will be May 21. The decision followed CBS’ announcement last summer, in which they shared that “The Late Show” would be coming to an end shortly after Colbert mocked Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump, blasting the move as a “big fat bribe.”
However, CBS executives noted at the time that the cancellation decision was purely a financial one.
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS.
